New Product 2009

Outstanding New Product 2009: Danielle Fruit Chips—Roasted Coconut

New England Herbal Foods’ Danielle Roasted Coconut Fruit Chips stand out by using a familiar ingredient in a completely new way. These thick-cut coconut chips are cooked in small batches using a proprietary vacuum-frying method. Hand-selected pieces of fruit are put in a vacuum chamber, and sprayed with a fine mist of heated non-hydrogenated palm oil under low pressure and high temperature. This process retains the pure flavor of the coconut and absorbs less oil than conventional frying methods (3 grams versus 10 grams). The specialty chips have less fat than traditional potato chips, are more flavorful and stay crunchy longer when opened, unlike freeze-dried chips. And they’re all natural, fat-free, gluten-free and vegetarian.

“We weren’t satisfied with the quality of Asian meals and snacks in grocery stores,” says Co-owner Edward Notosoehardjo, who grew up in Indonesia and has been living in the States for more than 16 years. “We grew up with different ingredients that were fresh and readily available, and we thought why not introduce them here?” Notosoehardjo sources his ingredients from a family in Thailand. His Danielle brand, started in 1996 with his business partner Harin Tantongsirisak, celebrates Tantongsirisak’s aunt, who started a small farm and fruit plantation in northern Thailand and grew it from a farm stand to a popular retail store.

When developing Roasted Coconut chips, the company considered “today’s lifestyle and health trends, convenience and the mouth feel demands that we need to meet,” says Notosoehardjo, who notes he and Tantongsirisak believe “the snack food market is hungry for the new and exciting flavors that Asia offers.” Other flavors in the line include Banana, Durian, Pineapple, Jackfruit, Mango, Coconut, Sweet Potato, Okra, Pumpkin, Taro and Carrot. Suggested retail price: $3.99/2-ounce. spaafoods.com.—D. Shoukas

0 comments