Dairy ingredients could be the key to effective, affordable foods for moderately malnourished children, according to studies presented by international food aid specialists at the first Arla Foods Ingredients food aid seminar which took place in Denmark.
Globally, nutrient deficiency is the cause of stunted growth and development in 165 million children.
Some of the world's leading food aid specialists from academia, business and NGOs attended the seminar in Denmark, where the latest knowledge was exchanged about formulating food aid products that satisfy new nutrition guidelines published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2012.
Speakers included Dr Mark Manary, professor of paediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine and founder of Project Peanut Butter, which helps hundreds of thousands of malnourished children in Africa.
Dr Manary welcomed the seminar as an important industry-driven initiative. He said: "Through this seminar, Arla Foods Ingredients gives people like me a chance to interact with people who know a lot about food. We have important knowledge to share with each other."
Henrik Andersen, Arla Foods Ingredients CEO, added: "This work has raised our awareness of how we can contribute to the development of next-generation supplementary foods designed to overcome childhood malnutrition."
