Ekopura Nutrition: interview with co-founder Lars Blom

Ekopura protein has been in our range for a long time. And we are really happy with this. Why? Because what Plent stands for is in line with the goal of Ekopura: creating a stronger world through fair and healthy products.

Some time ago we expanded the product range of Ekopura and the full range is available now. Last month, a nice product was added to this: vegan MCT powder. I thought this was a good time to ask Lars - co-founder of Ekopura about his company, the range and of course the MCT powder.

Once upon a time ...

Once upon a time there were two brothers who loved sports ... Sounds childish - it is - but that's about how it started. Lars and his brother did a lot of sports, a lot, mostly crossfit. Lars - one of the brothers - says: "Because my brother and I both had busy jobs, we got into trouble with good nutrition in addition to exercising. A logical consequence was that we started using sports protein and nutritional supplements. "

Stomach and skin problems due to incorrect sports nutrition

So, you sport your three strokes around, and you're going to supplements and sports protein use. End of story, right? Well, not. "Using these products gave us stomach and skin problems. Then we started reading the labels to see what's in them, and that didn't make us happy, "says Lars.

This had to be different

By reading the ingredients list on the packaging, Lars and his brother discovered that an awful lot of chemical junk is used in sports nutrition . "Emulsifiers, artificial fragrances and flavors and all kinds of e-numbers, you don't want to put that in your body, do you?" Lars wondered aloud. 'And that's how the idea came about to market their own brand of sports nutrition.'

The start of Ekopura

In 2015, the time had come, Ekopura entered the market with their first - and then only - product: "Organic Wey Protein Purely Natural". Lars explains: "We managed to sell our product at various gyms in Amsterdam, including Vondelgym. That's how how it started. At the same time, our webshop also went online. Business went so well that our father stepped in to get everything operational, because besides a full-time job, this was impossible for us. "

Not a complete stranger to the food world

Before establishing Ekopura, Lars worked at Danone for 7 years as a baby food buyer. He purchased products and packaging, among other things, but was also involved in the process from concept to development of new products. The knowledge he gained here turned out to be a good basis for developing Ekopura's products.

Ekopura product development

Ekopura started - as mentioned - with only one product: organic whey protein. This product was imported from America, which made it extremely expensive. Over time, possibilities were explored in Europe, which turned out to be more interesting. After the natural flavor, vanilla and cocoa flavor were also added.

Lars says: "A few years after the start of Ekopura, we received more and more requests for vegan protein. Vegan products were then - and still are - on the rise. The vegan protein was therefore not long in coming and was added to the range. "

Expansion of the range

The next step was to set up a line of sustainably developed sports supplements. Meanwhile, the product range of Ekopura has been expanded with vegan protein, casein, MCT powder, vegan magnesium, vegan vitamin D3, vegan vitamin B12 and vegan omega 3 algae oil.

NIEUW: Ekopura MCT-poeder

A few months ago, MCT powder was added to the Ekopura range. MCT oil powder gives you 4 times more ketogenic energy than standard coconut oil and is therefore a good addition to the ketogenic diet or a low-carbohydrate diet. Lars about Ekopura MCT powder: "It can be mixed with almost anything and is a tasty and creamy powder. MCT is a high-quality fatty acid that stimulates brain function, provides an energy boost and reduces cravings for unhealthy snacks. Our MCT powder is made from coconut oil and registered with the Vegan Society. "

Lars favorites

Lars still trains a lot, nowadays mainly boxing and strength training. I asked him which Ekopura supplements and proteins are his favorites. 'My favorite protein is the vegan version with blueberry flavor. I also use our Omega 3 daily, magnesium and vitamin B12. '

Sustainably developed and fair products

The approach of Ekopura is that products developed by them must offer the best for the body and with an eye for a clean environment. "As far as possible, we use ingredients of biological origin," says Lars. "Unfortunately, this is not possible for all ingredients. This often has to do with the processing process, but there are simply no organic variants available for some ingredients. This is the case, for example, with stevia, algae oil and magnesium. "

Sustainable entrepreneurship

In addition to using sustainably developed raw materials for products, Ekopura takes several factors into account in order to minimize the carbon footprint. "We use recycled packaging materials and try to carry out all activities digitally as much as possible," says Lars. "Orders from our suppliers are combined as much as possible to limit the amount of exhaust gases and we keep a close eye on new developments in the field of sustainable business. This is how we do our bit. "