9 Facts You Need to Know about Edesia Nutrition
Founded in 2007 by entrepreneur, Henry Crown Fellow and philanthropist Navyn Salem, Edesia Nutrition is a nonprofit organization based in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, that works to solve the global nutrition crisis and save the lives of millions of children. Read on to learn about the lifesaving work of this organization.
1. A trip to Tanzania opened Salem’s eyes to a humanitarian crisis.
During her time in Tanzania, the birthplace of her father, Salem discovered that malnutrition alone causes the deaths of 3 million children every year, yet this preventable health crisis receives very little attention.
She learned about a fortified peanut-based paste called Plumpy’Nut, an effective treatment for even the most severe cases of malnutrition. Salem partnered with Nutriset, the creators of Plumpy’Nut, to help widen its reach and make this potentially life-saving product available to more children.
2. Edesia Nutrition is named after a Roman goddess.
The Roman goddess of food, Edesia presided over banquets in ancient mythology, ensuring high standards of food and the smooth running of feasts. The name Edesia comes the Latin word edes, meaning “to eat.”
Today, Edesia Nutrition partners with several leading international aid organizations, including UNICEF, USAID, the United Nations World Food Programme, the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, and CORE Group.
3. Edesia Nutrition delivers a variety of supplements through its MeWe range.
MeWe Baby is a delicious, highly nutritious, easy-to-swallow nut butter used to gently introduce babies to peanuts. MeWe Kids is perfect for picky eaters, since flavors like Birthday Cake and Chocolate Brownie will make them forget they’re eating something good for them.
Finally, MeWe Adult is a tasty peanut butter snack that provides a nutritional boost. A single on-the-go squeeze pack incorporates just 5 grams of sugar, along with an organic blend of 24 key minerals and vitamins and 10 grams of protein.
4. Edesia Nutrition has provided nourishment to around 11 million people.
It was not so long ago that saving severely malnourished children seemed impossible. Children spent weeks in the hospital, and formulas were costly and required refrigeration and clean water.
The invention of Plumpy’Nut has revolutionized the treatment of malnourished children in developing countries today. This portable, ready-to-eat food has vastly increased reach, enabling caregivers to treat children in their own homes, freeing up vital health care workers.
5. Plumpy’Nut therapeutic food is based on F-100 milk formulas.
Plumpy’Nut complies with the World Health Organization’s definition of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). It is primarily distributed via community-based management of acute malnutrition programs throughout the world, allowing medical professionals within community health systems to prescribe RUTFs for home-based feeding.
6. Each 92-gram sachet of Plumpy’Nut contains 500 calories.
Plumpy’Nut is suitable for consumption by infants aged 6 months and over in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition. Just two to three sachets of Plumpy’Nut meet the calorific daily needs of an average adult.
7. Edesia Nutrition produces a variety of other therapeutic foods.
Plumpy’Sup is a supplementary food suitable from 6 months of age. The 100-gram sachets provide 540 calories, making Plumpy’Sup ideal for increasing calorific intake.
Plumpy’Doz, meanwhile, is a ready-to-use supplementary food that comes in 50-gram sachets. Each sachet provides 270 calories. Plumpy’Doz is prescribed to decrease repercussions from periods of acute malnutrition. Designed for children aged between 6 and 36 months, with a recommended dosage of one sachet per child per day. Both Plumpy’Sup and Plumpy’Doz can be used in addition to breastfeeding.
Enov’Nutributter comes in 20-gram sachets of 110 calories each. This lipid-based supplement is designed for children aged between 6 and 24 months, with 1 sachet per child per day recommended to improve growth and prevent stunting. Meanwhile, Nutri’School is designed for use in a school feeding environment for children aged 3 years and up. Caregivers administer a single 20-gram sachet per child per day to address nutrient gaps. Each sachet comprises 110 calories.
Plumpy’Mum is a ready-to-use food supplement that is specially designed for pregnant and lactating women. Each 92-gram sachet provides 515 calories. Plumpy’Mum is prescribed to treat moderate to acute malnutrition. Similarly, Enov’Mum is designed for expectant women during pregnancy, as well as lactating mothers. This lipid-based nutrient supplement comes in 20-gram sachets that provide 120 calories, delivering nutritional support to improve the development of the fetus or infant.
8. Edesia Nutrition’s 84,000-square-foot factory provides lifesaving nutrition.
Manufacturing centers around the latest technological innovations and best tools required to produce nutritionally optimized products. Edesia Nutrition utilizes advanced process control systems, robotics, and automation to deliver more lifesaving products to adults, infants, and children.
The organization’s factory team is dedicated to continuous improvement, forever challenging themselves and the systems they operate. Their state-of-the-art manufacturing process runs 24 hours a day, enabling Edesia Nutrition to respond to the world’s most urgent humanitarian crises. This tireless work ethic has allowed the nonprofit to serve nearly 11 million children over the past decade.
9. Individuals can support the work of Edesia Nutrition in several key ways.
Since opening its doors in 2010, the organization has proudly welcomed the public to see its vital work in action. Edesia offers corporate team-building experiences, production tours, and shipment-filling experiences. With a global malnutrition crisis affecting over 220 million children today, Edesia Nutrition is keen to get the public involved in its lifesaving mission. To get involved, visit edesianutrition.org/contact.
