Expo West 2022 Reporters Notebook: LesserEvil Acquires R.E.D.D. Bar; Global Flavors Evolve

LesserEvil Acquires R.E.D.D. Bar

Last week, organic snack brand LesserEvil announced it would spearhead a coalition of brands trying to clean up the types of oil used in packaged food products. This week it announced its first acquisition, protein bar brand R.E.D.D. BarTerms of the deal were not disclosed.

LesserEvil CEO and president Charles Coristine said the acquisition will accelerate his company’s long-held plans to break into the bar category.

“We already make a variety of snacks, including cookies, so bars felt like a nice transition,” Coristine said. “Like LesserEvil, R.E.D.D. prioritizes quality ingredients in its bars, which aligns with LesserEvil’s mission and ethos to create clean, healthy snacks that are as tasty as they are better for you.”

Founded by former male model Alden Blease in 2010, R.E.D.D. markets a five-SKU line of plant-protein based bars. Two years ago the company launched R.E.D.D. Labs, a D2C platform designed to help the company test new innovations, including a line of plant-based protein powders.

According to SEC filings, the Portland, Maine-based brand has raised roughly $4.5 million since its inception.

LesserEvil manufactures out of Connecticut and will take over R.E.D.D. ‘s production in May, he told NOSH. The company plans to evolve the line’s taste, ingredient deck and texture, Coristine said, and LesserEvil’s signature branding icons, such as its gurus, to the packaging. The R.E.D.D. team will also be integrated into the LesserEvil family, he said.

“R.E.D.D. brings the know-how of creating a great bar and strong relationships in the category and at LesserEvil, we have the knowledge of production and operations,” Coristine said. “The acquisition allows us to combine resources from both sides as we expand our factory and capabilities, and grow faster together.”

Climate Friendly Crackers Are Just the Start

Carbon reduction has become a key focus for brands over the past few years with a few emerging companies creating entire platforms off their climate-friendly food products. This time last year climate-friendly crackers came into existence with the launch of Moonshot snacks in March and Airly in May. Since then it has become evident that tackling consumer education for their cause may be the most significant hurdle.

Moonshot, the sister company to climate-friendly certification platform Planet FWD, showed off a new name for one of its three SKUs, formerly Tomato and Basil, now named Margarita pizza following feedback from consumers. The brand has placed its climate-friendly claim front and center on-pack followed by its own Carbon Neutral certification with less prominent placement in the bottom corner.

In contrast, Airly has entirely set aside on-pack, carbon-related badges, instead using a climate-friendly claim followed by visuals showing how the air in about 2,700 beach balls is equivalent to the amount of carbon a single box of Airly crackers removes from the atmosphere.

Airly President and co-founder Jen McKnight explained that since the claim for climate-friendliness is still relatively new to the CPG world, the company decided to put its focus toward explaining the origin and impact of its Climate Positive Oats – Airly’s first ingredient. She noted that while there are some existing certifications covering the realm of what Airly has accomplished, these badges often don’t entirely reflect the depth of research and agricultural development that went into creating the product and platform.

Global Flavors Find New Formats and Clean Formulas

After two years of travel restrictions consumers are eager for new experiences, even if it’s only just a taste. Plenty of new products aimed to cater to this demand in convenient formats, but one new brand debuting at the show – MedBar – stood out for bringing flavor innovation to the crowded bar category.

The Mediterranean-diet inspired protein bar boasts a short ingredient list inclusive of whole, real foods like red bell pepper and sesame seeds. What drew the most attention however was the product lineup. Spanning both sweet and savory, MedBar launched with Dates & Nuts and Fig & Rose varieties alongside a Hummus bar and Za’atar flavor. The two savory protein bars are made with a blend of spices and herbs including thyme, oregano, garlic and cumin.

According to a MedBar spokesperson, creating distinct flavors was the “natural way” the brand looked to fully encompass the tenants of the Mediterranean diet, which is centered around balanced nutrition.

Outside of bars, the drive to clean up ingredient labels is also extending into the sauce aisle with Lucky Foods, which showcased new organic vegan-friendly Oyster and Hoisin Sauces. The inspiration comes from a desire to fill a gap in the market, according to company reps, with a clean-label, organic, vegan alternative to popular Asian sauces.

Also debuting on the floor was UPPEREAST, a Korean-inspired, plant-based sauce line with varieties including Gochujang, Jajang and Fried Chicken Sauce. Founder and CEO Josh Chung said he’s aiming to recreate accessible, clean-label, Korean-inspired products that lend themselves to a variety of uses including dipping, marinades, stir fry and seasoning.

Celebrating Steltenpohl, Roell, New Awards Debut Around Expo

A pair of new awards launched this week to honor the memories of a pair of influential natural products luminaries, Greg Steltenpohl and Kara Cissell-Roell.

Leigh Keith, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Perfect Snacks, was honored with the first Kara Roell Achievement Award, presented on Wednesday night at a dinner celebrating women in the CPG industry.

The annual award, named after the former general partner at investment firm VMG who passed away in November 2021, was created to recognize a female executive or leader who has demonstrated “a focus on growing others within their companies and providing mentorship to other women,” said Allison Roseman Hagey, a partner at law firm BraunHagey & Borden and a member of the award selection committee. The honoree will be selected by a committee of women spanning private equity, law, banking and media.

“The Kara Roell Achievement Award recognizes significant contributions in furthering the voice and impact of women leaders in the consumer industry,” Hagey said. “Kara was an inspiration to so many of us, with her deep intellect and fierceness she trail blazed a path for many and mentored and lifted up women into leadership positions.”

The prize includes a small monetary component where the recipient can donate the award proceeds to a charity focused on empowering women.

Speaking about this year’s winner, Hagey noted that Keith is being honored for her dedication to mentoring and promoting women, but also that Roelle was Keith’s mentor, a relationship begun when VMG invested in Perfect Snacks in 2015. Keith will now join the selection committee for next year’s award recipient.

“We are thrilled Leigh is the first recipient of the Kara Roell Achievement Award,” Alisa Williams, Partner at VMG, told NOSH. “Leigh had the opportunity to grow under Kara’s leadership and we are continuously impressed by Leigh’s perseverance and continued support of women within her company.”

The following night, the family and friends of Odwalla and Califia Farms founder Greg Steltenpohl announced the creation of an annual $100,000 grant for entrepreneurial ventures in the food and beverage space.

Speaking at the annual Community Purpose and Impact Awards on Thursday, Steltenpohl’s son Eli Steltenpohl noted the grant’s launch came on the first anniversary of his father’s passing.

While business rolls on, Eli Steltenpohl said, he appreciated “a moment of pause on behalf of the industry.”

“The path of the entrepreneur can be a lonely one,” he continued, noting the healing effects of “being able to be here in person and experience shared values” with the natural products community.

The grant, called the Greg Steltenpohl Pragmatic Visionary Award, will now be part of the ceremony, given annually to entrepreneurs seeking to build a more positive, plant-centric food system. The award is intended to serve as a way to continue the work powered by Steltenpohl’s own passion for creating a more sustainable and health-oriented CPG industry.

The award was organized and advised by Greg Steltenpohl’s friends and family, as well as many of his colleagues in the natural food business, with anchor funding coming from the Steltenpohl Family Foundation and Califia Farms.

Part of the award’s administration is the Plant Futures Initiative, a non-profit social venture founded by Steltenpohl that connects college and graduate students with the opportunity to learn from innovative and progressive food and agricultural enterprises.

The award is intended to serve as a way to continue the work powered by Steltenpohl’s own passion for sustainable, healthy food systems; the Steltenpohl Family Foundation and Califia Farms provided anchor funding.