Upton’s Naturals Pioneers The Jackfruit Food Craze

Chicago, IL – Upton’s Naturals, an independently-owned, ethical vegan company, is paving the way in a new category of meat alternatives with its introduction of ready-to-eat, natural Jackfruit. Native to Southeast Asia, jackfruit is the world's largest tree fruit. Beneath its incredibly large and spiky exterior is a mild-flavored, nutrient-dense, plant-based meat substitute. When cooked up young (a.k.a. not ripe) and seasoned right, this tropical fruit has the texture and taste of perfect pulled pork or shredded chicken.

Upton’s Naturals is the first company to make pre-seasoned, heat-and-serve, natural jackfruit nationally available to the U.S. market. Using only simple, recognizable ingredients, Upton’s Naturals’ Jackfruit offers a good source of fiber, is completely free of cholesterol, gluten, soy, oil, GMO’s, and artificial flavors, and 100% vegan. The lineup includes Bar-B-Que and Chili Lime Carnitas, along with new-to-market Thai Curry and an Original variety.

The decision to create a jackfruit product happened when Upton’s Naturals’ founder Dan Staackmann and his girlfriend (also Upton’s Naturals’ vice president) Nicole Sopko were eating at a Nepalese restaurant. They ordered a delicious meal made from jackfruit and thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if the process to cook this at home were easier?” Knowing that fresh, unripe jackfruit was hard to come by and that the closest thing to convenience in the category was unseasoned jackfruit in a can, the 20-year vegan power couple set on a mission to bring pre-seasoned, ready-to-eat jackfruit to the U.S.

Once picked, the fruit has a shelf life of only a day or two, so Upton's found a partner in Thailand to do all of its processing before shipping the finished product overseas. The company teams with a network of family farms that have been growing cultivated jackfruit for many years. Dan inspired the group to sell him unripe jackfruit in addition to the ripe fruit they were used to selling. This created extra demand for the farmers, who prior to the arrangement often had unused crops, and resulted in a mutually beneficial relationship for both.

“Doing what we believe in is the best part of this business, and to us, success is creating 100% vegan products that can inspire meat-free meals,” shared Staackmann. “Unripe jackfruit is the source of an incredibly versatile and healthful meat alternative that is relatively foreign to the American market. We set out to make jackfruit easier to enjoy and more accessible to the everyday consumer. The response from vegans and non-vegans alike has been amazing.”

Primed to change the landscape of vegan packaged goods, Upton’s Naturals’ Jackfruit can be found in the refrigerated section at natural and specialty stores nationwide for an SRP of $4.99 per 10.6oz box and is also available for foodservice customers. The product is shelf stable and packaged in a retort pouch to maintain freshness.

About Upton’s Naturals

Upton’s Naturals is an independently-owned natural foods company with a focus on meat alternatives and vegan values. Dedicated to simplicity and the use of real, recognizable ingredients, the Upton’s team takes food that has been around for thousands of years and seasons it for the Western palate. The company’s founder Dan Staackmann pioneered flavored, wheat-based seitan and is now launching the first-to-market, seasoned and ready-to-eat jackfruit in the United States. Upton’s Naturals’ Seitan products are made in-house at a modern facility in Chicago. The 20-year vegan power couple also reside at the location and run a factory café called Upton’s Breakroom where the public can try the team’s recipes. Visit UptonsNaturals.com for more information and find @UptonsNaturals on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Also visit @UptonsBreakroom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Source: Upton’s Naturals