When and what is the origin of you brand? What was behind it (what idea and reason)?
My background is in Bio-Organic Yogurt, I spent over 20 years in my family business which is now Ireland’s leading producer of Organic Dairy Foods. I left this business to pursue new innovations. I am the son of an Irish Dairy farmer and always had a close association with Nature and Animals. I saw the potential of linking Nature, Animals and Sustainability with Veganism so I decided that this was the way to go. I also felt Nutrition would become more important in “alternative” foods so I set myself a high bar when it came to the development of the product. I wanted to remove added sugar, to achive protein content similar to Dairy equivalents, no aftertaste of Pea or Bean.
After 9 months of pain, I discovered that Oats could deliver all of the above and more through a fermentation process and then the addition of Vegan Yogurt Cultures. Oats have Essential Amino Acids which are comparable to Dairy and Soya. It has a smooth Oaty flavour which when fermented has a slightly Caramel flavour. During the Fermentation Process, the Oat Starch is converted to simple sugars which act as a food source for the Vegan Yogurt Cultures.
What is your vision and mission?
We all aspire to leave the world a better place than we found it. I want our Children’s Children to be proud of what we achieved. We at Ethica Planet Foods would like to put Sustainability back into the Food-Chain.
Why are your products special and what makes them unique?
We have merged 2 ancient crafts to create a unique product. We Ferment Oats which naturally sweetens the Oats and then we add Cultures which preserves the product. By doing this we can add up to 40% Oats and do not need to Add Sugar. By using up o 40% Oats we can achieve 4% or more protien per 100g.The Oat Protein is made up of Essential Amino Acids which are similar to those found in Dairy and Soya. Oat is a crop which is grown easily in Europe so we don’t have to travel half way around the Planet looking for our main ingredients.
