The food startup that began as Hampton Creek is now known as JUST, and its newest product is a nutrient-fortified cassava porridge named Power Gari that it says is the solution to malnutrition in western Africa, reports the Washington Post. “JUST believes that its product will increase Africans’ intake of critical vitamins and minerals by including them in a product that tastes good and is sold at retail in slick branded bags, unlike the fortified foods currently offered by development organizations.”
However, development experts told the Post that larger companies have launched almost identical products and met failure. “Critics continue to question whether JUST has launched any revolutionary products — or simply marketed itself better than the competition,” said the Post. All the same, company founder Joshua Tetrick says Power Gari will be on the market in 15 countries in two years.
Fortified foods are a common way for nonprofit groups and governments to address dietary deficiencies. “Major institutional players, such as the World Food Program, already serve fortified porridges, typically wheat and soy or corn and soy blends,” said the Post. In Liberia, where JUST is launching Power Gari, USAID has funded a locally produced and fortified cassava porridge called Super Gari.