Baking & Snack - November 2023 - 114

NEW PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Legendary Foods adds popped chips to its protein snack portfolio.
Legendary Foods'
Popped Protein
Chips offer 20 grams
of protein and 2
grams or less of
sugar per bag.
Legendary Foods
L
Legendary Foods' protein-packed offerings have entered
the salty snack space with the launch of Popped Protein
Chips. Available in Ranch, Nacho Cheese and Barbecue
varieties, the popped chips offer 20 grams of protein, 4
grams of net carbs and 2 grams or less of sugar per 1.2-oz
bag. The chips are additionally gluten-free, keto-friendly
and made without artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners.
The goal of the Santa Monica, Calif.-based company
with its latest offering was to create a protein chip that
didn't taste like a protein chip, said Oliver Mindur, chief
executive officer, Legendary Foods.
" For too long, this category has settled for funky
aftertastes and bland textures, " he said. " We put tremendous
effort into achieving that true junk food experience
people crave but without high-carb and highsugar
ingredients. "
Legendary Foods has seen strong demand for its line
of protein sweet goods, but the chips mark the company's
first foray into salty snacks.
" If it's junk food, then it's on our radar, " Mr. Mindur
said on the company's expansion. " We're laser-focused
on taking foods that we love, elevating them with incredible
nutrition and delivering a product that you
would never know was made of protein. "
Legendary Foods was founded by Ron Penna, founder
and former CEO of Quest Nutrition, El Segundo, Calif.
The company launched with protein pastries in 2020
and last year added protein sweet rolls.
114 Baking & Snack November 2023 / www.bakingbusiness.com
Perfecting its latest popped chip offering, however,
posed many formulation challenges. While other brands
add protein into a carb-based chip, Legendary Foods
took it a step further by crafting a chip made entirely out
of protein, Mr. Penna said. But getting protein to act like
a carbohydrate in a salty snack isn't easy.
" It required many individual steps and formulations.
We had to get the right blend of proteins in a format
that would allow them to be popped into a chip instead
of simply turning into a clump of protein, " he explained.
" Our R&D team lives by the words of Winston
Churchill: 'Success consists of going from failure to failure
without loss of enthusiasm.' "
The resulting product capitalizes on rapidly growing
consumer demand for protein-packed snacks. According
to Circana data for the 52 weeks ending Feb. 26, snacks
with 15-plus grams of protein grew dollar sales by 40%.
And Legendary Foods shows no signs of slowing
down its product innovation, with more baked goods,
sweet snacks and salty snacks on the way.
" Chips are just the beginning, " Mr. Mindur said.
" Everything is on the table. "
Popped Protein Chips sell for a suggested retail price
of $3.29 in 10-pack options at www.eatlegendary.com
and www.amazon.com. They are also solid in 4- and
7-pack options at retailers including Target, GNC, The
Vitamin Shoppe, Wegmans, HEB and Albertsons.
- Lucas Cuni-Mertz
http://www.eatlegendary.com http://www.amazon.com http://www.bakingbusiness.com
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