Dehydrated Cushuro- Peruvian algae as a protein supplement in common products.

The challenge

On average, 10% of children in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean still maintain a condition of malnutrition. In Peru, the average is 13%. However, in areas of the interior malnutrition reaches an alarming 55% despite having very nutritious foods in these areas.

The solution

The cushuro are algae that grow in certain lakes of the Peruvian highlands. These algae provide a large amount of protein (35% dry weight) and minerals. Due to their ignorance the locals consume it as part of their diet sporadically. It is proposed to create open tanks to cultivate Cushuro and after that, the algae will be processed to obtain dehydrated products that serve as a protein additive in other foods such as baby food, sausages, stews, cookies, among others.