New facility to support growing Asian-inspired snack business and flagship harvest snaps brand
Calbee America, a snack pioneer for over 70 years, is strengthening its domestic innovation capabilities with the introduction of a new R&D Innovation Center in Madera, CA, located at 20237 Masa Street. Planned to help the company grow in double digits annually by accelerating innovation and product development, the facility will support the team in bringing Asian-flavored offerings to the mainstream marketplace and expanding Harvest Snaps’ presence as a better-for-you brand in the salty snack category.
Calbee is Japan’s largest snack company, with its U.S. division driving revenue growth. The flagship Harvest Snaps brand that pioneered the produce aisle recently expanded its nutrient-dense, veggie-based lineup to include 100% whole fruit snacks for kids, plus Crunchy Puffs made with navy beans as the first ingredient. In addition, Calbee’s Asian-inspired snack brands, including its iconic Shrimp Chips, are a leader in the Asian salty snack aisle at mainstream retail channels, outperforming the category in annual growth. In addition, newly launched Asian Style Chips are planned to drive category expansion.
Leveraging the latest food industry technology from Japan, the R&D Innovation Center will accelerate innovation and spearhead the development of more Asian-flavored snacks appealing to the American palate, along with better-for-you snacks under the Harvest Snaps banner. Complete with a state-of-the-art kitchen and offices accommodating up to 15 researchers, the facility will create products ranging from tortilla and potato chips to popcorn, cereal and crackers that can be certified organic, gluten-free, non-GMO and kosher.
