Project Peanut Butter

10/02/2025

05/19/2025

A novel RUTF study on the horizon

Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM) is a complex component of mammal milk, containing various lipids and proteins that are crucial for growth and brain development. Current RUTF contains skim milk powder, whereas this novel study will implement MFGM instead. The purpose is to determine if MFGM improves neurodevelopment in SAM children by setting up a randomized, controlled trial with MFGM RUTF and standard RUTF as the two treatment plans. With a goal to enroll 1,600 children, the study has plans to take off beginning in August, with a follow up 6 months later to assess development.

04/17/2025

Successes from the COGENT study to celebrate! These numbers continue to grow.

over 1,000 births so far
95,914 maternal RUSF packets dispersed
939 safe birth kits dispersed
235 women graduated from the MDAT

PPB thanks you for all of your support!

02/19/2025

The AI-based gestational age (GA) estimation calculator was created to allow midwives to conduct ultrasounds without extensive training, as this tool has the ability to automatically give a GA estimate. This tool has proven to be a significant help in the COGENT study, with a total of 2,322 GA estimation ultrasounds so far. While there have been many repeat scans and longitudinal ultrasound assessments, 99% of the time the GA estimate is captured accurately within the first scan.

02/11/2025

As of this month, a total of 1,186 pregnant women have been enrolled in the COGENT study, nearly doubling enrollment since June of last year. While Pujehun has been the main location of the study since it first began in August of 2023, the project has recently expanded into Kono, a large region central to Sierra Leone. This expansion was predicted to be a key asset to the enrollment numbers.

Construction of the new clinics began in May of 2024 and were completed not even three months later on August 8th. Since December, enrollment has begun in the Kono clinics, with an average of 12-14 newly enrolled pregnant women every week. Enrollment is expected to reach completion by December 2025.

11/24/2024

In Malawi, a current study is being overseen by Project Coordinator, Christa Lolley, to determine if the addition of choline, supplemented with DHA, to the diets of malnourished children will improve neurocognition. Choline and DHA are two essential micronutrients for neurocognitive development in young children and become even more crucial in children experiencing SAM (severe acute malnutrition) or MAM (moderate acute malnutrition).

The treatment is given for twelve weeks, and if the child shows progress or is no longer considered SAM/MAM by MUAC, WLZ or edema standards, they progress to their first MDAT (Malawi Development Assessment Tool) after graduation, where each child is evaluated.

“The goal is to see if they were able to catch up to their healthy peers neurocognitively,” says Christa Lolley. The primary objectives of this study were to determine if choline supplemented into the RUTF diets would improve cognitive development in SAM/MAM Malawian children and furthermore investigate the effects of choline on cognitive and subdomain development within four weeks of receiving treatment. The whole purpose of the program is to ensure proper neurocognitive advancement, reduce childhood mortality, and give these children the best chance at a healthy life.

For a more detailed description of the treatment process, visit our website www.projectpeanutbutter.org where there will also be updates as the study progresses.

10/30/2024

Project Peanut Butter recently partnered with the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine to create a gestational age calculator generated solely by AI technology. This groundbreaking discovery will improve the accuracy of identifying gestational age at a professional level but was created to be accessible to even none-trained sonographers and midwives. The calculator allows researchers to identify what specialized foods prolong gestation to improve chances of healthy, full-term pregnancies, with a goal of improving maternal health equity in regions where healthcare tends to be limited. For the full story, visit www.projectpeanutbutter.org !!

Below is a picture of one of the new clinics for malnourished pregnant women.

10/09/2024

For the past month, Project Peanut Butter has been in the process of developing a compostable packaging film for RUTF. The trials are taking place at an O2 compost facility in Snohomish, Washington, and began September 18th, 2024. The film was buried in nutrient-rich soil for 30-45 days to determine its strength and durability, and other laboratories are also working towards identifying the barrier properties of the customized material.

This is a novel accomplishment, as PPB is the first organization to successfully begin trials on an environmentally friendly packaging material and is currently leading the way on the sustainable front. PPB's progress and innovation have also been celebrated by USAID, and once the trial is complete, the goal is to implement compostable packaging into all RUTF products, which once disposed of, can be converted and used to make fertile soil.

Below are pictures of the compostable packaging process in Malawi.

08/11/2023

This past week, heavy rains caused flooding in Sierra Leone, and 3 Project Peanut Butter employees had their houses swept away. Lamin, senior worker for the PPB factory and field lost his entire home and his possessions in the flood. Our hearts go out to all the employees and others impacted by this disaster.

The following video is footage of the flood taken by Lamin in Sierra Leone.

05/19/2023

VOLUNTEER NEEDED!!
PPB is in need of a volunteer to launch a new project in rural Sierra Leone starting as soon as possible working with treatment of malnourished pregnant women. The project is a clinical trial that will assess the added benefits of adding DHA and choline to a supplementary food for these women. Mothers will treated and followed through pregnancy. The work is primarily clinical, with the opportunity to make a tremendous humanitarian impact. Travel and stipend will be provided. Please write Mark Manary at [email protected] for more information and if interested.

03/16/2023

The following is a message from Donna at WashU:

Job Opportunity conducting malnutrition treatment with pregnant women in Sierra Leone, Africa!

Dr. Mark Manary’s WashU team is currently seeking a full-time employee that will live and work in rural Sierra Leone, Africa. The individual that fills this position will be in Africa for the duration of the project and will need to have the ability to communicate effectively across cultures with multiple stakeholders including academic researchers, local government, other NGOs and study participants. They will need to be flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently and a team player. The position will work with malnourished pregnant women and children in Africa directly. If you are interested, please apply using the link below.

Scheduled Hours 40 Position Summary Provides critically complex research and experimentation for department/s allowing the advancement of scientific analysis and discovery. Assists in developing and conducting of research projects including experiment design, data collection, data analysis and docum...

03/16/2023

On Monday, Malawi experienced a large amount of flooding that destroyed most of the crops that they would have been harvesting in April. Malawi has only one harvest season, so this tragedy will have a devastating effect on the people who rely heavily on these crops as a source of income and food for the remainder of 2023. Everything was washed away, and the population, which already struggles with malnutrition, will have no source of food. PPB is currently working to provide flood relief with the help of its supporters. With your help we plan to release 75,000 ready to use food rations.