EXPERT MEETING ON READY-TO-USE THERAPEUTIC FOODS (RUTF)
Document Location: Requirements and Specifications - Formulation Guidance
Alternate Name: Report 1 2-3 September 2019
Date Document Last Updated: September, 2019
Publisher: UNICEF
Date Uploaded to Website: August 2024
Overview
The following report prepared by UNICEF Supply Division details a two-day technical meeting held on September 2-3, 2019 to address the information needed for procurement agencies to assess new formulations (involving the use of cereals, seeds or legumes as alternatives to peanuts) for ready-to-use-therapeutic foods (RUTF) as well as concerns about vitamin A levels in the new RUTF. The discussion of this meeting included experts from diverse backgrounds including those representing the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and others.
The report outlines conclusions drawn from the expert meeting as well as providing useful information to support new formulations of RUTF. It provides guidance on acceptability trials and effectiveness trials which will help to inform manufacturers of the formulation requirements to ensure they continue to adhere to standardized nutritional composition and efficacy. The appendix provides guidance on sensory requirements and some tools for sensory evaluation. Overall, this report provides guidance to manufacturers, governments and programmes about the trial design and scientific evidence required for the experimentation of alternative recipes.