Dive Brief:
- That's It fruit bars are now promoting their products as being some of the latest NASA-approved foods to be heading in a cargo shipment to U.S. astronauts living on the International Space Station.
- The fruit bars are made with simple ingredients, apples plus another fruit, such as bananas or apricots, and a proprietary drying and binding process that introduces fresh tastes and textures to a market otherwise dominated by Gummi-style fruit snacks, fruit leathers, and dried fruit. Plus, the bars have an 18-month shelf life.
- For approval to launch, That's It fruit bars had to undergo NASA testing to determine that they can resist changing temperatures and are suitable for zero-G flight.
Dive Insight:
Our Apple+Apricot and Apple+Banana bars are now on the @Space_Station! Grab yours today: https://t.co/jzSndvySo5 pic.twitter.com/nWaM20KvmC
— That's It. (@ThatsItFruit) December 16, 2015
That's It's dedication to simplicity and transparency is in line with what many health-conscious consumers are asking of processed foods companies today. Made with only two fruits, the bars are also gluten-free.
Whole Foods began distributing That's It bars nationwide three years ago instead of the typical region-by-region rollout, followed by distribution pickups by Starbucks, 7-Eleven, and Kroger stores across the U.S. Even with these distribution successes, space was the next frontier That's It planned to conquer.
"It’s exhilarating to think our product will actually be in orbit, providing a daily serving of fruit to an astronaut," Lewensztain told brandchannel. "This is a tremendous application of our vision to improve the quality of life worldwide by making fruit and its benefits accessible everywhere —now even in space."