US Hershey partners to build peanut butter factory in Ghana
US chocolate company, Hershey, will provide funding for the construction of a peanut butter factory in Ghana, the firm announced in a statement December 10, 2012.
The factory is to produce peanut-based Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs) for the distribution to malnourished children in Ghana at no cost to them or their families.
“Project Peanut Butter will distribute the RUTFs to relief agencies, who provide the product to malnourished children in Ghana at no cost to them or their families,” the chocolate maker said.
The peanut project is pioneered by Dr. Mark Manary, a pediatrician and a professor of pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. He is also the founder of the Project Peanut Butter.
Dr Manary said, “I am thrilled to partner with Hershey to bring this life-saving programme to the rural villages of Ghana, where poverty causes malnourishment among children.”
Hershey explains that the peanut-based nutrition product has proven to be highly effective in saving children whose lives are at risk.
“Because of our experience in peanut processing and our commitment to improving communities in West Africa, Project Peanut Butter is an exciting project for us,” said Michele Buck, Hershey’s Senior Vice President, Chief Growth Officer.
Hershey also indicated that it will be assisting the Project Peanut Butter team through the company’s expertise in sourcing and processing peanuts.
The Project Peanut Butter programme in Ghana will work to improve the peanut farming sector by providing farmers with access to higher quality inputs and better planting and harvest techniques, the statement added.
By Ekow Quandzie