OUR FIRST INNOVATION.
Given that 50% of Guatemalan children suffer from chronic malnutrition, we saw a clear need to develop a product geared towards treating and preventing this affliction.
Prof. Ted Fischer had the idea of adapting the concept of Ready-to-Use Supplementary Foods (RUSFs), utilized mainly in Africa, to address Guatemalan diet deficiencies.
He formed our alliance with the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP). Thanks to INCAP’s ongoing support, we built our product on the expertise and research of some of the world’s best nutritionists. Together, we developed Maní+, a highly fortified 40g peanut paste for children starting from 6 months of age. After 5 years of research, the product was debuted in 2014.
“It is not only the right thing to do but the smart thing!”
Maní+ was a very successful product. Local and international NGOs bought Maní+ in droves.
To maximize impact, we supported our clients with the implementation of culturally appropriate feeding programs that taught families about nutrition, health practices and the use and benefits of Maní+.
We realized, however, that we wanted more for our product. It’s large size and high cost had limited its viability in the free market thus far - that was about to change.
"Maní+ is a supplement that has made a big impact in less than 6 months. It is
important to maintain this supplement."
— Anual Report Pop Wuj, MD Carmen Alvarado Benítez
Nutri Listo has a tweaked formula, taste, size and branding. Everything was catered to Guatemalan families. This time we wouldn’t just be selling to NGOs - we were going direct to the families. Partnerships with some of the largest distributors in Central America have been fruitful thus far! We’ve leveraged existing Guatemalan infrastructure to put Nutri Listo in local shops across the country. Now there is a healthy option where there never was before!
