Company: Barnana

Website: barnana.com

Introduced: August 2021

Distribution: National

Suggested Retail Price: $4.99

Product Snapshot: Barnana recently introduced its new Organic Plantain Crisps. The Plantain Crisps are unique because they’re made with 100 percent organic coconut oil and organic green plantains, which contain less sugar than ripe plantains and give the Plantain Crisps an unexpected savory flavor. Inspired by homemade tostones that are wildly popular globally, the Plantain Crisps were created to appeal to the growing number of consumers who are hungry for better-for-you, planet friendly plant-based snacks.

Barnana’s Organic Plantain Crisps in both Sea Salt and Garlic flavors will launch on National Banana Lovers’ Day, August 27, on Amazon and Barnana.com. In mid-September the new Plantain Crisps will also be available at retailers including Whole Foods.

“Barnana’s Organic Ridged Chips are flying off the shelves, validating consumer demand for higher quality, savory snacks made from plantains. The Plantain Crisps have the potential to be just as big by bringing a completely new style of savory plantain chip experience to retailers for their shoppers,” said Jeff Tyo, SVP of sales for Barnana.

There is both a health and environmental halo associated with plantain chips, much like other plant-based foods that are typically nutrient dense and produced in planet-friendly ways. According to a national survey commissioned by Barnana earlier this year, the top reasons Americans find plantain chips appealing are taste and nutritional value.

Kate McGowan, RDN and plant-based diet proponent, says: “Barnana’s Organic Plantain Crisps offer an exciting plant-based option for everyone, especially those looking to follow a plant-forward lifestyle. The ingredients are organic and simple so this is a great snacking option for everyone."

Barnana’s Organic Plantain Crisps have 0 grams of sugar per serving, and are gluten-free, grain-free and Paleo friendly. They're a perfect choice for an afternoon pick-me-up snack, to enjoy alone, or as an accompaniment to soup or a sandwich.

In addition to providing craveable plant-based snacks that make Earth-friendly eating enjoyable, Barnana adheres to its environmental and social values by working with smallholder farmers in Ecuador, many of whom are indigenous. They grow their plantains using time-honored regenerative agroforestry practices that ensure healthy soil, support biodiversity, and keep carbon in the ground. Barnana’s Organic Plantain Crisps are fried in 100 percent organic coconut oil, rather than palm oil used by many other plantain chip makers.

Plantain chips fit today’s evolving consumer taste preferences. Barnana’s consumer survey found that plantain chips are more appealing than other healthy chips, like kale chips, with 42 percent of consumers finding plantain chips appealing compared to kale chips at 27 percent. Plantain chips are even more appealing to younger consumers with 55 percent of 18-34 year olds stating the same inclination. This younger group also is significantly more likely than those 55+ to buy plantains and plantain products at least monthly; at 37 percent versus 11 percent, signaling a promising future for plantain products.

“Barnana Organic Plantain Crisps are a triple win for retailers,” continues Tyo. “They hit the mark for exceeding consumer taste expectations, add a new salty plantain chip option to the snack aisle mix and help support corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. We expect sales to be strong.”