Organic Processing Vo1.8 #3

Orgain also just received the “ Ashley Koff Approved” (AKA) seal. Koff is a well-respected registered dietitian who is regularly called on for her nutritional expertise in several media outlets, including The Huffington Post, Good Morning America Health, E! News, O! The Oprah Magazine, Redbook, Natural Health and Organic Processing magazines. The AKA endorsement is likely to lead to a surge of media exposure for Orgain—and cause many more people to look much more closely at the label of their usual RTD shakes.

Consumer Evangelism

Another way Orgain is getting out to new areas in the market is by giving cases of it away for free. Since its launch, Orgain has used a portion of its profits to give a free supply of Orgain to more than 100 people who needed the nutrition but could not afford it. “The only thing I ask in return is that the people we help spread the word about Orgain—and they have!” he says.

One of the first people who re-
ceived free product was a patient deal-
ing with cancer. One year after giving
her the product, Abraham started re-
ceiving phone calls from pharmacies
and small retailers all around her area
requesting Orgain. “She had gone out
and told everyone how much it had
helped her,” Abraham says. “It was
very rewarding and humbling to see
this kind of feedback, and it strength-
ens our resolve to continue to help
others.”
As part of this resolve, this summer,
Abraham is going to be working with
the nonprofit Nourish America
( www.nourishamerica.org) to launch
a kids’ nutrition program, as well as an-
other program working with malnour-
ished seniors.

contains the same HFCS and artificial flavors and preservatives as the conventional brands for adults, Orgain launched a kid-size version at Natural Products Expo West this past March. Orgain Healthy Kids is very similar to the adult version except it is smaller, 8 ounces versus 13 ounces, and has more vitamin D and calcium, and less protein. It is marketed as an ideal way to make sure picky eaters are getting the proper nutrition for development, as well as a healthier option for after-school snacks, meals on the run or as a pick-me-up after sports practice.

As for what’s next, Abraham says he is continually testing new ingredients to make Orgain even more nutritious and adds that there are usually about 40 different ingredients he is experimenting with in his kitchen at all times. He has also been looking for ways to make it more affordable, especially for those who are ill and depend on Orgain for every calorie. Orgain currently sells for $2.99 retail, which is not too bad when you consider that it is about 5 ounces larger than its conventional competitors, however, it can add up when a cancer patient is drinking 6 to 8 servings a day. Recently, though, Orgain was made available through Amazon.com’s Subscribe and Save program, bringing the price down to about $2 per unit— 35 percent less than what it sells for in stores.

Meanwhile, Abraham’s biggest project continues to be enlightening consumers about what really is in so-called “healthy nutritional shakes” and making sure no one ever has to plug their nose to chug another again. o

Kat Schuett is the editorial director of Organic Processing Magazine. You can reach her at kat@organicprocessing.com.

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