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They say that chocolate makes the world go round, and none more so than a much-loved candy bar from your childhood. That’s why San Diego’s Trupo Treats is launching a vegan and gluten-free “mylk” chocolate wafer, inspired by Kit Kat, and said to be the very first of its kind in North America.
Food can be a powerful trigger for memories and emotions. And for many, sweet treats like biscuits and chocolate are particularly evocative. But for folks with specific dietary requirements—whether due to lifestyle choices or allergies—many of the milk chocolate-based products from their youth may no longer be an option.
That’s where Trupo Treats comes in—a plant-based chocolate company with a mission to veganize all your childhood favorites with ethically sourced ingredients. The brand’s new Vegan Wafer Bars are the embodiment of this goal: vegan, gluten-free, and delicious chocolate (which customers can pre-order now).
Enter Trupo Treats
Founded in 2020 by twin brothers and longtime vegans Charlie and Brian Trupo, the company specializes in creating vegan-friendly versions of classic chocolate bars.
“We started this company with a mission to provide milk chocolate that people miss when they go vegan,” say Brian and Charlie, “whilst also doing good for the environment and animals.”
Trupo Treats already stocks classic mylk chocolate, rice crunch, and dark mylk bars, in addition to caramel truffles and sprinkle-covered rainbow squares. (You can order a variety pack here.) But as of today (August 15), customers can also pre-order the new Vegan Wafer Bars.
By eschewing gluten as well as dairy, the new bars are free from two of the most common modern food allergens. They will be available in chocolate, hazelnut, and peanut butter flavors, with all three varieties Gluten-Free Certified, Rainforest Alliance Certified, OU Kosher, and Non-GMO Project Verified.
First announced last year, the brothers decided to make a mylk chocolate wafer bar as it was the single most-requested item by their Instagram followers. (A certain ubiquitous red-and-white chocolate wafer bar was also Brian’s firm favorite as a child.)
“We decided to come out with our Vegan Wafer bars because not only are they incredibly delicious, but they’ll be the only vegan and gluten-free wafer bars in all of North America,” explain Brian and Charlie. “They’re finally here and we couldn’t be more proud and excited to showcase our veganized version.”
Making chocolate ethical, healthier, and more sustainable
Not only are the new bars free from dairy (which comes with a range of health complications), they contain significantly less sugar than the leading mainstream brand too. (Trupo Treats’ version contains approximately 8g of sugar per 20g serving, compared to 20g per 42g.)
Another way that the vegan chocolate bars differ from other options is the company’s commitment to sustainable and ethical practices. Unfortunately, many of the world’s leading chocolate brands—including Mars, Mondelēz, and Nestlé—have been linked to various harmful and problematic business practices, from exploitation to environmental destruction.
In fact, the chocolate industry overall is frequently implicated in child and slave labor, as well as ecological concerns such as deforestation and soil erosion. To combat this standard, Trupo Treats emphasizes care and sustainability throughout its sourcing, supply chain, and manufacturing, right down to the recyclable wrapper on each individual chocolate bar.
Notably, the cocoa used in Trupo Treats’ Mylk Chocolate and Rice Crunch Bar is sourced directly from a small-scale collective of 70 Peruvian families, and Trupo Treats is currently on the Food Empowerment Project’s recommended chocolate list. “Our company was built upon being kind to the people, planet, and animals,” say the brothers.
Partnered with charities
In addition to its commitment to an ethical and transparent supply chain, Trupo Treats has partnered with carefully chosen charities since its conception back in 2020 in order to maximize the company’s impact on the world
So far, Trupo Treats has donated more than $10,000 to support the valuable work of hundreds of animal sanctuaries all over the US. These include Wildwood Farm, Chicagoland Pig Rescue, Little Buckets Farm Sanctuary, Tiny Hooves, Rooster Redemption, and the Aloha Animal Sanctuary.
“We knew we wanted to work with animal sanctuaries because these were the people who were directly saving animals,” say the brothers. “And by being part of the community, we also realized how much these animal sanctuaries struggle to survive because of the many expenses involved with taking care of their rescued animal residents.”
At the end of June, the company worked with Forgotten Dogs Rescue (FDR), a Seattle-based volunteer and foster home organization that focuses on saving pit bull-type dogs. (These are the most common breeds in shelter environments, as well as one of the most misunderstood and maligned around the world.) FDR has been working hard to foster, support, and treat shelter dogs for more than a decade, providing countless forgotten animals with a loving and nurturing environment in which they can flourish.
Giving back to the animals
Trupo Treats donates at least 10 percent of net profits to its partnered charities. The company aims to continue expanding until it is able to raise $1 million per year for “animal sanctuaries, sustainable causes, and any effort to combat climate change.”
“From the start, it was always a dream of ours to give back to the animals,” say Brian and Charlie. “And we ended up realizing that Trupo Treats was the perfect way to do so!”
Those interested can pre-order the vegan and gluten-free mylk chocolate wafer bars right here.
For more information about where to buy the full range of products, visit the Trupo Treats website. Or, You can follow Trupo Treats on Instagram here.
* This is a paid-for advertorial; funds from this article help Plant Based News continue to provide millions of people around the world with free content they know and love. We only work with brands we support and use ourselves.
