In the global picture, it is evident that India stands next to China as the second largest food producer and especially the Indian food processing industry ranks fifth among others accounting for 32 percent of country’s total food market. Aspired by the mushrooming scope in food processing realm, a leading FMCG corporate firm once had thoughts of plunging into this sector by channelizing its investment on processed foods but grappled with the ideation of product itself. Pre-eminent as a versatile food industry consultant with prudent mind set, Food Buddies handheld this firm right from suggesting the idea of an ethnic product till its commercialization. “With hands-on experience in consulting from past nine years, we fragment each process in any food factory into various activities, meticulously study and validate each activity based on its underlying protocol to ensure effective implementation, optimum production costs and high-quality standards,” states Shumitha P, CEO, Food Buddies.

Astonishing yet a veritable fact is that 13 global and domestic companies have presented their commitments to Indian Government to invest a cumulative Rs.68,000 crore in food processing over the next four years at the World Food India event in 2017. Fathoming this burgeoning significance of food processing, Food Buddies extends its arm to set up the businesses of budding food entrepreneurs by researching on the primary and secondary market trends, developing ideology /concept for the project, fine-tuning & finalising the concept and analysing the requisite investment. Once the techno-economic feasibility is analysed, it aids them in choosing the right technology and technical collaboration for the project.

Enriching Food Products
As the next step is food product development, a tedious process which requires deep research based on consumer’s perspective and client’s ideology. Food Buddies assists in concept finalization, formulation of innovative product with ideal USP, developing its prototype, testing it in laboratory, experimenting on the pilot plant, standardizing machinery, executing plant trials and eventually developing the initial production strategy.

Once the techno-economic feasibility is analysed, Food Buddies aids them in choosing the right technology and technical collaboration for the project

As well Trouble shooting the existing product to reduce the cost, increase the quality, Reengineering for consistent quality, Scaling up for mass production, FACTORY SOP for continuous production, implementing the Quality standards. As the biggest problem is factory layout with lean management principle, Food Buddies helps in designing the layout & machinery, finding a suitable vendor for machinery & Packaging, developing a standard operating procedure and developing the food safety management system, choosing the best contract manufacturer for client who is keen to go head with third party manufacturing. Later on, the developed products are run through trials and re-engineered to reduce the production cost and increase the efficiency.

Ancillary Solutions
Going further, Food Buddies even actively engages in client’s branding via unique brand name, logo designs, stationery, business presentations & product packaging, and the promotions & marketing campaigns as well collateral via posters, brochure, catalogue, copy writing, food styling & ad film making. Having a great insight in the trending market strategies cutting endge consulatation are provided to the client for building new customer as well for retention of the existing customers too.

Musing on Technology & Quality

Catering to a wide range of food industries ranging from bakery & confectionary, cereals & pulses, meat & poultry, fruits & vegetables, millets, beverages, diary, nutraceutical products, and nuts & spices to organic, Food Buddies ascribes its success to its organizational strategy based on product’s ideology, technological advancements and innovation. To never compromise on quality, it follows the well-proven 4D operations methodology and quality assurance checklist for clients to relish top-notch products.

Focused on upgrading knowledge on par with the technological changes, Food Buddies’ team of 15+ food engineers and technical specialists in spite of having 25+ years of industry experience are ensured to go through in-house training programs regularly that entail competency, technology and growth-oriented (brainstorming, problem solving, decision making, upgradations) training.

Dealing with a client base that includes Sakthi Masala, SKM, AVT, Amritha dairy, Farmerie, Dinamalar and engaged in 70+ projects and 350+ products, Food Buddies envisions scaling up its business to handle multiple projects. Bestowing its services and solutions over PAN India and to few clients globally, it envisages to procuring 100+ clients and 250+ projects by 2019.

Key Management:
Shumitha P, CEO
Shumitha, hailing from a family of entrepreneurs attributes this suite of comprehensive solutions for food industrial implementation to her nine-year experience and expertise in concept building, product commercialisation and business coaching, thereby operates her brainchild 'Food Buddies' with a mission 'to hand hold Food Entrepreneurs from concept to commercialization to create lovable, profitable and sustainable product' of creating a warm of successful food millionaires.

Offerings:

Food Product Development

Food Industrial Implementation

Food Branding

Food Legal

Techno-Economic Feasibility

External R&D

Office: Chennai