Innovative optimization of ready to use food for treatment of acute malnutrition

Abstract

Treatment of acute malnutrition typically requires the provision of ready-to-use food (RUF). Common RUF is effective but expensive, being manufactured from costly ingredients, and shipped worldwide from few global suppliers. I developed a linear programming tool to create RUF optimized for low cost using locally grown crops while maintaining necessary nutritional goals and other constraints. My tool utilizes a database of the nutritional value, price, and water efficiency of suitable ingredients and allows adjustment of constraints, including nutrients, flavour, and crop water efficiency. It is designed to (a) address nutrient requirements conforming to current standards and practice; (b) optimize RUF formulae for low cost using a wide range of ingredients for nutritional value and acceptability improvement; (c) ensure protein quality through protein digestibility corrected amino acid score; and (d) adjust RUF formulae according to locally grown crop selection, local prices, and crop water footprint. The tool creates formulae free of expensive dairy ingredients, ensuring desired protein digestibility corrected amino acid score by automatically balancing proteins with complementary quantities of essential amino acids. Using publicly available data with an application to Nigeria, my tool created RUF formulae suitable for local production using local crops to meet all nutrient requirements at a fraction of the ingredient cost and water footprint of current formulae, demonstrating the tool's effectiveness. Optimization of RUF for low cost using locally grown crops will facilitate local production and reduce ingredient as well as transport costs, so more patients can receive lifesaving treatment.

Sensory evaluation and volatile compounds of an alternative ready‐to‐use therapeutic food for malnourished children

“…In some recent reviews (Brixi, 2018; Weber et al., 2017) and papers (Owino, Irena, Dibari, & Collins, 2014), it was reported that several RUTF formulations were proposed in several countries, such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Pakistan, and India, containing different legumes (almond, lentil, and soy), cereals (maize and oat), other oils (canola, rapeseed, coconut, and sunflower), and different forms of whey (acid whey milk and whey protein concentrate). In all the alternative RUTF formulations proposed, the inclusion of a vitamin and mineral premix was necessary, to ensure a balanced micronutrient intake of the final product.…”

“…In all the alternative RUTF formulations proposed, the inclusion of a vitamin and mineral premix was necessary, to ensure a balanced micronutrient intake of the final product. However, the use of country‐specific formulations had the potential to increase the practice of community‐based treatments, therefore, reducing the morbidity and mortality of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in settings, where RUTF was not widely used (Brixi, 2018; Weber et al., 2017).…”

Combining Plant Proteins to Achieve Amino Acid Profiles Adapted to Various Nutritional Objectives—An Exploratory Analysis Using Linear Programming

“…Because of the versatility of the approach adopted here, it will be possible to expand and improve the database in order to find better and newer solutions, and it may also be possible to adapt the approach to specific contexts (such as agroecological variations) and specific populations [such as severe/moderate acute malnutrition, for instance ( 50 , 51 )]. This approach could provide valuable guidance to manufacturers when developing products adapted to the shift toward plant-based diets, and identifying innovative plant protein sources.…”

Optimization of Protein Quality of Plant-Based Foods Through Digitalized Product Development

“…To this date, few solutions using this approach are available to develop new food products. Brixi ( 20 ) created an algorithm to formulate “ready to use food for the treatment of acute malnutrition” by minimizing the cost of the 26 raw materials in the dataset while satisfying the imposed nutritional criteria, crop water footprint, and ensuring a PDCAAS > 95, whereas De Carvalho et al ( 21 ) programmed an algorithm to support the formulation of low-cost porridges nutritionally suitable for 1–2-year-old children living in rural Mozambique, including a constraint for protein quantity (but not quality).…”