#WhenWomenLead – A woman’s determination leads to healthy, low-carb and high-protein Tasted Better flour

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Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

Perada presents a new product made from the healthy flour that her company developed. Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

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After studying law at Thammasat University in Bangkok and the University of California, Berkeley, Perada Supopun started a law career, including at Thailand’s Ministry of Justice. However, her entrepreneurial spirit was ignited by her desire to help her husband manage his weight and health.

Perada and Trai Sasatavadhana, Tasted Better’s Chief Technology Officers and Co-founders, created a versatile plant protein-based, low-glycemic index flour that can replace wheat flour one-to-one. The flour is not only high in protein and fibre but also five times lower in carbohydrates. It has a two-year shelf life and requires no refrigeration.

Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

Tasted Better flour is being prepared in a mixer and will soon be ready for baking. Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

Tasted Better company was founded in Bangkok in 2018 and began selling its bread, Dancing With A Baker, made with the flour in 2019. 

"We were able to position our flour as a game-changer in the local market because it was a versatile and healthier option,” says Perada, now 35.

Perada has a team of eight, and all Tasted Better products are sold online.

Of the WE RISE Together training that she and her team attended, Perada says,

Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

This photo shows Dancing With A Baker bread made from Tasted Better flour. Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

Dancing With A Baker bread is being packed in a factory. Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

“My best memory was the incredible energy during the workshops. Even with more than 100 people, I felt a real sense of community and support. Seeing women from diverse backgrounds learning and encouraging each other was truly inspiring.”

The training “pushed us to think bigger and bolder,” she says. “After the programme, we started to shift from a niche 'healthy market' strategy to targeting the mass market.”

Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

Perada presents a new product made from the healthy flour that her company developed. Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

This led to new collaborations and new product lines. Perada has partnered with 18 different manufacturers and distributors in the Republic of Korea to use the flour to make ready-to-eat products, including vegan pasta under the brand LENZEN.

Tasted Better products will be sold in the Republic of Korea later this year, and the company has secured a letter of intent from a conglomerate to distribute in Hong Kong.

Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

Perada (left) and Methavit Likitnuruk, a manufacturing representative, discuss a new pasta product derived from Tasted Better flour. Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

“Getting a letter of intent from a potential distributor in Hong Kong was a major milestone for us,” Perada says. “It felt like we were finally being recognized for the hard work we’d put in.”

Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

Perada (right) and Methavit Likitnuruk, a manufacturing representative, visit the factory to ensure that a new product meets standards. Photo: UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng

Perada’s achievements have led to invitations to speak at international forums and to support from Space-F, Thailand’s first global “foodtech” startup incubator and accelerator, at Mahidol University in Bangkok.

This photo essay is part of the #WhenWomenLead WE RISE Together series. Supported by the Government of Australia through the Mekong-Australia Partnership, the WE RISE Together programme envisions an innovative ecosystem where women lead thriving businesses and gain equal access to and benefit from greater market opportunities in Thailand, Viet Nam and across the Mekong Region.

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