IncrEdible Eats is on a mission to replace all plastic utensils with edible options. Their first product is IncrEdible Spoons.
Dinesh Tadepalli, a hardware engineer in Silicon Valley, was leaving the ice cream shop with his children. They all dutifully placed their plastic spoons in the trash bin, and Dinesh saw that the bin was filled with plastic. He had a “vision” of the oceans filling up with plastic, patches of garbage as large as Texas, the whales, turtles and marine birds dying from ingesting plastic or getting tangled up in it. What if he could make a difference by making alternative spoons—say, spoons you can eat.
He started researching the idea and learned about Krvuil Patel, a mechanical engineer in India, who had the same idea. He was experimenting with various recipes and in the process of designing a machine to make edible cutlery. The two teamed up and after a couple years and 80 or so attempts, they had the recipe for IncrEdible Spoons and built a manufacturing facility.
There they were with the spoons, two engineers without a clue about how to market them, no website, business cards, or even advertising flyers. That’s when Jack Kneubuhl (now Sales Director) appeared out of the blue, enthusiastic about their mission and volunteering to help build the brand, with his experience in aerospace, renewable energy, and trending technologies.
About IncrEdible Spoons
- The lightly flavored spoons (in table size and dessert size) can be used with both hot and cold foods, including soup, yogurt, ice cream, oatmeal, cereal, pasta, rice, and stews.
- Ingredients are plant-based and non-GMO (wheat, corn, oats, brown rice and chickpeas), dairy-free and vegan. Spoons are made in a nut-free facility.
- Flavors are both sweet savory: vanilla, chocolate, black pepper, oregano chili, or no flavor (plain).
- Each spoon is individually wrapped in recyclable and biodegradable paper sleeves.
- Spoons will stay firm in cold food for 45 minutes, hot food 25 minutes.
- For an extra bit of crunch, place the spoons in the fridge for a few minutes before using.
IncrEdible Spoons and the Environment
- For every 20 boxes sold, the company plants one tree through the non-profit One Tree Planted with its mission of global reforestation in North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific. So far, 3,000 trees have been planted, and the landfills and oceans have been rescued from 400,000 plastic spoons.
- The packaging, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, comes from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.
- Member of Impact Collective, a group of forward-thinking brands committed to neutralizing our plastic footprint as responsible stewards of our planet while providing customers with high-quality products.
- IncrEdible Eats is better than carbon neutral! It is carbon positive, offsetting 200% of the carbon and plastic that is used to make and distribute products.
IncrEdible Spoons Recognitions
- One of HYPE Magazine’s “30 Brands to Make You Feel Good in September 2021 & Beyond”
- Named “Best Edible Serveware” by Progressive Grocer
- World Plant-Based Awards 2020
- Winner – “Best Plant-Based Sustainability”
- Finalist – “Best Plant-Based Functional Product”
- Finalist – “Best Plant-Based Packaging”
- Winner in Smart Kitchen Summit Future Food Competition
- Won the Front Burner Foodservice Pitch Competition and was selected Fan Favorite of the event with high scores in innovation, quality, and chef-appeal.
The Future of IncrEdible Eats
- Currently in R&D for sporks and straws.
- Next up: coffee stirrers, cups and bowls.
- Working with a large Japanese company to make edible chopsticks.
- Working with a top food company to make a smaller spoon to pack with their pasta and rice bowls.