Edesia's First Shipment of Food Aid Arrives in Haiti

1.8 million Packets of Supplementary'Plumpy® arrive in Haiti to treat Moderate Acute Malnutrition

PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Edesia, a Rhode Island-based non-profit whose mission is to help treat and prevent malnutrition worldwide through lifesaving Ready-to-Use Foods (RUFs), is proud to announce that its first major shipment has arrived in Haiti. The 1.8 million packets of Supplementary'Plumpy® will help address moderate acute malnutrition for 30,000 vulnerable individuals for two months and will be distributed through the World Food Programme (WFP).

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After the devastating earthquake that shook the country earlier this year and with the rainy season in full force, the time has never been more crucial to provide children with the essential nutrients they need to survive and promote healthy growth and prevent disease.

"We know the devastating effects of malnutrition on vulnerable populations and we know we have an effective solution that can make a visible impact in just a few weeks," said Navyn Salem, Edesia's executive director. "What we need now is to create a movement to ensure that we do not stand by and watch, but take action by supporting a holistic approach to food security with nutrition at the forefront."

This is Edesia's first major shipment. The new non-profit manufacturing facility located in Providence, R.I. is dedicated to producing peanut-based RUFs that include Plumpy'nut®, Supplementary'Plumpy®, Plumpy'doz® and Nutributter®. All four products are used to prevent and treat the various stages of malnutrition.

"These products work. They literally save lives. I have seen the transformative results first hand," said Blake Parker, a committee leader for the WFP Committee of Boston, (a Washington, D.C.-based volunteer program advocating for the World Food Programme.) "Unfortunately, need continues to grow. According to WFP a child dies every six seconds from hunger or hunger-related causes. We need to mobilize resources here in the U.S. so we can reach more children sooner."

Malnutrition is a worldwide crisis. It affects 195 million children and is a factor in more than five million child deaths each year. Vital shipments like these are few and far between because of a shortage of funding for nutrition efforts. More funding is essential if the global community wants to take strides in meeting nutritional needs of the most vulnerable— children under two.

Edesia is helping to reach these children through production of RUFs, support of local production in the developing world and participation in research to improve products and their distribution. Edesia is proud to do its part with this first shipment— a small step toward achieving global nutrition solutions.

For more information about Edesia and how to contribute, please visit www.edesiallc.org.

You can also follow Edesia on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Edesia/152173231660 and on Twitter at @EdesiaLLC.

About Edesia

Established in February 2009, Edesia LLC is a non-profit organization dedicated to the production and development of Ready-to-Use Foods (RUFs) used to fight malnutrition in the developing world. Its mandates are: to produce Plumpy'nut® and other high quality nutritional products in the U.S.; collaborate on nutrition research; and support local producers of RUF in the developing world. Edesia's RUFs include Plumpy'nut®, Supplementary'Plumpy®, Plumpy'doz® and Nutributter®. They are peanut-based pastes combined with milk powder, vegetable oil, and sugar and fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. They have a 2-year shelf life and do not need to be mixed with water or refrigerated. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, Edesia began manufacturing in March. Edesia is a member of Nutriset's PlumpyField Network—a network of local producers working to increase access to new nutrition solutions for at-risk populations.

SOURCE Edesia