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The Good Bugs
DESCRIPTION:
The Good Bugs is a juice and smoothie brand that aims to solve some of the biggest problems with the current produce and juice industry. First is the ever-growing problem of food waste. Whilst working at my Local Pak N’ Save produce department over the 2021 Christmas period, it became quickly apparent that the department throws out a lot of food. Bags of apples, oranges, carrots, or potatoes would be thrown out if any of them were mouldy, and bruised kiwifruits and strawberries were thrown out by the punnet. Customer expectations are very high, and we have to maintain high store standards. Packhouses and orchards will have similar quality control standards, and they will also throw away lots of produce. Most of the damage is just cosmetic and would be perfect for juices. Along with this, is creating juices with clean and simple ingredients. Many brands are using juice concentrates to make their products. Juice concentrates are made by taking the water out of fruit juices, adding colours and flavours, and then reconstituting the concentrate into juice. This is bad as it creates a more processed juice, adds colours and flavours, and strips away many of the vitamins and minerals naturally found in fruit juices. The bigger problem with juice concentrates is that many people are uninformed as to how much worse they are, as people just assume that it's natural fruit juice. From these problems, I was inspired to develop a brand that finds a way to reuse not fit-for-sale fruit and vegetables into a line of juices with simple, clean ingredients. I wanted the brand to offer a fun alternative to the current juices and smoothies on the market, that could be enjoyed by children and their parents. I wanted the brand to be based in Mount Maunganui, as there is a rich history of fruit growing in the Bay of Plenty and market opportunities for my brand.
