Functional foods should jog $ 14 billion

With the prospect of $ 14 billion over this year, only in Brazil, businessmen begin betting on selling functional foods and beverages as a way to differentiate against competitors such as the networks of fast-foods.

According to Euromonitor international, this segment should grow 8% over the next five years and the marks begin to expand their businesses as franchises and sales vending machines (vending machine). "In 2013, when seeking a healthy diet, I stumbled upon the lack of functional candy and that were not processed," said the founder of Fit brand Cookies, Gerges Zonta to DCI.
The Curitiba then established a line of pastries-dairy and gluten-which went on to sell with the help of social networks. "With the disclosure on social networks and applications via Instagram and Facebook, I saw the need to put a point of sale, which happened 15 days after the first disclosures and, to our surprise, we sell everything," Gerges said.
Diversification
In addition to the social networks, stores of Curitiba began to look for the entrepreneur who went on to sell in bulk, for these retailers. "To account for the demand to invest r $ 5000 in the purchase of utensils and a freezer. With the spread of new, 30 days after we sell online too, "said Gerges. And he adds: "With the opening of the virtual shop and with the volume of requests we're conducting a search of a point so we could open an industrial kitchen. Two months later, with capital of $ 35,000, we opened our physical store with the profit of the business ".
Today, the Fit Cookies is present in 90 points of sale throughout the country. "After that, we opened the first brand franchise in Sao Paulo," he explained. Entrepreneur's goal is to have 40 other franchised units. "We studied also units overseas. In the North American market have already interested and a unit in Mexico is being studied. "

For the former Luciana Rocha, the initiative to create functional diets to their students (she turned personal trainer) sparked a business far more profitable. "In addition to my students, friends and other people began to look for the" diet kits "that created", said the businesswoman and founder of Well Be, Luciana Rocha.

After studying Biochemistry and go to New York and Portugal to create a viable business plan, in 2008 the entrepreneur registered the brand As Well. "I invested R $ 140,000 in renovations, machinery and other processes of opening of a company," said Luciana. In five years of operation, in addition to the kits, Luciana gambled in catering for corporate events. "Today he's our flagship," he said.

Corporate world
Meet companies like Nextel, Earth, among many others, his manager says that the growth in interest in functional foods have stratospheric numbers. "The interest in functional foods and beverages grows 200% per year in Brazil. Even with most of my clients wanting to cut costs, they don't give up hire us to events and other actions, "said the Manager.
Automatic machines
Without the prospect of opening a restaurant, because "you can't return just work," Luciana bet now in food machines, national production, to versatilizar your brand. "Acting on the lack of realized corporate functional options in offices and large offices", she argued. With the goal of having 10 vending machines, the entrepreneur already negotiates the installation of first equipment. "We are meeting at Itaú BBA, Mackenzie University, in academia and in two halls," she explained.

An experimental machine is operating in São Paulo. "With her we are testing the sale of cereal bars, green juices, apples among other items," he concluded.