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Gold Bars A Fran's Classic Soft butter caramel and roasted almonds enrobed in 70% single-origin dark chocolate. Certified Organic and Fairtrade. Macadamia also available. NON-GMO GLUTEN-FREE Booth 3725 800.372.6808 | Seattle, WA f ra n s c h o co l a te s . co m Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 3725 breakdown of the charities in order to dem- onstrate how much of the donations actually end up in service initiatives. Creating New Products Customer input is also critical to how Haryani and Bhatnagar decide on what products to sell. With a strong Facebook following, they use the requests of their social media community as inspiration. They also walk the aisles of food stores, looking for what's missing as well as the products that move the fastest, then start to consider how to make those products cleaner and more attractive for purchase. The hazelnut butter, which is almost entirely made of hazelnuts, is just one example of taking a popular product type and making a better-for-you version. Ingredient sourcing is critical. When looking for organic cashews to sell, they reviewed 20 different options before settling on some from the Ivory Coast which are sweeter and creamier than other more well-known varieties. "We spend a lot of time understanding the sourcing of the product and how that product is integrated into a recipe, and how it will enhance a recipe," Haryani says. "We do envision working directly with farmers in the near future as we continue to grow." That enhancement of a recipe is a big component of how Karamalize.me decides what to sell. Another example is the quinoa, sourced from Bolivia, even though the Bolivian qui- noa is more expensive than say, Peruvian. "We don't want to buy inferior quality products, and our customers find that this quinoa is much earthier in taste, and f luffs up very beauti- fully," says Haryani. Of course, the challenge with using the best possible organic products is the associated high price point. Haryani and Bhatnagar spend a lot of time focusing on how they can dif- ferentiate their brand so that consumers understand that the products are worth spending a little more money on. While Karmalize.me products have struggled in the U.S. retail market because of relatively high prices, exporting products to Japan has proven lucrative, as Japanese consumers are willing to pay a premium and the market takes quality and price in stride. Selling products directly from the Karmalize.me online store in the U.S. has also seen continued success. Passion for the Future The company's future looks promising, specifically with new products being rolled out in the new year. Currently, the focus is on products that are ready-to-use and are single-ingredient, and the innovative nut butter line is the jumping-off point for this. Functional nut butters are a big focus, as seen by new Morning Joe spread, a coffee-infused almond butter which was awarded a SIAL 2016 Innovation award in Paris. The nut butter offers the same kick as a shot of espresso and by using almonds, which is an oil-based nut, Haryani notes that caf- feine is slowly released into the body, rather than a spike that one would normally get from a morning cup of coffee. The company is focusing on growth and plans to offer more than 100 SKUs in the next year—providing even more opportunities for giving back. Karmalize.me is a com- pany that fulfills both his and Bhatnagar's passion for charitable work, Haryani explains. By focusing their time equally on charity as well as product quality, they hope to deliver a powerful message to the industry: passion is equally, if not more important, than profit. More Giving Back WINTER 2017 71