Puffed Kernza

🍽️ Food Applications

1. Cereals and Snack Foods

• Ready-to-eat cereals: Used as the primary grain or blended with oats, puffed rice, or millet.

• Granola and trail mixes: Adds a unique flavor, texture, and eco-conscious marketing angle.

• Snack clusters or bites: Combined with honey, nut butter, or chocolate for bite-sized snacks.

2. Baked Goods

• Toppings for breads, muffins, or energy bars to add texture and visual appeal.

• Inclusions in breakfast bars or cookies to add light crunch.

• Sprinkled on doughs or batters before baking for a rustic finish.

3. Confectionery

• Used like puffed rice in chocolate bars, brittles, or snack coatings.

• Provides a crisp contrast to smooth fillings in energy or protein bars.

🥗 Culinary and Foodservice Applications

• Salad toppings for crunch and a nutty flavor boost.

• Soup garnish—particularly in creamy or root-vegetable soups.

• Yogurt or smoothie bowl topping for texture and visual appeal.

• Gluten-free or sustainable menu items in eco-forward restaurants or cafes.

🥤 Beverage Industry

• Used as a flavorful, floating garnish for smoothies or milkshakes.

• Potential as an ingredient in fermented drinks or beer adjunct for texture or aroma enhancement.

🌱 Health and Sustainability Marketing

• Highlighted as a climate-positive ingredient due to Kernza’s deep roots, which sequester carbon and prevent soil erosion.

• Appeals to consumers seeking sustainable, whole-grain, or regenerative agriculture products.

🧁 Product Innovation Opportunities

• Snack puffs or clusters with inclusions like puffed quinoa, amaranth, or seeds.

• Breakfast cereal blends marketed for sustainability.

• Energy bites or granola bars for eco-conscious consumers.

• Decorative or functional topping in bakery and dessert applications.