Michel Lescanne receives the European Inventor Award 2015, awarded by the European Patent Office (EPO), in the Small and Medium Enterprise category, in recognition of his action to fight malnutrition through the development of the first ready-to-use therapeutic food: Plumpy'Nut®.
Developed in 1996 collaboratively with the Research Institute for Development (IRD), Plumpy'Nut® is designed to enable the nutritional rehabilitation of children diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. The product, recognized by WHO for its effectiveness and recommended by UNICEF, is distributed in individual packaging in the form of a ready-to-use energy paste that can be used without dilution or prior preparation, and is ready for distribution to malnourished children for consumption within a community-based health care support. The 500 kcal Plumpy'Nut® sachet has already saved the lives of more than 25 million children. On average, a seven-week treatment is sufficient to stabilize a child suffering from sever acute malnutrition at a cost of only 30 euros per child.
"For us, a patent is not only a protection tool, it is a development tool", explains Michel Lescanne. "This patent has been made available to others located in developing countries and we have also established a network of local producers, meaning that, from now on, 40% of Plumpy'Nut® product consumption comes from a local production unit. "
Today, Nutriset and its network of partner producers, PlumpyField®, provide humanitarians and health programs with a set of products stemming from the research and development of Plumpy'Nut®. Easy to store, to transport and to consume, these foods with high nutritional value benefited 6 million people in the year 2015.
"Nutriset's mandate to feed children is highly motivating," says Michel Lescanne. "It allows us to bring together a multidisciplinary team composed of technical specialists, nutritionists, anthropologists and sociologists, who are contributing to our progress in our quest to not only cure, but above all prevent malnutrition. "
Nutriset continues to invest in nutrition research partnerships, with more than 60 projects underway worldwide.
Visit the European Patent Office (EPO) page "Michel Lescanne - Finalist for the European Inventor Award 2015"
VIDEO : "Michel Lescanne - Nutritional paste that combats malnutrition" (EPOFilms)
Source: EPOFilms (YouTube), Published June 11th, 2015
