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DSM Product Factsheet MixMe
The challenge of hidden hungerOver 2 billion people all around
the world suffer from hidden hunger, which means that
although they may have enough calories to live, their basic diet
fails to provide sufficient levelsof essential vitamins and
minerals to allow them to live healthy lives. Through a
long-standingpartnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), and
engagement with other strategicstakeholders, DSM uses its Bright
Science to tackle hidden hunger and improve lives forgenerations to
come.
MixMe as part of the solutionMixMe is a product innovation
developed by DSM in 2008 to improvenutrition in partnership with
the World Food Programme (WFP). It wasinitially introduced as part
of the emergency relief effort for thoseaffected by Cyclone Sidr in
Bangladesh. Today, millions of sachets aredistributed every year
worldwide, together with the WFP, and otherinternational
development organizations.
What is MixMe?MixMe is a micronutrient powder which can be added
to a meal or drink to ensure that peoplereceive essential daily
vitamins and minerals, known as micronutrients, in their diet.
Thisapproach is commonly known as in-home or point-of-use
fortification, as the sachets can be
used in the home, and simply mixed with regular meals. MixMe is
suitable in addressingmalnutrition in infants older than 6 months
and young children, as it does not change the taste,
color or consistency of the food. When MixMe is introduced into
a community for the firsttime it is usually supported by a social
marketing campaign, to make sure that families andcaregivers are
educated in its correct use and understand the role MixMe plays in
improvingnutrition and health.
What does it contain?MixMe can be formulated to contain
micronutrients in different amounts, to ensure it targetsthe
nutritional deficiencies of the specific community or population
group where it is to beused. MixMe always contains at least 3 fat
soluble vitamins (A, D, E) and at least 8 watersoluble vitamins
(B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid, panthotenic acid, niacin and vitamin
C) togetherwith iron and zinc. The micronutrient content of the
daily dose of MixMe always meets atleast half the recommended
nutritional intake (RNI) of vitamins for the target recipients.
Some
formulations of MixMe also contain phytase, an enzyme which
ensures that iron and zinc arestill effective at low doses to
reduce deficiency. All the ingredients of MixMe are non-allergenic
and conform to Codex international food standards.
How is it packaged?MixMe is available in small single serving
foil sachets
which contain 1g of the micronutrient mix. It alsocomes in
multiple serving sachets for use in settingssuch as schools. The
special lightweight protectivepackaging is formulated to withstand
challengingclimatic and transportation conditions, and it is
suitablefor use in tropical regions, as well as for disaster
reliefefforts. DSMs humanitarian initiative, Sight and Life,
iscurrently supporting an innovation challenge to improvethe
sustainability of the MixMe packaging byminimizing the
environmental impact of used sachets incommunities that lack
adequate waste disposalinfrastructures.
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Making an impactThe WFP, UNHCR, UNICEF and the World Health
Organization (WHO) all widely recommend theuse of micronutrient
powders as a strategy in addressing malnutrition amongst
children.Furthermore, the Copenhagen Consensus, a group of the
worlds leading economists, hasranked bundled micronutrient
interventions as the most cost-effective way of tackling manyof the
global development challenges.
To date, DSM has worked with the WFP to deliver MixMe sachets in
countries such as Kenya,Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.
Together with Herbalife, DSM has also recentlydonated 20 million
sachets of MixMe as part of the global nutrition campaign,
FutureFortified which is helping tackle the hunger crisis in the
Horn of Africa.
Research studies and impact assessments support the benefits of
micronutrient powders,although work is continuing to improve
methodologies for implementation and accuratelymeasuring their
impact. Iron levels (one of the main measurements used) can be
influenced bymany factors, and results have therefore been varied
across some programs.
Findings from assessing the impact of large-scale micronutrient
powder (MixMe) distribution,amongst Bhutans refugee children (aged
6-59 months) in Nepal revealed a relative decrease of40% in the
prevalence of stunting amongst children; a decrease in the
prevalence of moderateanaemia; and a large decrease in diarrhea
morbidity. A potential positive impact on stuntingwas also
evidenced in Kenya after micronutrient powders were introduced in
the Kakumarefugee camp. Additional evaluations corroborate the use
of home-fortification in improvingthe iron status of children and
lactating mothers, but other results showed less
significantimprovements, highlighting the importance of further
implementation research.1
For further information visit: www.dsm.com or
www.sightandlife.org
1See Food and Nutrition Bulletin, vol 32, no 3, 2011, The United
Nations University
http://www.dsm.com/http://www.sightandlife.org/http://www.sightandlife.org/http://www.dsm.com/
