health & wellbeing CREATING A POSITIVE IMPACT

The parent company of Keto Food Co, Conscious Foods, was founded by James Ehau, Tamati Norman, and Mikki Williden, who are passionate about healthy living and creating a positive impact in people’s lives through better nutrition.

The three founders met through a mutual interest in health, nutrition, and fitness. The trio quickly discovered they shared a common vision for creating ketofriendly products and promoting a healthier lifestyle.

Ehau’s journey into the keto world began after the passing of his father from type 2 diabetes in 2004. He learned that a keto or low-carb diet could have potentially reversed this condition, which sparked his interest in promoting better nutrition.

As a personal trainer at Les Mills and an entrepreneur, he set up one of the first companies to sell keto products in the US in 2016. However, due to the Covid pandemic, he returned to New Zealand and wanted to help bring keto-friendly options back home.

Norman’s background was in food import and export to and from Papua New Guinea, which provided valuable experience and insight into the food industry and Williden, who is a nutritionist with a PhD in nutrition, added her scientific expertise to ensure that Keto Food Co’s products were both delicious and nutritionally sound.

Mikki, a nutritionist with a PhD in nutrition, added her scientific expertise to the team, ensuring that the Keto Food Co’s products are delicious and nutritionally sound.

The Keto Food Co brand was launched in 2021. After extensive supply chain and brand development, the company landed on supermarket shelves with Foodstuffs in May 2023.

Keto Food Co has aimed to make keto-friendly alternatives to traditional food products easily accessible and enjoyable for the more health-conscious consumer.

Crafting keto products combines a need for science, nutrition, and culinary expertise. The trio ensures that each area is fulfilled through extensive personal research into the ingredients used, the nutritional values, and the compatibility with the keto lifestyle.

However, this poses challenges as the current food service ingredients contain high sugars and starches. Therefore, the vetting process and lead times can be lengthy.

The Keto Food Co engages with health professionals throughout their product development process, collaborating with nutritionists, doctors and other health experts to gather their insights and expertise to ensure the brand creates well-rounded products that cater to the needs of consumers while maintaining scientifically supported nutrition. Since the brand’s inception, it has consistently evolved to meet consumer demands.

“We have expanded our product range, fine-tuned our recipes, and strengthened relationships with our supply chain partners to serve our customers better,” shared Norman.

Norman shared that the three founders had noticed a significant shift in consumer behaviour towards healthier and more sustainable food choices in recent years.

“People are becoming increasingly conscious of the ingredients in their food, the nutritional value of their meals, and the impact of their consumption habits on the environment.”

This has directly impacted the market, creating important growth opportunities for products to cater to consumers’ specific dietary needs, such as keto, paleo, and plant-based options. As a result, Keto Food Co has seen a steady increase in demand for its supplements, food products, and ready-made meals.

Keto Food Co’s products are all formulated to be low in carbohydrates to support those on keto and low-carb diets to maintain their desired macronutrient balance. Secondly, Norman shared that the brand’s products were nutrient-dense, with no added sugars or artificial sweeteners. Thirdly, the brand was proud to create convenient and accessible products, including ready-made meals for the busy consumer to easily stay on track for their desired diet, keto or otherwise while having guaranteed, flavourful food. While the brand’s range is geared toward low-carb, keto consumers, Keto Food Co has witnessed growing interest from non-keto consumers due to growing consciousness about health and well-being.

Norman shared that three founders expected the keto movement to continue gaining traction and popularity with consumers as people become more knowledgeable about its health benefits, particularly how it can support varying health conditions.

However, Norman shared that challenges moving forward included the risk of misinformation and misconception about the keto movement.

“There may be an influx of misinformation and misconceptions about the diet. Ensuring that consumers have access to accurate, science-based information will be crucial in maintaining the credibility of the keto lifestyle.”

To manage these challenges, the brand has committed to maintaining close relationships with health professionals and nutrition experts to provide reliable, evidence-based information on its products and the keto diet, including monitoring regulatory changes and continued innovation and product development to stay ahead of its competitors.

As consumer demand for health-based products has increased, Keto Food Co has committed to incorporating market research and customer feedback to create products aligned with consumer interests. Furthermore, the brand has noticed a trend towards natural, clean ingredients, functional ingredients, and global flavours, which Keto Food Co has stayed attuned to and implemented into its product development.

To manage the disruptions caused by the pandemic, Keto Food Co focused on diversifying its supplier to reduce the risk of relying on a single source for raw materials or components. Secondly, Keto Food Co prioritised the safety of stock and developed robust contingency plans to address varying potential supply chain disruptions.

Maintaining strong relationships with suppliers, monitoring global trends and making risk assessments whilst being flexible and adaptable were key features of Keto Food Co’s navigation throughout the pandemic.

“By implementing these measures, we strive to manage supply chain disruptions proactively and ensure the continuity of our business, even in the face of unforeseen challenges.”

For sustainability, Keto Food Co prioritises ethically-sourced, local, and fair-trade ingredients where possible, optimising manufacturing techniques and minimising packaging materials to reduce waste throughout the brand’s production process.

Norman shared that the company makes an effort to work with like-minded conscious companies who adopt and utilise energy-minimising practices. However, Norman also shared that the brand focused on using eco-friendly and recyclable packaging materials, with a particular focus on soft plastic recycling.

Furthermore, the brand also encourages sustainable practices with its employees both in and out of work, committed to making a change on both personal and professional levels.

Technology also plays a significant role in Keto Food Co’s strategy as it supports streamlining its operations, enhances customer experiences, and reaches a wider audience.

Norman shared that the company leveraged technology through seven key points, an E-commerce platform, digital marketing, customer relationship management (CRM), data analytics, supply chain management, automation process optimisation, and collaboration and communication.

The brand’s E-commerce platform allows it to sell directly to consumers, and it utilises many different digital marketing challenge to generate greater activity, including social media, email campaigns, and online advertising.

Keto Food Co utilises CRM software to manage customer relationships and interactions, where the brand can give consumers personalised services and advice and gather valuable feedback. This feedback in reference to the brand’s data analytics, where it can gather insight on consumer preferences, shopping habits and upcoming market trends.

Furthermore, Keto Food Co leverages automation and process optimisation through digital tools and technologies to automate repetitive tasks and optimise processes throughout the organisation.

Lastly, digital technology allows the company to communicate with its team regardless of location.

“By leveraging digital technology in these ways, we aim to drive growth, improve our operations, and enhance the customer experience, ultimately positioning our business for longterm success.” n