SOLANA BEACH, CALIF. — Kashi Co., a business unit of Kellogg Co., has acquired Pure Organic, a maker of organic nutrition bars and fruit snacks. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Pure Organic started in founder Veronica Bosgraaf’s kitchen 10 years ago, when she began making snacks for her then six-year-old daughter, who had decided to become a vegetarian. Products are certified organic and free of gluten, soy and dairy. The brand offers fruit and nut bars, ancient grain bars and fruit and veggie strips made with simple ingredients.
In a video statement on the brand’s Facebook page, Ms. Bosgraaf said, “One of the reasons I knew Kashi was a great fit for Pure was because they fell in love with Pure for all the right reasons, the same reasons we love the brand. They appreciated the homegrown roots and the values that we stand for and the effort that we put into making delicious organic products. I’m so excited to join their team and work with them to continue to build the Pure Organic brand.
“Since I started Pure, it has been a daily goal of mine to bring more nutritious organic food to more people. Kashi has the resources, the knowledge, better distribution, to allow us to do just that.”
For Kashi, the acquisition comes at a time when the brand is working to revamp its offerings to align with today’s consumer preferences. Recent innovation includes gluten-free crackers made with teff, an ancient grain; savory snack bars featuring such flavors as chickpea curry and chili, quinoa corn and roasted pepper, and basil white bean and olive oil; and a new line of organic protein powder blends. Earlier this year, John Bryant, chairman and chief executive officer of Kellogg, said the Kashi business had been a “source of weakness for us over the last couple years.”
