history of meals for millions, soy, and freedom from ... - SoyInfo Center

Last week, with the help of the U.S. Air Force, the
foundation sent 40,000 meals to Sioux Indians in South
Dakota.
121. Abrahams, Maurice M. 1958. Soy food (MPF) offers
challenge to world hunger: Meals for Millions Foundation
proposes international conference to review the problem of
world hunger. Soybean Digest. May. p. 20, 22.
• Summary: Meals for Millions Foundation offers a
scientifically developed dietary soybean product, Multi-
Purpose Food (MPF), to help relieve malnutrition and
hunger. “But this is merely a part of a much larger purpose
that has animated the Foundation’s 11-year efforts, efforts
that are completely unendowed and without government
aid, but supported by the penny-power contributions of
thousands of free Americans.
“The larger aims of the Foundation’s program and
product such as creating good will for the United States and
relieving starvation were recognized in the two awards the
Foundation received in 1956 and 1957 from Freedoms
Foundation. These aims are evidenced by the collaboration
now being accorded by such agencies such as USIA, ICA,
FAO, UNICEF and the President’s People-to-People
program.”
Meals for Millions Foundation was incorporated in
1946. More than 95% of the bulk of MPF is soybean grits.
The scientific explanation for the way this dietary
supplement works is “synergistic action.” “This means that
MPF provides not only its own concentrated protein,
vitamin and mineral values but, in addition, increases
substantially the biological value of the food to which it is
added, even in very small quantities.”
Photos show: (1) “Before: These six malnourished
babies were admitted to the American hospital, Pago Pago,
Samoa, by Dr. James R. Dean, public health officer. (2)
After: Same babies as in first picture after 6 months diet of
Multi-Purpose Foods. All showed gains of weight into the
normal range. All showed improvement in motor response
and bodily tone.”
Example #1: A trial with two groups of 20 workmen in
a factory in Sao Paulo, Brazil, showed that the group
receiving MPF increased its relative production rate 10%
above the control group. The men in the group also gained
on average more than 2.5 pounds per man.
Example #2: Miss Gladys Oberlin, the American
nutritionist–directress of Instituto Ana Gonzaga, a
Methodist missionary school in Rio de Janeiro used MPF to
supplement the diet of 200 girls in her boarding school.
Their usual meals were the standard but simple rice and
beans for both lunch and dinner. At the end of 3 months
Miss Oberlin reported that it actually cost less to feed the
girls with MPF than without it. Moreover, the infirmary has
been vacant for much of this test period. Yet the average
MEALS FOR MILLIONS, SOY, AND FREEDOM FROM HUNGER 53
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2011
daily amount of MPF that each girl received was only a
little more than ¼ ounce.
Another photo shows: “Approval to Meals for Millions
affiliate program in his state is given by Governor Janio
Quadros of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.” At right is
Maurice M. Abrahams of the Meals for Millions
Foundation. Address: Brazilian representative for Meals for
Millions Foundation.
122. Subrahmanyan, V.; Bhagavan, R.K.; Swaminathan, M.
1958. The place of processed foods in the treatment and
prevention of protein malnutrition in children. Indian J. of
Pediatrics 25(123):216-27. May. [57 ref]
• Summary: Contents: Introduction. Treatment of
kwashiorkor: Vitamin therapy, the use of dried stomach
preparations (e.g., hog’s stomach), the use of protein
hydrolysate, human serum, plasma and blood, treatment
with skim milk powder and proprietary casein foods,
treatment with plant protein diets, soybean-banana mixture
(Dean 1952), Bengal gram and banana diet mixture, low-fat
groundnut flour–Bengal gram–skim milk diet mixture,
possible sources of processed protein rich foods for the
prevention of protein malnutrition, better utilization of soya
and groundnut products, soya and groundnut milks (7
studies are summarized briefly), low-fat oilseed flours,
balanced malt food containing soya flour and groundnut
flour, Multipurpose food based on low-fat soya flour and
groundnut flour, predigested foods, fish flour. Conclusion.
“Introduction: It is now well recognized that protein
malnutrition is widely prevalent among children in many
tropical and subtropical countries (Trowell et al. 1954) (p.
216).
“The foods that have been most extensively used in the
treatment of kwashiorkor, are skimmed milk powder and
calcium caseinate” (p. 217).
“Treatment with plant protein diets: Of late it is being
increasingly recognised that skim milk powder, though the
cheapest protein food available so far for the treatment of
protein malnutrition, cannot provide the basis for a large
scale solution of the problem in underdeveloped countries,
where skim milk powder is not available in sufficient
quantities and has to be imported” (p. 218).
“Better utilization of soya and groundnut products:...
Both these foods are by themselves highly concentrated and
difficult to be cooked properly. Consequently children may
experience difficulty in digesting cooked [whole] soyabean
or roasted groundnut (Aykroyd and Krishnan 1937). Recent
investigations carried out in India and other countries have
shown that both soyabean and groundnut could be suitably
processed into milk which is highly nutritious and can be
readily digested by young children (Dean 1953; Indian
Council of Medical Research 1955). Low-fat flours
obtained from soyabean and groundnut are also highly