Read the full story at Food Dive.
Aloha was initially founded by three longtime residents of Hawaii in 2013, and reformed when Charron took over the company in 2017. Charron became fascinated with the quality of the local farms in the island state, and came to believe that there’s “nowhere better to grow” because of their unique climate and soil.
He soon began developing Aloha’s new product, the Kona bar, which harnesses the power of several plant-based foods. It is made with 100% Kona coffee, coconuts and macadamia nuts. The bars contain 14 grams of protein and ten grams of fiber.
But the product’s most unique ingredient is Ponova oil, an emulsifier developed and trademarked by food ingredient company Terviva, which has raised nearly $100 million to date, per Crunchbase. It is made using pongamia trees grown on the island of O’ahu, and it is the first time the oil is appearing in a food product, according to the companies.
The ingredient is deforestation-free, Terviva said. Pongamia trees are found primarily in Asia, and 2021 research published in academic journal Forests said the trees are able to restore degraded land and enhance biodiversity in soil.
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