FAQ

Plumpy'Nut® is a Ready-to-Use food, especially designed for the nutritional rehabilitation of severely acute malnourished children.

Plumpy'Nut® corresponds to the definition of “RUTF” (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food) that can be found in scientific literature related to the treatment of severe acute malnutrition.

Main characteristics, target population and benefits obtained

Plumpy'Nut® was initially designed for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition in children (from 6 months of age). Children below 6 months have to be exclusively breastfed, or if necessary a specific regimen with adapted therapeutic products will be prescribed by a clinician.

Plumpy'Nut® is also suitable for adults suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

The invention of Plumpy'Nut® revolutionized the management of severe acute malnutrition by making home treatment/ ambulatory or outpatient care possible for severely malnourished children with an appetite and without medical complications.

Plumpy’Nut® was developed as an alternative to F100 therapeutic milk providing the same mean nutritional value, but without the same use constraints.

A lipid-based nutritional supplement with a high vitamin and mineral content, such as Plumpy’Nut®, is well-adapted to the needs of severe acute malnourished children.

Plumpy’Nut® can be safely used and stored outside the rehabilitation center, enabling home treatment.

It is available in 92 g sachets which provide 500 kcal.

Recommendations for use

Plumpy’Nut® can be used directly, as it is, without prior preparation.

Plumpy’Nut® can be eaten directly from the sachet without prior cooking or dilution with water. The sachet can easily be opened by tearing off one corner of the sachet.

Plumpy’Nut® can be eaten by a child on his/her own, without having to be helped by his/her mother or anyone else.

After opening, the sachet can be used through the day.

Dosage: 200 kcal / kg body weight / day until the targeted weight is reached

Plumpy’Nut® does not replace breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is recommended for at least 24 months, and exclusively for the first 6 months of age.

IngrEdients

Sugar, peanuts, non-hydrogenated vegetable fat (palm, colza), skimmed milk powder, whey powder, vitamin and mineral complex, stabilizer: hydrogenated vegetable fat, emulsifier: mono and diglycerides, vegetable lecithin (soy or sunflower).

StoRage

The date of minimum durability is 24 months from the manufacturing date stated on each sachet.

It is recommended to keep the product in a dry and cool place, at a temperature below 30°C (86°F), away from direct sunlight.

It is recommended not to stack the pallets.

Plumpy'SupTM is a soy-based ready-to-use supplementary food, especially designed for the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition.

Plumpy'SupTM corresponds to the definition of “RUSF” (Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food) that can be found in scientific literature.

Main characteristics, target population and benefits obtained

Plumpy’SupTM has been designed for the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition (from 6 months of age) in Supplementary Feeding Programmes.

Plumpy’SupTM is also adapted for children who finish therapeutic nutrition programs as a means of preventing relapse into severe acute malnutrition.

Plumpy’SupTM can be used in targeted nutritional supplementation programmes or general supplementation (blanket feeding).

A lipid-based nutritional supplement with a high vitamin and mineral content, such as Plumpy’SupTM, is well-adapted to the needs of moderate acute malnourished people.

Plumpy’SupTM can be safely used and stored outside the health center, enabling home treatment.

It is available in 92 g sachets which provide 500 kcal.

Recommendations for use

Plumpy’SupTM can be used directly, as is, without prior preparation.

Plumpy’SupTM can be consumed directly from the sachet without prior cooking or dilution with water. The product can easily be opened by tearing off one corner of the sachet.

Plumpy’SupTM can be eaten by a child on his/her own, without having to be helped by his/her mother or anyone else.

After opening, the sachet can be used through the day.

Plumpy’SupTM is a supplement to the usual diet and should not replace any locally available food that is commonly consumed or breastfeeding.

Dosage: 75 kcal / kg body weight / day until the targeted weight is reached

Plumpy’SupTM does not replace breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is recommended for at least 24 months, and exclusively for the first 6 months of age.

Ingredients

Non-hydrogenated vegetable fat (palm, rapeseed), sugar, soy flour, peanuts, whey powder, vitamin and mineral complex, stabilizer: hydrogenated vegetable fat, cocoa, emulsifier: mono and diglycerides, vegetable lecithin (soy or sunflower).

Storage

The date of minimum durability is 24 months from the manufacturing date stated on each sachet.

It is recommended to keep the product in a dry and cool place, at a temperature below 30°C (86°F), away from direct sunlight.

It is recommended not to stack the pallets.

Particularly adapted to the nutritional needs of infants and young children (6 to 36 months), Plumpy’DozTM supplements the usual food intake, but does not substitute a balanced diet or breast-feeding.

Main characteristics, target population and benefits obtained

Plumpy’DozTM is provided as a daily supplement to improve the nutritional value of the traditional diet of children aged 6 to 36 months.

Plumpy’DozTM is also recommended for use in programmes aiming to prevent malnutrition.

A high quality supplementary food then becomes indispensable to compensate for this deficit. It is during this important growth phase that children are most at risk of malnutrition.

In a large number of developing countries, supplementary food adapted to the specific nutritional needs of infants and young children (6 – 24 months) is, in fact, either unavailable or inaccessible. This problem is particularly severe during at-risk periods such as the lean season (that is, the months between the depletion of family food stocks and the next harvest) in agricultural areas.

Plumpy’DozTM is packaged in 325 g cup, equivalent to a weekly ration per child.

Recommendations for use

Plumpy’DozTM is a ready to use supplementary food (RUSF); hence it does not need to be mixed with another food before consumption and it can be consumed directly with a spoon.

Dosage: 3 teaspoons, 3 times a day

Plumpy’Doz™ is a supplement to breastfeeding and child complementary food.

Plumpy’Doz™ is not a substitute for a varied and nutritious diet.

Ingredients

Sugar, non-hydrogenated vegetable fat (palm, rapeseed), peanuts, skimmed milk powder, whey powder, vitamin and mineral complex, stabilizer: hydrogenated vegetable fat, emulsifier: mono and diglycerides, vegetable lecithin (soy or sunflower).

Storage

Best Before Date: 24 months from manufacturing date.

It is recommended to keep Plumpy’DozTM in a dry & cool place, at temperature below 30°C, away from direct sunlight.

To be consumed within 14 days after opening the cup. Close the cup with the lid after each use.

It is recommended not to stack the pallets.

Plumpy’Mum™ is a ready-to-use supplementary food especially designed to address suboptimal nutritional status in pregnant and lactating women.

Main characteristics, target population and benefits obtained

Plumpy’Mum™ is a nutritional supplement especially intended to pregnant and lactating women with suboptimal nutritional status.

Plumpy’Mum™ is distributed ideally in targeted nutritional supplementation programmes alongside other interventions, such as Behavior Change Communication (BCC) activities to improve nutritional practices as well as obstetric care.

Plumpy’Mum™ provides a combination of multiple micronutrients as well as a good energy-protein balance, with the aim of having a positive effect on maternal nutritional status, birth outcomes and postnatal growth.

72 g sachet providing 394 kcal and 14.7 g proteins

Recommendations for use

Plumpy’Mum™ can be used directly, as it is, without prior preparation.

Plumpy’Mum™ can be eaten straight from the sachet without prior cooking or dilution with water.

The sachet can easily be opened by tearing off one corner of the sachet.

After opening, the sachet can be used throughout the day.

Plumpy’Mum™ is a supplement to the usual diet and should not replace any locally available food that is commonly consumed.

Dosage: One sachet (72g) per woman per day

Ingredients

Non hydrogenated vegetable fat, soy flour, peanuts, sugar, whey powder, vitamin and mineral complex, stabilizer: hydrogenated vegetable fat, emulsifier: vegetable lecithin (soy or sunflower).

Storage

The date of minimum durability is 24 months from the manufacturing date stated on each sachet.

It is recommended to keep the product in a dry and cool place, at a temperature below 30°C (86°F).

Plumpy’Mum™ can be safely used and stored outside the health center, enabling home supplementation.

It is recommended not to stack the pallets.

Enov’Mum™ is a nutritional supplement especially designed to improve the nutritional quality of diet of pregnant and lactating women.

Enov’Mum™ corresponds to the definition of a small size “Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement” (LNS).

Main characteristics, target population and benefits obtained

Enov’Mum™ has been especially designed for pregnant and lactating women in areas where their daily diet may provide energy, but lacks varied and nutritious food, which could prevent them from meeting their requirements in main micronutrients and essential fatty acids.

Enov’Mum™ can be distributed as part of a nutrition program through blanket feeding in at-risk area alongside other interventions, such as Behavior Change Communication (BCC) activities to improve nutritional practices, as well as obstetric care.

Enov’Mum™ contains essential fatty acids (EFA) and the recommended daily nutrient intake (RNI) in multiple micronutrients that are often lacking in the diet, and thus aims to have a positive effect on maternal nutritional status, birth outcomes and postnatal growth.

Enov’Mum™ has been designed based on recommendations of the WHO, UNICEF and WFP in the guidelines “Preventing and controlling micronutrient deficiencies in populations affected by an emergency” (2006).

20 g sachet providing 119 kcal

7 sachets of 20 g are attached in a strip, corresponding to a weekly ration for one woman.

Recommendations for use

Enov’Mum™ can be used directly, as it is, without prior preparation.

Enov’Mum™ can be mixed with traditional food once served, or may be eaten directly from the sachet. The sachet can easily be opened by tearing off one corner of the sachet.

After opening, the sachet can be used throughout the day.

Enov’Mum™ is a supplement to the usual diet and should not replace any locally available food that is commonly consumed.

Dosage: 20 g per day (one sachet) per woman

A supplementation with Enov’Mum™ is recommended during “at risk periods”, during which ones a woman would receive a nutritionally inadequate diet (lack of nutrients rich animal products, fruits, vegetables…) that may not meet her nutrient requirements.

Ingredients

Non-hydrogenated vegetable fat (rapeseed, palm), skimmed milk powder, whey powder, soy flour, peanuts, maltodextrin (corn or wheat), sugar, stabilizer: hydrogenated vegetable fat, vitamin and mineral complex, emulsifier: mono and di-glycerides, vegetable lecithin (soy or sunflower).

Storage

The date of minimum durability is 18 months from the manufacturing date stated on each sachet. After opening, the sachet can be used throughout the day.

It is recommended to keep the product in a dry and cool place, at a temperature below 30°C (86°F). Enov’Mum™ can therefore be safely used and stored outside the health center, enabling home supplementation.

It is recommended not to stack the pallets.

Enov’Nutributter® is a nutritional supplement especially designed to prevent stunting and to improve the child growth, his motor and cognitive development.

Enov’Nutributter® corresponds to the definition of a small size “Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement” (LNS).

Main characteristics and target population

Enov’Nutributter® is a complementary food supplement that has been tailored to the needs of infants aged from 6 to 12 months old and suitable for young children until 24 months of age. It is designed to promote infant growth, motor development (see reference 1 at the end of the document) and to prevent malnutrition.

Enov’Nutributter® is a supplement and does not replace breastfeeding or varied and nutritious complementary foods.

20 g sachet providing 107 kcal

7 sachets of 20 g are attached in a strip, corresponding to a weekly ration for one child.

Recommendations for use

Enov’Nutributter® can be used directly, as it is, without prior preparation.

Enov’Nutributter® does not require any prior cooking or dilution and does not need to be refrigerated. Simply open the package, and the content can be eaten directly by the child or mixed into the child’s complementary food after it has been cooked and is no longer steaming hot.

Enov’Nutributter® should not be added to the food during the cooking process.

Children receiving Enov’Nutributter® should continue to be breastfed and to receive their usual complementary foods.

Dosage: 20 g per day (one sachet) per child

Supplementation is recommended for « at risk » periods during which the child receives nutritionally inadequate complementary food that does not provide them with all the required nutrients in quality and quantity.

Ingredients

Peanuts, non-hydrogenated vegetable fat (rapeseed, palm), sugar, skimmed milk powder, whey powder, maltodextrin (wheat or corn), vitamin and mineral complex, stabilizer: hydrogenated vegetable fat, emulsifier: mono and diglycerides, vegetable lecithin (soy or sunflower).

Storage

The date of minimum durability is 24 months from the manufacturing date stated on each sachet.

After opening, the sachet can be used through the day.

It is recommended not to stack the pallets.

They taste like peanut butter cookie dough or sweet peanut butter. Kids love them.

Depending on the partner location, the PlumpyField® network produces six nutritional solutions that are used in the prevention and treatment of malnutrition.

They are Plumpy’Nut®, Plumpy'SupTM, Plumpy’DozTM, Plumpy’MumTM, Enov’MumTM and Enov'Nutributter®.

PlumpyField®'s RUFs are made out of peanut, sugar, milk powder, vegetable oils, and vitamins and minerals.

They contain all the essential fats, proteins and nutrients for the populations they are designed to reach.

Production capacities are increasing rapidly to respond to the scale-up of nutritional programs in the countries and to contribute to the global humanitarian response when major crisis arises:

7,500 MT in 2009;

20,000 MT in 2010;

26,000 MT in 2011;

37,000 MT in 2012;

35,500 MT in 2013;

38,000 MT in 2014.

RUTF stands for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food. It means that the food does not need to be refrigerated or mixed with water. Children can open it and eat it directly. Although it is used as a treatment, and is produced under strict quality criteria, it is a food, NOT a medicine.

Plumpy’Nut® is the only RUTF the PlumpyField® network produces.

RUF stands for Ready-to-Use Food. It means that the food does not need to be refrigerated or mixed with water. Children can open it and eat it directly.

RUF includes both RUTF (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food) and RUSF (Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food).

No, RUFs are not substitutes for breast milk or a balanced diet. Instead they should be used as a treatment or as a supplement to breast milk and traditional foods.

Plumpy’Nut®, the original RUTF, and was developed in 1996. Its benefits were demonstrated in the early 2000s and it has been used on a large scale since 2005. In 2007, WHO/UNICEF/WFP issued a joint statement for Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), recommending the use of RUTFs like Plumpy’Nut®.

Since then, Nutriset has continued to research RUFs, their distribution, and their micro-macro nutrient composition. They have developed additional products to address the moderate acute malnutrition, chronic malnutrition, and malnutrition prevention.

Dr. André Briend, a Nutritionist at The Research Institute for Development (IRD), and Michel Lescanne, the Founder and CEO of Nutriset jointly developed the first RUF.

IRD is a French public development research institute.

Nutriset is a family-owned company based in France and currently the largest manufacturer of Plumpy’Nut® globally.

Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food is endorsed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF for use in the rehabilitation of severely malnourished children, until they reach their target weight.

“Community Based Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition”, a joint statement by the World Health Organization, the World Food Program, the United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition and the United Nations Children Fund in May 2007.

The main buyers are UNICEF, the World Food Program, the Clinton Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, Action Against Hunger and other organizations with nutrition programs.

The buyers generally purchase the products and then distribute them to the communities who need them, either directly through their own programming or through implementing partners.

If a child under the age of five does not get the proper nutrition he or she needs, the mental and physical deficits may be impossible to overcome. A child may not do well in school, may get sick more often and all of this negatively impacts his/her family and community. Therefore, not only do Ready-to-Use Foods save and protect young lives, but they also secure the stability of families, communities and countries.

PlumpyField® network partners, located in Africa, India and Haiti are each dedicated to increasing access to nutritional solutions for at-risk populations through the production of RUFs.

These partners source ingredients locally, thereby contributing to the economic growth and stability of their communities.

Plumpy’Nut® formulation sets it apart. Plumpy’Nut® recipe was researched and developed for the needs of children during the first 5 years of life, whose bodies, brains, eyesight and immune systems are at their most crucial development stages.

It has also undergone palatability tests to ensure that children will be willing to consume it in the amounts necessary for effectiveness. Nutriset's franchise system allows oversight and approval of all producers, thus ensuring that each batch of Plumpy’Nut® meets International Standards of food quality for young children.

Enov'Nutributter® was developed in an attempt to find a low cost supplement to enrich children’s complementary food with essential micronutrients and fatty acids for the critical months between the end of exclusive breastfeeding and 2 years of age.

RUFs used to treat malnutrition are not sold on the market. They are distributed for free by governments or charitable organizations in feeding centers and clinics. There is potential for a preventative product, like Enov’Nutributter®, to be marketed at an affordable cost. Research for this new model is currently being conducted in Uganda and Burkina Faso.

Unfortunately, standard food aid is generally not sufficient to address the needs of a child under five who is suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM). And when a child has reached the most severe level of malnutrition, without medical complications, Plumpy’Nut® is the most cost/effective treatment.

The amount of Plumpy’Nut® needed for an average 8-week outpatient treatment costs about US$50 and puts the care in the hands of the mother or family caregiver. This compares favorably to the average cost of inpatient care. The social burden is also significantly lower.

Caregivers no longer have to stay with a sick child in a hospital – instead they can remain with their families and other children and continue participation in livelihood activities. Additionally, more outpatient treatment means that hospital beds can be reserved for children who have medical complications and need intensive doctor attention.

The incidence of malnutrition in children peaks during hunger seasons (when an old crop has run out and a new crop is not yet ready for harvest), in times of conflict, displacement, and drought, and during personal crisis (such as loss of a parent). A six to ten week treatment of RUF is generally enough to carry a child through these periods and back to healthy development. Children are, however, at high risk of relapsing if the conditions of poverty and crisis have not been alleviated.

To prevent relapse, once children reach their target weight they are ideally admitted to supplementary feeding programs for three months (for example, using corn-soy blend). There are also Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF) products, such as Plumpy’Doz® that are designed as supplements. Social marketing efforts and products, like Enov’Nutributter®, are designed to enable families to have access to quality nutritional supplements according to their purchasing power, even if no emergency distribution programs are in place.

Doses are generally given in 1-2 week allotments. Follow-ups are made by health professionals each time a new allotment is given, to check for progress. If a child is not improving, other measures can be taken to ensure that the appropriate child receives the treatment. This generally involves further education and in some cases offering other foods and/or supplements to other family members. If necessary a child may be admitted to the hospital until improvement is marked or complicating factors are identified.

By treating young children with RUF, we are not only saving lives but also intervening at a vital point of body and brain development. Children who survive to adulthood without treatment may be developmentally challenged both physically and mentally. Children who are treated can develop to their full capacity and are able to live healthier and more productive lives.