A successful partnership helps Chile’s children reach their full potential
Equal chances for all from the start
Chile, one of the most developed countries in Latin America, is proud of its education and health-care systems. But the government knows that it is not enough to be a bit better than neighboring countries. It realizes that Chile’s future depends on its children. Sustainable economic development of society depends on ensuring children’s social and health status, so they grow up to be productive workers, entrepreneurs and builders of Chile’s future. From this basic concept, the Ministry of Health of Chile, together with three other stakeholders, has developed a food supplementation program that improves infants’ nutritional status through their mothers’ diet.
Purita Mamá is a milk-based beverage in powder form. Introduced in Chile in August 2008 as an improved nutritional supplement for pregnant and lactating women, Purita Mamá incorporates the latest knowledge about the nutrients needed for human development.
The special feature of Purita Mamá is that it not only contains adequate amounts of milk protein, calcium and the micronutrients essential for good health; it is the only product of its kind that provides 60 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per serving. DHA is a long-chain, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that is essential for proper development of the brain and eyes.
The government of Chile distributes Purita Mamá to the whole population free of charge as part of the National Program of Complementary Feeding (Programa Nacional de Alimentacion Complementaria, or PNAC), although the main focus is on rural and low-income families. The women collect a month’s supply of the product each time they visit the health center to check their health status. After the baby’s birth, they are encouraged to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months.
A regular intake of Purita Mamá during pregnancy helps to eliminate women’s nutritional deficiencies, support the optimal development of the fetus and reduce the risk of premature birth. Purita Mamá also improves the nutritional quality of the mother’s milk. Babies fed with this milk are less susceptible to pneumonia or diarrhea, conditions that, earlier, caused more than half of infant deaths in the country.
DSM Nutritional Products receives 2009 Frost & Sullivan award for quality in infant nutrition
The 2009 Frost & Sullivan award for Global Excellence in Quality in the infant nutrition market was presented to DSM Nutritional Products in April. The award was conferred in recognition of DSM’s outstanding contribution in setting new safety standards for use in infant nutrition markets across the globe.
Awareness of the importance of quality in the highly sensitive infant nutrition sector is greater than ever before in the wake of a number of tragic and well-publicized contamination scandals. Our new grade of micronutrient blends, which are particularly formulated for the infant nutrition market, reaffirms our commitment to maintaining the highest quality standards for our ingredients. The introduction of the new grade occurred within the framework of the launch of our Quality for Life™ seal in November 2008, with its emphasis on the sustainability, traceability, safety and quality of ingredients produced by DSM’s Nutrition cluster of businesses.
The 2009 Frost & Sullivan award for Global Excellence in Quality in the infant nutrition market was presented to DSM Nutritional Products in April. The award was conferred in recognition of DSM’s outstanding contribution in setting new safety standards for use in infant nutrition markets across the globe.
Awareness of the importance of quality in the highly sensitive infant nutrition sector is greater than ever before in the wake of a number of tragic and well-publicized contamination scandals. Our new grade of micronutrient blends, which are particularly formulated for the infant nutrition market, reaffirms our commitment to maintaining the highest quality standards for our ingredients. The introduction of the new grade occurred within the framework of the launch of our Quality for Life™ seal in November 2008, with its emphasis on the sustainability, traceability, safety and quality of ingredients produced by DSM’s Nutrition cluster of businesses.
