BY STEFANI DIASsdias@bakersfield.com
EVAN KALMAN
Courtesy of Frank's Redhot Dill Pickle Hot Sauce
Travel the world via your snacks this summer with Confetti Snacks. You can choose from veggie chips flavors like green curry, tandoori curry, teriyaki barbecue and summer truffle or mushroom chips in black truffle, green curry and tandoori curry flavors. Courtesy of Confetti Snacks
The new Pringles Harvest Blends collection that highlights two new ingredients — multigrains and sweet potato — to delicious effect. Courtesy of Kellogg's
Experience the new Club x Butter Chardonnay Minis with the Ultimate Butter Box, which comes with the special-edition crackers and four 250 mL ButterCans packed into a cute insulated tote. Visit ButterClubMinis.com to pick up your own. Photo by Evan Kalman
How do you enhance Club Crackers? How about a collaboration with JaM Cellars for the limited-edition Club x Butter Chardonnay Minis. These crackers up the buttery flavor with an infusion of the winemaker's Butter Chardonnay. Photo by Evan Kalman
This may come as no surprise to local consumers but Walmart has been coming in clutch with some specialty food items. Many of the news releases I receive about new products hitting shelves note that they will be available exclusively at the big-box store or will debut there before going into wider distribution. So it may be no wonder that Walmart is looking to venture into a practice popularized at the warehouse wholesalers: in-store demos with samples. Walmart began testing in-store demos at 25 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in April and has since expanded the program to 120 stores, according to Walmart Connect, the company's media branch. The chain is set to increase free samples and demos to 1,000 stores nationwide by the end of the year, although locations have not been disclosed. Demos will occur every weekend from Friday to Sunday and allow customers to sample new or existing products offered in store. The experience will be similar to what is offered at a club store like Costco or Sam’s Club, which Walmart owns. The advantage is that it won't require a club membership. While we wait to find out if any sample set-ups are headed our way, let me share some recent samples that came my way. Anyone who has had to throw together a quick spread for a party knows Club Crackers. Some crackers, cheese and wine and you're good to go for your book club or friends' night in. Much like peanut butter and chocolate, two great tastes that taste great together, what would happen if you really combined Club Crackers and a nice white wine? The new limited-edition Club x Butter Chardonnay Minis are a first-of-their-kind innovation from Kellogg's and Butter Chardonnay by JaM Cellars. These light, flaky, buttery crackers are infused with fan-fave rich, delicious chardonnay. Promotional materials said the crackers include hints of citrus and oak from the wine along with the toasted wheat and "signature buttery notes of a Club cracker." Having enjoyed Club Crackers in the past, I wasn't sure what to expect with these minis. Upon first bite, it was clear that the flavors of the wine were front and center. If you wanted the essence of Butter Chardonnay but for some reason you couldn't imbibe (say because you were eating on the job), then these are the next best thing. I would love to see another collaboration, perhaps a chocolate cookie with JaM Cellars cabernet. If you're interested in getting your hands on these Club x Butter Chardonnay Minis, visit  ButterClubMinis.com  to purchase the Ultimate Butter Box ($30), which consists of a box of the crackers along with four 250 mL ButterCans packages in a cute insulated tote. You must be 21 years or older to purchase the box, which is available while supplies last. While on the website, you can also enter to win a weekend getaway for you and three of your friends to the JaM Cellars Wine and Music Studio in Napa. Other sweepstakes prizes include a four-pack of Club x Butter Chardonnay Minis and a $100 gift card to purchase Butter Chardonnay. Enter to win at  ButterClubMinis.com  now through 11:59 p.m. Aug. 31. People in Bakersfield like spicy things — if all the local hot chicken spots are any indication — so a new hot sauce on the scene should be welcome news. I received bottles of Frank's Redhot Dill Pickle Hot Sauce as a promotion for The Big Dill World's Largest Pickle Party, which takes place Sept. 23 and 24 in Baltimore, Md. This new sauce should fit right in at the two-day celebration of all things pickle, added some heat and a tangy dill zip to popcorn, sandwiches, pizza and more. For my maiden journey, I tried the sauce on some boxed macaroni and cheese. Since I usually pull a Sandra Lee ("Semi-Homemade Cooking") on the mac, it was easy to add the sauce into the mix. It gave the pasta a great punch of dill and a tanginess that cut through the cheese. Can't say it was super creamy because it used cheese powder rather than the real deal. The hot sauce was also good on its own and would probably sing on hot wings or in a spinach dip. A bloody mary would also benefit from a pop of pickle. It will be fun to experiment further. If you're a die-hard dill or other pickle lover, you should check it out. And if you're ready to go for the full dill, check out the festival, which will host a world pickle eating championship and brine chug challenge along with unlimited pickle sampling, concerts, attractions, contests and more. Visit bigdill.com/pages/bigdill for tickets, which start at $34.99 for a one-day pass. Another exciting package came from Pringles, which sent a sample of its Harvest Blends. The new chips offer a twist on the potato-based crisps with the addition of multigrains and sweet potato. "From our classic favorites to our sizzling Scorchin' collection — Pringles fans have long enjoyed our great taste and insanely accurate flavors," Mauricio Jenkins, U.S. marketing lead for Pringles, said in a news release. "With our new Pringles Harvest Blends collection, we're ecstatic to bring our fans an elevated tasting experience — one that is both familiar with the bold flavors our fans know and love, and completely unique with its irresistibly crunchy texture and flavorful blends of sweet potato and multigrain." The new Farmhouse Cheddar and Homestyle Ranch chips feature a multigrain-infused base, with black bean and toasted grains. Creamy aged cheddar and a hint of salt flavor the former while the latter is seasoned with "creamy, zesty ranch. " Both of these are bold additions to the Pringles lineup and the multigrain base holds up well as Pringles can get a bit flimsy the further down you get in the can. Sweet potato is used for the Sea Salt and Smoky BBQ Harvest Blends. The barbecue flavor is superior but both end up a bit muted due to the sweetness of the tuber. Pringles Harvest Blends are available at retailers now. Visit  Pringles.com  to find a store near you and for more information, Follow  @Pringles  on Instagram for the latest news. And all the way from Singapore comes Confetti Snacks. Company founder Betty Lu, an entrepreneur from Singapore, came up with the idea for the vegetable chips while on the search for healthy and lightweight snacks that also tasted good to bring along on her backpacking adventures
Tapping the market of "imperfect produce" — the ones that are considered unsellable due to irregular shape, size or other visual anomalies — she was able to transform the vegetables into nutrient-dense and crunchy snacks. The chips are minimally processed and never deep-fried. Because they are baked using a low heat method, the nutrients and beautiful colors remain vibrant. Inspired by Lu's native Singapore and international travels, flavors include green curry, tandoori curry, teriyaki barbecue and summer truffle for the mixed vegetable chips that include a mix of carrots, radishes, purple sweet potatoes and mushrooms. Mushroom chip flavors include green curry, tandoori curry and black truffle. My absolute favorite was the black truffle mushroom chips. That ultimate umami bomb would be welcome on any backpacking trip or just hanging in your backyard. Confetti Snacks also earned the Upcycled Food Association's "Upcycled Certification." The on-package mark highlights upcycled ingredients and products "procured with surplus food or food by-products from manufacturing, that use verifiable supply chains and have a positive impact on the environment." The brand launched in the U.S. last fall and can be found at specialty retailers. The chips can also be ordered online at  us.confettisnacks.com . Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.

THE DISH: Sold on these tasty new snacks

Sweet Nothings + RIND Snacks
Plant-based snack brand Sweet Nothings has teamed up with RIND Snacks to create its newest Nut Butter Bites flavor, Straw-Peary and Peanut Butter. The snack combines RIND’s Chewy Straw-Peary dried fruit with organic dates, organic peanut butter and organic oats. Each two-bite pack has 145 calories and contains no added sugar. Sweet Nothings + RIND Snacks Straw-Peary and Peanut Butter Nut Butter Bites are available on the Sweet Nothings website and on Thrive Market for $29.99 per 12-pack. GoodWheat
Arcadia Biosciences’ GoodWheat brand is expanding into breakfast with the upcoming launch of GoodWheat Quikcakes and GoodWheat Pancake & Waffle Mixes. The Quikcakes are available in three flavors (Buttermilk, Chocolate Chocolate Chip and Confetti) while the Pancake & Waffle Mix comes in Buttermilk, Chocolate Chocolate Chip and Apple Cinnamon varieties. The former debuts on Amazon next month at an SRP of $29.96 for a 4-pack of 10 oz cartons and the latter is set to roll out at Giant Food Company and Giant Eagle in August and September, respectively, for a SRP of $5.49-$5.99 per pouch. Both products have 8-11 grams of fiber and 5-7 grams of protein per serving. Goodles
Get hoppy! In anticipation of National IPA Day on August 3, better-for-you mac & cheese brand Goodles has unveiled a limited edition If You’re Hoppy and You Know It flavor. The alcohol-free LTO, which the brand claims is “packed with all the hoppy, citrusy notes you’d expect from your favorite pint of IPA,” has 15 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber per serving. The new flavor will be available in 4-packs via the brand’s website on August 3. Confetti Snacks
Confetti has expanded its snacking lineup to include Mandarin “Chips” made with “just half moons” of mandarin oranges. Like Confetti’s original veggie chips, the new snack is created using a low and slow baking process rather than being deep-fried. Confetti Snacks new mandarin chips are available on the brand’s website for $30 per 6-pack of 2.1 oz. bags. Conagra Brands
Just in time for summer, Conagra has unveiled more than 50 new products across the company’s frozen, grocery and snacks divisions, including Birds Eye Dips and Healthy Choice Mediterranean-Style Shrimp Power Bowl. Available in two varieties – Buffalo Cauliflower and Spinach & Artichoke – Birds Eye vegetable-based dips come in 10 oz. packages. Meanwhile, the single-serve Health Choice Mediterranean-Style Shrimp Power Bowl features cherry tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, kale and feta cheese on top of a grains blend with a lemon oregano sauce. Wild Planet Foods
Sustainable seafood brand Wild Planet Foods has landed five new items on Whole Foods Market Shelves nationwide. The new offerings include: Skipjack Solid Light Wild Tuna in Pure Olive Oil, Wild Smoked Pink Salmon in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Wild Smoked Mackerel Filets in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Wild Pink Salmon 3-Pack and Wild Tuna Quinoa Salad Ready-to-Eat Meal. The new additions expand upon the brand’s existing canned fish items including wild sardines and wild sockeye salmon. Applegate Farms LLC
Applegate Farms has expanded its breakfast offerings with the launch of Applegate Naturals Frittata Bites. Available in two flavors – Egg, Uncured Bacon & Cheese and Egg; and Chicken Sausage, Red Peppers, Onions & Spinach – the frozen egg bites have 19 grams and 13 grams of protein per serving, respectively. Applegate Naturals Frittata Bites are available exclusively at Sprouts with a SRP of $9.99 per 8.4 oz. box of four bites. Tea Forté
Tea Forté has unveiled a new Cold Brew line of plant-based herbal tea sachets designed to enhance both still and sparkling water. The line features Elderflower Rose, Watermelon Mint and Pomegranate Vanilla flavors and is specifically formulated to brew in cold water. The Tea Forté Cold Brew line is available via the brand’s website for $15 per 15-sachet box. Enlightened
Enlightened has expanded its portfolio of frozen treats with the launch of a new product line, Greek Frozen Yogurt Pints. Available in six varieties – Salted Caramel Cookie, Brownies & Cookie Dough, Coffee Toffee, Mint Chip, Kookie Dough and Chocolate Peanut Butter – the pints are an “upgraded version of the brand’s light ice cream with a Greek yogurt base for added texture, taste, and nutritional value,” the brand claims. Each serving contains 150 calories or less and packs 8-10 grams of protein, depending on the variety. Enlightened’s Greek Frozen Yogurt Pints are available at retailers such as Sprouts, Wegmans and ShopRite for a SRP of $6.99. One Stripe Chai Co.
South Asian-American beverage brand One Stripe Chai has introduced its first coffee product, Chai Coffee. Co-crafted by One Stripe and Yes Plz Coffee, the new offering is a dirty chai latte-inspired blend that combines the former’s Home Star espresso brew with masala chai. Chai Coffee is available via One Stripe’s website for $18 per 10-serving bag. California Olive Ranch
California Olive Ranch has further diversified its product range with the launch of new marinades and vinaigrettes. The vinaigrettes, available in Lemon White Balsamic and Fig Balsamic flavors, are crafted with extra virgin olive oil and retail for $6.99 per 10 oz. bottle. The marinades, available in Cabernet Garlic Pepper and Chardonnay, Lemon & Herb varieties, combine wine with extra virgin olive oil and are available for $7.99 per 10 oz. bottle. Icelandic Provisions
Skyr yogurt producer Icelandic Provisions has launched two multi-packs in Strawberry & Lingonberry and Vanilla varieties that will be sold at select retailers including GIANT, Stop & Shop and Meijer for $5.79 each.

Notable New Products: IPA Mac & Cheese and Frozen Greek Yogurt Pints

The brand aims to reduce food waste through use of upcycled vegetable ingredients. Courtesy of Confetti Snacks
July 11, 2023
After a rigorous third-party certification process, Confetti Snacks has earned the Upcycled Food Association’s Upcycled Certification. Now, every bag of the slow-baked, crunchy, nutrient-dense treats made from “ugly vegetables” bear the prestigious “Upcycled Certified” mark from The Upcycled Food Association. The Upcycled Certified Program is the world’s first third-party certification program for upcycled food ingredients and products. It allows consumers to reduce food waste and participate in the solution to mitigate the climate crisis (according to Project Drawdown) every time they purchase an Upcycled Certified product. The on-package mark highlights upcycled ingredients and products procured with surplus food or food by-products from manufacturing that use verifiable supply chains and have a positive impact on the environment. Confetti Snacks is a woman-owned company and the brainchild of Betty Lu who wanted to use produce that would end up in a landfill due to esthetic irregularities to create something nutritious and planet-friendly. They are minimally processed and never deep-fried, like other veggie chips and extruded puff style snacks might be. Because they are baked using a low heat method, the nutrients, and the colors of the various veggies, reportedly are preserved. Confetti Snacks are infused with authentic spices and flavors inspired by Lu’s native Singapore and international travels. Veggie chip flavors include Green Curry, Tandoori Curry, Teriyaki BBQ, and Summer Truffle. Mushroom chip flavors include Green Curry, Tandoori Curry, and Black Truffle.

Confetti Snacks lands certification from the Upcycled Food Association

Progressive Grocer speaks with UFA CEO Angie Crone during the Summer Fancy Food Show
UFA CEO Angie Crone at the Summer Fancy Food Show
During the Summer Fancy Food Show , taking place June 25-27 in New York at the Jacob K. Javits Center, Progressive Grocer caught up with Angie Crone, CEO of the Denver-based Upcycled Food Association (UFA)  at the event’s first-ever Upcycled Food Pavilion, showcasing products from such companies as Barnana, Renewal Mill , The Spare Food Co., Confetti Snacks and Still Good Foods. In a lively conversation, Crone was able to give a brief account of the long history of upcycled products, as well as how UFA helps in the marketing of such products and educates retailers and consumers alike on why upcycling is important, and how the association’s member companies work together. Progressive Grocer: Recycled foods have grown in visibility and prominence over the past couple of years, but what would you say is really the beginning of upcycled foods? I’m sure there have always been upcycled foods before they became a trend or something that was really on consumers’ radar. Could you talk a little bit about that? Angie Crone: Yeah, upcycling is really an ancient way of using everything that you have. This is not a new concept in terms of how we think about food or wanting to ensure that all the resources that we’re using are being optimized. I think as time has gone on in our industrialized food system, we got very used to certain cosmetic standards, and we got very used to the most efficient way to get food, which sometimes creates sidestream or byproduct or things that you need to go away because it doesn’t fit in or you don’t want to harvest because they might not be sellable for aesthetic reasons. That has sort of taken control. Now, in the U.S. alone, we waste 38% of all food that is produced – never eaten – which is kind of a crisis of the environment and also food security. When you think about the uneaten food, that’s about 6% of our greenhouse-gas emission. I think with that knowledge, when we think about impact on our climate, on food insecurity, a lot of companies and individuals are like: “We can’t keep doing this. There needs to be a better way.” So, in 2019, the Upcycled Food Association was founded by companies who were already working in this space. The goal was really to get more companies to think more creatively and innovatively about these food waste streams and turn them into really yummy nutritious products. PG: How did the certification process come about? How was that created? I assume it’s the first upcycled food certification program? AC: Yeah, it’s the first and the only third-party-verified certification for upcycled food . It was established in 2021. So, what came before that? I just shared that in 2019, UFA was founded. One of the first things that the companies did was to define what upcycled foods means, because everyone was using sort of different definitions. They unified around a definition, and then said, “Now we want to steward that definition through a rigorous third-party standard.” So they went through a years-long process and started developing that with a coalition of stakeholders and experts in the food and beverage space, certification experts, and we launched in 2021. We now have 450-plus products and ingredients in the market, and collectively they’re diverting about 1 billion pounds of food from being wasted. PG: Wow, that’s very impressive. How are you then marketing these products that have been through this rigorous certification process and received the certification and are now rolling out to stores? How are you generating consumer awareness for these products, or even retailer awareness? I’m sure there are retailers that need some education on why they should choose these kind of products. How are you marketing these to retailers and then ultimately to consumers? AC: Certainly, we’re still growing the familiarity of the certification mark, but one thing about having a really recognizable mark is that it helps to reduce the messaging burden for everyone. We’re all communicating the same thing, so when you see that product, you know it’s diverting food from a waste stream. The way that we work with retailers is through a lot of education, through their various teams. How can their marketing teams communicate that tackling food waste can help tackle climate change and meet their consumers’ goals of living a more values-aligned life? We provide education tools for them and in-store assets for merchandising. One thing that we’ve also done with retailers – we launched it in March – [was] The Upcycling Challenge in partnership with Misfits Market . That was really to galvanize the industry to think creatively around different concepts. We had over 100 submissions to that challenge, and they were all new concepts, which was really exciting. And then we held a pitch slam, and they selected several products to go on their shelves. So we also think about how can we do program-level partnerships with retailers. On the consumer side, UFA really wants to build out consumer awareness. We do that through partnerships on social media, working with different influencers and media folk, to make sure that the individual knows that they can buy enough of the product wherever they shop, but also, they can do it at home. When you’re in your kitchen, instead of throwing your scraps out, you can make a broth, or, instead of throwing away your banana peel, you can actually throw that into your next banana bread or muffins, and it really boosts the fiber, so [that] also helps [them] to understand nutritional potential. [We do] education and content development around that as well. PG: Do you feel that at this moment in time, although it’s still relatively early in the upcycled food trend, that these kind of products will eventually become mainstream products that people will reach for as part of their overall concern for sustainability or the environment or food waste, than their being more of a niche item, or something that people need to be educated on? AC: Yeah, absolutely. One of the beautiful things about upcycling is that it can be applied in every supply chain. Regardless of your industry or the type of ingredient you’re using, everywhere we look, there’s some sort of waste. That means that there’s huge potential for always having a more sustainable substitution effect for every product that you get. When you go to the baking aisle, you can get your regular baking mix, or you can get a more sustainable upcycled baking mix that has the same functionality, the same nutritional benefit, and tastes just as wonderful. PG: Among upcoming or emerging products, are there any types of products that you’re most excited about in the upcycled space? AC: It’s really hard to choose. We see a lot of innovation happening in the banana space. We waste a lot of bananas, so there’s a lot of opportunity there. Also in cocoa supply chains, which I think most consumers are pretty familiar with some of the human rights challenges and sustainability challenges already. They may not know that we actually waste 70% of the cocoa pod, but that plus the pulp have a lot of nutrition and fiber that we can capture, and also it provides income for the farmers. So, we’re seeing a lot of innovation there. Also, brewers’ spent grain is one that probably people are most familiar with, but we’re seeing a lot of opportunity for impact there, big volumes and a lot of different applications. And then fruit and vegetable pulp continues to be an area of opportunity. If you walk around the pavilion, you’re going to see whey; you’re going to see almonds, almond flour, broken almonds that you can’t sell; tomatoes that weren’t harvested because they had a blemish or [were] misshapen. I think that fruits and vegetables, because they’re the most perishable also, we’ll continue to innovate around. PG: Among the members of your association, are there certain synergies, are there companies that actually work together so that the byproduct of one can be used by another, or things like that? AC: Yeah, actually we just had a really exciting collaboration with Salt & Straw , which is an ice cream shop based in Portland, Ore. They started to use upcycled ingredients from a variety of our members. They have a five-flavor set for the month of June that they’ve launched, so we’re seeing a lot of collaboration like that. But I think the beauty of our membership is that it really is from the farm to individuals who really care about the cause, too. And part of what we try to do is really facilitate that marketplace of exchange of ideas. We see a lot of activity of people saying, “Hey, I have these carrots; can someone use them?” And then someone says, “Hey, I need carrots; do you have any?” So, we’re seeing that sort of idea exchange take place. PG: I love that. It’s like the ultimate upcycled mashup. AC: Yeah, it’s really fun. My dream is definitely one day to have a more formalized workplace to make that process much easier as well. The Summer Fancy Food Show is produced by the New York-based Specialty Food Association .

EXCLUSIVE: The Importance of Upcycled Foods

The founder of the brand discusses how upcycling can benefit producers, and the planet. June 22, 2023
Food waste constitutes a huge, multi-layered problem around the globe. According to ReFED , an organization dedicated to combating the problem, in the U.S. alone, a whopping 33% of the overall food supply (about 80 million tons) is lost to landfills, incinerators, and crops left to rot in the field before they are harvested. Producers like Confetti Snacks are seeking to reduce the issue of food waste by diverting items that might go down the train and instead using them as ingredients in tasty, healthful snacks. Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery recently connected with Confetti Snacks Founder Betty Lu ( just in time for the June 24 Upcycling Day occasion ) to learn more about the impact of global food waste, the upcycling food trend, and the story behind the company’s mission. Jenni Spinner: Could you please tell us what upcycled food is, and how that trend has evolved in recent years? Betty Lu: Upcycled foods are foods that are made from ingredients that would otherwise have been discarded due to reasons such as unattractive appearance, crop surpluses, and food by-products. Despite being considered waste, these ingredients are often still perfectly safe to consume. Upcycling these ingredients into new food products is a way to reduce waste and create value from what would have otherwise ended up in the landfills. The upcycling food trend has evolved over the years. What started out simply as a means to make use of leftovers or scraps has today, evolved into a more comprehensive movement. From Michelin restaurants down to the average household, huge corporations and individual consumers alike are challenging themselves to transform this ugly produce into other forms of delicious and innovative delectables. With 12% of human-caused greenhouse gases being attributed to food waste, upcycling food is a great way to reduce food waste, conserve resources, and be more sustainable. JS: What’s Upcycling Day all about? BL: Upcycling Day is celebrated annually on June 24. It is an international event that celebrates the creative process of transforming discarded materials into new materials, products of higher quality and better value. People can participate in this event by attending an upcycling workshop organized by their local community. In addition to the environmental benefits, upcycling can also be a way to save money, be more creative, and pick up new skills. JS: Please talk about some of the benefits of upcycled foods—to producers, consumers, and other stakeholders. BL: Upcycling helps producers to reduce food waste by turning surplus produce and other food waste into new and innovative products. This helps producers to save money on disposal costs and help them to meet sustainability goals. When producers sell their crop surpluses and imperfect produce to upcycling food businesses, it creates a new revenue stream for them. In addition to the economic benefits, upcycling can also improve a producer's brand image. By positioning themselves as a sustainable and environmentally conscious company, producers can potentially attract new customers and further boost sales. Upcycled foods are a more sustainable choice for consumers than traditional foods. When consumers buy into these upcycled foods, they often experience a “feel good” effect because they know they are consciously reducing their carbon footprint and contributing to a sustainable mission. This feeling of satisfaction can further motivate consumers to continue choosing upcycled foods, which helps to create a more sustainable food system. Upcycling reduces the environmental impact of food production by reducing food waste. This conserves natural resources, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and protects the environment. Additionally, upcycling can also provide support for local economies by creating jobs and opportunities for businesses in the upcycled and food waste sector. JS: Then, please tell us about Confetti Snacks’ story: how the company got started, who the key people with the company are, and how it’s grown since its founding. BL: While on an epic 3.5-year round-the-world trip across 40+ countries, I experienced how different world cultures, landscapes and culinary heritage factors come together to influence the craft of food. In one such hiking trip up the lush mountains of British Columbia in Canada, I (an avid hiker), bored of snacking on the same greasy and unhealthy bags of white potato chips, landed on a “eureka” moment. My experiences taught me that food is more than just sustenance; it is a way to connect with people, celebrate traditions, and appreciate the beauty of the natural world. While I wanted snacks to reflect this same sense of wonder and discovery, I also witnessed first-hand the health and sustainability issues that plague the world. I set out with a mission to be different—to craft tasty and healthier snacks made from rescued vegetables and place Singapore’s global flavors confidently on the world (snack) map. After hundreds of experimentation and feedback rounds, the perfect better-for-you, better-for-the-planet snack was finally born in 2018. Our team of Confetti Yetis comprise:
Betty Lu (me): founder and CEO, holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing), and Minor in Entrepreneurship from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. I’m a branding expert with a global strategic outlook, with a former Branding and Marketing role at SGX listed Healthway Medical Group. Michael Kravit: creative director, and former director of Honest Tea. Michael’s expertise spans across deep visual design strategy and development for packaging, retail artwork development and execution, video advertising, innovation, digital marketing campaigns and field activation. To date, he has developed over 60 new packaging items. Alexander de Wit: chairman, with early involvement in other better-for-you, better-for-the-planet brands like Oatly and Vitamin Water. Confetti’s top leaders are supported by a dynamic and ever-growing young team of Yetis based in Singapore and the U.S.
Over the years, Confetti has collected numerous prestigious awards under her belt. These include:
The ‘Michelin Guide’ feature: the first-and-only in the vegetable and fruit chips category
‘5th Annual Singapore Business Awards’
‘Best Gourmet Snack’ by APAC Insiders (2021)
‘Tasty Singapore Brand Ambassador’ (2019 - 2022)
To date, Confetti has grown to more than 2,000 locations across the U.S. and Singapore. Confetti's products are now available in major supermarket chains, specialty stores, convenience stores, hotels, and gas stations. Confetti also supplies corporate pantries, including those of Singapore-based Temasek, Google, UPS, and most recently, to Zuckerberg's charity event in Chicago in May 2023. Confetti has also been featured in major international publications, such as the prestigious Food and Wine Magazine. JS: Specifically, what makes Confetti Snacks unique in the snacks landscape? BL: 95% of today’s snack market is dominated by nutritionally bankrupt, white foods like deep-fried potato chips and extruded corn puffs. Confetti disrupts this space by offering whole real vegetables and fruits—carrots, okras, radishes, beets, shiitake mushrooms, and mandarins—gently baked into the perfect, crunchy, colorful, and nutrient-dense snack. Confetti’s snacks are made with carefully selected ingredients that are low in starch and calories, but high in vitamins and minerals. Confetti's vegetable chips are lab-proven to be one of the most nutrient-dense snacks on the market, with seven vegetable servings per packet. The mushroom chips are also excellent sources of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B. All essential nutrients are naturally occurring, with no additional fortification — just the way Mother Nature intended. Fun fact: less than 12% of the US population consumes their recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Confetti is a forward-thinking brand that believes in the power of color and flavor. As such, we do not produce conventional flavors like original or sea salt. Instead, we offer only the most colorful, exciting, and adventurous flavors, inspired by the diverse culinary heritage of the world. We believe that people should indulge in the colors of the rainbow and experience the magic of each vegetable of the plant kingdom in its full glory. Confetti is a purpose-driven brand that reduces food waste by upcycling imperfect produce and crop surpluses. We also work with multiple charitable organizations, such as UNICEF and the Red Cross, to donate a portion of our proceeds to alleviate global hunger and malnutrition. JS: Please tell us about your current product and flavor offerings. BL: Confetti takes pride in crafting award-winning gourmet vegetable, mushroom and fruit chips dressed in exotic and adventurous flavours from around the world. Our current products run across three lines and in five iconic flavors:
Vegetable Chips: Teriyaki BBQ (Japanese-inspired), Summer Truffle (European-inspired), Tandoori Curry (Indian-inspired)
Mushroom Chips: Green Curry (Thailand-inspired), Black Truffle (European-inspired)
Mandarin Oranges: Original Just Half Moons
Confetti’s snacks are gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO and halal-certified. JS: Anything planned for the future you can tell us about? BL: We have many exciting plans in the works. In response to the success of our current snacks, we are planning to launch value-sized packs of our snacks next. We are also in discussions with Dole, the largest food producer in the world, to explore how we can turn their food surpluses into award-winning, colourful plant-based dips. In addition, we are in talks with movie theatres and concert venues to become an official partner. We are also thrilled to be featured on Dennis Quaid’s Emmy award-winning documentary , The Next Great American Snack, which will be airing to 80 million American households this summer. Finally, we are very fortunate to be collaborating with Disney and have the most famous mouse in the world share the fun and joy of Confetti’s magical snacking adventure—keep your eyes peeled for that. Share This Story
Jenni Spinner is the chief editor of Snack Food and Wholesale with more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business communications. She has written extensively about food production, safety and packaging; pharmaceutical drug development; concrete and masonry construction; and more. She holds a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Illinois. Jenni can be reached at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com .

Confetti Snacks: upcycling takes a big bite out of global food waste

The Learning Lab

Startups that help tackle food waste along the food value chain. Includes solutions that help resell or repurpose food waste. 

Food Waste

Incubator/Accelerator

Confetti Snacks is a mission-driven snack company in the food industry. The company offers artisanal whole vegetable chips, including veggie and mushroom chips, crafted with exotic flavors. These snacks are nutrient-dense, made from upcycled 'ugly' produce, and aim to provide a healthy and sustainable snacking option. It was founded in 2018 and is based in Singapore.

Name	Betty Lu
Work History	The Learning Lab
Title	Chief Executive Officer
Status	Current

Wells Fargo Success Story

Professional Services

Platform Overview

Confetti Snacks

Executives

Confetti Snacks Management Team

1 Team Member