Hi everyone,
Happy Valentine’s Day! :) We’re overdue for an update, so here are the highlights for February:
- Vegan vitamin mix is in, placeholder vitamin is out!
- Now selling vitamin mix as Super Micros for DIYers!
- Placeholder rice protein due to rice protein shortage.
- Phasing in new, nicer bags for samples.
- Help us define our brand – take the survey!
Yes, we’ve completely switched over to our custom, optimized, vegan vitamin mix and sold off the rest of the old stock! You can now look forward to enjoying the most optimal micronutrient profile currently on the market, right here at Super Body Fuel. :) Please be aware, however, that this vitamin mix has a strong smell, which could be described as medicinal, meaty, and peppery, and that this smell can come through in the final product. We’ve been working to identify the ingredients responsible (most likely the L-Selenomethionine and Choline L-Bitartrate) and are in the process of adjusting the formula with our new manufacturer to use odorless equivalents in the next batch.
Bottom line is, don’t worry if it smells weird, that’s normal – it’s still vegan, and it’s not spoiled – and we’re working on reducing the odor in the next batch, for your increased olfactory enjoyment. ;)
We’re also making it available as a standalone product for DIYers, which we’re calling Super Micros. If this goes well, there are other ingredients and blends we could make available to DIYers who want to experiment or save money by making it themselves. :)
In other news, our usual rice protein supplier has been out of the usual brand of rice protein we’ve been using (Gabiotein) and sent us a different brand (RisaPro) to hold us over in the meantime. Unfortunately, while the RisaPro is theoretically a higher grade, with a finer particle size and supposedly the same taste and nutrition, we’ve found that it has a very distinct “burnt” taste and a “drying paint” odor when mixed with water. Doubly unfortunately, all the other rice protein suppliers seem to be out of stock at the same time, thanks to the seasonality of the global rice crop, and we’ve been unable to find an alternative. :( From what we’ve heard, it will be at least another month before any of our preferred rice protein brands will be available again.
So, all I can say is that I’m terribly sorry about the paint-like taste you may be experiencing, and I am anxiously awaiting the new rice protein crop along with all of you. If you end up needing to pause your subscription or get a refund, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
On a somewhat brighter note, we’ve upgraded our sample packaging to use the same kraft-and-mylar material as our usual packs, which is pretty cool. :p
And here’s what we’re currently experimenting with:
- Alternative potassium sources for a better taste.
- Increased sodium in Keto Fuel to prevent keto flu.
Once the rice protein supply issue is sorted again, the best thing we could do to improve the taste would be to change the potassium source. Especially in Keto Fuel and Light Fuel, there is a lot of Potassium Citrate, which can lend a sour, bitter, and salty taste that is not always masked well by the other ingredients. To that end, we’ve been experimenting with as many different potassium sources as we can get our hands on, which we hope to finalize and put into practice as soon as possible.
We’re also getting ready to test some alternative calcium and magnesium sources as well, but that’s a little further out. In the meantime, we’re experimenting with increasing the sodium content of Keto Fuel using the not-so-salty-tasting Sodium Citrate to help prevent symptoms of “keto flu” without an overwhelmingly salty taste.
I’m really looking forward to all these upcoming product improvements (not the least of which will be getting our old rice protein back), and I’d like to thank you all for bearing with us in the meantime.
In anticipation of this tantalizing state of near-perfection that now beckons (present setbacks aside), we’ve also started thinking about how to define our brand and communicate what we’re all about, through words and visual design. I have my own ideas, but I want to understand what you actually think (and feel). To that end, I’ve put together this little branding survey so you can tell us who you are, and how you relate to Super Body Fuel.
If you have a few minutes to spare, please check it out – we’d really appreciate it. :)
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSev82WEjS45F7rFigmLKuZO1GytjCf2XvWVb_uNVsZB6ZxrgA/viewform
Thank you!
Alex Cho Snyder (axcho)
