Peruvian Engineer Awarded International Prize for Cookies that Fight Anemia

By Gabriela García Calderón Orbe

On January 29, 2020, the U.S. TV channel History announced that the winner of its contest “An idea to change History” was Peruvian agroindustrial engineer Julio Garay Barrios, who comes from the region of Ayacucho. His winning idea is the “Nutri H cookies“:

Children from three to six years old who ate the cookies every day during 30 days had increased levels of hemoglobin in their blood, according pilot tests run in Peru.

Nutri H cookies are distributed through authorized distribution centers around Peru. They are also included in municipal and regional government campaigns against child anemia.

Almost half of Peruvian children are anemic

In a country known for its cuisine, almost 50 percent of Peru’s children suffer from anemia.

Anemia is a condition that often arises from iron and vitamin deficiency and has serious consequences for children. It causes poor academic performance, as children with anemia tend to be tired and have a hard time focusing in classes. Psychomotor development is also impaired and a weakened immune system means they’re at greater risk for catching infections.

The proportion of anemic children in Peru fell from 46,1 to 41,1 percent from 2018 to 2019, according to data by the National Institute of Statistics and Computer Science of Peru. Experts attribute the slight drop to government prevention campaigns.

As Julio Garay notes, his Nutri H cookies contain three basic ingredients: quinoa, cocoa, and bovine hemoglobin, the last of which brings the most iron. Garay himself suffered from anemia as a child and this motivated him to seek a solution.

On Twitter, the account of the Nutri H cookies celebrated its win:

ðŸ†ðŸ¥‡GANADOR PRIMER LUGAR 🥇ðŸ†
🇵🇪ðŸ‘🻡si se pudo! 🤗🇵🇪
Gracias a todos quienes me apoyaron y confiaron en mi, este triunfo es para todos ustedes, gracias mi Perú querido. #JuntosVenceremosLaAnemia pic.twitter.com/8tKimpiESJ

— Galletas NutriH Peru (@NutrihPeru) January 30, 2020

ðŸ†ðŸ¥‡FIRST PLACE AWARD 🥇ðŸ†
ðŸ‘ðŸ»Yes, we did it! 🤗
Thanks to all those people who supported and trusted me, this achievement is for you all, thank you to my dear Peru.

Peruvian public institutions and citizens congratulated Julio Garay for this achievement:

Saludamos al creador de galletas contra la anemia #NutriH, cuyo emprendimiento busca ayudar a la mejora de la salud, especialmente de niños y niñas, quienes son los que más necesitan.
🥳🎉 Julio Garay, ganador del concurso de @HistoryLA
¡Ejemplo de emprendimiento y trabajo! pic.twitter.com/3PqLwr1Neu

— Ministerio de Trabajo (@MTPE_Peru) January 29, 2020

We greet the creator of Nutri H cookies against anemia, it’s an undertaking that wants to improve health, especially children’s health, the ones who need it the most.
🥳🎉 Julio Garay, winner of History Channel Latin America contest.
An example of entrepreneurship and work!

Esto si merece más cobertura… @JulianaOxenford @malditaternura @sigridbazan #OrgulloPeruano #NutriH https://t.co/RwDgaxsbwg

— Luis Zorrilla (@lzorrillah) January 30, 2020

This indeed deserves to be more covered…

Article source: Global Voices

Gabriela García Calderón Orbe — Lima-based Peruvian-born, I live two blocks away from the Pacific Ocean. I’m a lawyer, lefty, short-sighted. I am able to read from right to left, as a mirror. I love Limean winter, yes, the winter. I like reading, watching good movies, getting letters (unfortunately outdated now), writing on my blog Seis de enero (January 6th) and sharing an ice cream all around the year (as long as it’s not chocolate).

Top photo composition by Global Voices portraying Julio Garay and his Nutri H cookies. Sources: Screencap by Peru’s National Superintendence of Customs and Tax Administration and Mercadolibre.com.pe.

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