An ambitious health food startup is making an innovative entry into the nutritious snack market, thanks in part to a multi-year collaboration with the Cornell Food Venture Center (CFVC) and the New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture (COE) at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York.
Brauus, founded by husband and wife team Rodolfo and Cátia Coelho, launched online sales on its website this summer. Their first product, a snack called Nutreat, has already seen steady interest among health-conscious consumers.
“The feedback we have received so far is extremely positive, especially from people managing diabetes or controlling blood sugar levels as a way to stay healthy,” Cátia said.
A plant-based, high fiber, sugar-free, dairy-free and gluten-free snack, Nutreat boasts a low glycemic load and can be eaten by the spoonful, spread on toast or even used for a healthy shake with your favorite milk or kefir. It was born from Cátia’s work as a licensed psychologist in community clinics — where she saw patients balancing emotional health challenges with conditions like diabetes and obesity.
The new product finally came to fruition thanks to support from Bruno Xavier, senior extension associate and process authority for Cornell’s Food Venture Center.
“I have spent more hours working with Brauus than on any other project since I arrived at Cornell. So it is gratifying to see the finished product doing well,” Xavier said.
