Abby Callard : March 7, 2011
Malnutrition is a serious concern in developing countries. In Kenya, Edom Nutritional Solutions has developed a premixed porridge and a maize flour product to combat malnutrition. Beyond Profit talked to Winstone Edward Odhiambo, the Co-Founder and Managing Director, about the unique product and its future.
What exactly is the Edom solution?
Our solution lays emphasis on preventive approaches to tackle the root cause of malnutrition by manufacturing a protein, mineral and vitamin rich precooked porridge product and maize meal flour and avail them to the malnourished through affordable retail distribution in rural areas, low market urban areas and smaller outlets in the villages in smaller packs of 250 grams that the majority millions in the bottom tier of the socio-economic pyramid can easily access and afford.
How does your product prevent malnutrition?
[Our solution] attacks the root cause: inadequate and poor intake of micronutrients and protein because animal products are expensive and a rare compliment to most families vegetarian-by-default diet. This solution is strongly backed by a bloat-free sourcing of ingredients by contracting farmers to supply their produce directly through their farmer cooperatives.
How will people use the packet?
The packet is a special all-purpose, must-have flour in the kitchen. It has a delicious nutty flavor making the porridge tasty yet supremely healthy. So, whether they missed fruits, vegetable or essential oils today or just want to supplement their body with required super nutrients, just take a delicious cup of this porridge fortified with a nutritious premix of mushroom, moringa oleifera and amaranth. It’s an excellent source of all essential nutrients to boost immunity, vitality and promote healing. Or just add to maize flour to make them more nutritious. The whole family—from weaning babies to old age—will enjoy the wholesome benefits of this nature’s promise of health. It is precooked to reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes to ensure shelf life, to enhance proper absorption of nutrients by the body and to give the flour a delicious taste, flavor and wholesome aroma.
How did you decide on a price?
After a detailed market research, we came up with a customer profile that guaranteed our full understanding of all the customer needs and considerations that will hook them to the products. Demographically, we considered their ability, need and interests. Psychographically, we checked their attitudes, beliefs and emotions. Behaviorally, we carefully took into account the price, quality, brand name, location, product guarantees and accompanying customer service. The reality is the only reason a customer will ever buy a product is because it gives them more value than the spent money. We then settled on advancing economy packs of 250 grams as the most effective way of reaching the grassroots populations at their nearest shop and afford to purchase. After the necessary costing we settled on a price of $0.30 (INR 14). The economy packs generate low unit margins but big profitable volumes to ensure the venture stays financially vibrant and scales up regionally.
How did you adapt the product for local tastes? Will this change when you expand to new areas?
The first logical adaption strategy was the use of staple foods as delivery vehicles for the critical micronutrients. Porridge products and maize meal flour are staple foods consumed by every household on a daily basis. The basis, and key, to the approach is the premixed powder that is the key to organic mass fortification. The premix is a ready-to-use product broadly compatible with and used to season virtually all other foods, soups and salads just like with iodized salt. Because this concept and approach has a self-replicating potential, as it’s demonstrably superior to prevailing practices, that it lends itself to rapid replication elsewhere. The simplicity, adaptability and compatibility of the premix and fortified flours will rule out any insurmountable implementation challenges when we expand to other countries, while the premix composition shall always remain constant, the fortified staple foodstuffs may vary per country.
How do you plan to scale?
To reach the consumer, we think like the consumer—know where they go to get information and use that to focus promotion. The east African region is endowed with many tribes. There are 150 FM radio channels spread out; 110 are vernacular based and have their respective dialect listeners as their targets. This will be our most powerful tool to inform them of the points of differentiation, raise their awareness of product, explain the comparative feature and benefits and create an association between product and lifestyle.
The East African common protocol signed on July 1, 2010 created a free-trade area as a result of the integration of five countries with a total population of 140 million. It paved way for freedom of labor, goods, capital and right of establishment within the region. We currently reach 1.8 million. In the second year, we will deliver 15,500 metric tons of nutritionally enriched porridge mix and 73,800 metric tons of fortified maize meal. Working on a yearly intake of 200 servings, we will reach 9 million annually. Ultimately, in five years time we’ll double the capacity to reach 20 million people and have the desired impact.
http://beyondprofit.com/premixed-porridge-tackles-malnutrition-in-kenya/
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