Nutriset receives the prestigious Patents for Humanity Award

This week, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) nominated Nutriset for its annual Patents for Humanity Award, which recognizes companies, inventors, non-profit organizations and universities that put their intellectual property in favor of humanitarian actions on a global scale. The mandate and action of Nutriset are rewarded specifically for the finalization in 1996, under the direction of Michel Lescanne, of the first ready-to-use therapeutic food, Plumpy'Nut®, in partnership with Dr. André Briend, developed to combat acute malnutrition which affects as many as 25 million children worldwide. As a historic step forward in humanitarian action, Plumpy'Nut® is a lipid-based food that provides complete nutritional supplementation for children with severe acute malnutrition. The packaging of the product offers a safe and hermetic single bag of 92 grams, stable for 24 months and not causing diarrhea. In 2007, Plumpy'Nut® received recognition from WHO and UNICEF as the ideal treatment for severe acute malnutrition. This product and its derivatives have become essential in the management of acute and chronic malnutrition. In the field of humanitarian aid, the products developed by Nutriset are massively used by UN agencies, NGOs and community health organizations - operating as a real revolution in the treatment and prevention of malnutrition. "Securing the full range of 40 vitamins and minerals that children need to grow healthy is not easy in the daily diet of those living in poverty, which is why nutrition interventions are often needed," says Adeline. Lescanne-Gautier, General Manager of Nutriset. Nutriset goes even further by using its patents as a lever for socio-economic development in developing countries. In 2005, it launched PlumpyField®, a network of independent producers who manufacture ready-to-use nutritional solutions in the countries where they are most needed. By sourcing local raw materials, these members help fight malnutrition by contributing to the sustainable social and economic development of their country. Nutriset's patent policy also ensures that, within the PlumpyField® network, partner factories manufacturing the range of Plumpy® products use a state-of-the-art process, following international standards in terms of nutrition and quality. "Since the creation of the company in 1986, Nutriset has followed a mandate to contribute effectively to the nutritional autonomy of developing countries by investing heavily in research and innovation. This prize awarded by the USPTO rewards the dedication and work of our multidisciplinary teams "recalls Adeline Lescanne-Gautier. Every year, the range of Plumpy® products are purchased by UNICEF, the World Food Program and other humanitarian agencies to meet the nutritional needs of children living in poverty and food insecurity due to conflict, poor harvests or other humanitarian emergencies. In 2014, the Plumpy® and Enov® range of products enabled the care of more than 6 million children suffering from malnutrition. VIDEO: Award of the Patents for Humanity Award, nutrition category Source: The White House Obama (YouTube), published on April 20, 2015

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