Bare Snacks

Introduction

BARE is a brand that emerged from a vision to redefine healthy snacking in the modern world. Acquired by PepsiCo in 2018, BARE was founded with the simple mission of creating delicious snacks with real fruits and vegetables, using nothing artificial. The brand began with a focus on fruit chips, particularly their signature apple chips, and has since expanded their portfolio to include other innovative better-for-you snacking options. Throughout its evolution, BARE has maintained its commitment to simple ingredients and minimal processing, appealing to health-conscious consumers seeking wholesome alternatives to traditional snacks.

At the core of BARE's philosophy is the belief that snacks should be both nutritious and delicious without compromise. The brand emphasizes clean ingredients, using only real fruits and vegetables that are baked, never fried. This approach is reflected in their simple ingredient lists, which typically feature just one or two ingredients with no added sugars or preservatives. BARE's commitment to transparency in ingredients and processing methods resonates with consumers who are increasingly mindful of what they eat and seeking cleaner labels in their snack choices.

What sets BARE apart from other snack brands is its dedication to maintaining the natural goodness of its ingredients while creating uniquely crave-worthy textures. The brand's innovative baking process creates perfectly crispy snacks that retain the natural flavors and nutrients of the original fruits and vegetables. Under PepsiCo's ownership, BARE has expanded its reach while maintaining its core values of simplicity and quality, making it a go-to choice for consumers looking for snacks that align with their healthy lifestyle goals.

Signature Products

• BARE Baked Apple Chips: Their flagship product featuring crispy, crunchy apple slices that are simply baked with no added ingredients, available in various varieties including traditional, cinnamon, and fuji red.

• BARE Banana Chips: Baked banana chips that offer a naturally sweet snacking option without added oils or sugars, providing a healthier alternative to traditional fried banana chips.

• BARE Coconut Chips: Crunchy coconut chips that deliver tropical flavor and satisfying texture, made from simple ingredients and perfect for snacking or as a topping.

Materials and Ingredients Used by Bare

• Apple: BARE's signature ingredient comes from carefully selected fresh apples. These apples are thinly sliced and slowly baked to create their iconic chips. The apples are chosen for their natural sweetness and ability to maintain flavor through the baking process, with varieties including Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith. No additional ingredients or preservatives are added.
• Banana: BARE sources ripe bananas that are ideal for their unique baking process. The bananas are selected at peak ripeness to ensure optimal natural sweetness and are thinly sliced before being baked to crispy perfection. Unlike traditional banana chips, BARE's version contains no added oils or sugars, letting the natural banana flavor shine through.
• Coconut: BARE uses premium coconut sourced from sustainable farms. The coconut meat is carefully sliced and baked to create light, crispy chips that maintain the natural tropical flavor of fresh coconut. The process preserves the coconut's natural nutrients while creating a satisfying crunch, without any additional ingredients or preservatives.

Pesticide Use:

Apples are one of the most pesticide-intensive crops. The widespread use of pesticides in apple orchards can have detrimental effects on local ecosystems, harming beneficial insects like bees, which are crucial for pollination. Pesticides can also leach into nearby waterways, contaminating them and posing risks to aquatic life. Examples include the Hudson River in New York, where pesticide runoff from orchards has historically been an environmental concern.

Water Consumption:

Apples require significant amounts of water to grow, especially in regions that do not receive sufficient rainfall. This demand for water can lead to over-extraction from local water sources, reducing water availability for surrounding communities and ecosystems. California, a significant apple-producing state, often faces challenges related to water scarcity, amplifying this issue.

Carbon Emissions from Transportation:

Transporting apples from production regions to consumer markets contributes to the carbon footprint of the supply chain. Apples often need to be kept under controlled temperatures to maintain freshness during transit, requiring energy consumption. For example, exporting apples from the United States to overseas markets like Europe or Asia involves significant carbon emissions due to air or sea transport.

Deforestation:

Banana plantations often lead to the clearing of tropical forests to create expansive farming areas. This deforestation contributes to habitat loss, threatening biodiversity and increasing carbon levels in the atmosphere. In Central American countries like Costa Rica, banana production has been linked to significant deforestation events.

Labor Rights:

The banana industry has been criticized for poor labor conditions, including low wages and inadequate worker protection. Workers on banana plantations in countries like Ecuador and Guatemala often face harsh working conditions without sufficient compensation or access to healthcare. This issue highlights the need for fair trade practices and improved labor rights in agricultural supply chains.

Carbon Footprint from Shipping:

Bananas are typically grown in tropical regions and shipped internationally, often requiring refrigeration during transport. This process results in a significant carbon footprint. For instance, bananas consumed in Europe might travel thousands of kilometers from Central America or Africa, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions associated with long-distance shipping.

Biodiversity Loss:

The harvesting of cinnamon bark can lead to biodiversity loss, especially when trees are not allowed to regenerate adequately. In Sri Lanka and Indonesia, cinnamon is often sourced from native forests where other species can be affected, disrupting local ecosystems and reducing species diversity.

Overharvesting:

Cinnamon is often subject to overharvesting practices, where demand leads to excessive stripping of the bark from trees, preventing their recovery and sustainability. This can eventually lead to a decline in cinnamon tree populations, threatening their long-term availability and the ecological balance in their habitats.

Labor Exploitation:

The coconut industry has faced scrutiny for labor exploitation, where workers are poorly paid and lack rights, often in tropical countries like the Philippines and Indonesia. Reports of child labor and unsafe working conditions further exacerbate the social issues tied to coconut farming, posing ethical concerns about workforce treatment.

Monoculture Farming:

Coconut palm cultivation typically relies on monoculture practices, which can lead to soil degradation and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases. In places like the Southern Philippines, this practice can put significant pressure on local ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and ecological resilience over time.

These issues illustrate that while the brand "Bare" uses natural ingredients like apples, bananas, cinnamon bark, and coconuts, there are significant sustainability challenges that must be addressed to create a more resilient and ethical supply chain.