Understanding the role of whey in food aid
Malnutrition stunts the growth and development of an estimated 150 million children under five worldwide – threatening their survival and limiting their potential3. Although this is far fewer than at the turn of the millennium, progress towards eliminating stunting has slowed. Continuing research and local initiatives are vital to regain momentum.
Project Peanut Butter insists on keeping up the effort. Founded in 2004 by paediatrician and child malnutrition expert Dr Mark Manary, the NGO produces ready-to-use supplementary and therapeutic foods – RUSF and RUTF – for children with moderate to severe acute malnutrition. More than a million children have been helped so far.
Research continues to improve the nutritional composition of RUSF and RUTF. Beyond providing vital sustenance, the goal is to give children a better chance of reaching their full potential.
Whey matters in RUSF
We began working with Mark Manary in 2009. Since then, a series of clinical studies have tested the addition of whey ingredients to RUSF and RUTF. The findings show that even a small amount of dairy nutrients can:
- improve the recovery of moderately malnourished children
- support weight gain in undernourished pregnant women
- increase the birth weight and survival rate of newborn infants
How we contribute
Our primary contribution is to provide whey protein and permeate for the trials, typically in rural areas of Ghana, Malawi and Sierra Leone. Over the years, our ingredients have been tested in RUSF products at various levels – part of the ongoing work to understand what works best for malnutrition recovery and remission.
The latest study is investigating a RUTF with our milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) on children with severe acute malnutrition in Sierra Leone. As MFGM is rich in fats and high-quality protein important to young brains, the research team wants to understand if the new RUTF can improve the children’s cognitive development as well as their physical recovery.
Making nutrition affordable
For us at Arla Foods Ingredients, supporting efforts to eliminate malnutrition is key to our sustainability commitments. At the same time, this research gives us a deeper understanding of how our ingredients can help make good nutrition affordable for all.
Find out more
Read our article about results with RUSF for undernourished pregnant women here.
To find out more about studies of RUSF and RUTF with whey ingredients, download the publication overview.
You’re also welcome to get in touch if your organisation works with food aid or is interested in research participation. Contact us.
(content for downloadable pdf listing all studies)
Malnutrition studies with whey
Arla Foods Ingredients supports research that investigates the role of whey-based ingredients in ready-to-use supplementary and therapeutic foods for undernourished children and young women.
We regularly supply ingredients for use in such studies. Below is a list of supported research to date.
Published clinical studies
- Stobaugh, H. C., Ryan, K. N., Kennedy, J. A., Grise, J. B., Crocker, A. H., Thakwalakwa, C., Litkowski, P. E., Maleta, K. M., Manary, M. J., & Trehan, I. (2016). Including whey protein and whey permeate in ready-to-use supplementary food improves recovery rates in children with moderate acute malnutrition: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 103(3), 926–933
- Lee, R., Singh, L., van Liefde, D., Callaghan-Gillespie, M., Steiner-Asiedu, M., Saalia, K., Edwards, C., Serena, A., Hershey, T., & Manary, M. J. (2018). Milk Powder Added to a School Meal Increases Cognitive Test Scores in Ghanaian Children. The Journal of nutrition, 148(7), 1177–1184
- Hendrixson DT, Koroma AS, Callaghan-Gillespie M, Weber J, Papathakis P, Manary MJ. Use of a novel supplementary food and measures to control inflammation in malnourished pregnant women in Sierra Leone to improve birth outcomes: study protocol for a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical effectiveness trial. BMC Nutr. 2018 Apr 2;4:15. doi: 10.1186/s40795-018-0218-y. PMID: 32153879; PMCID: PMC7050866.
- Roediger R, Stein HH, Callaghan-Gillespie M, Blackman JK, Kohlmann K, Maleta K, Manary M. Protein quality in ready-to-use supplementary foods for moderate wasting. Matern Child Nutr. 2020 Oct;16(4):e13019. doi: 10.1111/mcn.13019. Epub 2020 May 19. PMID: 32426949; PMCID: PMC7507576.
- Son, M., Laury, M. L., Stephenson, K. B., May, T., Hendrixson, D. T., Koroma, A. S., Ngegbai, A. S., Song, J. H., Naskidashvili, N., Goo, Y. A., & Manary, M. J. (2024). The Impact of Milk on Gut Permeability, Fecal 16S rRNA Gene Microbiota Profiling, and Fecal Metabolomics in Children with Moderate Malnutrition in Sierra Leone: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 120(5), 1114–1124.
- Koroma AS, Gustafson B, Kohlen C, Moore M, Ngegbai S, Kleban E, Wegner DR, Kidd P, Stephenson KB, Li YN, Brenna JT and MJ Manary. Feasibility and acceptability of a supplementary food with added fish oil and choline for undernourished pregnant women in Sierra Leone. Afr. J. Food Agric. Nutr. Dev. 2024;24(4):26072-26093. https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.129.24480
Published review article
- Roediger R, Stein HH, Callaghan-Gillespie M, Blackman JK, Kohlmann K, Maleta K, Manary M. Protein quality in ready-to-use supplementary foods for moderate wasting. Matern Child Nutr. 2020 Oct;16(4):e13019. doi: 10.1111/mcn.13019. Epub 2020 May 19. PMID: 32426949; PMCID: PMC7507576.
Clinical study in progress
- MEND-SAM: MFGM-EnhaNceD RUTF for children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM): a randomised controlled trial in Sierra Leone
3. UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Group Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates 2025 edition