Have you ever wondered why granola bars have ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup or thiamin mononitrate? Since ingredients like this have been proven harmful when consumed by humans, then why are they still in our food?
A Kent state student, Emily Yoder, decided to challenge this questionable norm. Through research, she discovered ingredients like this were used to keep food from spoiling, make it cheaper with artificial flavor alternatives, and replicate natural aspects of food that disappear when being processed, not to mention that granola bars and such often have an unnecessarily high sugar content.
Since none of these ingredients were necessary to making food, Emily decided to make REAL food, so that people avoid the unhealthy chemicals.
Emily’s granola bars, brownies, and other treats went above ditching the unnatural chemicals: all of them are vegan and gluten free, organic, and made with local ingredients that are mostly non-GMO, packaged with eco-friendly materials. They are also free of refined sugars, trans fat, cholesterol, and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
Emily sells her products at Ohio farmers markets, and has additional sales in other seasons. As of 2017, she planned on getting a space in Cleveland Culinary Launch & Kitchen (CLLK) and hiring her first employees. Whether or not she was successful is unclear.
Emily’s idea is inspiring because she challenged the norm and tried to make something good. As she says, “There’s no point in being an entrepreneur unless you’re trying to change something for the better.” Even if you end up failing, it was worth a shot and a great learning experience.
It’s great to see Emily question this issue. So often we just accept things when they could be done in a healthier and better way. It think it’s an important reminder that failing is a part of entrepreneurship. Just because an idea may not take off in the way you hope doesn’t mean you should give up or stop searching for new ways to innovate.