Keto Foods - out of business

[swag]

I've been away from this board (but not the diet) for about a month now, so forgive me if this is old news, but a board search turned up nothing.

From a Feb 13 article in the Newark Star Ledger, reprinted in Low Carb Luxury magazine.

When low-carb dieting officially hit "craze" status during the late 1990s, executives at Keto Foods saw an opportunity. The Tinton Falls-based manufacturer started small, with a line of shakes, but within a couple of years expanded to more than 100 low-carbohydrate foods, from pasta to frosted flakes to ice cream. Sales, at $5 million in 1999, were projected to reach $40 million last year.

Today, the blenders, canning machines and chocolate melters that once cranked out dozens of Keto products sit idle, waiting to be auctioned.

...

Keto Foods, which once claimed to have the world's largest line of low-carb foods and that bankers once believed could be sold for at least $300 million, is liquidating its assets.

Full article:

http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/magazine/lclnewsvol06-no3-pg8.html

Anyway, looks like time to stock up on any favorites.

[JoanOH]

I have tried maybe 4 different Keto products and I have to tell you that my personal opinion is that they went out of business because their food tastes like CRAP! LOL Ohmygawd, EVERY Keto product I tried was just SO bad. I'm sure their initial high sales were because of the "Low carb" label - and people jump all over anything labelled "low carb". But if the food doesn't taste good, low carb or otherwise, the return buyers aren't going to be there and business will go down sharply.

My two cents. Perhaps they can use their leftovers for something better fitting - like to spread on the bottom of hamster cages....

Joan J

[Piasabird]

I have to agree with Joan. I personally didn't like any of their products. :vomit

[Hafsa226]

Actually, I did find some of their products that were okay. They had some really decent ice cream bars. But what turned me off was the dang prices! Does ANYONE pay $8 for a box of cereal? Bah! I don't think so! They charged too much because they (for a time anyway) had the market cornered. But better-tasting cheaper stuff came along. I think that (and the yucky stuff) put them out of business.

[LindaJay]

The only Keto product I ever used regularly was Italian style Keto crumbs -- and I really had to mix them with a little regular Italian crumbs. So, I have three or four cans now! Of course, I just bought a can of the new 4C low carb Italian crumbs, which are very reasonably priced! Haven't tried them yet though, but between my stash of Keto and these, I have enough crumbs to last months!

[MotherOfGizmo]

I have to agree w/ Joan as well --BLEK! that's why they went out of business! Their "crumbs" for breading tasted like sand their bake mix like sawdust and the stuff you mixed with cauliflower to make fauxtatos was just gross! I'm actually surprised they stayed in business as long as they did!

[bnzstar]

Personally, I blame taste for the demise of Keto and other low carb products including Atkins for the reasons all of them are either belly up or are on clearance now at local stores here in the south.
The few things that tasted good are now being phased out b/c the other stuff didn't sell which is really ticking me off!!!
I found a grand total of one low carb candy, 1 low carb cereal bar and one low carb "lean cuisine style" meals that I liked for taste, affordability and to accomodate my CRAZY schedule and now I can barely find any of those items anywhere anymore or they are on clearance with no plans to restock.
Before I began Atkins induction recently I tried the Kraft Southbeach Diet line---loved them and it's cheaper than the atkins brand frozen or other lo carb frozen food lines and has more variety.....but now I see at Kroger they must not be selling well because they DRASTICALLY cut the prices and have put it all out on the clearance ailse.
I guess I'll just have to do more weekend cooking ahead for the week now.

[size8hereIcome]

I loved the UFO ice cream

I really, really loved their UFO ice cream. It was basically oreo cookies in vanilla icre cream. I even tried this before doing low carb. However, lately I've been able to get KETO products at the $1 store in town-they have a bunch of it. Been able to get Atkins shakes (4 cans for a $1) too. Kinda scares me though...because the low carb "craze" is over are all of our products disappearing?

[Anonymous]

for sure cost -vs- taste....

it was for sure a cost -vs- taste thing. prices were way to high, and the taste in many cases left a lot to be desired. my favorate, was the Keto flakes and Keto crisp Cereals, but not at full price, in fact I got a bunch of the crisp at a close out at only 1.30 a box, which was great....