Driven By Schools Requiring Healthy Breakfast and Snack Options, This Smoothie Company Is Riding A Wave Of Opportunity

Photo by Blendtopia Smoothies on Unsplash

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The focus on what today’s youth consumes continues to be a priority for parents and schools. According to standards established by the USDAs National School Lunch Program every school-age child should have at least one cup of fruit at breakfast.  Despite the wishes of parents and school administrators, sometimes the kids targeted by this move to healthy eating are tossing fruits and vegetables in the trash. 

As proof of students’ fickle eating habits, a study published by Childhood Obesity magazine, found the percentage of students choosing fruit in the cafeteria rose from 54% to 66% since new nutrition guidelines began, however, another study found that children were throwing out the required foods at a rate 56% higher than before the rules were instituted.

This phenomenon is reportedly driving many schools to look for alternative offerings that maintain the prescribed nutrients and vitamins in the form of smoothies and shakes. 

Smoothie Sales Growth Is Heating Up

Global market research company Technavio reports that the smoothie market has the potential to grow by $7.03 billion between 2021 and 2025, with market growth accelerating at a compound annual growth rate of 6.37%. 

With the smoothie market growing, key players in the industry, including PepsiCo Inc. PEP, Coca-Cola Consolidated Inc. COKE, Jamba Inc. JMBA, Hain Celestial Group Inc. HAIN, and Barfresh Food Group Inc. BRFH continue to push in the growing smoothie market.  

Companies Like Barfresh Are Targeting Schools And Increased Distribution

Los Angeles-based Barfresh, which produces a number of frozen, ready-to-blend, and ready-to-drink beverages, is expanding the presence of it’s Twist & Go ready-to-drink product in the school market with the additions of Loudoun County Public Schools (one of the 50 largest school districts in the US), North Neck Co-op, and South Side Co-op in Virginia along with Caddo Parish Public Schools in Louisiana.  

Barfresh’s K-12 Virginia portfolio represents an addition of 314 schools spread over 29 districts with a collective enrollment of 242,000 students. Caddo Parish Public Schools is the first time Barfresh has served a school district in Louisiana and will reach 74 school locations serving 45,000 students.

“Over the course of 2021, we saw incredible growth of our Twist & Go product in the education channel by doubling the number of school locations serving our product and expanding internationally to military school locations. As a result, we generated four consecutive quarters of sequential revenue growth and recorded our greatest quarterly revenue ever in the fourth quarter,” Barfresh CEO Riccardo Delle Coste said. “While we have made significant headway over the past few years, there is still a long runway for growth, and we will continue to be aggressive in pursuing new and existing geographies.”  

Schools have been seeking contracts with companies like Barfresh, which offers its USDA Smart Snack-compliant Twist & Go and WHIRLZ products. The company’s healthy choices also meet schools’ “Buy American” requirement and offer kids smoothies and shakes that are gluten-free and use real fruit with no added sugar, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.  

One of the challenges for companies like Barfresh has been to develop new and effective distribution channels to get its products out to as many locations as possible. In combating that challenge, the company recently entered into a distribution arrangement with G&J Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Inc., the nation’s largest independently owned and operated Pepsi franchise bottler.  

Learn more about Barfresh Food Group at www.barfresh.com. 

This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice.