88 Acres partners with Misfits Market for Cinnamon Maple Edge'nola

Company rescues thousands of pounds of seed bar edge pieces for new product.

Company: 88 Acres

Introduced: June 2021

Distribution: Regional

Suggested Retail Price: $3.99

Product Snapshot: 88 Acres is furthering its sustainability mission by partnering with affordable online grocer Misfits Market to offer Cinnamon Maple Edge’nola, a fully upcycled snack product, which will be available as a retail exclusive to Misfits members starting this week.

Thousands of pounds of edge pieces result from the production of 88 Acres Cinnamon & Oats Seed+Oat Bar Thins that are available on all JetBlue flights as one of its free in-flight snack options. Rather than let them go to waste, 88 Acres is launching a wholesome offering, Cinnamon Maple Edge’nola, which is a 10oz package priced at $3.99 at Misfits Market. The Edge'nola is full of pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds, along with gluten-free oats and organic cinnamon and maple. These crunchy granola clusters, which are great for snacking, breakfast, and dessert, are made in 88 Acres’ zero-food-waste bakery in Boston, and is free of peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and sesame. All of its snacks are nut free, kosher, Non-GMO Project Verified, Certified Vegan, and certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization.

“As a food company, we believe it is our responsibility when creating products to keep sustainability at the forefront. As with all of our Seed+Oat Bars, baking millions of Seed+Oat Bar Thins for the JetBlue community leaves thousands of pounds of edge pieces behind. We didn’t want our crispy Edge’nola to go to waste, so we partnered with food waste-fighting online grocer Misfits Market to give it a good home. We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership,” explains Nicole Ledoux, co-founder & CEO of 88 Acres.

Moreover, Daniel Litwin, vice president of procurement at Misfits Market states: “Bringing this product to market with 88 Acres is proof that food brands can have a positive impact when we team up on creative solutions to food waste. Misfits Market has always been dedicated to turning food system inefficiencies into affordable access to food. Now we’re taking it a step further by becoming a destination for consumers to discover quality brands like 88 Acres that take a whole new approach to sustainability. Together, we’re providing delicious products to our customers and genuine value to our supplier partner where they might otherwise experience loss.”

88 Acres, Misfits Market, and JetBlue all share a mutual commitment to sustainability. Where 88 Acres operates its own zero food waste bakery for all production and uses seeds as its main source of plant-based protein requiring 20 to 90 times less water to grow than nuts, Misfits Market leverages direct relationships with growers and producers to reduce food waste at scale and eliminate inefficiencies in the food system. Furthermore, JetBlue is a leader in the industry as the first U.S. airline to commit to and achieve carbon neutrality for all domestic flying, and they are fully committed to reducing their waste on their planes, in terminals, and company-wide.

Sara Bogdan, JetBlue’s head of sustainability and environmental social governance explains: “At JetBlue, we are continuously striving to improve the sustainability of our operation—which includes partnering with likeminded companies solving unique sustainability challenges. We are excited to work with 88 Acres and Misfit Markets to tackle the upstream food surplus previously associated with the production of the Cinnamon & Oats Seed+Oat Bar Thins served onboard. We’re thrilled that the edges of the bar thins made for our inflight experience won’t go to waste and will be repurposed into a healthy and delicious snack for Misfits Market’s customers.”

The partnership and synergy between 88 Acres, Misfits Market, and JetBlue could not be more perfectly aligned with each company’s prioritization of sustainable operations that fight waste.