It's almost spring and to celebrate that everything is in bloom, we speak to one of our international KR Community members about their range of functional food products. We are, of course, talking about owners Nika and Bruno of Cidrani.Â
Cidrani is a food tech company from Croatia with a wide range of products. For example, they make fermented vinegar based on wild mother yeast, cognition enhancing herbal supplements, instant cold brew coffee and an innovative state of the art kombucha. As you can see, Cidrani is no slouch.Â
Tell us about Cidrani, how did it all start?
"We started Cidrani a year and a half ago. Our mission, to help people create a complete healthy lifestyle through food products. With no guidance, we dove into this adventure with a clear goal, Cidrani will become the most innovative food tech startup in the world!"
When creating new, innovative products, awareness of your gut health is central. "We discovered through research and development that the core of happiness, creativity and awareness is in your gut. If your gut is not healthy, you cannot have positive results in your life either."
"Look at our first product, the Cidrani Apple Cider Vinegar with wild mother yeast. We call it the elixir of life because it contains the highest possible amount of polyphenols in a liter. These antioxidants are a category of plant substances known to have various health benefits. For example, our Cidrani Original has 8000mg per liter while good quality olive oil, which is known for its high amount of polyphenols, has only 300 to 800mg. As you can see, a big difference."
"Another great example is our Cidrani honey, a great flavor combination between wild fermented vinegar and raw honey. We also have a line of oxymels, a mix of vinegar and honey made with fermented herbs called Four Seasons. This product line won a prestigious international innovation award at the SIAL in Paris. This shows that the world is ready to see how important food is and what it can do for your body."
"What you eat and drink gives you energy. We remind people to think about what gives energy and be grateful for it. After all, we only have one body."
You guys are very focused on the science behind food. Do you see yourselves more as scientists than food producers?
"We are scientists of life, we sometimes say. Our food tech character is very natural for us, because we feel the responsibility for creating a clear picture of the world we want to create. And, of course, we are always developing new products. Currently, we sell 18 products and have 15 products ready to be launched. All of them contain the innovative character of Cidrani."
Ok, time to talk about something big: your new kombucha product.
"Two years ago Bruno was living in Amsterdam and took bottles of kombucha with him on his flight back to Croatia. That was not easy, but well worth it because the product was not yet available there. While we were in the product development phase, we thought about the two problems with kombucha. First, it contains a lot of sugar and in addition, the product has some shelf life issues, because how do you keep it "alive" in any situation?
After a lot of research and testing, we came up with the solution, kombucha from concentrate. This kombucha contains no refined sugar and you can take it anywhere without having to keep it cold. And most importantly, it is alive and full of good bacteria. There are six flavors, each based on an authentic blend of herbs that have been used for centuries to support the body."
1 sachet of Cidrani kombucha mixes with 200 milliliters of water and contains 3.5 grams of sugar. So per 100 milliliters, it contains only 1.7 grams of sugar, whereas standard kombucha contains as much as 6 to 7 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters. Â
"We didn't want to market just any kombucha, it had to amaze the entire market. Our kombucha is lightweight, uses seven times less plastic during production than average kombucha, and no refrigerated transport is required. All this makes for a significantly lower impact on the environment. In addition, we are already busy testing completely recyclable and compostable solutions for the future."
What attracted you to creating science-based nutrition?
"Even before we started our company, we felt it was important to know all about the science behind food and what food can bring us. We've always been fascinated by neurology and the health of your brain. The more we learned, the clearer it became that our gut health plays an important role.Â
Food is a part of the whole, so it is also important to pay attention to the other aspects. This completes the circle."
How do you guys experience the KR Community?
"We really enjoy the Community and all the opportunities it has given us. We would like to be there more, but the current measures make that more difficult. It's a fantastic stepping stone into the Dutch market. It helps us make connections, but we also meet a lot of people who, like us, believe in the future of our food."
One last piece of advice for anyone interested in gut health?
"A good start to your morning is to take a minute for yourself when you get up. Take a shot of vinegar and stop and think about the moment, about yourself. Then go outside, exercise and get the blood flowing. We truly believe that humans can live to be 200 years old, if they live in harmony with nature and technology."
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Website - https://cidrani.com/
Polyphenols info -https://www.healthline.com/health/polyphenols-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_1