Introduces new flavor of Chicken Crisps, a chef-composed snack crafted from rescued ingredients, available exclusively on Kickstarter

CHICAGO – September 26, 2018 – ¡Yappah! the new snack brand from the Tyson Innovation Lab that is helping to fight food waste by inspiring consumers to rethink snacks for good with its delicious, chef composed snacks, is launching on Kickstarter a three week crowdfunding campaign September 24 through October 15 showcasing an exclusive new flavor, Chicken Michelada. 

The Kickstarter campaign follows a successful partnership with Indiegogo in June through which the ¡Yappah! brand introduced its first four Chicken Crisps flavors on the crowdfunding platform. Through that campaign, the ¡Yappah! brand received feedback from backers who suggested adding variety, leading to the development of the Michelada flavor. 

Co-creation with consumers and partnership with other like-minded companies is seen as essential to help tackle the issue of food waste and make an impact on a large scale. With the support and co-operation of Kickstarter, the ¡Yappah! brand will have more opportunities to connect with early adopters. Two key partners in the ¡Yappah! brand launch have been Molson Coors, which provides the spent grain for the three beer flavors, and Naturex, which provides the vegetable puree for the two veggie flavors. 

“We could not have developed the Chicken Crisps or test launched them without the collaboration of partners like Molson Coors, Naturex, Indiegogo and the great cooperation of Kickstarter,” said Rizal Hamdallah, who heads the group who created the ¡Yappah! brand and the Chicken Crisps. “We will continue to seek out partners, large and small, who have resources and goals that complement our own.”

A recipe crafted by a chef trained at a Michelin-Star restaurant

The new Chicken Michelada recipe, developed by ¡Yappah! brand’s chef Kang Kuan, the former sous chef of Michelin award-winning French Laundry Restaurant and a veteran of the famed restaurant Morimoto, was inspired by the popular Mexican drink, typically made with beer, lime juice and assorted sauces and spices. This spicy new flavor is crafted with rescued spent grain from Molson Coors and chicken breast from Tyson Foods, and each recyclable aluminum can contains eight grams of protein.

The ¡Yappah! brand’s name was inspired by a tradition in the South American Andes called “yapa,” which refers to the little something extra a merchant gives to a valued customer so that nothing gets wasted.

“The ¡Yappah! brand mission is unique, important and far-reaching,” Hamdallah said. “The brand was created to inspire people and partners to rethink their relationship to food and how it impacts society. Through this Kickstarter campaign, we again are encouraging everyone to support efforts to address global food challenges such as food waste.” 

In addition to testing the new Michelada flavor, the ¡Yappah! brand aims to grow a passionate community of early adopters who believe in the brand’s mission.

Kickstarter, a public benefit corporation whose mission is to bring creative projects to life, has a socially conscious community which makes this crowdfunding campaign a great fit. 

¡Yappah! Chicken Crisps will launch at retail through a partnership with Treasure Island Foods, a local Chicago supermarket chain. ¡Yappah! Chicken Crisps will ship to stores in late October after the Kickstarter campaign concludes and backers received their orders. The new Michelada flavor will complement the first four flavors: Chicken Carrot—Curry Flavored, Chicken Celery—Mojo Flavored, Chicken IPA White Cheddar, and Chicken—Shandy Beer Flavored.

¡Yappah! Brand Partners with the Greater Chicago Food Depository to help fight hunger 
Food waste is one of the leading causes of hunger worldwide. The world produces enough food to nourish every man, woman and child, but over one third of that food is never used. Since the ¡Yappah! brand is about helping fight food waste, then it also is about helping fight hunger.

To emphasize this, the ¡Yappah! brand has donated all net funds raised through its earlier Indiegogo campaign to its partner, the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD). The same will be done with net funds raised through Kickstarter. The Greater Chicago Food Depository is a non-profit organization that fights hunger throughout Cook County, Ill. In addition to hunger relief, the GCFD has several initiatives to help address food waste. 

About Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp® and State Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 122,000 team members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit WWW.TYSONFOODS.COM.

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