flavors

OK, it’s about time to do an update on how things are looking for Keto Chow 2.1. We just had lunch at Bam Bam’s BBQ with our co-packer (not quite as good as Black’s BBQ in Austin but MUCH closer!) – we’re not their only client doing keto stuff, though most of the other ones are all about exogenous ketones so we got to school him on topics related to those =). Anyhow, I got some great info – here’s what’s going on:

• The packaging for the large bags ran into an issue late last week, one of the rolls got damaged before it went to the “poucher” and they had to reprint it… but before that, they had to wait for more of the media to print it on. The reprinted roll should be done today (March 7) and delivered to the finisher tomorrow. From there it’ll take a few days to make into pouches and be delivered to our co-packer.
• Priority #1 is getting Chocolate (and Chocolate Peanut Butter by extension) completed. There are a few ingredients they’re waiting on:
  • The first of several nearly full truckloads of protein powder is supposed to arrive early next week.
  • Choline-L bitartrate has been difficult to find because everyone keeps wanting to ship the DL version instead of the L. With some compounds that wouldn’t be a problem but:
    1. DL smells gross
    2. DL contains both the D and L isomers but only the L can be used by life on earth – that makes it only 50% effective – the problem is DL has also been shown to cause kidney damage which L does not.
  • The flavor supplier is expediting a batch of the “Chocolate Milkshake” flavor that is used along with cocoa powder to make the Chocolate (and Peanut Butter). This one is a bit of an unknown since we haven’t actually confirmed when it’ll be done.
• Once those two are going, Priority #2 is mixing up sample batches for the other 16 flavors. The plan is to get that over to packaging and done so we can have the “Sample the NEW things” for the 10 new flavors (plus the 2.1 samples of the old flavors) already available as the remaining large “week” bags are completed.
• Priority #3 is Strawberry and Cookies & Cream – this one is interesting. The place we were getting the Strawberry, Banana, and Cookies & Cream flavors got weird about some compositional changes we wanted to the flavoring. Ultimately it was easier to get a different flavor place to replicate the flavors – I tested those 3 last week and I’m fiddling a little with how strong they are, that should be complete before the choline shows up.
• The Remaining flavors will come in over a month or so, several hundred units of each flavor at a time.

A quick note about the lack of pre-order ability. We don’t do backorders or pre-orders. That’s somewhat for our own sanity but also to keep our payment processors happy. If we go longer than 30 days after taking money without shipping a product, they get rather upset. Do I think we’ll go longer than 30 days? No, but you never know with a new product line like this (see above =).

Besides that, pre-orders would be necessary only if we were getting in a limited quantity and you had to worry about not getting some. Going off past experience, when we get Chocolate, Peanut Butter, the Samples, and the rest of the flavors; we’ll be getting a massive quantity of each. Like 3-4 pallets worth of each. So there will be enough that pre-orders won’t be necessary.

If you’d like to know more about the upcoming version 2.1, check out the Keto Chow 2.1 information nexus where I’m posting updates and additional information.