Eatnova 2024: First Psychobiotic Probiotic Bar On The Market!
In the dynamic realm of nutritional innovation, where science and gastronomy converge, a groundbreaking venture has emerged, revolutionizing the way we nourish both body and mind. Meet Cristóbal Hurtado, the visionary Co-Founder & CEO of EatNova, spearheading a culinary revolution with the introduction of the world's first Psychobiotic Probiotic Bar. Designed at the intersection of artificial intelligence and nutrition, this ingenious creation not only tantalizes taste buds but also promises a profound impact on mental well-being. Crafted from a symphony of plant-based ingredients and scientifically validated active components, EatNova's innovative approach paves the way for a new era in snack consumption. Join Delivery Rank as we delve into the cutting-edge world of EatNova, exploring the marriage of technology, nutrition, and mental health that is reshaping the way we perceive and consume our daily sustenance.
Can you share the inspiration behind founding EatNova and developing the first Psychobiotic Probiotic Bar on the market? How did the idea come about, and what motivated you to combine artificial intelligence with plant-based ingredients?
The idea came about with the aim of wanting to make a real contribution to people's health and well-being through the design of functional food. Our modern society suffers greatly from non-communicable diseases, commonly known as chronic diseases, which are the leading cause of death globally. Therefore, nutrition plays a crucial role in preventing and caring for our health. On the other hand, there is a large amount of validated scientific information describing the health benefits of hundreds of thousands of natural active ingredients. So, we are bringing this scientific knowledge that is far from consumers, through the creation of a new category of foods called Hyperfoods. These foods are designed with the help of our Artificial Intelligence (called MAIA), formulated with natural active ingredients that are backed by clinical trials their health benefits, creating functional, tasty, and effective foods against various high incidence diseases in our modern society.
EatNova's Psychobiotic Probiotic Bar is a unique product in the market. Could you elaborate on the role of psychobiotics and how incorporating them into a snack can contribute to mental well-being? What scientific evidence supports the benefits of psychobiotics?
The latest scientific advancements have described psychobiotic probiotic strains, a specific group of microorganisms that, in certain quantities, have positive modulating effects on reducing stress, anxiety, and mild depression. The microbiota secretes numerous neurotransmitters, capable of sending signals directly to the brain through the connection between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract, known as the gut-brain axis. These advancements have been published since 2008 to the present, with 5 clinical trials supporting the effect on mental health. These papers have been cited in over 1.000 other papers and are considered a reference in the mental wellbeing space. Furthermore, these strains have certifications from the FDA, EFSA (EU), Health Canada, and ANVISA (Brazil). The clinical trials conclude that consuming 3 billion CFU, quantity present in each EatNova Psychobiotics Probiotic Bar, will reduce stress by 44%, alleviate stress-related stomach discomfort, and enhance brain function. The psychobiotic probiotics in our cereal bar are microencapsulated, ensuring the presence of the probiotic content throughout the product's shelf life. Also, the microencapsulation ensures the survival of the psychobiotic probiotics through the stomach acid, guaranteeing the effective colonization of the intestine, to produce the beneficial mental effects.
Artificial intelligence is a significant aspect of EatNova's product design. How does AI play a role in formulating the bar, and what challenges did you face in integrating this technology into a food product?
The design of functional foods isn't easy, because for them to have a beneficial effect on our health, it's necessary for the effective doses of the active ingredients to be present in the food during its shelf life. Additionally, the active ingredient must reach the part of the body where it should have an effect and be released in the right place, meeting the three key characteristics for the design of an effective functional food: bioactivity, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability of the active ingredient. It is also necessary to consider organoleptic characteristics, related to flavour, appearance, and aroma. Currently, there are many foods that claim to be functional but do not consider these key aspects to deliver the desired health benefits. Therefore, MAIA, our artificial intelligence, helps us to combine active principles with other natural ingredients to create functional foods that are effective (3B) during their shelf life and tasty (organoleptic characteristics). This accelerates the processes of designing and validating hyperfoods, to reach the market more efficiently, in a fraction of the original time with innovative products. Currently, we are working on two new hyperfoods, one focused on overweight/obesity and the other for hypertension.
As a Co-Founder & CEO, what challenges did you encounter while establishing EatNova, and how did you overcome them? What lessons have you learned from the journey of bringing a unique product to market?
There are multiple challenges, including team formation, commercial and administrative aspects, industrial scaling, communication, positioning, technological development, product development, regulatory, legal, etc. The list goes on, and different challenges constantly arise in any type of innovation, so my recommendation is to always seek out different advisors and mentors specialized in the different areas to be addressed and rely on their knowledge and experience.
As a leader in the health food industry, what advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to create innovative products that promote both physical and mental well-being?
Find something that you are passionate about, take the first step into action, build a great team, seek advice from specialists and be persistent.
If you would like to find out more about Eatnova, visit https://www.eatnova.cl/
