ZEGO Snacks Emerges as "De Facto Leader in Allergen Transparency"

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergy friendly ZEGO has shaken up the "free from" snack industry by combining superior flavor and nutrition with pioneering food safety not offered by any other company, leading Dave Bloom, founder of SnackSafely.com, to recently declare the company, "the de facto leader in allergen transparency." 

Emerging Brands Leader Joins as Advisor and Investor

Scott Elaine Wright-Case (co-founder VMG Partners), who is an investor and advisor for the company, sees it at the leading edge of the burgeoning "free from" movement, one of the highest growth consumer categories. ZEGO recently raised $500K in its seed round.

"Colleen was one of the first diagnosed cases of celiac disease in the 1980s and she has become a leading expert in safe food systems, state of the art testing, allergy-friendly ingredients and manufacturing processes. As a mother of children with food allergies and intolerances, she understands special diet food has to be more than just safe, it needs to taste great and provide unparalleled nutrition," said Wright-Case. She added,

"ZEGO's positioning, products and integrity are strong; all they need now is to continue building their dedicated fan base." (Scott Elaine Wright-Case, co-founder VMG)

Pioneering Testing & Transparency Show Commitment to Wellness

ZEGO's clean, superfood ingredients and delicious taste have broad appeal and its state-of-the-art "free from" features are particularly attractive to people with compromised immune systems due to allergies, intolerances or diseases. To better protect those customers' health, the company pioneered the Z-CODE food safety system, linking each package to its batch test results for cross contact. They also test for glyphosate (RoundUp) residue because glyphosate is suspected to cause symptoms similar to those of autoimmune diseases. ZEGO is a certified as a B Corp, supporting projects that improve nutrition for low-income children.

Started in Response to Schools Started Banning Nuts

Colleen Kavanagh, ZEGO's CEO, spotted the "free from" trend early on when her children's elementary school banned all peanuts and tree nuts from campus, which 92% of elementary schools now restrict. None of the allergy friendly companies were dedicated to making superfood-based snacks that met all the dietary needs she and the other families had for conditions like diabetes, Crohn's and ADHD. So, she created ZEGO, for "ZEst on the GO."  through farmers' markets and schools as well as advocating that all companies should regularly test their products for pesticide and allergen residue to protect their consumers' and the planet's health.

Debuting New Products at Expo West

ZEGO will be sampling its Just Fruit Bar, Fruit+Chia Bar, and Seed+Fruit Bar as well as its new line of "Mix-Ins," an organic blend of seeds and fruit, at Expo West booth #7103 and Fresh Pavillion #F144.                                                                                   

SOURCE ZEGO LLC