A low-sugar, allergen-friendly peanut butter developed in New Orleans has earned national recognition.

Beyond the Equator, a retail food brand launched locally last year, won a Best New Product sofi Award from the Specialty Food Association for its product, 5 Seed Butter. A panel of national specialty food experts selected the peanut butter alternative from more than 3,000 entries across 39 categories.

A sofi (specialty outstanding food innovation) Award is the top achievement in the $127 billion specialty food industry.

5 Seed Butter launched last December and is now in 30 locations across south Louisiana. Its owners plan to put it in hundreds of stores by the end of the year, a news release said.

The product is made from sunflower, chia, flax, pumpkin and hemp seeds.

“Our mission is to bring superfoods to consumers by integrating them into commonly known, every-day use products without sacrificing on flavor,” said Kevin Bratcher, co-founder of Beyond the Equator and a graduate of Tulane University’s MBA program.

New Orleans native Will Myers, the first employee of Beyond the Equator, said the award “give us legitimacy in the eyes of the industry on a national stage.”

Every year, sofi products are showcased at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York and the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.

Beyond the Equator is a brand that was launched by Supreme Specialty Foods, which grows, imports and manufactures superfoods based in New Orleans.

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