Modern Oats’ new products aim to tap demand for naturally-sourced ingredients

Unveiled at the Winter Fancy Foods Show in San Francisco last week, the new line-up comprises Vermont Maple, Coconut Almond, Five Berry with No Sugar Added and Plain Oats. All are non-GMO and gluten-free.

“We want to keep relevant to today’s consumers by featuring modern products in the ‘grab-and-go’ space with the driver of better ingredients and a better-for-you concept,”​ Modern Oats president and co-founder Rich Principale told BakeryandSnacks.

While the oatmeal category could be seen as "boring, sleepy and commodity driven in general​", it had the potential to become much more interesting, he said.

More modern approach 

“You have a low price point when you add artificial flavor in oatmeal products,” ​he said. “Our products are a little bit more expensive [than the average] but we hope to change the perception of old-fashion oats and make them more modern.”​

The company said it was favoring ingredients over flavorings with the new products.

“The Coconut Almond-flavored oatmeal has large shreds of Filipino coconut and California almond,"​ said Principale, adding that the pure maple syrup in its Vermont Maple oatmeal was sourced from a small farm in Vermont.

'Oats are not a commodity'

Modern Oats was doing things larger companies could not, said Principale, ​because it would not be sustainable for a larger business.

“Oats to us are not a commodity, they are like coffee beans," ​he added. "There are different grades of coffee beans and you pay for what you get. ​We simply try to create better products within our space.”​

Modern Oats products are currently sold nationwide in a range of venues including hotels, airports and coffee bars.

“We’re a boutique producer, and we’re building a nice market segment for ourselves," ​said Principale. He added that the company was developing its export business, and currently has a small presence in several countries across Asia and Central America.