Julio Garay

Peruvian inventor who created revolutionary fortified cookies to combat anemia

Julio Garay Barrios, a Peruvian food engineer, made global impact by developing Nutri H - iron-rich cookies combating childhood anemia. Born in Ayacucho's poverty-stricken Andes region, Garay witnessed 43% of Peruvian children suffering from iron deficiency.

His breakthrough came through 3 years of research at Universidad Nacional San Cristóbal de Huamanga, creating cookies using bovine hemoglobin from slaughterhouse byproducts. The invention reduced anemia rates by 25% in trial groups within 30 days.

Garay's social enterprise now distributes 50 million annual servings through partnerships with UNICEF and WHO. Unlike traditional supplements, the chocolate-flavored cookies became culturally accepted prevention tools in remote communities.

In 2020, Garay won History Channel's 'Una Idea para Cambiar la Historia' award, using prize money to build production facilities in 12 Andean villages. His TEDx talk explains how food science can solve public health crises sustainably.