Tour attendees visiting MANA Nutrition in Fitzgerald, Georgia, received an inside look into Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). RUTF is a dense, nutrient-rich food used to treat severe malnutrition. The purpose of RUTF is to help children gain weight, improve strength, and restore overall health. It is made with milk, multivitamins, and peanut butter. The product is especially effective because it is shelf-stable and requires no preparation.
This stop was highlighted because every package of RUTF begins with peanuts grown in Georgia. MANA purchases approximately 2 million pounds of peanuts each month to produce the product. The Fitzgerald facility spans 135,000 square feet and has the capacity to produce 500,000 pounds of RUTF per day—enough to help feed up to 10 million children each year.