Did you know that malnutrition is one of the biggest persisting issues of the country that’s made even worse by the pandemic? A recent rapid assessment survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) in select areas revealed that 6 out of 10 households now experience "moderate to severe" food insecurity. Now, among those surveyed, households with children (74.7%) and pregnant women (80.8%) report experiencing the highest level of insecurity. Majority of these children (88.6%) do not receive supplementary feeding, and almost 1 in 4 children (23.4%) under 6 years of age reported loss of weight.
These are not just numbers. They represent the lives of our countrymen; lives that experience food-related hardship every day. So, yes, they matter.
One of the biggest ways that Knorr has helped fight malnutrition in the past was through
sustained feeding school-based and community-based feeding programs.
One brand has been helping curb malnutrition in the country for more than 20 years. That is global food giant, Knorr. And since they began their program more than two decades ago, they’ve so far changed 2 million lives for the better.
Knorr, through its partnerships with FNRI and DOST, has been teaching moms the value of
nutrition and training them on how to make affordable and nutritious meals so that they can
give their families a chance at a brighter future.
How did they do it?
By creating an army of moms who actively fight for better nourishments for their families every day.
Through a proprietary 21-Day Program, Knorr provides everyone access to recipes that help
diversify the family diet and prove that nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.
In most Filipino households, moms are still the primary decision makers for nutrition. This makes them the first line of defense against malnutrition, and an essential partner in ensuring that key measures for nutrition are effectively implemented at home.
For over two decades, the Knorr Nutrition Education Program has been educating moms how to overcome two common barriers to proper nutrition—lack of knowledge and limited budget. Through the said program, they also instill the positive effects of proper eating habits and nutrition in creating a better future for children. In addition, they also share recipes for delicious and nutritious meals that Filipinos are familiar with and—more importantly—cost little to make, including ginisang monggo, ginataang gulay, and bulanglang.
The Knorr nutrition education program is poised to scale up even further through partnerships
with Pilipinas Kontra Gutom, Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network, Department of Education
(DepEd), as well as various LGUs. The program currently serves 500,000 individuals across
Metro Manila and CALABARZON.
And to make sure that moms are able to diversify their family’s diet, the brand also created a proprietary 21-Day Program in partnership with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI). The habit-changing program has shown a 6X increase in moms cooking healthy food within the communities and a 50% improvement of health amongst the children.
Hoping to reach more people, the brand partnered with more government agencies, LGUs, and NGOs to take advantage of their networks.
“We believe that Knorr has an important role to play in addressing the problem of malnutrition,” says Kristine Go, Vice President for Foods & Refreshments at Unilever Philippines. “Given our reach and our portfolio of nutritious and delicious products, we are in a position to make a real difference.”
And so far, the Knorr nutrition education program is poised to scale up even further through partnerships with Pilipinas Kontra Gutom, Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network, Department of Education (DepEd), as well as various LGUs. The program currently serves 500,000 individuals across Metro Manila and CALABARZON.
But that’s not all. Giving moms more ammo, the brand recently reformulated its products with added essential nutrients to make it easier for everyone to meet their daily nutrition needs. Their Knorr Sinigang sa Sampaloc Mix Original that now contain Vitamin C, to the popular Knorr Broth Cubes that is now also a source of Iron. Both products are market leaders, enjoying widespread use across various local cuisines.
For more than 20 years, Knorr has been championing proper nutrition for every Filipino. After positively affecting the lives of over 2 million previously undernourished Filipino children, the leading food brand swears by its three main pillars for success—Parents, Partnerships, and Products.
Knorr’s continuing innovation and various programs for positive nutrition form part of the goals of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, which is the company's mission to provide positive social impact in the markets where it operates. For more information, visit www.knorr.com/ph and follow Knorr Philippines on Facebook and Instagram.
