Plumpy'nut

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Plumpy'nut (Plumpy) is a high- energy paste made from peanut butter for the treatment of moderate malnutrition .

The name is made up of the English words plump (thick) and peanut (peanut). Plumpy'nut is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as " ready-to-use therapeutic food" ( RUTF). It is used together with similar products such as Plumpy'doz , Plumpy'sup , eeZeePaste RUTF or BP-100 Paste RUTF as a therapeutic special food in the context of humanitarian aid .

A two-month care for a child cost around US $ 60 in 2010.

Composition and use

A pack of Plumpy'nut

The paste consists of peanut butter , powdered milk , oil, and sugar . In addition, essential vitamins and minerals are added. The taste is comparable to a sweet peanut butter. The nutritional value of a pack weighing 92 grams is 500 kilocalories . The fact that Plumpy'nut is based on oil and not water has proven to be an advantage over other nutritional supplements. This makes it edible without having to add (possibly contaminated) water and is comparatively well protected against the influence of food-spoiling microorganisms even after unpacking . The shelf life in the packaged state is around two years.

Since Plumpy'nut can be consumed directly, patients do not have to be admitted to the hospital for treatment of malnutrition. Children can consume it themselves without help or can simply be looked after by their parents, which takes the burden off the nursing staff. Due to its soft consistency, Plumpy'nut can also be eaten by children with not yet fully developed teeth . In addition, the inexpensive logistics in terms of weight and packaging size are an advantage for distribution. For the reasons mentioned, peanut paste has become a standard product for use by aid organizations.

distribution

Children with plumpy'nut

Plumpy'nut is a registered trademark of Nutriset. In 2004, the company made twelve million euros in sales with the product, which roughly doubles since 2001. For cost reasons, franchise companies are planned, with the delivery of additives and quality control being handled by Nutriset. Production facilities already exist in Niger .

Numerous aid organizations such as UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders use the peanut paste. UNICEF is promoting the direct effectiveness of the treatment for donations.

criticism

Nutritionists point out that treatment with Plumpy'nut is only possible as long as a person can still swallow himself, and warn against viewing Plumpy'nut as a miracle weapon against malnutrition. In addition, peanut-based ingredients have a higher allergenic potential than other food ingredients.

Jeffrey Sachs , economist and special advisor to the Millennium Development Goals , emphasizes that a product like Plumpy'nut is only helpful against malnutrition in crisis areas and in acute famine, but not against the much more serious and widespread chronic malnutrition and malnutrition. Criticism is also leveled at the UNICEF advertising campaign for Plumpy'nut, which does not look at the root causes of famine and malnutrition.

The product was developed by French scientists Michel Lescanne and André Briend and is manufactured and marketed by the Nutriset company. The handling of patent law is judged controversially . As part of its campaign for access to essential medicines, the organization Doctors Without Borders criticizes the patent law restrictions on trade in life-saving products and the associated violation of humanitarian principles. The 1999 patent will expire in 2020.

Web links

Commons : Plumpy'nut  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Nina von Hardenberg: Peanut butter for the world . Süddeutsche Zeitung , May 19, 2010.
  2. ^ Andrew Rice: The Peanut Solution . September 2, 2010.
  3. ↑ Peanut paste saves children's lives . UNICEF
  4. ↑ Doctors Without Borders supports villages in the fight against malnutrition . Doctors Without Borders , March 8, 2012.
  5. ↑ Frauke Schobelt: Jung von Matt-Spot for Unicef: If peanuts could talk . 20th December 2013.
  6. ↑ a b Jeffrey Sachs, Jessica Fanzo, Sonia Sachs: Saying “Nuts” to Hunger . Huffington Post , September 6, 2010; Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  7. ↑ Thomas Boley: Allergic to hunger . December 13, 2013.
  8. ↑ Janet Lavelle: Child malnutrition center of legal battle . The San Diego Union-Tribune, January 16, 2010, accessed May 24, 2014.
  9. ↑ Open letter from the Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines