Malnutrition Matters is a non-profit organization, dedicated to providing sustainable low cost food technology solutions for malnutrition, primarily by using soya, but also cereals, grains, fruits and vegetables. These plant-based foods offer the greatest nutritional, environmental and economic benefits. Furthermore, soymilk and its derivative soyfoods are already well-known for their nutritional value, functionality and the sustainability of their agriculture and production.

For details, please see www.malnutrition.org

Children Drinking Soymilk at Orphanage in North Korea	Soymilk Distribution in Mozambique

        
The services of this organization are primarily in support of NGO's / PVO's and small to medium-sized entrepreneurs to develop and expand nutrition and employment programs in developing countries. These services include: equipment supply, training and consulting for production and project management, food product development and related nutritional and agricultural issues. A main objective is to help create sustainable micro-enterprises centered on these affordable food technologies. Technology transfers, to allow the fabrication, training and service to be done in developing countries, are a principal goal, and some transfers are already complete.

The technologies and expertise relate to food production in aqueous extraction processes result primarily in dairy alternative products and derivatives including soy-based beverages, yogurts, tofu, desserts, spreads, etc. The technology can also produce, and preserve soups, purees, juices and other foods made from a variety of fruits and vegetables. There is no food waste when using these technologies.

THE VITAGOAT:
Shown here is the VitaGoat. It serves as a principal vehicle for micro-enterprises, while providing the local community or social institution with high-quality nutrition. Operating without the need for any electricity supply or generator, it uses locally-available fuels, including wood or other biomass, or bottled gas, to create high-pressure steam in the boiler. The pressure-cooking vessel and a filter press enable steam-injected pressure-cooking up to 10 times more energy-efficient than open stove cooking. Soymilk is one of the primary foods produced by the VitaGoat.

Other outputs include fruit and vegetable juices, purees and nectars, which may be preserved in bottles which are sterilized using the cooker. Other foods such as semi-fine flour, nut butters, ground coffee and other ground products can also be prepared using only the pedal-operated grinder, and do not require the boiler and pressure-cooker. The major investment cost of setting up a VitaGoat system is the cost of the equipment itself, along with a suitable production space. There are no costs associated with installing or consuming electricity or running water. The water source for the system can be as simple as a bucket. It is expected that the investment will pay for itself within a year, assuming 3-4 hours of daily production.

THE SOYCOW:

For those environments where electricity and running water are available and reliable, other equipment options, such as the SoyCow, can speed up operation and/or reduce labour required.

The SoyCow, shown here, is an ‘all-electric’ configuration that produces exclusively soymilk and its derivatives, such as tofu and yogurt. It uses an electric boiler, and a cooker / grinder combination of pressure cooker with an attached electric motor to perform the grinding of soybeans. Other, partially electric, “hybrid” configurations are also available, at a lower cost than the SoyCow. The VitaGoat or SoyCow can be used in a number of settings, such as: direct feeding in humanitarian projects, in social institutions (hospitals, schools, etc) and, perhaps most importantly, as the principal vehicle for a food production micro-enterprise which could employ 5 to 10 people. This could be like a “restaurant”, food processing “mini-plant”, retail outlet, or any combination of these.

THE SOLARFLEX DRYER:

Malnutrition Matters has recently completed testing of the SolarFlex Dryer, an economical passive solar dryer for fruits and vegetables. Shown here is a prototype model. Drying space in the cabinet (green box behind the solar array) is 32 sq. m.

Drying fruits and vegetables with this system is a cost-effective long-term food storage solution that requires no external electricity or other fuel to operate.  The ability to dry fruits and vegetables is a crucial element in achieving the long-term food security of many communities, where certain crops may be abundant during harvesting season, but the lack or high cost of canning and refrigeration facilities makes these foods unavailable at other times. The system can work with an optional boiler and radiator which allows for the flexibility of drying on cloudy days or at night, and which requires fuel such as biomass or gas. The air-circulating fan is driven by a combination of a small photovoltaic solar panel with a 12 V automotive battery.

Drying racks with various fruits before drying	Fruits after drying.

Overview

Economics of Soy

Commercial Uses

Technologies Available

Best Practices

U.S. New Food Products