WHERE’S THE BEEF??
One of the best parts of creating a CPG healthy food product start-up like our new Company, Diva-Licious Brands, is knowing that once we receive an investment we’ll be able to provide more than 422-million diabetics world-wide with specifically formulated, easily accessible, reasonably priced, nutritious, plant-based alternatives to unhealthy processed foods.
Best of all, during this first phase of our product line, we’ve created 16 SKUs of diabetes-friendly, vegetarian sauces, seasonings, salsas, and dressings, and shelf-stable meal kits. Since diabetes impacts a disproportionate number of non-whites, our product line is rooted in the vibrant cultural flavors, spices and herbs that are most popular in India, Asia, Latin America, and the American South.
We’re also working on our own brand of plant-based proteins. It has been an exciting process researching and testing the recipes and product formulations for our new “LIKE CHICKEN”; “LIKE BEEF”; “LIKE PORK” and “LIKE FISH” plant-based meats.
Plant-based meats are all the rage right now. Gone are the days when soy proteins like tofu and tempeh were the “meat” of non-meat eaters. Move over Tofurkey at Thanksgiving! The new brands of plant-based proteins similar to our ‘LIKE” meat, non-soy based brands have fooled even the most die-hard carnivores.
The sales of alternative sources of protein have also risen as more and more consumers use their purchasing power to express their concerns about the impact of meat production and consumption on their health, and the health of the environment.
Recent studies have shown that patients who consumer higher amounts of red meat and poultry had a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes, partially due to the higher content of heme iron in these meats. Researchers also found that those who ate more animal protein and less plant protein had a 35 percent greater risk of getting diabetes.
We couldn’t have progressed this far with the development of Diva-Licous Brands diabetes-friendly, vegetarian food products and plant-based meat products if we hadn’t received the guidance and financial support from the Impact Hub Austin Social Innovation Accelerator. Our selection to be a part of this first cohort has placed Diva-Licious Brands light years ahead of other CPG start-ups.
During our time in the Accelerator, we’ve developed a three-part plan to launch our Diva-Licious Brands food product line:
Phase One: Scientific formulation, FDA/USDA certification, production and retail and E-commerce distribution of our Diva-Licious Brands diabetes-friendly, vegetarian food products in Spring, 2020;
Phase Two: Marketing our products via traditional channels and our THE KITCHEN DIVA! PBS healthy cooking and lifestyle show and multimedia diabetes outreach platform in Fall, 2020; and
Phase Three: Our DIVA-LICIOUS! Restau-Markets (half restaurants featuring our Diva-Licious Brands products and recipes from our PBS cooking show and half small markets) set in under-served neighborhoods with lack of access to healthy foods and to provide employment for area residents.
We graduate from the program on November 12th, but the people that we’ve had the honor of meeting, and the information that we’ve received about creating a business that “does well while doing good” for society will be with us forever.
