NORTHFIELD, Ill., April 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Recognizing World Health Day, Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) and Save the Children today announced a partnership to help Filipino and Indonesian families suffering from malnutrition. The three-year, US$3 million commitment from the Kraft Foods Foundation will support community-based meal distribution and improve nutrition education. The program will reach more than 180,000 children and families in geographies where the prevalence of malnutrition has been made even more acute by the global hunger crisis.

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The donation is the largest community investment ever made by the company and its foundation in Asia. It is the next ingredient in a three-year, $180 million commitment by the company and its foundation to make a delicious difference in the world by fighting hunger and supporting healthy lifestyles.

"It is critical that families and communities have the tools to prepare for and respond to the child hunger crisis," said Charles MacCormack, President and CEO, Save the Children. "Investment in long-term interventions will play a key role in preventing and mitigating food shortages. We know that protecting vulnerable children requires a comprehensive effort - one that includes the public, private and humanitarian sectors - to address the complex issues of hunger and poverty. Kraft Foods' support of Save the Children's work in Indonesia and the Philippines will reach thousands of children who are living on the edge of survival and give them an opportunity to thrive."

"As the second largest food company in the world, it is important for us to be part of the solution," said Sanjay Khosla, Executive Vice President and President, International, Kraft Foods. "For decades, Kraft Foods has been at the forefront of fighting hunger - from our community outreach to our affordable nutrition offerings. In partnership with Save the Children, we're stepping up our efforts to fight malnutrition, which plagues the lives of children in Indonesia and the Philippines everyday."

Malnutrition threatens the health and well-being, and ultimately the future, of Indonesian and Filipino children. In Indonesia, national data indicate 18 percent of children under five years old are underweight for their age. And, the stunting rate in children is 37 percent - an indicator of chronic undernourishment. The Philippines similarly struggles with malnutrition. Protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies remain the leading nutritional problems in the Philippines. Every day, 2.9 million Filipino families face hunger according to a national study, leaving 20 percent of children under five years old and 25 percent of all schoolchildren underweight. Intensifying the issue is the poignant reality that one-third of the Filipino population lives in poverty.

In Indonesia, funds will help improve feeding practices, health education and early childhood development services. Interactive feeding sessions and cooking demonstrations will teach families how to make healthy, affordable choices and improve their feeding practices and care for young children. In addition, programs will enhance children's early cognitive and social development to improve their nutrition, health and education status.

In the Philippines, the program will provide nutritious meals and vitamin supplements to children and supply educational materials on children's health, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene. It also will educate volunteer health workers on recognizing malnutrition and referring affected children for treatment. Kraft Foods volunteers will assist with menu and food preparation, in-school feeding, take-home ration distributions and community garden planting.

Kraft Foods' Support of Food Security

Kraft Foods works everyday to make a delicious difference in communities worldwide. The company, along with the Kraft Foods Foundation, is addressing food insecurity to affect lasting change, while supporting immediate needs. Through a three-pronged approach, the company is being part of the solution.

First, the company meets immediate needs through financial aid and food donations. Since 1997, Kraft Foods has provided more than 1 billion servings of fresh food worldwide. And, in the last five years alone, the company donated $100 million in cash and $300 million in food.

Second, Kraft Foods makes products that provide affordable nutrition, such as Tang fortified beverages in Asia Pacific and Latin America, Eden cheese in the Philippines, Biskuat biscuits in South East Asia and Jia Gai biscuits in China. Providing accessible nutrition is an important part of the company's strategy.

Last, through sustainable agriculture, the company is helping deliver social, environmental and economic benefits. Through a partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, the company has helped 200,000 coffee farmers. Building on these efforts, a new partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will ultimately help an estimated 1.6 million cocoa and cashew farmers in Africa.

Editor's note:
Broadcast quality b-roll is available from Kraft Foods upon request.

ABOUT SAVE THE CHILDREN

Save the Children is the leading, independent organization creating lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. For more than 75 years, Save the Children has been helping children survive and thrive by improving their health, education and economic opportunities and, in times of acute crisis, mobilizing lifesaving assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. For more information, visit: www.savethechildren.org.

ABOUT KRAFT FOODS

Kraft Foods (http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com) makes today delicious in 150 countries around the globe. Our 100,000 Kraft Foodies work tirelessly to make delicious foods consumers can feel good about. From American brand icons like Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings, Maxwell House coffees and Oscar Mayer meats, to global powerhouse brands like Oreo and LU biscuits, Philadelphia cream cheeses, Jacobs and Carte Noire coffees, Tang powdered beverages and Milka, Cote d'Or, Lacta and Toblerone chocolates, our brands deliver millions of smiles a day. Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) is the world's second largest food company with annual revenues of $42 billion. The company is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's 500, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index.

Kraft Foods and Save the Children

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