USAID reinstates contracts for Georgia company that helps feed malnourished kids after Elon Musk responds to CNN reporting

The CEO of a plant in Georgia that makes a special peanut butter paste for severely malnourished children around the world told CNN Sunday that his company’s contracts with the US Agency for International Development that had been abruptly canceled last week were all reinstated late Sunday night.

The CEO of a plant in Georgia that makes a special peanut butter paste for severely malnourished children around the world told CNN Sunday that his company’s contracts with the US Agency for International Development that had been abruptly canceled last week were all reinstated late Sunday night. Mark Moore, the founder MANA Nutrition, shared screenshots of the rescinded contract termination notifications with CNN. “Thrilled,” he said in response to the news. He also told CNN that he was working to quickly start using USAID-labeled pouches in production again: “It’s a yo-yo. I just texted the factory and told them to switch back to USAID packaging as of midnight.” The development came after Elon Musk said on social media earlier on Sunday in response to CNN’s previous reporting about the terminated USAID contracts that he would “investigate” and “fix it.” MANA’s canceled contracts had been the result of the Trump administration’s drastic efforts to slim down the federal government led by Musk, who leads a new government agency called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Moore’s company makes a special kind of peanut butter paste – a type of RUTF (“Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods”) – that many humanitarian aid workers are familiar with. It is fortified with milk and essential vitamins, packed with calories and sent to severely malnourished children around the world, including some countries in Africa. USAID has historically supported and funded the development and distribution of RUTF products over the years.