What is Plumpy'nut

The Plumpy'nut product is a high protein and high energy peanut-based paste in a foil wrapper. It tastes slightly sweeter than peanut butter.

Plumpy’nut requires no water preparation or refrigeration, making it easy to deploy in difficult conditions to treat severe acute malnutrition. However it must be used under medical supervision and the nutritional status of the children has to be clearly identified by a doctor or a nutritionist. It has a 2 year shelf life when unopened. It is manufactured by Nutriset, a French company based in Normandy Rouen, fully dedicated to humanitarian relief, specialized in products to treat malnutrition. The ingredients are: peanut paste, vegetable oil, powdered milk, powdered sugar, vitamins, and minerals, combined in a foil pouch.

Plumpy'nut contains vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, and K, and minerals calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, iodine, sodium, and selenium.

Plumpy’nut is frequently used as a treatment for emergency malnutrition cases. It helps with rapid weight gain, which can make the difference between life and death for a young child. The product is also easy for children to eat since they can feed themselves the soft paste. The fortified peanut butter–like paste contains a balance of fats, carbohydrates and proteins (macronutrients), and vitamins and minerals (micronutrients). Peanuts contain mono-unsaturated fats, which are easy to digest. They are also very high in calories, which means that a child will get a lot of energy from just small amounts.

Learn More

• UNICEF YouTube video
• The shiny 500-calorie foil sachet is a household name in hungry countries and almost unknown in well-fed ones. (read)
• Worldchanging.com article
• Dr. Shepherd describes the difficulties in treating children who are victims of severe malnutrition (read)
• "Plumpynut," an unusual name for a food that may just be the most important advance ever to cure and prevent malnutrition. (read)
• Join longtime health journalist Christine Gorman in the search for what works, what doesn't and what needs to happen next in global health. (read)
• For the malnourished children of Niger, a new product is a lifesaver. (read)
• Additional 60 Minutes footage:
• JAMA studies show food supplements can significantly reduce rates of
  deadliest form of malnutrition. (read)
• Interview with Dr Isabelle Defourny
• The Lang Report article
• Wikipedia has nutrition data, success stories and references