At Expo West 2019, FoodBev’s Harriet Jachec spoke to Brad Charron, the CEO of plant-based protein brand Aloha.
The company produces plant-based powders and bars, and debuted a plant-based drink at Expo West. With naturalness in mind, Aloha has steered away from soy, stevia and artificial ingredients.
“We just don’t do it,” Charron tells us. “It has a role for some brands – just not us. We only use whole foods. That’s just part of our food design and our food philosophy. We don’t use stevia as well. Some people say it’s good, some people say it’s bad; it’s just not us. We’re not going to do it.”
As Charron underscores, there is a market for healthier and more sustainable proteins – but consumers will only buy into products that taste great.
“Aloha’s a small company. We’re independently owned, so we can afford to do things the right way. Everything in the food is deconstructed: from the plant protein we use – whether it’s a pea or a hemp or a pumpkin – or the kind of sugar that we use, which is a coconut sugar, and everything in between. It’s all very consciously done to make sure it has a complete amino acid profile, it’s got great bioavailability, and it tastes great.
“We focus on plant-based powders, plant-based bars and plant-based drinks. We’re always organic, we’re super clean, we’re accessibly priced – but more importantly, we taste super-awesome! That matter a lot to consumers. Go figure – it’s food!”
Presented by: Harriet Jachec Edited by: Alex Clere
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