Interview Mathieux, Food Technologist at Kemin and Project Leader for the WFP

How do they determine who is most in need of help?

Because the first 1000 days of a new life are most important towards later development of a human being, WFP has a strong focus on infants, young children and women of child-bearing age. A malnourished mother is unlikely to give birth to a healthy child. But the goal is, of course, to help as many people as possible.

Kemin has been involved with the World Food Programme for many years. Could you tell more about their partnership?

Kemin Industries has been a long-term partner of WFP. Our partnership started in 2004 as a private partner. Kemin’s assistance consists of knowledge and expertise on the improvement of the shelf life of processed foods that WFP purchases and distributes across the world. In addition, we sponsor two full-time food technologists who work at WFP. In the past, we’ve guided them in developing a quality management system relating to food quality and food safety. 

And where do you come in?

My job position is fully dedicated and sponsored to WFP. I assist WFP’s experts from the Food Safety and Quality unit in Rome, by conducting long-term shelf life studies, performing spot checks on the quality of food products stored in the field and by advising them on specific issues or questions. Shelf life studies and spot checks are based on the chemical analysis of primary and secondary oxidation products. We combine the chemical analysis with sensory evaluations to determine if food is still acceptable, or to determine the shelf life under the harsh storage conditions in the field.

Kemin products respond to food waste prevention. Do you see their importance increasing towards the future? 

Absolutely! I think that antioxidants will increasingly be used to extend the shelf life of processed foods, as the demand for convenience foods will rise with increasing population and prosperity. Selecting the right antioxidant for a specific food product will allow local producers to grow their market into regional distribution chains. The trend to look for natural alternatives will benefit our portfolio of products, because Kemin has a completely vertically integrated chain of production. 

WFP already offers help to a lot of people in need. Yet, according to the numbers, that’s "only" 10 percent of those who have to live with hunger. How do you reach the remaining 90 percent?

Globally, there are about 113 million people that live with acute hunger. The main focus is on the people that are most in need, and in that regard, their aid is quite successful. WFP depends completely on government funding, corporate partners like Kemin and private donations. We can reach more people by spreading the word, stimulating local communities to take initiative, having large manufacturers use lean processes to reduce waste and look at ways to use their waste streams to create extra revenue and further reduce waste. Innovative solutions are another way of reaching large communities. Did you know that €0.45 can feed a child for a day? WFP facilitated the creation of the ShareTheMeal app, which allows you to make small donations that can have a big impact on the lives of malnourished people. 

Since 2015, 17 Sustainability Development Goals have been adopted worldwide to improve the general life-quality by 2030. Do they help towards achieving your goals?

The SDG’s definitely help. Also, when it comes to hunger, we do see improvements. It progresses slowly because there are still a lot of conflicts in the world. But investing in local initiatives that help communities to become self-sufficient is the right approach. 

One of the main objectives of the United Nations is Zero Hunger. Do you think it’s an achievable goal?

Within the 17 SDG’s, reaching Zero Hunger by 2030 is the second highest priority. That means that considerable funds are being used to empower local governments to stimulate change, to train local communities with the right skills to fight hunger, poverty and lack of education. It is a difficult task, but I certainly hope we can achieve Zero Hunger. Today, we have a lot of channels to bring world hunger to attention and show people what happens with their contributions. Kemin and I will definitely continue the fight!