Sponsored by Voyage Foods
Let’s face it: people love peanut butter. From its rich nutty flavor to its ability to elevate recipes, snacks, and desserts, the classic spread is a household staple for many According to the National Peanut Board, in 2021, U.S. peanut consumption per capita reached an all-time high of 7.9 pounds, marking a 3 percent increase from the previous year.
Even as peanut butter’s demand continues to climb, most quick-service restaurants have taken it completely off the menu due to the growing percentage of people with nut allergies. Restaurants face the issue of balancing demand with keeping consumers safe. “While the percentage of people who can’t consume nuts isn’t very high, the number of quick-service restaurants that are peanut-free and nut-free is,” says Adam Maxwell, CEO and founder of Voyage Foods. “This means that while many people are accustomed to enjoying these foods, they can’t due to the risks of cross-contamination in kitchens.”
Ensuring that everything—cutting boards, knives, blenders, and other utensils—is allergen-free requires 100 percent accuracy. This is daunting because anything less than perfection poses a potentially life-changing risk.
Restaurants shouldn’t sacrifice safety, cost, or flavor to serve the foods consumers want; all three should be achievable simultaneously. “Consumers crave the experience of enjoying products like a chocolate peanut butter doughnut or milkshake,” Maxwell says. “Operators need a solution.”
Voyage Foods’ nut-free spreads offer a safe and delicious alternative to traditional peanut and hazelnut cocoa butters, catering to consumers’ love for their iconic flavors without the associated dangers. Made with a mix of roasted seeds, these peanut-free & hazelnut-free spreads have everything people love about peanut and hazelnut butters and nothing they don’t. “When we decided to develop these products, we saw that none of the players in the space were delivering on the experience consumers crave,” Maxwell says. “People want the peanut butter flavor without the risk.”
Voyage Foods delivers on consumer demand across taste, price, and affordability. As a one-to-one replacement for traditional nut butters in a wide variety of menu applications, quick-service restaurants can confidently bring back cherished peanut and hazelnut cocoa-based dishes.
Voyage Foods has worked extensively across various food sectors, including in ice cream, frozen novelties, bakery fillings, milkshakes, smoothies, and pre-baked and post-baked goods. The company has even developed a savory Thai peanut noodle sauce using its peanut-free spread. “Our goal is to cover the whole breadth of what these replacements could be, in perpetuity, rather than just a small portion of the market,” Maxwell says.
One of the main issues of many existing alternatives on the market has been that of their price point – these products are expensive and often don’t provide consumers with the taste or textures they crave. Voyage Foods tackles this issue by remaining competitively priced, as their peanut-free spread is on average 30 percent cheaper than the leading seed spread, while maintaining clean labels featuring whole foods and all-natural ingredients. This ensures affordability and quality, making their spreads a smart and appealing choice for consumers and operators alike.
Voyage Foods is revolutionizing the nut butter alternative market by providing safe, affordable, and delicious substitutes that cater to a wide range of consumer needs. By addressing the challenges of cost, allergen safety, and flavor, Voyage Foods empowers quick-service restaurants to reintroduce popular peanut and hazelnut-based dishes without compromising on quality or safety.
Sample Voyage’s safe, delicious, and affordable nut-free spreads today by visiting the Voyage Foods website.
By Olivia Schuster