Traditionally, tortilla chip are made from 100% virgin growth corn. Conversely, Kazoo’s snacks are made with 40% corn germ, a byproduct created from America’s massive corn starch industry.
Using corn primarily harvested from generational farms in Iowa, Kazoo’s proprietary manufacturing process allows it to reclaim and upcycle corn germ that would have otherwise gone to animal feed.
Doing so enables Kazoo to get more out of each corn harvest, which means its footprint is reduced by at least 20 gallons of water per bag of tortilla chips.
Sustainable and nutritious
“Kazoo Snacks exists to provide consumers with great tasting snacks, that also save water,” said Joshua Death, Kazoo’s founder.
“In 2020 alone, the US consumed 1 million tons of tortilla chips. It currently takes 180 billion gallons of water to grow enough corn to meet this demand – with not a single drop of water spared. That’s a whole lot of corn, and even more water.”
Death said the startup is on a mission to conserve 1 billion gallons of freshwater by 2025. With the new SKU expected to resonate with US consumers, he added the Kazoo approach is expected to save 57 billion gallons of US freshwater annually.
The tortilla chips are available in Restaurant Style, Bite-sized and Lime Zest varieties, all of which are vegan, kosher and gluten-free. They also tick the better-for-you box at only 140 calories per serving, chock full of fibre, calcium, potassium and 100% natural ingredients.
Available for an RRP of $4.99 per 11-ounce bag at Hyvee and Market of Choice, with rollout in Whole Foods Northern California and Amazon to follow.
