An innovative solution in Laos to combat malnutrition

What is the current food situation in Laos?

Malnutrition, whether undernutrition or overnutrition (such as overweight or obesity), affects several billion people worldwide. Undernutrition can refer to acute malnutrition (wasting) and chronic malnutrition (stunted growth), as well as vitamin and mineral deficiencies (micronutrients). These forms of malnutrition have severe effects on cognitive development, morbidity and mortality rates in the populations affected, and the development of countries in general.

In Laos, over 30% of children suffer from chronic malnutrition and 9% from acute malnutrition. Half of all pregnant women are affected by anemia, demonstrating the high rate of micronutrient deficiencies in the country.

What makes this project innovative?

The aim of the NutriLao project is to optimize the nutritional properties and production processes for ready-to-use food made from local agroecological produce by the social enterprise Maï Savanh Lao (MSL), in collaboration with a research team from the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD). In addition, women from the beneficiary communities of this project are involved in every stage of the design process.

The end goal is to prevent and treat malnutrition in children and women of childbearing age, before and during pregnancy, as well as while breastfeeding. The project’s longer-term objective is to reduce the prevalence of stunting among children in Laos and elsewhere.

This ready-to-use product can be incorporated into programs run by the Ministry of Education, the World Food Program (WFP), UNICEF and NGOs to improve the food situation in schools.

What are the expected results?

The main deliverables of the project include the production, availability and physical and economic accessibility of innovative, nutritious and healthy ready-to-use food produced by Maï Savanh Lao. The plan is to incorporate these food products into the population’s diet and thus improve nutritional health. In addition, the project will help the company to develop its skills in developing and producing nutritious foods in line with specific nutritional goals, particularly for high-risk groups.

Production processes for ready-to-use food made from local agroecological produce, and from the Sacha Inchi plant in particular, will be optimized by adopting sustainable practices, reducing ingredient waste and implementing new processes, such as extrusion cooking. This cooking method reduces production times and costs, and can be used to make a wide range of food products with various textures. It also helps preserve nutrients and increase shelf life. Maï Savanh Lao’s expertise in the production processes for ready-to-use food will facilitate its national and regional distribution.

In the longer term, this knowledge will be disseminated via an “open source” platform so that the approach can be tailored to other countries around the globe, thus helping the world’s poorest populations.

What progress has been made on this pilot project financed by FID?

Formulations for the nutritional bars have been developed and recipes using local agroecological produce have been tested. Around thirty recipes have been trialed to identify, in addition to their nutritional properties, the options best suited to the equipment to ensure its reliable and efficient operation. Maï Savanh Lao applied this research to establish the quantities of each specific ingredient needed for mass production.

A palatability study was then carried out to determine which recipe tasted the best according to consumers. In terms of nutritional content, each cereal bar is designed to provide macronutrients and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), as well as essential fatty acids, to complement the daily diet of children and women of childbearing age in particular. Although these bars are not yet being sold on the market, they are being distributed to local schools free of charge. The future aim is to ensure that this distribution can be sustained over the long term, either by continuing to distribute the bars free of charge or by selling them at a very low price.

However, the packaging must be improved, as the plastic from which it is currently made needs to be replaced with a material more resistant to tropical climates. Work is ongoing with CERMAV (CRNS Grenoble) to find an alternative. Moreover, a school farm is also being established, meaning that all the ingredients, apart from the vitamins and micronutrients, will soon be sourced locally, including mung beans, which are currently being imported.