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In 2013, the New York Times magazine published an explosive story about the science of junk food. Investigative journalist Michael Moss began by describing how the CEOs of some of America's largest processed-food companies gathered for a secret meeting to respond to an obesity crisis that could bring a raft of lawsuits. The article also explained how food industry consultant Howard Moskowitz engineered everything from pizzas to sodas to achieve a "bliss point" of sugar, salt, and fat to make them highly addictive to consumers.

A year later, Moss wrote the best-selling book Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. It exposed the links between food-industry science and a trillion-dollar crisis of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer gripping America.

A 22-year-old Vancouver entrepreneur, Tara Bosch, was so shocked to learn about an unhealthy bliss point that in 2015, she started a company, SmartSweets, to counter it.

"The vision for SmartSweets is to become the global leader in innovating smart confectionary products that kick sugar," Bosch said. "Alongside that, the mission is really to educate the public about the impact sugar has on our health—making smaller smarter choices that kick sugar, allowing us to have a healthy relationship with food and ultimately with ourselves."

She started small, buying a gummy-bear mould through Amazon and testing recipes in her kitchen. Her first commercial product has no sugar, no sugar alcohols, no artificial sweeteners, and is GMO-free, gluten-free, and allergen-friendly.

Each bag contains 24 grams of plant-based fibre, two grams of natural sugar from fruit extracts, and five grams of protein.

"We launched on shelves in August of last year," Bosch said. "In a relatively short period of time, the response has been absolutely incredible to the product."

SmartSweets initially distributed through health-food stores and this week, it's being made available in Bed Bath & Beyond. Next month, SmartSweets will be in Pharmasave and Whole Foods Market stores, with future expansion planned this fall in the United States.

In addition, four more products are launching nationwide.

Bosch, a former UBC arts student, credits her grandmother for getting her interested in creating healthy sweets. "She said that she regretted having so much excess sugar because of how it has impacted her health."

Futurpreneur led Bosch in right direction

So how did someone so young manage to launch a food revolution of this magnitude? Bosch credited Futurpreneur, which is the only national nonprofit organization providing financing, education, and mentorship to young entrepreneurs.

It also offers workshops called "Rock My Business Plan" to help those with a concept hone a blueprint for business success.

Futurpreneur provided Bosch with a $15,000 loan, which was leveraged to $105,000 with additional loans from BDC, the Women's Enterprise Centre, and Vancity.

"It allowed us to fund a manufacturing run," she said. "Futurpreneur was really one of the key components as to why SmartSweets was actually able to launch and why it exists today."

It wasn't just the financing. Futurpreneur also connected her to a mentor, Christina Hirukawa, who provided important guidance in how to structure SmartSweets and pursue different business relationships.

Bosch decided to outsource manufacturing, warehousing, and some of its sales to external partners, which freed her up to concentrate on perfecting the product line.

Futurpreneur has been fuelling the passions of young Canadians since 1996. The B.C. and Yukon director, Paulina Cameron, said that her organization funds entrepreneurs engaged in a wide range of industries, including food, tech, and wellness.

She also pointed out that its partnerships with other lending institutions enable young entrepreneurs to multiply start-up loans several-fold. Futurpreneur does not take an equity position in the companies it assists.

"If you're considering starting a business, come and talk to us," Cameron said. "We'll ask the right questions. We'll point you in the right direction. You're not in this alone."

Each year, Futurpreneur provides loans to more than 1,000 young entrepreneurs across Canada. That includes more than 150 in B.C. Thousands more entrepreneurs are supported through its programs, events, and resources.

Green Moustache aims to change the world

When Futurpreneur lends money to an entrepreneur, it also connects them with a business mentor for two years. This is one of several reasons why another health-oriented B.C. food business, the Green Moustache Organic Juice and Live Food Bar, continues thriving just over three years after it began in Whistler.

Launched by Nicolette Richer and her husband Pierre, it's expanded to four outlets with the help of Steve Sabey, a retired energy executive and Futurpreneur mentor.

Richer credited Sabey for assisting her business in a wide range of areas, including how it spends money, human resources, and fielding inquiries from investors.

"He was instrumental in helping us navigate those conversations and really advocating for us to hang onto 100 percent of our business," she said.

Richer added that Sabey also emphasized the importance of setting clear objectives and asking about growth plans. He even advised the Richers to write down the date when they anticipated opening their second location. It started within two weeks of the target in Whistler.

"Our goal is to have 15 locations in five years," she said. "We are three years in, and it looks like we're going to have 12 locations at the end of 2017."

The Richers have three young children, which is one reason why they've decided to expand through franchises. There are three company-owned businesses, including one at 3607 West 4th Avenue in Vancouver, one franchise in Squamish owned by a former employee, and a soon-to-open franchise in Revelstoke.

After two years, Sabey chose to remain on the company's advisory board along with four other experienced businesspeople.

"Any time I have a tough decision to make, I'll always pick up the phone and call Steve," Richer said.

Like Bosch at SmartSweets, Richer is deeply motivated by a desire to improve people's health. She ran a health-consulting company for 10 years, providing a specific metabolic nutrient-therapy program to clients with chronic diseases and cancer. The goal was to detoxify their bodies to promote healing.

"It's really using food as medicine, which is still a relatively new concept in our society," Richer said.

She acknowledged that it was a challenge for clients to prepare healthy, low-sodium meals without any refined processed foods or coloured food additives.

"I decided to start the Green Moustache to be able to give my clients, my community, and my family a place where we can get really clean, healthy, healing foods," she stated.

The company name originated from when her youngest daughter, then two years old, spilled a green smoothie on her face, giving her a huge green moustache.

The first outlet was launched with a $15,000 loan from Futurpreneur, which was leveraged to $45,000 through BDC. Earlier this year, the Green Moustache was featured on the CBC TV show Dragon's Den.

Prior to opening an organic juice bar, Richer also did environmental consulting and policy work in the nonprofit and government sectors. Over the years, she developed a keen interest and deep understanding about the value of a plant-based diet, not only for individuals but also for society as a whole.

It's been known for many years that the livestock industry is a major contributor to climate change through the release of greenhouse gases and the loss of carbon-capturing forests to cattle grazing.

But Richer pointed out that what's really turned the tide toward plant-based diets is greater awareness about the harmful impact of eating animal meat on human health.

"It's related to heart disease, cancer, and so many different illnesses," she said.

Richer revealed that her company is in discussions with regional health authorities to possibly open Green Moustache Organic Juice and Live Food Bar outlets in B.C. hospitals.

It would make 100 percent organic, plant-based vegan, gluten-free food without preservatives available to hospital staff and visitors in retail outlets within these institutions.

"We hope to be one of the first companies in North America to be doing that," she said. "Hopefully, we can set a precedent for other hospitals to follow suit."

A healthy-food revolution is clearly underway, launched here in B.C. with the help of Futurpreneur. And the reverberations could soon be felt across the continent.

If Salt Sugar Fat author Michael Moss takes notice, he just might find there's enough material in this province for a positive sequel to his last best-selling book.