27 Mar 2014 FutureLife on the move!
If only other SA food producers were are proactive at PR as FutureLife, the Durban-based functional food company! It recently announced two new initiatives, alongside the eye-catching headline that it is involved in a joint venture with Clover to produce an RTD drink based on its smart cereal.
Health research:
FutureLife reports it is working with HealthInSite, a provider of innovative corporate wellness services, to undertake the South African Health Review – a health and lifestyle research initiative to be released towards the end of 2014 that will provide insight into the health and health risks faced by companies locally.
“South African corporate health trends are really worrying”, says Dr Denis Cronson, MD of HealthInSite. “In our client populations, we are seeing an epidemic of lifestyle health issues including obesity, sedentary behaviour, smoking, and unmanaged stress, as well as the resultant chronic illnesses which follow these, like diabetes, coronary artery disease and metabolic syndrome.”
HealthInSite’s emphasis on corporate health risk mitigation is a sentiment shared by FutureLife. The partnership aims to take concerted steps towards educating the South African consumer on the benefits of eating well-balanced foods which meet all the daily nutritional requirements and have a positive impact on one’s health. This impact extends from the day-to-day demands placed on an individual in their personal life to their productivity and efficiency in the workplace.
With a reach of over a million South African employees and their dependants across a wide range of industries and demographics, HealthInSite is well positioned to uncover health trends and risks posed to corporate South Africa and mitigate these risks with behaviour change strategies encouraging healthier organisations.
“Healthy employees are more productive, that’s the bottom line,” says Dr Cronson, “and this results in both reduced absenteeism as well as a more engaged workforce. The benefit here is therefore not only to the individuals themselves but also to the company as a whole.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Shaun Harris, Managing Director of FutureLife, adds, “Our products are designed to provide consumers with an easy and convenient nutritionally balanced meal that can fit in with any fast-paced or high-pressured lifestyle. For this reason, we are looking forward to the association with HealthInSite in a partnership that is geared towards promoting employee wellbeing. The relationship is one of great synergy based on a meaningful vision to promote healthier lifestyles.”
The findings of the HealthInSite/FutureLife South African Health Review aim to uncover the health risks posed to companies as well as to quantify these risks. In a modern business environment, it is increasingly important for organisation leaders to understand the health risks faced by their companies and to mitigate these risks as far as possible. With this in mind, the review is an important platform for future comparative studies and an opportunity for business leaders to understand where their companies stand with regard to benchmarked statistics.
Entering the UAE:
FutureLife has also announced its expansion into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at February’s GulFood Show.
“Through the Gulfood Show, we established solid connections with local manufacturers and distributors that will grow the Futurelife brand in the region,” said Shaun Harris, MD of Futurelife.
According to Harris, the market for enhanced or functional foods and beverages continues to grow in step with changing consumer health and wellness lifestyles. As an overall global trend in functional food and beverage consumption, consumers are navigating wellness with greater breadth and depth of knowledge and there is a keen focus on ‘clean, real foods’.
“Consumers in the UAE are no different and we are hoping to meet these consumer demands through our products which contain significant health properties,” says Harris.
Futurelife Smart food, which can be consumed as a meal or shake anytime of the day, is highly versatile and convenient – mixes instantly with cold milk or water and is flavoursome without the need for added sugar. The product is high in energy, protein, vitamins and contains iron and Omega 3.
Harris adds that in addition to providing a great versatile and nutritionally dense product to consumers, Futurelife products also have huge potential to be used for food aid.
“We are already working with organisations such as the Red Crescent in the UAE to get food aid to the areas which need it most. We believe that there is potential for the brand’s growth in the UAE from a consumer retail and food aid perspective,” says Harris.
Futurelife has gained the reputation of a credible health brand and has demonstrated phenomenal growth of over 100% in the last four years. The company is seen to be leading the field of functional foods in South Africa in a number of respects, in particular product innovation. Futurelife has developed South Africa’s first Low GI energy meal to contain clinically tested Moducare, and immune supplement, and recently pioneered the way in non-GMO products.
“Having established a good foothold in the South African market, we have solid plans to grow our footprint into other markets as well,” concludes Harris.