Upcycling Pioneer Barnana Introduces New Organic Crunchy Plantain Nuggets at Sweets & Snacks Expo 2022
Barnana PBC, a 10-year veteran in the organic snacks industry, returns to Sweets & Snacks Expo 2022 better than ever having emerged from the pandemic with doubled sales and poised for future growth. Now, the leading organic banana-based snack brand in America has cooked up yet another fabulous snack hitting store shelves this summer.
“Barnana’s Organic Crunchy Plantain Nuggets are golden cubes of crunchy, seasoned plantains that pack a powerful punch of crunch,” said Jeff Tyo, SVP of Sales at Barnana. “They have the same craveable taste and crunchy texture as traditional salty snacks, but they’re made from ingredients that are better for you and better for the planet.”
Organic Crunchy Plantain Nuggets are made with USDA Certified Organic plantains that are cut into bite- sized cubes then gently cooked in organic, non-inflammatory coconut oil then seasoned in one of four flavors: Himalayan Pink Salt, Ranch, Chili Lime or Barbeque. All varieties are Vegan with no added sugars, no cholesterol and 4 grams of fiber in a single-serve pack (42 grams). Like all of Barnana’s organic snacks, Crunchy Plantain Nuggets are made from upcycled plantains that are rescued from becoming food waste and creating greenhouse gas emissions that are a top driver in climate change. Since 2017, Barnana has upcycled more than 20 million plantains.
“Plantains are an incredibly versatile fruit used in countless ways globally,” said Caue Suplicy, Barnana’s founder who started the business in 2012 with a homemade, dehydrated banana snack he ate as a child growing up in Brazil. “Introducing a pipeline of plantain snacks to the U.S. still has so much upside, and the more we sell, the better we do for the planet by reducing food waste and supporting smallholder, Indigenous farmers in the Amazon where we source our high-quality ingredients.”
Americans are embracing foods from all around the world and that includes plantains. A national survey by Barnana in 2021 found that more than two-thirds of Americans (71 percent) enjoy trying foods from different cultures. This is especially true for younger Americans as 76 percent of those 18-34 look to try foods from other cultures. This penchant for expanding food choices helps explain the survey finding that nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of Americans buy plantains or plantain products at least once per month, with 37 percent of younger Americans, those 18-34, purchasing them at that frequency.
Barnana has leveraged the success of this trend seeing sales double in the past two years under the leadership of CPG veteran, Al Multari, who was hired in September 2019 to scale and optimize the business while expertly guiding the brand through two challenging but successful years.
“This leadership change proved a timely move as the pandemic quickly created unprecedented supply chain challenges and new consumer shopping and buying habits that we were able to respond to quickly,” said Suplicy. “Under Al’s leadership, we’ve solidified our commitment to our smallholder and Indigenous farmers in the Amazon, enhanced supply chain reliability, introduced innovative new products and continued to champion the upcycled food movement.”
In 2021, Multari helped Barnana successfully complete the 2021 acquisition of its longstanding Ecuador- based production partner, Agroapoyo, which has enabled local experts to work together with organic banana and plantain growers, many of whom are Indigenous to the Amazon, to ensure the steady fruit supply that has fueled Barnana’s explosive growth and can support continued growth for years to come. Barnana now works with more than 1,500 individual farming families in the Amazon with the goal to double that number in the next five years. Paying a 30 percent premium over market prices, Barnana has helped its fruit growers become certified organic thus increasing their monthly income from an average of $80 to around $350 a month.
Stop by Barnana’s Booth #11685 to sample New Organic Crunchy Plantain Nuggets as well as best- selling Organic Ridged Plantain Chips, Organic Dipped Banana Bites and our flagship Organic Chewy Banana Bites.