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Insta Products

Micronutrient-rich Breakfast for Millions of Kenyans

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SNAPSHOT
    Insta Products Limited manufactures fortified foods to be used in cases of acute and chronic malnutrition. The Kenyan-based company is one of only seven global suppliers recognized by UNICEF, the world’s largest buyer.
The Challenge
  • The World Bank identifies acute malnutrition as the single biggest contributor to child mortality. Nearly one-third of children in the developing world are underweight or stunted. More than 30 percent suffer from micronutrient deficiencies.
  • In children, stunting and poor micronutrient status result in high rates of diarrhea, which leads to worsening nutritional status, poor intellectual development, and increased risk of morbidity and mortaility. In Kenya, the prevalence of stunting is a staggering 40 percent for children between the ages of 12 to 23 months.
The Innovation
  • Insta manufactures a protein- and vitamin-rich porridge product formulated to meet the needs of infants, young children and adults. The low-cost porridge, which contains soy beans and grains, is pre-cooked and provides all nine essential amino acids required by the human body. This is especially important in Kenya where animal products are rare and expensive.
  • The bulk of Insta’s raw materials, maize and soy, are sourced from local suppliers purchasing directly from small- and medium-scale farmers in Kenya and Uganda.
  • International aid organizations including UNICEF, WFP and USAID purchase and distribute Insta’s products. Insta also plans to reach low-income families directly through retail distribution.
The Impact
  • To date, Insta has manufactured and sold 37,000 metric tons of micro-nutrient rich meals – equivalent to 89 million servings. The nutritional products are purchased and distributed by aid institutions such as United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Insta is one of only seven global suppliers recognized by UNICEF.