Kuli Kuli Launches Moringa Superfood Bars with Social Mission in Whole Foods
OAKLAND, CA — (Dec 3rd, 2013) Kuli Kuli, the first company to retail moringa food products in the US, just launched Kuli Kuli Moringa Superfood Bars in 10 Bay Area Whole Foods stores. Featured on the Dr. Oz show in 2012, Moringa oleifera is one of the most nutritious plants on the planet with high levels of protein, iron, calcium and vitamins. Kuli Kuli sources their moringa from women’s cooperatives in West Africa in an effort to help those communities move away from dependency on food aid and towards nutritional self-sufficiency through moringa.
“As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger, I saw first-hand the impact that moringa can have on improving nutrition. I came up with the idea to support women’s cooperatives to grow more moringa to nourish their communities and earn a livelihood by selling a portion of their harvests in the United States in the form of delicious Kuli Kuli Bars,” said Lisa Curtis, Kuli Kuli’s Founder and CEO.
Last June, Kuli Kuli raised $53,000 in a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo that made history as one of the highest grossing food campaigns of all-time and allowed them to do their first major manufacturing run. With over 9,000 bars already pre-ordered online, Kuli Kuli is confident that their moringa bars are going to be a hit.
Kuli Kuli Bars are gluten-free, vegan and made with just a few simple all-natural ingredients. They are low in calories but contain high amounts of fiber, protein and vitamins. Kuli Kuli has tested their bars at farmer’s markets in Oakland to resounding success.
Kuli Kuli hopes to help moringa become well-recognized as a nutrient-rich superfood in the United States and serve as a catalyst to improve nutrition and livelihoods worldwide. Despite its relative obscurity in the United States, moringa has been widely documented for its vast nutritional properties and ability to grow in poor soil with little water. Furthermore, it naturally grows in areas that frequently suffer from malnutrition, from Africa to India to Haiti.
Studies have documented the successful use of moringa for nutritional interventions in Malawi, Senegal, and India, noting its ability to be harvested year-round and its high nutritional value relative to other local foods. As climate change makes rainfall increasingly unpredictable for low-income farmers in the developing world, moringa will become an important tool to help communities around the world take control of their own nutrition.
ABOUT KULI KULI
Kuli Kuli is the first company to introduce moringa, a unique superfood, to the U.S. market in the form of a food product. Our first moringa product is a gluten-free nutrition bar full of simple, wholesome ingredients and a nutritious burst of moringa. We form women-owned farming cooperatives in West Africa to grow moringa and use it to improve the health of their communities. By incentivizing women to use moringa and paying fair trade wages, Kuli Kuli is improving livelihoods and health.
ABOUT MORINGA OLEIFERA
The tiny leaves of the Moringa oleifera tree may be the world’s most nutritious green with high levels of protein, calcium, iron, Vitamin C and Vitamin A. Once eaten by the ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians, moringa leaves have been used in traditional medicine passed down for centuries in many cultures. More recently, the modern scientific community has begun to validate many of these claims with over 1300 studies, articles and publications on moringa. Kuli Kuli is the first company to retail ready-to-eat moringa products.
