All growing up children need food that contains building blocks containing high quality protein that can provide the the essential amino acids required for a healthy start in life . Casein & Whey proteins , are highly valued for the performance & Infant formula food industry as they provides all 9 essential amino acids in an almost matching profile to the human requirements . Therefore these dairy ingredients provide an excellent food source for a developing child.
4Children can rely on the experience gained in the industry of producing Premium Children food. However, the initiators have a strong conviction that the essential advantages of this premium food should be made available to all children , our most important stakeholders.
The in-depth experience related to dairy ingredients combined with the drive to give children a healthy start made it a logical next step to develop & produce a RUTF mainly based upon dairy proteins . To Produce this product at the lowest possible price a small , pragmatic operating company with access to premium dairy ingredients is required .
The company Nutriset* in France pioneered since 1996 the field of RUTF and developed the highly successfully lifesaving vitamin enriched peanut paste.
This product has been applied in many areas by the various NGO's and has saved numerous precious lives.
The product has set a standard and changed the way how to fight SAM (Severe acute malnutrition*) . It stands model for the energy and vitamin need of the RUTF.
However it can not match the premium level of the protein quality of premium children food . For this reason UNICEF requires a minimum of 50 % of the proteins from Diary proteins. 4Children targets 98% of dairy proteins because of their premium matching amino acid structure
Unicef is already purchasing 80 % of the produced peanut based RUTF , this covers only 23% of the global requirement . 4Children does not want to compete with the existing Peanut Paste variant. Our drive is to join forces and provide a variant that benefits from the massive Dairy industry in the developed countries . We want to use the benefit of scale of this massive industry to make the product affordable for all. Rerouting a fraction of the Diary resources will have a live changing impact on the Children . As for the industry, directing resources to a sustainable chain with a live saving purpose will change the way it is perceived.
4Children will source the high quality proteins from Casein and Whey . Mixing these premium dairy proteins with the correct mix of vitamins , minerals , lipids and carbohydrates will match the quality advantages of the premium foods that are available in the markets. By going straight to the source and selecting partners with a matching social responsibility level we can produce this High End Premium food for commodity prices and make them available for the ones in need.
4children is inspired by the efforts done by USAID ( donating 10000 ton of RUTF to Unicef . This effort should be matched within the EU at at least the same level by redirecting a fraction of agricultural subsidies . The 4Children Project aims te set up a sustainable supply chain for ( dairy) RUTF which will be driven By Yield of the Crops & efficient processes rather than shareholder value .