Goodness of Health and Wellness in a 'Bite'

From a colorful career in modeling to being the manufacturer of wholesome and additive-free snack bar, this young entrepreneur has come a long way. Elena Shifrina, Founder, BioFoodLab founded her venture in 2012, a healthy snacks business producing Bite bars as she decided to do "something more" with her life.

When Fresh Air was Consumed

"Boston is what inspired me to create my company", says Shifrina. To be precise, it was the culture of healthy eating and living that was so evident in the city. While interning at the Massachusetts School of Technology, during her morning walks, she observed people jogging and then going to grab some snacks to eat. "I thought it would be great if healthy living finally came to Russia, and if I could be a part of making that happen", said Shifrina.

Developing Taste of 'Healthy Palates'

The Health & Wellness segment is still niche and the Indian market for healthy variants has been evolving effectively from some time back. In recent years, consumers have increasingly opted for naturally healthy offerings, essential for ones the bodily needs. This was where Shifrina thought of tapping the market and gathering a team of like-minded people who in 2012 created BioFoodLab.

"Having visited India, I figured that it is not a segregated market; there are number of food chains joining the food palates so I thought it was a good opportunity to foray into this country", said Shifrina.

A Shift Towards Healthy Binging

Snacking or 'binging' is the easiest way to start eating, but one can replace the usual snacks with a pack of healthy eating. Shifrina believes that, "Of course, it's hard to give up your usual way of living and your regular eating habits. But we always say you don't need to drastically change everything at once."

Their flagship product Bite contains fruits, nuts, berries and spices. The company's each snack is balanced in terms of its composition, and is rich in vitamins and minerals, proving out to be a wholesome snack.

Despite the fact that the market for healthy food is saturated, the need for high-quality products always exists. "When we introduce a product to a new market, we carefully study its design and even the flavors of the products, so I am confident that India will be a promising new market for our business", believes Shifrina.

Future Prospects

Outside Russia, BioFoodLab products are available in 14 countries throughout the former Soviet Union, Europe and Asia. "In India too we have had talks with giant food chains like Hypermarket and Big Bazaar to begin with and even distributorship to spread a word about BioFoodLabs", says Shifrina. Undoubtedly, Russia has been their biggest market, in addition to the Asian market as they have been witnessing positive sales trends.

"Our plans include growing our presence in the UAE and potentially opening production in the country. For now, all the products we export to the UAE are produced at our facilities in Moscow", says Shifrina.

BioFoodLab products are undergoing few negotiations at present and their partners are immensely interested in their product range.