Dairy ingredients may be key to effective, affordable foods for moderately malnourished children, according to research results presented by international food aid specialists at the Arla Foods Ingredients food aid seminar in Denmark.
The latest knowledge on formulating food aid products that satisfy new nutrition guidelines published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2012 was exchanged at the seminar. Studies led by Mark Manary, M.D., professor of pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine and founder of Project Peanut Butter, and by Dr. Kim Michaelsen, M.D., from Copenhagen University, focused on Arla Food Ingredients’ whey permeate and whey protein concentrate.
Preliminary findings from a Project Peanut Butter clinical study in Malawi indicated that ready-to-eat (RTE) supplementary foods made with whey permeate and whey protein concentrate speed up recovery from moderate malnutrition in children aged 6 months to 59 months.
"This work has raised our awareness of how we can contribute to the development of next-generation supplementary foods designed to overcome childhood malnutrition," said Henrik Anderson, Arla Foods Ingredients CEO.
Speakers at the seminar represented Project Peanut Butter, Copenhagen University, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, Swiss humanitarian think tank Sight & Life and Arla Foods.
