Issei Mochi Gummies Receives Coveted Golden Ticket Award At Walmart’s Open Call 2023
The mom founded brand expands in-store presence nationwide with recent retail expansions including Sprouts Farmers Market and Walmart
New York, NY December 15, 2023 – Issei Mochi Gummies, the first all natural Mochi gummy brand, is pleased to announce that it received Walmart's coveted "Golden Ticket" award at Walmart's Open Call 2023. With thousands of applicants, Walmart selected Issei Mochi Gummies as a new product to be sold in Walmart's physical store locations and will be available in stores in 2024.
Issei Mochi Gummies continues to expand the brand aggressively through the company's growing base of retail and distributor outlets, nationally, regionally, and locally. The Walmart news follows Issei Mochi Gummies recent retail announcement with Sprouts Farmers Market in November carrying the Sour Watermelon gummy flavor exclusively. The Sour Watermelon Gummy also is the first of its kind innovation with any sour Mochi product, requiring a specialized and unique development process for the ingredient combination. Issei, the one year old company, continues to rapidly expand its national retail footprint with products also available in Whole Foods Market, Raley's, Bestie's Vegan Paradise, The World Bank, The Compass Group, and Sprouts Farmers Market as well as online at Amazon and Mochigummies.com.
Mika Shino, CEO and Founder of Issei Mochi Gummies, states "We are so elated to be selected as a Golden Ticket recipient for Walmart’s Open Call 2023. Our entire team is grateful for this tremendous opportunity to soon have Issei Mochi Gummies on the shelves at Walmart and look forward to our launch in 2024."
Walmart Open Call 2023 post-event announcement can be found here.
Founded in 2022 by first-generation Japanese entrepreneur, Mika Shino, the award winning Issei Mochi Gummies are shelf-stable, vegan, kosher, and free of gluten, dairy, soy and nuts. Most importantly, these delicious, chewy treats are crafted with a commitment to all-natural ingredients — devoid of GMOs, animal-derived gelatin, and artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors. The first of its kind, Issei Mochi Gummies have a completely new textural and chewing experience with a soft, chewy, pillowy texture, somewhere between a gummy bear and a marshmallow. The gummies can be enjoyed straight from the package, or paired with ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal, puddings, or a favorite dessert.
Issei Mochi Gummies debuted exclusively with Whole Foods Market in September 2022. Stocking the shelves in 192 stores across the U.S., it repeatedly sold out in many locations and quickly became the #2 best selling single-serving chewy candy. Now, the gummies are readily accessible online and at other national retailers nationwide in flavors including Strawberry, Mango, Sour Watermelon and Vanilla, with more to come in 2024. Recognized for its commitment to excellence, Issei Mochi Gummies won TasteTV’s Best New Chewy Snack, Best New Packaging and Best Texture 2023, won Stevie’s Award’s the Best Fest Female Entrepreneur of Companies Less than 10 Employees, was nominated for the Most Innovative New Product Award 2023, nominated for Best of 2022 and 2023 Nosh Award, named 2022 Disruptor and Innovator of the Year by Washington Life Magazine and became a Finalist as Best New Sweet Snack 2023 for the Nexty Awards at ExpoWest.
Issei Mochi Gummies began as a simple homemade snack that Shino was making for her kids and friends. Weary of the ingredients in the various gummy snacks and candies her children often asked for, she sought to create a snack that did not have excessive sugar, artificial flavors, chemical stabilizers, and animal byproducts. The more she learned about how gelatin was the foundation of most chewy snacks, and the more she learned where gelatin came from (boiled animal skin), the more she was convinced that there had to be better options for treats. So she created a simple, pure, and natural snack — small bite-sized versions of the mochi cakes she grew up with in Japan — infused with natural flavors.
Issei Mochi Gummies embraces the ancient Japanese tradition of mochi, a beloved rice-based treat with centuries of history and often consumed during sacred ceremonies, celebrations, gatherings and expressions of gratitude. The company redefines snacking, offering unparalleled purity as one of the cleanest snacks ever developed. Suitable for a wide range of lifestyles, these gummies are meticulously crafted to meet the highest standards of dietary inclusivity.
Issei’s mission is simple: to innovate better food options for a happier, healthier life, ensuring everyone can enjoy delicious snacks that align with their values. The term “Issei” means ‘first generation Japanese immigrants in the U.S.’ — symbolizing the earnest hope of immigrants who bring the best of their heritage to their newfound home. Issei is dedicated to infusing diversity and inclusion into the food sector, building bridges across cultures through the universal language of food. The Founder/CEO, Mika Shino, is a first-generation Japanese entrepreneur who brings a wealth of experience from her leadership roles in the culture, music and diplomacy space, having served as a United Nations Program Specialist, CEO, COO, producer, and advisor for tech firms, private companies and celebrities. Shino also attended Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris and published a cookbook ‘Smart Bites for Baby’ (Perseus Press, 2011). Together with a strong team of experts, Issei will establish itself as the premium, natural snack brand of the future. With innovation at the forefront, Mochi Gummies are bringing incremental growth to the candy category and have introduced an entirely new category of gummies to the market. Issei has an aggressive growth strategy with multiple fist-to-market product lines in development.
About Mochi Gummies By Issei
Established in 2022 by first-generation Japanese entrepreneur, Mika Shino, Issei Mochi Gummies embraces the ancient Japanese tradition of mochi, a beloved rice-based confection with centuries of history. Issei Mochi Gummies redefines snacking, offering unparalleled purity as one of the cleanest snacks ever developed. Suitable for a wide range of lifestyles, these gummies are meticulously crafted to meet the highest standards of dietary inclusivity. It is shelf-stable, vegan, kosher, and free of gluten, dairy, soy and nuts. Most importantly, these delicious, chewy treats are crafted with a commitment to all-natural ingredients — devoid of GMOs, animal-derived gelatin, and artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors. The first of its
kind, Issei Mochi Gummies debuted exclusively with Whole Foods Market in September 2022. Stocking the shelves in 192 stores across the U.S., it repeatedly sold out in many locations and quickly became the #2 best selling single-serving chewy candy. Now, the gummies are readily accessible nationwide at Sprouts Farmers Market, Raley's, Bestie's Vegan Paradise, Tilamook, The World Bank, The Compass Group,Pop-Up Grocer as well as on Amazon and through direct on the company website. Available flavors include Strawberry, Mango, Sour Watermelon and Vanilla, with more to come in 2024. Issei’s mission is simple: to innovate better food options for a happier, healthier life, ensuring everyone can enjoy delicious snacks that align with their values.
Media Contacts:
For Issei Mochi Gummies / Kerri Brusca press@mochigummies.com
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