MojoBar: Healthy, Tasty snack bar

There are snack bars galore in the market. But are they healthy and do they deliver what they promise—a low calorie diet? Maulik Mistry, CEO, Pure Snack Pvt. Ltd, answers some frequently asked questions. Excerpts:

Maulik Mistry, CEO, Pure Snack Pvt. Ltd

Passionate about craft beers, scuba diving and discovering new cultures and their foods, this mechanical engineer landed a job at FMCG giant Nestle in California in 2010, after his Master’s in Industrial Design at University of Southern California. But he decided to work with an ambitious start-up in Boston that specialised in organic candy, called UnReal Brands.

On his winter break to India in 2012, he was browsing through the aisles of a hypermarket, when he realised that there was a dearth of healthy snacks that actually taste good – and weren't imported. In January 2014, this 29-year-old co-founded Pure Snacks Pvt. Ltd., with an aim to create healthy snack bars in the Indian market. After 15 months of qualitative research, product development, sample tastings, branding identity exercises, the first test launch of MojoBar happened in July 2015. MojoBar got its first investor from a taste test.

How does MojoBar help any common person?

Nutritionists worldwide recommend eating five to six small meals a day in order to

maintain a healthy metabolism. As we have all experienced ourselves, every person

has his or her own busy schedule – be it student, young professional or stay-at-home parent. As a result, we all rely on heavily processed foods that are convenient to our hectic lifestyles, but extremely damaging in the long run. MojoBar is a complete balanced snack. It’s rich in nutrients and easy to eat when you are on the move – without compromising on taste.

Full of wholesome, filling ingredients such as oats, fruit, cereal, nuts and natural sugar, MojoBar helps you avoid unhealthy options such as a fried vada pav or greasy sandwiches that are calorie-rich and empty on nutrition. And more importantly, all our bars are preservative-free.

What kind of tests does it undergo before it reaches the shelves?

We take utmost care in making sure the finest quality standards are fulfilled before our

bars even reach shelves. There is a physical and sensory inspection of ingredients by

the Quality Assurance team, followed by an inspection of the manufacturing line to

regulate conditions such as hygiene, temperature and humidity. The assembly line

workers maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, while the team conducts random

sampling during the process to check for sensory, microbial and nutritional parameters

to ensure the bar is completely safe to consume.

How soon does one see any health benefits?

MojoBars helps prevent lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and its grave by-

products (thyroid, blood pressure, high cholesterol) by encouraging you to snack

healthy and at regular intervals. Our bars are created to be a perfectly balanced snack–

with the appropriate amount of protein, fibre, carbs, natural sugar and of course, good

Replacing junk food with MojoBars has several benefits that can be experienced over a

period of time: An increased metabolism (fiber in the bars eases digestion); muscle

recovery (because of protein added in our bars); better skin and hair (anti-oxidants

greatly help this) and a boost in energy levels.

Are these snack products certified by any government approved agency before

they reach the customer?

Yes. They are FSSAI certified.

Who are biggest beneficiaries--age group, target audience as in sportspersons,

gym goers?

You can eat a MojoBar at any time. It’s perfect for busy professionals with a sedentary

lifestyle, as moderated, healthy snacking prevents weight gain. It benefits all those hard-

working people who struggle to eat their in-between meals or even those who are super

active. We all need energy and replenishment of macro and micronutrients, especially

those who enjoy sports and exercise. If you’re prepping for a long road trip or hike up to

the mountains, instead of munching on crisps/fried snacks, opt for a MojoBar that will

deliciously satiate your hunger pangs even when you are on the go. We also see it as a

popular snack for students who are tied up with gruelling study schedules and tend to

skip meals. All you have to do is slip a bar into your bag or purse.

Can it be given to children?

Our bars are packed with essential vitamins from natural sources for your well-being.

There are no chemicals, preservatives, or anything artificial in our gluten-free bars.

Children above the age of five can consume this bar everyday as a healthy snack, since

they lead an active lifestyle. We have noticed our young MojoBar eaters love the Choco

Almond + Protein flavoured bar. Since it also contains nuts, oats, dates and peanuts, it's

the most delicious way to introduce them to all these healthy ingredients – without

compromising on taste.

What is the process of making these bars? Where are they made?

We choose the finest, fresh ingredients from around the world (Like our almonds and

cranberries come from the US, apricots from turkey and dates from Saudi Arabia). Each

ingredient is inspected for overall quality parameters such as freshness, taste and

appearance. Unlike other products that crush their ingredients, we keep them whole to retain their nutritional value, and to maintain integrity for the consumer. You will be able to see additions such as cranberries, apricots, dates, and almonds in your bars.

We have a unique manufacturing process that we have perfected over the year to keep

MojoBars shelf stable- without adding any preservatives or artificial ingredients. Each

bar is hand drizzled, hand cut and personally inspected before it gets packaged. Our

bars are made atUTH Beverages Pvt. Ltd., a state-of-the-art manufacturing unit in

Pune.

Availability and expansion plans.

Today, MojoBar retails in 100 plus general trade stores in Mumbai, and is shipped to 26 Indian cities through amazon.in. It is also available in modern trade outlets like Gourmet West (Westside), Hypercity and other institutional channels. This year, MojoBar plans to expand to Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune, with additional products. The MojoBar aspires to be available at every touch point in Indian life – be it for a students, working professional or stay-at-home mom. Pure Snacks plans to stock these at channels like all-day cafes, coffee shops, movie theatres, fitness centres, hospitals, airports, train stations.

What I liked

The taste and the flavours—I tasted three Choco Almond + Protein, Nutty Apricot + Fibre and Yogurt Berry + Antioxidants.

The flavours are fresh, the nuts ample and the mixture easy to digest. And there was an extra zing in the yogurt berry and nutty apricot. Of course, chocolates are always liked and would appeal more to the young ones. And it does keep you full for a long enough time, keeping you away from munching.