Frozen with healthy appeal WINS space

São Paulo-Before associated with the extreme industrialization and artificiality, frozen foods earn healthy air in the hands of entrepreneurs who bet on consumer concern with nutrition and convenience aspects. With new production techniques and conservation, preserve freshness features that don''t get lost in the preparation. So, meet a growing demand for convenience. According to the Brazilian Association of food industries (Abia), the supergelados and frozen segment made 14.5 R$ billion in 2015, up 9.84% over the previous year. The Association highlights some factors that contribute to the expansion of consumption of dishes ready and semi-ready frozen, as, for example, the largest female participation in the labour market. According to the latest data from the Brazilian Institute of geography and statistics (IBGE), 44% of the economically active population are women. In addition, the Abia points other reasons for the growth of this market, as the increase in the number of people living alone, which already account for more than 14% of the households; the search for convenience and by calling '' gourmetização ''; the progress of the urbanization and the evolution of employment and income. The economic crisis also changed habits, says Professor Dayse Maciel, the Retail Management program (Prove) the Fundação Instituto de Administração (FIA). "Many families have been forced to reduce expenditure on day laborers. The consumer stopped frequenting restaurants, trading for ready meals at home. Serves more people and it''s cheaper to consume on the street ", points. "People want convenience, but with recognizable ingredients and more homemade flavor." Fast process Was the desire to consume a healthy diet and practice, when he worked in the financial market, the young Victor Santos, together with the brothers Henrique and Felipe Castellani, saw the opportunity to undertake in the segment. The trio thought of a way to offer a kind of practical, healthy meal, tasty and affordable. Together they created in São Paulo the startup of Liv Up frozen foods, to produce and deliver, as a restaurant delivery, frozen organic meals and free from preservatives. The entrepreneurs visited kitchens, researched fairs of industrial equipment and discovered a deep Italian machine that gives durability meals of up to six months in the freezer. The technique consists in the freezing of foods quickly, at extremely low temperatures, in order to maintain the nutritional characteristics practically intact, which allows the consumer to purchase kits ready for planned several days of the week. Santos explains that the process of freezing in freezer, who works at -18°, is slower and so favours the formation of crystals of water break fibers and descaracterizam properties of the food. "When the consumer gets hot the dish, the food is soft and loose water," he says. The ultracongelador operates a-40° e has a fan that is replacing the air quickly. "It makes the consistency of foods and vegetables as if they were made on time," he says. In addition to the dishes, the startup accepts requests for separate items, such as proteins or just vegetables. Also customizes meals on demand. Today, the company registers more than 1000 requests per month. The partners picked up a R$ 675,000 investment in January 2015 and also effected 250,000 R$ of own resources. Currently, the team of Liv Up has 15 employees and is expected to terminate 2016 with revenues around $ 1 million. Need another company on the same line is lightweight and Ready, also from São Paulo and in operation from 2015. The idea arose from a personal need of entrepreneur Rafael Mendrot. After the birth of their son, he saw the routine of family change and the lack of time began to interfere in moments of leisure. With the help of his partner, Daniel Martin, Mendrot has raised an initial investment of 150,000, part R$ for bank financing and own resources. The plates produced by the company are vacuum packed individually and also have validity of up to six months if kept in common freezer. There are kits and custom programs, such as fitness, children''s and vegetarian. According to Mendrot, since the beginning of the operations, the startup has grown 20 percent per month. The entrepreneur does not report values, but the expectation is close with growth of 35% 2016 on the result of 2015. For this year, the Ready Light still more launch prepares two kits.