Mrida Inks MoU with FreeFrom Hungary Ltd

Mrida, a Social Business Venture focused on building sustainable and scalable business models aimed at holistic rural development at the bottom of the pyramid has signed an MoU with FreeFrom Hungary Ltd (FFH), a Hungary based producer of Glulu’s FreeFrom biscuits and snack products. The joint venture will have Mrida and FFH working together for R&D to prepare a new range of Free From cookies with a focus on Gluten-q-free, Dairy free, Egg-free and Sugar-free products, from different kind of millets, amaranth & Pre-mixes. The specialty of the products is, that they are suitable for people with high food intolerances.

Free From food sector is one of the most dynamic segments in the food industry and will remain so in the foreseeable future. Official research predicts double-digit growth rates in most countries. Interestingly, two years ago (in 2016) a record 12 percent of all new products launched in Europe were labeled “Gluten-free”. In Europe as a whole 6 percent of all new products were labeled as “vegan”, 9 percent in the UK, 14 percent in Germany. The similar growth rate is predicted in the center and eastern part of Europe. In India, the Gluten-free diet is still not very popular, but there is a huge potential in the constantly growing vegan market.

The MoU between the two companies also envisages Mrida providing their current range of cookie pre-mixes to FFH for R&D purposes and exploring the market for these. Mrida produces cookies and snacks under Earthspired, its health and wellness brand, which creates market linkages for small and marginal farmers and promotes women’s empowerment and livelihoods.

The MoU envisions the development of a range of products to test-market in Hungary and then explore the possibility of creating a joint brand for the new products. In addition, the MoU will also look at synergies of sales and distribution of the products of each individual company or jointly developed products in Hungary, EU, India and across the globe.

Arun Nagpal, Co-Founder and CEO, Mrida Group, said that at Mrida, they are constantly on the lookout for linkages with like-minded organizations – those that believe in working in the categories of rural development, health and nutrition. They are very fortunate to enter into an MoU with FreeFrom Hungary Ltd. and this will help us understand the booming EU market and jointly develop healthy options accordingly. This partnership will also look into introducing Glulu products in India.

The MoU will look at technical support provided by Mrida for processing and product development and will also support cultivation in Debrecen, Hungary. In addition, FFH will provide infrastructure support and market linkages required for test trials and R&D in Hungary and nearby markets. The MoU will jointly look at supply chain development, processing and product development, product testing, packaging, market testing, validation and development of business plans.

Lilla AsztalosnéProkisch, Product developer and Founder, FreeFrom Hungary Ltd, said that they are happy to work closely with Mrida to build a wider range of Free From products under our joint brand. In addition, they are looking at sourcing a variety of millets and amaranth from Hungary. Mrida, with their expertise in this field, will be able to help us in this endeavor. The company looks forward to working with Mrida closely and taking this relationship further in the future, she said.