In February, at the height of anti-Russian action, entrepreneurs from Samara Ekaterina Kravchuk and Kirill Anufriev started producing functional beverages. Their company "Food-Innovation" became a successful example of import substitution. Today, the functional beverages of the Samara company are represented not only in regional chains, but in federal marketplaces; they also won interest of partners from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and UAE.
In 2017, Ekaterina Kravchuk and Kirill Anufriev started a family business: production of snacks — baked bread, croutons, crisps, nuts, and fish snacks. This was the start of "Samara Product" selling its products under the brand name "StatusGoloden".
"Our brand, "StatusGoloden" is a modern thriving brand made in Samara. All rights are reserved and protected by the brand certificate No. 658 945. Our priority is to create and develop technologies of making high quality tasty products that would meet the requirements of a very demanding consumer. We are very responsible on every stage of production and have stringent quality control procedures, and so we gain new positions on the market, and the customers love us", — says the Director of "Samara Product" LLC Ekaterina Kravchuk.
Today, products branded "StatusGoloden" are available in more than 40 regions of Russia and are regularly exported to neighboring countries.
After non-friendly states imposed sanctions against Russia, Governor of the Samara Region Dmitry Azarov said, more than once, that the current economic environment opens new windows of opportunities for local producers. "Today's tasks are those of import replacement", — said he.
Ekaterina Kravchuk and Kirill Anufriev decided to use the new opportunities and launched, this February, an innovative business. "Food-Innovation" focuses on producing and marketing functional foods. Functional foods are products with added properties, except the conventional nutrition value by adding new ingredients, newly produced or existing ones", — says Ekaterina Kravchuk.
The company produces 24 functional beverages under the brand name TUNNER in four different categories. Each product has specific functional properties to improve health and well-being generally.
"It was a long-time dream to start producing something good for the health and good life. We have been working on our project of functional beverages for a long time. We were developing formulations, invited technologists and nutrition specialists from all over the country, we created our brand, bought the equipment and raw materials. Our joint efforts resulted in our brand of functional beverages, TUNNER", — says Ekaterina Kravchuk.
In February, "Food-Innovation" participated in the largest international food exhibition "Prodexpo", where it received a lot of positive feedback, awards and contacts of potential partners. Today, functional drinks from the Samara company are available not only in regional chains, but also on leading marketplaces, negotiations are underway with federal grocery chains. In addition, partners from abroad show great interest in the products. "Food-Innovation" is negotiating with companies from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates.
"Today's situation is a chance for Russian producers. Many foreign brands are leaving the market, so one must not sit and wait!", says Ekaterina Kravchuk, Director of "Food-Innovation" LLC