Company: Saffron Road

Website: saffronroad.com

Introduced: October 2018

Distribution: National

Suggested Retail Price: $4.49

Product Snapshot: Saffron Road has unveiled its latest innovation: a line of indulgent better-for-you Crunchy Chickpea snacks. Upholding Saffron Road’s brand promise and unwavering commitment to superior quality, premium ingredients, full transparency, and unmatched taste profiles, these dark chocolate and sweet chickpea snacks redefine awesomeness, and can currently be found at all Whole Foods Markets nationwide. Available in a 4.15 ounce package, the SRP is $4.49.

After being roasted to Saffron Road’s signature crunchy perfection, these chickpeas are then enrobed in a proprietary panning process that results in a glazed shell like an M&M candy. Unlike any other indulgent chickpea on the market, get this: no powdery dust to brush off your clothes, no melted chocolate stains on hands or face, no radically inconsistent product quality. Just pure, clean, and healthy indulgence—packed with over 3 grams of protein and totally free from any artificial ingredients. Moreover, Saffron Road’s chickpeas use antioxidant-rich Fair Trade Certified dark chocolate, or are swirled in buttery salted caramel and sweet, warm honey. All are dual Certified Halal and OU Kosher, as well as Gluten Free.

These new snacks will be the first of Saffron Road’s snack line to launch in the brand’s bold new packaging design. Anchored by a captivating new brandmark with swirling scrolls, the refreshed packaging introduces a contemporary look using bold colors and beautiful, intricate patterns. It’s bound to stop traffic in the aisles!

Chickpea and legume snacks are a sub-segment of the high-growth better-for-you snack sector. Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are quickly gaining attention as nutritionally superior value-added foods and ingredients, based on their exceptional nutritious, sustainable, gluten-free, and Non-GMO attributes. Given consumers rapidly growing demand to use snacks as meal replacements, high-protein snacks are playing a larger role in discerning American’s eating choices. Furthermore, this move towards snacking with a health benefit is being driven by the youngest generations—Generation Z (ages 9yrs to 18yrs), Millennials, and Generation X—which together make up a large majority of the population. Americans are snacking now more than ever. Mintel estimates that nearly 94 percent of all Americans snack at least once a day and that Millennials snack at least four times a day. And according to A.C. Nielsen, the U.S. snacks market is worth roughly $120 billion and growing at a compound rate of nearly 3 percent – with healthier, clean-label BFY snacks leading the charge with an over 10 percent CAGR in 2017 alone.

And most impactful, Saffron Road, in keeping with its core values of social responsibility, sustainable farming practices, bullet proof sourcing standards, and environmental justice, proudly took the high road on the Journey to Better by choosing the Fair Trade certification for all of its chocolate snack line. This rigorous certification is an investment that provides ethical transparency, a hallmark of Saffron Road, as well as a certification that none of its chickpea snack competitors currently provide. Since 1998, the Fair Trade USA has advocated for the collective progress of 1.6 million farmers and has disbursed over $440 million, with over $300 million for local community developments. By partnering with Fair Trade, Saffron Road facilitates its mission of supporting safe working conditions and protects not only fundamental human rights but also the environment. It’s a simple way for Saffron Road’s consumers to vote with their dollars for the collective progress of building a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.

“Well, we did it AGAIN: innovated a blockbuster snack product that’s going to shock and awe our competitors and indulgently delight Saffron Road’s consumers and retailers. This is going to be as seminal as the invention of the M&M—only much healthier! Just imagine—one of Saffron Road’s amazing crunchy chickpeas enrobed in either a dark chocolate coating, or swirls of real honey, or premium salted caramel, then glazed to epicurean perfection. Beam me up Saffron Road onto pure, clean, healthy indulgence like the BFY snack world has never before indulged. Indeed, I am thrilled to add these innovative new snack products to our portfolio,” says Adnan Durrani, founder and CEO of Saffron Road.

“Working with Fair Trade USA, the Saffron Road team continues to demonstrate its commitment to making the right choices for the planet and the global community at large. We believe that sourcing the best ingredients possible like rich, Fair Trade Certified dark chocolate and by never compromising on taste or authentic flavors, we can bring the joy of discovering globally inspired products to Americans nationwide. We are proud to create unique and delicious snacks that allow Saffron Road’s consumers to indulge in a guiltless treat on our Journey to Better—all the while maintaining our brand promise of stellar quality and ethical sourcing standards," further adds Durrani.

“The Fair Trade Certified seal is a signal to shoppers that a product was made with tremendous respect to people and planet,” said Jenna LeDoux, head of marketing at Fair Trade USA. “By making Fair Trade sourcing a priority, Saffron Road is signaling to its customers, to the market and to the industry that good business and good practices really do go hand-in-hand.”