Upcycling pioneer Barnana PBC, the number-one organic plantain chip brand in the natural channel, announced the national retail launch of its first Upcycled Certified product – Organic Plantain Scoops made with the peel – at select Whole Foods Market stores across the country.
“Our newest innovation was inspired by our effort to reduce food waste in every way we can,” said Barnana PBC Founder Caue Suplicy. “We have a ten-year track record of upcycling bananas and plantains, but the success of our organic plantain chip line created a paradox: as sales grew, we were saving more plantains from becoming food waste, but also generating a growing amount of peel byproduct. Our determination to solve the ‘peel problem’ led to experiments in my kitchen to test plantains cooked with the peel on, and ultimately to the launch of Organic Plantain Scoops as Barnana’s most sustainable product yet.”
“Doing the right thing for the planet and for farmers has helped Barnana create win-win products for consumers ever since we began upcycling a decade ago after seeing imperfect bananas going to waste on farms,” added Suplicy. “Our savoury Plantain Scoops are no exception. Using the peel adds a boost of fibre for health-conscious snackers and creates a distinctive scoop-shaped chip naturally when it’s cooked.”
Powered by the fibre-rich peel, Barnana’s Organic Plantain Scoops pack 4g of fibre per serving. As part of Barnana’s commitment to use organic ingredients and clean oil across its full product line, the brand’s signature Himalayan Pink Salt flavour features three simple ingredients: USDA certified organic green plantains, organic coconut oil and Himalayan Pink Salt. Cooking thinly-sliced plantains with the peel naturally results in a playful scoop shape that’s perfect for dipping, or enjoying right out of the bag.
Barnana’s Organic Plantain Scoops are the first and only plantain chip that is Upcycled Certified® by the Upcycled Food Association. Scoops are made with rescued organic plantains that would otherwise be wasted, along with their peels. This food waste contains carbon-rich compounds that can take several years to biodegrade, creating greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Each bag of Organic Plantain Scoops rescues 1.5 plantain peels from the landfill. Barnana is on track to upcycle nearly 45 million plantains by year-end since launching its Organic Ridged Plantain Chips in 2017.
Across more than 10 years in business, Barnana has evolved its operations to grow its environmental and social impact in response to real-time discoveries of waste and grower challenges in its supply chain. Three impact pillars now guide Barnana’s growth: economic empowerment of smallholder, Indigenous and women farmers; organic certification of Ecuadorian farmland; and food waste reduction. Barnana has built its own farm-to-shelf supply chain in Ecuador’s Amazon with deep connections to its network of 1,500 smallholder, Indigenous and women farmers. In gaining an understanding of economic pressures that threaten smallholder farmers, Barnana launched a program to help them obtain USDA organic certification that would otherwise be prohibitive due to cost and the complex 18-to-36-month application process.
Also Read Health conscious consumers to drive fats and oils industry
