Culinology - June 2017 - 27

At Bulletproof 360, research chef Kimberly Schaub takes aim at cutting-edge
products that offer a nutritional blueprint for a high-performance lifestyle.

rom mythical times to movies today,
superheroes fight to make the world a
better place. The limitless energy of legendary
characters like Superman - who's faster
than a speeding bullet - inspired the naming
of Bulletproof 360, a manufacturer of food
products and dietary supplements designed
to maximize performance for body and mind.
Kimberly Schaub, senior food product development scientist at the Bellevue, Wash.-based
company, formulates the company's "superfoods" and supplements with the mission of
helping mere mortals live their best. "I describe
Bulletproof as a high-performance technology,
product and food company," she said.

Building a brand
Ms. Schaub is the first research chef and
culinary scientist to be hired by Bulletproof,
a company that's popular among active
consumers and proponents of paleo and
ketogenic diets. "The Bulletproof Diet targets
50-60% of daily caloric intake from healthy
fats - this is easy and tastes good - 20%
from protein and the rest from vegetables,"
Ms. Schaub said.
The company got its start in 2010 when
founder Dave Asprey posted a recipe for "bulletproof" buttered coffee on-line, claiming to
have lost 300 lbs, eliminated ailments and supercharged his performance by following an
anti-inflammatory diet high in saturated fats.
"Putting butter in hot drinks is a several
thousand-year-old practice Dave learned
while traveling in Tibet," Ms. Schaub said. In
a short time, the buttered coffee trend took
on a life of its own, lauded by celebrities and
publicized on TV, and Bulletproof 360 was
born. The company's signature products offer
coffee made from low-toxin, certified-clean
coffee beans and Brain Octane Oil, a high-fat
supplement sourced from coconut and/or
palm kernel oil, according to the company.

Peak performance
Iterations of buttered coffee have popped
up, Ms. Schaub said, but Mr. Asprey's recipe
kickstarted a modern movement. Today, she
oversees development for an extended line

of Bulletproof-branded products including
FATwater, Collagen Protein Bars and Bites,
Upgraded Chocolate, and VanillaMax and
Protein Powders.
"Since I'm the primary food and beverage
developer, I work closely with our supply chain
and sourcing managers as well as suppliers
and co-manufacturers to scope and create
finished products," Ms. Schaub said. "This
involves formula writing, specification and sensory evaluation of prototypes and iterations. I
also support the product managers in project
timelines, and have occasional travel to manufacturing sites to launch new products."
New products she is currently working on
are line extensions for the FATwater and collagen protein bar lines. New FATwater flavors
launching this summer are blueberry, dragon
fruit and mango.
"Sometimes you have to increase the
amount of a spice or flavored oil used to increase the intensity of the flavor," she said.
"Our top-selling food bar right now is our
new lemon cookie collagen bar, which tastes
remarkably like a lemon shortbread cookie
and also provides 12g protein from collagen
protein and cashews and 14g 'good' fat from
the MCTs [medium-chained tryglycerides] and
cashews."
Ms. Schaub said collagen protein tops the
latest hot trend list. "Collagen protein, new nonnutritive natural sweeteners and incorporating
MCTs into more food and beverages are all opportunities for us at Bulletproof," she said.

by Susan Malovany
editor@sosland.com

Clean as possible
MCTs, the type of fat needed to follow the ketogenic diet, are the principal
ingredient in many Bulletproof products.
"Because we 'load' fat into food products, we look for creative and clean-label
ways to stabilize the product and keep the
oil or fat from 'leaking' out of the food," Ms.
Schaub said. "This involves working closely
with suppliers to find natural fibers and gums
to help keep the food integrity intact while
meeting the flavor and appearance requirements, such as keeping a food bar flavorful
and firm enough to eat."

RCA Immediate Past
President Catherine Proper,
left, awards Ms. Schaub
the 2017 RCA President's
Award.
JUNE 2017 | Culinology |

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