Nutriset and Valid Nutrition sign licence agreement

Local production of RUTF in VN Kanengo factory in Lilongwe, Malawi

In 1996, Nutriset patented an innovative concept of ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF) products sold under the brand name Plumpy'nut® and used in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition. In 2000, Valid International developed the Community Based Therapeutic Care (CTC) model to deliver care to people with severe acute malnutrition.

Nutriset and Valid Nutrition (VN) have just announced (December 2007) that they have formally signed a Licence Agreement. This agreement enables Valid Nutrition to independently manufacture peanut based Ready to Use Foods covered by the Nutriset patent in developing countries and to market these products under the VN brand name. This significant development should increase competition and improve availability of RUTFs for the treatment of malnutrition, as well as encourage innovation and stimulate new product development of cheap and cost effective formulations.

Valid Nutrition (VN) is a not-for-profit company established in 2005 to make and market highlyfortified nutritional pastes to treat and prevent malnutrition in a number of developing countries. The aim of Valid Nutrition is to set the benchmark for the quality, effectiveness and cost of Ready-to- Use Foods (RUFs). All profits are channelled back into expanding local production and funding the provision of Community-based Therapeutic Care (CTC). For more information, visit http://www.validinternational.org