• To better meet the nutritional needs of children, Danone has reformulated and fortified its Dumex Dugro Growing Up Milk range (children age 12 months & above), its historical brand in Malaysia, purchased over 3 million times a year[1]
• Numerous reports raise the alarm on the impact of the pandemic on malnutrition, with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) as the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency
• Danone embarking on a journey to tackle Iron Deficiency Anaemia in Malaysia

Malaysia, 9 September 2020 — The Asia Pacific region is home to more than half the world’s undernourished children[2] who suffer from “hidden hunger”. Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), a type of micronutrient deficiency, is the most common nutritional anaemia in the world and currently affects 11 million children under the age of five in Southeast Asia.

As unemployment and food insecurity rise due to COVID-19, loss of income or poverty will further impact nutrition habits, increasing the risk of micronutrient deficiencies, particularly in iron. This is a worrying trend as local studies show that one in seven Malaysian children (13.8%) do not meet the recommended daily intake of iron[3], with children from a lower social economic status having higher prevalence of IDA[4].

Danone to help address the public health challenge of malnutrition in Malaysia

As part of Danone’s “One Planet. One Health” agenda in Malaysia, Danone will launch public health initiatives through various collaborations to address malnutrition and IDA in children. Building on this commitment, the company has reformulated and fortified its Dumex Dugro range. The newly improved formula contains high levels of DHA and includes all the essential nutrients such as iron, calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, fibre (inulin) and lactose.

“As the manufacturer of leading young child formula brand Dugro in Malaysia, we have a key role to play to ensure our products are nutritious. This ensures we can benefit as many people as possible. We continually invest in research and development to understand the nutritional needs of Malaysian children and subsequently improve the nutritional profile of our produtcs so we can offer solutions that best meet their needs,” says Mr. Danish Rahman, General Manager of Danone Specialized Nutrition Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei.

Danone is committed to supporting Malaysian families as the country navigates health and nutritional challenges. Some initiatives that the company is embarking on include:

• Working closely with healthcare partners to scale up IDA screenings nationwide and to raise awareness about micronutrient deficiencies among parents and pediatricians
• Providing resources and expertise to test and scale up the use of non-invasive devices to measure iron levels without having to draw blood
• Continuous engagement with leading healthcare professionals and researchers, NGOs and the Malaysian Welfare Department to assess needs for Danone to provide support wherever and whenever it is needed.

“At Danone, our aim is to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices for everyone. As such, Danone will continue to actively participate in the public health priority to address iron deficiency anaemia in children in Malaysia in the years to come,” said Mr Rahman.

[1] Estimates based on Kantar Worldpanel Division’s Consumer Reach Point. Surveyed across 2,500 key household shoppers in Peninsular Malaysia between January and December 2019.

[2] https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/hunger-asia-cities/

[3] https://e-nrp.org/DOIx.php?id=10.4162/nrp.2015.9.3.278

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6266561/