Confetti Snacks CEO eyes colorful and cultural flavors with novel NPD

02 Sep 2024 --- Venture-backed Confetti Snacks is celebrating diverse cultures and global tastes in a world where “traditionally, 95% of snacks are dominated by nutritionally bankrupt potato chips and extruded corn puffs in conventional Western flavors.” That is, according to Betty Lu, founder and CEO of Confetti Snacks, who is based between offices in Singapore and New York City.

Food Ingredients First speaks with Lu following the launch of the company’s mushroom chips in Thai Green Curry and Black Truffle flavors. 

“Our baked crunchy shiitake mushrooms are delicious with depths of umami and roasted spices that really elevate traditional Japanese shiitake mushrooms that we use for authentic recipes,” she shares.

Permissible indulgence

Commenting on her personal experiences growing up in Singapore and wanting the range of snacks to appeal to a wide audience, Lu says: “Singapore is a tiny island with fascinating cultures. Being from somewhere so small, I have always felt a curiosity to see more of the world. In 2015, I packed a small suitcase and embarked on a world trip that lasted almost four years.”

Lu was experimenting on one of her mountain hikes in British Columbia, Canada, to create the “perfect snack” that is tasty, nutritious and lightweight, “so it’s lighter in my backpack,” she says. 

Betty Lu, founder and CEO of Confetti Snacks, is based between offices in Singapore and New York City.Lu believes that Confetti’s world-renowned chefs and food technologists are a “testament to the fact that taste and nutrition can satisfy permissible indulgence in the form of a snack.”

“We worked with chefs from different parts of the world. We wanted our recipes to stay true to their heritage roots, celebrate diversity, and elevate the natural flavors of Mother Nature.”

Alleviating food waste

Confetti also harnesses upcycling to alleviate food waste.

“Nearly a third of edible produce is discarded annually, that’s almost 2.8 trillion metric tons of food going to waste, while nearly 9 million people die of starvation or malnutrition each year,” explains Lu. 

“If we can turn this imperfect produce into a fast-moving consumer good in the snack category, we can impact food waste and hunger on a much wider scale.”

Confetti Snacks sources the majority of its ingredients by working with farms and co-operatives and integrating themselves into the supply chain so the company can efficiently procure veggies and fruit that would otherwise be discarded due to aesthetic reasons or a crop surplus. 

“We have a strong network with the Upcycled Food Association of America, which further enhances our partnerships with entities that are passionate about fighting food waste and hunger,” she notes. 

The company was the first in the US to launch its upcycled mandarin chips sourced from imperfect produce or crop surpluses in its fight against food waste. “They are really crunchy and, like most citrus fruits, a rich source of naturally occurring vitamin C. Our customers love to sprinkle them with their frozen yogurt or granola in the morning.”

C stands for color

Confetti celebrates color in both the produce it uses and the colorful traditions that govern the brands’ recipes from around the world. 

“It’s a colorful brand,” states Lu. “Confetti owns that word and fulfills that expectation entirely by celebrating a vibrant mix of plants that delight our consumers.”Confetti is a global snack brand that “epitomizes the celebration of color.”

“The succulent kaleidoscope of red radishes, orange carrots, purple sweet potatoes, fingers of green okra, and plump whole Shiitake mushrooms are a visual feast, and their natural flavors are elevated with these wonderful ethnic recipes that bring the palette to a culinary adventure.” 

“Confetti, as its name implies, is all about celebrating color. ‘Eating the colors of the rainbow’ is very beneficial because different colors of vegetables and fruit provide a different set of phytonutrients and vitamins.”

Lifestyle snacks

Due to their hectic schedules, consumers simply don’t get enough vegetables in their diets and don’t have time to prepare nutritious meals, so Lu aimed to make vegetables tasty and provide a convenient way for people to get their vegetables on-the-go.

“They’re also popular at parties because they really liven up the table. We have supplied to the largest corporate pantries, like Netflix offices, Christmas parties, and even the stock exchange. It is colorful goodness in a scrumptious crunchy indulgence.”

What’s next for Confetti Snacks?

According to Lu, she wants to expand the brand to retailers worldwide in target markets of Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. “It’s been heartwarming to bring our consumers on a culinary adventure around the world and hit a critical mass. We are focused on constant innovation and R&D to create the best-tasting snacks made with real veggies and fruit so we can seduce consumers into eating real slices of baked produce that are so much better for them versus a standard deep-fried junk chip.”

“We start by making veggies so fun and tasty that consumers want to choose what’s healthier for them simply because it tastes better, is colorful, and is so much more fun to snack on. We are excited to continue on this exponential growth and make the world a slightly better place starting with the snack aisle and pantries,” Lu concludes. 

You can read more on snack trends in the September edition of The World of Food Ingredients. Lu shares more details on Confetti Snacks and we explore other emerging trends in the snack market in the article Authenticity & Tradition Inspire Culinary Creation on page 12. 

By Elizabeth Green