A Dozen Cousins, a natural food brand that makes ready-to-eat (RTE) beans inspired by regional Black and Latino recipes, serves underprivileged populations that otherwise have little access to healthy foods. The brand does this by using authentic, yet upgraded, recipes that replace traditional ingredients with more healthful options. The brand also gives back to the community by supporting the Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre, which offers a cooking and nutrition education program in Austin, Texas.
A Dozen Cousins took home the NEXY award for the Best New Pantry Food at Natural Products Expo West in March 2019, and in this podcast, Ibraheem Basir, founder and CEO, discusses the brand’s ideation and future goals with Sandy Almendarez, editor in chief, INSIDER. They cover:
- The need in the natural foods space to serve low-income communities
- How food cannot be separated from culture, and why brands that recognize this can connect with new populations
- A Dozen Cousins’ goal to end health disparities between income brackets in within 50 years.
This podcast was recorded at Natural Products Expo West 2019 in Anaheim, California.
Got feedback? Email Sandy at Sandy.Almendarez@informa.com, or tweet to @NatProdINSIDER using the hashtag #INSIDERPodcast.