WE ARE FRESH INNOVATIONS - Online Store for fresh Seafood & Meat

The population of Kerala State consists of more than 97.4% non-vegetarians (source: Sample Registration System Baseline Survey 2014, India Today). Hence, the seafood and meat industries in Kerala are very huge in terms of volume and numbers. According to data from Kerala's Fisheries Department for 2016-17, per day consumption of fish in Kerala is 3000 MT, of which 1500 MT is state production and the balance comes from neighbouring states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Goa. This equates to a Rs 20,000 crore business. Fish is a daily consumable product in Kerala. Total consumption in the state was 10.95 lakh MT in 2016-17 increasing YoY.

Similarly, the meat industry in Kerala is also very big. According to Kerala State Animal Husbandry Department data from 2016-17, the state consumes 1285 MT of meat per day. 40% from poultry and 60% from red meat. Rs 10,000 crores was the annual business of the meat industry in Kerala for the year 2016-17. Total consumption in the state was 4.69 lakh MT, increasing YoY.

But this segment is totally unorganized. The main problems are related to quality and hygiene. There is an urgent intervention required in this segment to ensure the quality of the products we consume.

Quality food makes people healthy. With the aim of serving consumers the best quality products of meat and fish, we are launching this venture – "WE ARE FRESH" – an online store for fresh seafood and meat. WE ARE FRESH is an online store for fresh Seafood and Meat. The products will be delivered within a lead time of 2.5 hours after placing the order. Unlike other meat delivery platforms, 

WE ARE FRESH deliver all types of meat, be it red meat or white meat.

Our expertise lies at all stages, right from sourcing, processing, packing, and delivery. We are procuring the products from the source of origin, which gives the utmost importance to hygiene and freshness. All meats are from ‘fit-for slaughter’ certified livestock and fish directly from the fishing boats, sourced from the harbor. The products are fresh cut products and not frozen. We have skilled labour for each and every process in our processing centre. To ensure quality, we deliver products in insulated boxes and refrigerated vehicles, ensuring that the cold chain lasts until the customer's door.

We are Fresh is an online store for fresh seafood and meat that delivers directly to customers' homes. We Are Fresh delivers fresh cut products and solves a lot of hurdles that people are currently facing related to quality, hygiene, and freshness. In today’s fast-paced life, there is no time for people to go to the market and find the best quality of sea food and meat. They are purchasing whatever it is they are getting. Moreover, the hygiene of fish and meat markets is really pathetic. There is no scientific way of waste management. As there are no other options available, people are forced to visit these markets to purchase their favourite food products.

But if the customer orders from WE ARE FRESH, they can ensure high quality and fresh products at their doorstep. They don’t want to go outside and waste their precious time and money. The lead time for the delivery is 2.5 hours. They will get fresh cut products and not frozen. 

The main problems people are facing with seafood are the quality, hygiene, and freshness of the products they purchase. Tonnes of fish are flowing into Kerala from other states. As fish is a highly perishable product with a very short shelf life, there are a lot of incidences reported where traders add harmful chemicals like formalin, ammonia, and other preservatives to preserve fish. This is a very serious issue and can harm the humans who consume the fish with deadly diseases like cancer or any similar side effects. Maintaining the right cold chain from the source of origin to the market and then to the customer location is a major challenge in this segment. Another challenge is the local fish markets, which are very dirty. People normally don’t like to visit these markets, but they are forced to do so as there are no options available. It takes a day now to get parking for the vehicle, and traffic jams and long queues in supermarkets are really a night mare.

In meat products as well, there are a lot of issues related to quality, hygiene, and freshness. The quality assessment of meat starts at the slaughter houses. There are less than 10 hygienic or state-of-the-art abattoirs in Kerala. If the meat is to be of high quality, the abattoir must be very sanitary and clean. The maintenance of the right and correct cold chain is another major challenge in this segment. Unhygienic shops and markets are also a major issue.

For farmers:

Livestock farmers are not getting the benefits fully as there are lots of middlemen between them.

WE ARE FRESH can provide solutions to the problems facing the seafood and Meat industry.

For customers: 

• It is a web based platform for ordering fresh Seafood and Meat online – First time in Thrissur City. Customers can save their time, fuel, etc. and enjoy time with their family. They can just order it from us and it will arrive within 2.5 hours. Easy and convenient shopping experience.
• Consumers get fresh fish and meat as 95% of the population likes to consume fresh meat. Our products are not frozen.
• No more chemically treated seafood that causes serious illness to humans. Using the ‘Fish Strip" developed by the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology.
• Hygienic meat from the time of slaughter to the end user. Using the state of the art and the best abattoir in the state, in tie up with Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University, Thrissur. This ensures quality and freshness. 
• Customers will know the authenticity of the meat. With the help of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute and their technology, it is easy to know about the type of meat. This will help the customers to know whether the meat is from sheep, lamb, goats, etc.
• Customers can prefer their own retail cuts. They can order particular cuts and they will be delivered.
• Traceability - Consumers will be able to know about the COC of the livestock.
• Keeping the cold chain going all the way to the door. This helps to control the growth of microorganisms.

For Farmers:

Farmers will benefit significantly more because there will be no middlemen involved in the transaction. We are procuring directly from the livestock farmers, which gives more margins to them and better stable pricing.

Quality food makes people healthy. With the aim of serving consumers the best quality products of meat and fish, we are launching this venture – "WE ARE FRESH" – online store for fresh seafood and meat. WE ARE FRESH is an online store for fresh Seafood and Meat. Customers can order the products through the Website, App, Whatsapp or through a Phone Call. The products will be delivered within a lead time of 2.5 hours after placing the order. There are options for selecting the time slots and booking in advance. Both online payment and COD (Cash on Delivery) have been arranged as per customer convenience.

WE ARE FRESH is a brand name of WE ARE FRESH INNOVATIONS which is a registered partnership firm owned by Mr. Sindo Vincent and Mrs. Jilmol Sindo. WE ARE FRESH is a startup, registered under DIPP, Government of India. It has received FSSAI registration and all other registrations required for opening up an online store. Sindo Vincent is from the FMCG sales industry and has more than 15 years of experience. Worked with major FMCG companies in India like GCMMF (Amul), Colgate Palmolive India Ltd, Cavin Kare India Pvt Ltd and Brambles Group Australia in various roles. Resigned from the role of Regional Business Manager with Brambles in 2016 and started WE ARE FRESH in 2017. Had undergone various training in meat processing at the Meat Technology Unit, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University, and fish processing at the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin. In 2019, the company has been incubated by one of the most prestigious institutions in the world – IVRI- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, UP, shortlisted from 400 applications. After the completion of the incubation, WE ARE FRESH was eligible for a grant of Rs 10 lakhs.

Currently, WE ARE FRESH operating in Thrissur City, Kerala with 3000 plus customers and adding on day by day. Thrissur consists of 1.35 lakh houses with a 3.5 lakh population. The initial stage will target Thrissur, and eventually the expansion will take place to all other Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in Kerala and other states.

We procure fish directly from the harbours and from the fishermen without the involvement of middlemen or markets. We ensure high quality of fish and chemical free fish during the time of procurement itself using the technology developed by CIFT Cochin. The fish strips will inform us about the chemical content of the fish. We use clear and fresh water for ice manufacturing and use this ice for storing fish. Ice and water play a major role in storing fish.

Once the fish reaches our refrigerated processing centre, we will grade the fish and store it. When we receive an order from our customer, we do the entire process, like cleaning, cutting, and packing. We will deliver the products within 2.5 hours after receiving the order. We supply the products in insulated boxes and bulk orders in refrigerated vehicles, thereby maintaining the cold chain until the end user.

We are tying up with many farms in central Kerala to procure livestock and poultry. We procure the best quality livestock and poultry, which are certified by the veterinarians. We are also in a tie-up with the Meat Technology Unit of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University, Thrissur, where we use their abattoir. This is one of the best abattoirs in Kerala. This will ensure that the quality is maintained from the time of the slaughter itself. From the abattoir, we will take the meat alone to our processing centre where it will be kept at a temperature of 0–4 degrees. This ensures the muscle is completely converted to meat and the customers will get the best quality of meat. We also do grading, authentication of meat, and smart packaging.

Our main technologies and innovations involved in the process are as follows: 

• For the first time in Kerala, a web-based platform for ordering fresh seafood and all types of meat online has been launched.
• Authentication of meat: customers will know the type of animal (goat, sheep, etc.).
• Barcode packaging will aid in traceability by indicating which farm, slaughter date, and origin were used.
• Cold Chain: We maintain the cold chain till the customer's door step. It helps to control the microorganism growth.
• Muscle to Meat Conversion—We convert muscle to meat here by giving the best quality to the customers.
• Fish Strip – The technology developed by CIFT Cochin will ensure the fish is chemical free. 
• Smart Packaging – The technology developed by IVRI ensures the packaging quality. Vacuum packaging, Oxygen packing, Tray packing.
• Tenderization of meat – Using technologies like electric stimulation and blade tenderization, we are tenderizing the meat so that the quality will be the best. 
• Slaughtering technology and support from Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University.

Our USP are as follows:

• A complete Non-Veg store. WE ARE FRESH provides entire range of non-vegetarian products. The first DIPP certified online store in India to provide complete Non-Veg products.
• Issuing Fish strips developed by CIFT to consumers so that they can check whether the fish is chemically treated or not at their home.
• No preservatives or added chemicals.
• Muscle to Meat Conversion, Tenderization, Smart Packaging Technologies of IVRI.
• Authentication of meat.
• Traceability or COC.
• Different retail cuts.
• Delivery within 150 minutes after ordering.
• Maintain the cold chain from the origin of source to the customer’s doorsteps.

Future Plans

WE ARE FRESH have plans to expand the business across Kerala as well as neighbouring states of TN, Telengana, AP, and Karnataka by becoming the best Seafood and Meat Online Store.