BROOKLYN, NY. — B-Sides, an upcycled-focused snack startup, has launched Crunch Puffs. The puffs are a plant-based snack formulated with leftover oats that are discarded during oat milk production.

“Oat milk is basically produced by running a mix of water and oats through a blender, straining out the liquid and discarding the leftover pulp,” said Yousuf Ahmed, founder and chief executive officer of B-Sides. “Much of the starch content from the oat is what ends up suspended in the liquid; commercial oat milk producers use a variety of stabilizers, gums, and sweeteners to make the oat milk consumer ready. The leftover pulp, which is what’s typically thrown out, is a concentrated blend of protein and fiber.”

The puffs are offered in three varieties including cheddar, ranch and jalapeño.

Each bag of Crunch Puffs features 10 grams “complete of plant-based protein” and are free-from the top nine allergens.

The company said it obtains its upcycled oat milk from smaller independent oat milk producers throughout the Midwest United States.

“We’re also setting up partnerships with smaller producers throughout Canada, where our current puff production facility is located,” Ahmed said. “From a business perspective, rather than panicking, we’re using this disruption as an opportunity to expand and diversify supply chains. In an ideal world, you want your supply chain as close as possible to your centers of production and distribution.

“That’s not always possible in reality, so to solve for geographic disruptions and dislocations in procurement, which can arise as a result of trade wars, freighting, labor cost increases, etc., establishing backup supply chains, vetting hybrid production approaches, and being strategic about where when and how you make investments in production and distribution are keys to success in this environment.”

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