In Kenya, more than 25 percent of children under the age of five have stunted growth, a side effect of under-nutrition in young children. Stunting is the most frequent form of under-nutrition among young children and if not addressed, it has devastating long-term effects, including diminished mental and physical development. PFS client Delish & Nutri, a peanut processing company that has been bringing nutritious, easy, and affordable products to Kenyan families since 2017, was looking to help address under-nutrition in Kenya. With the right processing equipment already in place, Delish & Nutri knew they could partner with humanitarian organizations to help supply local communities with a new peanut product that is a ready-to-eat supplemental food (RUSF) – bringing much-needed nutrition to children across Kenya.
In collaboration with international development organization TechnoServe, USAID, and PFS, Zahra Moaddab, R&D scientist at The J.M. Smucker Co., helped bring this new product into development. Together with a volunteer group of two other product developers from General Mills and one project manager from Smucker, Zahra and the team developed a formulation standardized to meet the World Food Programme (WFP) requirements and desired quality. The team also provided recommendations on process steps, equipment, and packaging needs, along with simple testing methods to further check process capabilities and product quality in the future.
“We learned a lot from the interactions with the volunteers during the formulation project,” said James Muturi, managing director of Delish & Nutri. “In addition to receiving the RUSF formulation, we further gained knowledge on product development so that our team can make simple formulations to the already developed product formula in case there are changes on WFP requirements in the future.” James said his favorite part of the project was when the team tasted their first test batch of the RUSF formulation created by the volunteer team. “The product which we made from peanut paste, milk powder, sugar, and canola oil tasted so good. I realized then that we have made it.”
“My favorite part of the project was working with team members from different companies from around the world, and collaborating toward a common goal,” said Zahra. “I highly recommend anyone interested in helping others, and further improving your own personal and professional development, to join one of these projects. It’s a rewarding experience for all!”