3. Plumpy’Nut®
Severe acute malnutrition (treatment)

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Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food - RUTF

92 g individual sachet [500 kcal]

✓ Treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition

From 6 months 

200 kcal / kg / day during 6 to 8 weeks

→ 2 to 3 sachets / day / person

Quotation request

Plumpy'Nut® is a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF)

 

✓ For children after 6 months of age

Plumpy’Nut® is specifically formulated for the nutritional rehabilitation of children from six months of age and adults suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

The invention of Plumpy’Nut® made home treatment/ambulatory or outpatient care possible for severely malnourished children with an appetite and without medical complications.

However, the vulnerable condition of severely malnourished children requires a health practitioner's prescription and regular medical check-ups.

Plumpy'Nut® should not be given to people who are allergic to peanuts or dairy products.

 

✓ To treat Severe Acute Malnutrition

Children who fall under the cut-off for severe acute malnutrition need to receive an adapted diet that allows them to regain a normal nutritional status. Providing the same nutritional value (but without the same use constraints) than F-100 therapeutic milk, Plumpy’Nut® is well-adapted to the needs of severely acute malnourished children.

Since it can be used at home without prior preparation, under the supervision of the mother or another member of the family, Plumpy’Nut® made outpatient treatment possible for most of the children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Thanks to these characteristics, the number of malnourished children treated considerably increased and the adherence to the regularity of the treatment and the recovery rate improved. 

A true revolution over therapeutic milks, Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs) like Plumpy'Nut® has since May 2007 been recommended by WHO, UNICEF, WFP and the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition in the Joint Declaration on Community-based Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition.

 

Plumpy’Nut® is not substitute for a varied and nutritious diet and for breastfeeding.

Immediate breastfeeding after birth, exclusive during the first 6 months and recommended for at least 24 months.

Main nutritional values

Plumpy'Nut® formula: elements for 92 g*
Energy 500 kcal Copper 1.5 mg Vitamin B1 0.46 mg
Proteins 12.8 g Iron 10.3 mg Vitamin B2 1.5 mg
Lipids 30.3 g Iodine 98 µg Vitamin B6 0.55 mg
Carbohydrates 45 g Selenium 28 µg Vitamin B12 1.5 µg
Calcium 302 mg Sodium 165 mg Vitamin K 14.4 µg
Phosphorus 343 mg Vitamin A 0.79 mg Biotin 56 µg
Potassium 1 171 mg Vitamin D 14 µg Folic acid 184 µg
Magnesium 80 mg Vitamin E 18.4 mg Pantothenic acid 2.8 mg
Zinc 11.8 mg Vitamin C 46 mg Niacin 4.6 mg

*The values given in this table are based on Nutriset's knowledge of the intrinsic nutrient content of the raw materials and their variability, as well as the variability of the process.

Studies

• Bhandari N, Mohan SB, Bose A for the Study Group, et al "Efficacy of three feeding regimens for home-based management of children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition: a randomised trial in India" BMJ Global Health 2016;1:e000144.

• Garg CC, Mazumder S, Taneja S, et al "Costing of three feeding regimens for home-based management of children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition from a randomised trial in India" BMJ Global Health 2018;3:e000702.

• Collins S et Sadler K. “0utpatients care for severely malnourished children in emergency relief programmes: a retrospective cohort study.” Lancet. (2002); 360:1824-30.

• Manary et al. “Home based therapy for severe malnutrition with ready-to-use food.” Arch Dis Child. (2004); 89: 557-61.

• Ciliberto MA. “Home-based therapy for oedematous malnutrition with ready-to-use therapeutic food.” Acta Paediatr. (2006); 95:1012-5.

• Briend A et al. “Ready-to-Use therapeutic food for treatment of marasmus.” Lancet. (1999); 353:1767-8.

• Diop el HI. “Comparison of the efficacy of solid ready-to-use and a liquid, milk-based diet for the rehabilitation of severely malnourished children: a randomised trial.” Am J Clin Nutr. (2003); 78:302-7.

• Ciliberto et al. “A comparison of home-based therapy with ready-to-use therapeutic food with standard therapy in the treatment of malnourished Malawian children: a controlled, clinical effectiveness trial.” Am J Clin Nutr (2005); 81: 864-70.

 

Articles

Briend A et al. Developing food supplements for moderately malnourished children: lessons learned from ready-to-use therapeutic foods. Food Nutr Bull. 2015 Mar;36(1 Suppl):S53-8.

Hsieh JC, Liu L, Zeilani M et al. High-Oleic Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food Maintains Docosahexaenoic Acid Status in Severe Malnutrition. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2015 Jul;61(1):138-43.

Brenna JT et al. , Balancing omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF). BMC Med. 2015 May 15;13:117. doi: 10.1186/s12916-015-0352-1.

Smith MI et al. Gut microbiomes of Malawian twin pairs discordant for kwashiorkor. Science. 2013 Feb 1;339(6119):548-54. doi: 10.1126/science.1229000. Epub 2013 Jan 30. 

Oakley E. et al. A ready-to-use therapeutic food containing 10% milk is less effective than one with 25% milk in the treatment of severely malnourished children. J Nutr. 2010 Dec;140(12):2248-52.  

Golden MH. Evolution of nutritional management of acute malnutrition. Indian Pediatr. 2010 Aug;47(8):667-78. Review.  

Manary MJ. Et al. Local production and provision of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) spread for the treatment of severe childhood malnutrition. Food Nutr Bull. 2006 Sep;27(3 Suppl):S83-9. Review.

 

Reference documents

WHO “Updates on management of severe acute malnutrition in infants and children.” (2013)

WHO/WFP/UNICEF/UNSCN. “Community-based management of severe acute malnutrition, A Joint Statement by the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, the United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition and the United Nations Children’s Fund.” (2007, updated in 2011)

WHO "Management of severe malnutrition: a manual for physicians and other senior health workers". (1999)

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