• brandchannel.com, Monday, June 18, 2007 11:15 AM

The Boca Foods brand grew out of the 1993 creation of the "Sun Burger"--an organic, soy-based vegetarian alternative to hamburgers--created by a restaurateur named "Chef Max." "Organic soyfoods" is the fastest growing consumer food segment, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.

Boca grew through in-store sampling that convinced consumers that its burgers tasted great. Helping to fuel the brand's popularity were product reviews that praised Boca's burger-like taste and consistency, its appearance in the Clinton White House and the growing interest in healthy eating.

In addition to introducing several varieties of burgers, the company brought other frozen soy products to market: Italian sausages, bratwurst, a "ground meat" substitute for use in spaghetti sauce and chili, breakfast patties and links, and "chicken" nuggets and patties. More recently, Boca has created a line of fully prepared frozen convenience foods that includes pizza, lasagna and chili. Its newest addition, breakfast wraps, combines egg whites, soy sausage and peppers in a whole-grain tortilla. Kraft acquired Boca in 2000.

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