2026 Best New Organic Food Product ORGANIC FRIED RICE KIMBAP

For more than a century in Korea, kimbap has been a familiar sight. Rice, vegetables and stuffings, carefully rolled in sheets of seaweed, have long appeared in school lunch boxes, on park benches, and in small takeaway shops across the country. Simple, portable and deeply comforting, it is one of the most recognizable everyday foods in Korean life. At Ocean's Halo, the journey began with a simple question: Could one of Korea’s most beloved foods be reimagined as a certified organic product for the global market. The answer emerged after years of experimentation and collaboration. The company eventually introduced the World’s First USDA-certified Organic Kimbap, launched in the United States. The product quickly drew attention. At Natural Products Expo West 2024, Ocean’s Halo’s Organic Veggie Kimbap received the NEXTY Award for Best Frozen Product. Two years later, the company returned to Natural Products Expo West 2026 with another innovation: Organic Fried Rice Kimbap, which earned the Best New Organic Food Product Award, marking consecutive years of international recognition. The inspiration began with a simple idea and a strong belief. Shin Rhee, co-founder of Ocean’s Halo, grew up with kimbap as a casual, everyday meal. Rhee and his team believed the dish had the potential to become a globally loved convenience food, if it could meet modern standards for organic sourcing and scalable production. Turning that vision into reality proved complicated. USDA organic certification requires strict sourcing and manufacturing standards, and kimbap itself is a surprisingly complex product. The rice must be cooked precisely. Multiple ingredients must be sourced, prepared and balanced. The final roll must maintain its structure and consistency when produced at scale. Working with dozens of Strategic suppliers and manufacturing partners, Ocean’s Halo spent years assembling a fully certified organic supply chain while refining a production process capable of maintaining both quality and certification standards. After launching Organic Veggie Kimbap in 2024, Rhee and the team turned to a new challenge. Fried rice, one of the most widely enjoyed Asian dishes in the United States, became the next inspiration. The result was Organic Fried Rice Kimbap, a concept that required entirely new production techniques to chop, cook, mix and roll ingredients efficiently while preserving organic integrity. Through repeated trials and collaboration with strategic partners, the team ultimately succeeded in creating the World’s First Organic Fried Rice Kimbap. For Ocean’s Halo, the recognitions at Expo West represent more than industry awards. It reflects a broader shift in global food culture, one in which traditional dishes, organic standards and international collaboration increasingly shape the future of everyday meals. Three consecutive years. Two groundbreaking recognitions. One enduring mission: redefining organic convenience food for the future. View Article

Ocean’s Halo, The BFY Asian Brand, Disrupts Snack Category with XL Seaweed Formats and Walmart Flavor Expansion

[KEY TAKEAWAYS: USDA Organic, Trayless Packaging, High-Value Formats] (San Francisco, CA) – Ocean’s Halo, the BFY Asian brand, is scaling its core seaweed portfolio to meet surging consumer demand for value-driven, sustainable snacking. The brand has announced the nationwide retail launch of its XL Seaweed Snacks in two flavors (Sea Salt & Avocado Oil and Thai Sweet Chili) and a high-value 50-count Sushi Nori pack at Whole Foods Market. Expanding its footprint in the “Better-For-You” (BFY) snack aisle, Ocean’s Halo has introduced Sea Salt and Vinegar Seaweed Snacks at Walmart. All products feature the brand’s signature “No Plastic Tray” packaging, reinforcing its position as a leader in eco-friendly seaweed innovation and ocean conservation. Explore the Full BFY Pantry: We also invite you to explore Ocean’s Halo’s refined and refreshed packaging designs for their Sauce and Salad Dressing collections. These elevated pantry staples are designed to pair perfectly with Ocean’s Halo’s entire product lineup, helping you liven up your favorite at-home recipes: Organic Sauces: Fish (flavored) Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Tonkatsu Sauce, and No Soy Sauce. Organic Dressings: Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette, Ranch Dressing, and Thai Dressing. About Ocean’s Halo: For more information about Ocean’s Halo, please visit https://oceanshalo.com/. Follow Ocean’s Halo on Instagram and LinkedIn. Founded in 2011, Ocean’s Halo is the leading BFY brand in Asian, committed to making the world a happier and healthier place. Ocean’s Halo works with 1% for the Planet to donate at least 1% of annual revenue to environmental causes focused on ocean conservation, equal access to nature, food education, and mitigating hunger.

Ocean’s Halo Strengthens Soup Category Leadership with Organic Pho Big Noodle Bowls and Umami-Rich Dashi Broths

[KEY TAKEAWAYS: Convenient Meal Solutions, Dashi, Clean Label Umami] (San Francisco, CA) – Ocean’s Halo, the BFY Asian brand, expanded its convenient meal-solution category with the launch of the Organic Pho Big Noodle Bowl at Whole Foods Market. This launch leveraged the brand’s established authority in organic broths and noodles to provide a fast & easy Pho experience. Additionally, the brand is filling a critical “umami-base” gap in the dry grocery aisle with two new SKU additions: Traditional Dashi and Mushroom Dashi, launching nationally in Whole Foods Market. These dashi broths are designed for health-conscious consumers seeking adventurous foundations for authentic home cooking. Explore the Full BFY Pantry: We also invite you to explore Ocean’s Halo’s refined and refreshed packaging designs for their Sauce and Salad Dressing collections. These elevated pantry staples are designed to pair perfectly with Ocean’s Halo’s entire product lineup, helping you liven up your favorite at-home recipes: Organic Sauces: Fish (flavored) Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Tonkatsu Sauce, and No Soy Sauce. Organic Dressings: Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette, Ranch Dressing, and Thai Dressing. About Ocean’s Halo: For more information about Ocean’s Halo, please visit https://oceanshalo.com/. Follow Ocean’s Halo on Instagram and LinkedIn. Founded in 2011, Ocean’s Halo is the leading BFY brand in Asian, committed to making the world a happier and

Ocean’s Halo Expands Frozen Portfolio with Innovative Organic K-BBQ and Organic Spicy Garlic & Chili Fried Rice Rolls

[KEY TAKEAWAYS: Frozen Rolls, Trayless Frozen Meals, Portable Asian Entrees] (San Francisco, CA) – Following its successful entry into the frozen aisle, Ocean’s Halo, the BFY Asian brand, has added two bold flavor extensions to its fried rice roll line: Organic Korean BBQ Fried Rice Roll and Organic Spicy Garlic & Chili Fried Rice Roll. These organic fried rice rolls utilize a sushi-style kimbap format wrapped in roasted seaweed, offering a “bowl-less” solution for convenient, high-quality fried rice. By removing the plastic tray, Ocean’s Halo continues to lead the frozen category in sustainable packaging innovation while targeting the growing demand for healthy, adventurous frozen meals. Explore the Full BFY Pantry: We also invite you to explore Ocean’s Halo’s refined and refreshed packaging designs for their Sauce and Salad Dressing collections. These elevated pantry staples are designed to pair perfectly with Ocean’s Halo’s entire product lineup, helping you liven up your favorite at-home recipes: Organic Sauces: Fish (flavored) Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Tonkatsu Sauce, and No Soy Sauce. Organic Dressings: Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette, Ranch Dressing, and Thai Dressing. About Ocean’s Halo: For more information about Ocean’s Halo, please visit https://oceanshalo.com/. Follow Ocean’s Halo on Instagram and LinkedIn. Founded in 2011, Ocean’s Halo is the leading BFY brand in Asian, committed to making the world a happier and healthier place. Ocean’s Halo works with 1% for the Planet to donate at least 1% of annual revenue to environmental causes focused on ocean conservation, equal access to nature, food education, and mitigating hunger.

Ocean’s Halo Introduces Organic & Shelf Stable Kimchi, Banh Mi, & Seaweed Salad Condiment Line!

Leading Asian Recipe Brand launches both Organic & Shelf-Stable Kimchi, Banh Mi and Seaweed Salad! (Burlingame, CA) March 3, 2025 Ocean’s Halo, one of the fastest growing Asian-inspired brands offering seaweed snacks, broth, noodles and condiments, announced today that it launched a line of ambient, ready-to-serve, fermented and pickled Asian vegetables. The organic Kimchi is shelf-stable, and represents the fastest growing kimchi item in the USA.(1) The organic Banh Mi Veggies is the first product of its kind to reach national distribution in the US & Canada, and the organic Seaweed Salad is scheduled to reach stores this Spring. The company will be exhibiting each product at Expo West this week. Ocean’s Halo has been providing organic, BFY meal solutions of delicious Asian recipes for over 10 years, and the new line of organic, shelf-stable condiments is a natural extension within the category. “These new products hit popular and trending meal starters in the category which were obvious gaps in dry grocery, often only found in refrigerated or not at all” said co-founder Shin Rhee. “We are big on studying consumer trends and data, and this exciting new line up is no different. Bringing organic kimchi into center store has been a huge initial success,” now available in stores at national retailers such as Whole Foods Market and Walmart in both the US & Canada. The popularity of Asian recipes across multiple categories has grown substantially in recent years, specifically among younger consumers who demand adventurous, healthy and organic food choices. All of Ocean Halo’s products are USDA-certified organic. For more information about Ocean’s Halo, please visit here. Follow us here. Founded in 2011, Ocean’s Halo is a fast-growing, Asian-inspired brand, committed to making the world a happier and healthier place. Ocean’s Halo donates to 1% for the Planet, an organization that inspires support for the environment. (1) Source: NIQ Total FMCG as of Feb 15th 2025.

Ocean’s Halo Introduces Fried Rice!

Leading Asian Recipe Brand launches Organic Fried Rice in the Fast- Growing Frozen Category! (Burlingame, CA) February 14, 2025 Ocean’s Halo, one of the fastest growing Asian-inspired brands offering seaweed snacks, broth, noodles and condiments, announced today that it will launch a frozen line of fried rice, prepared in the highly popular sushi-style Korean kimbap rolls. Production started this month with a delicious, traditional fried rice recipe, served in a roll wrapped in roasted seaweed. Fried Rice will be exhibited at Expo West next month along with a Hot & Spicy version. Ocean’s Halo first launched Noodle and Veggie frozen kimbaps last year in several leading retailers in the U.S. and Canada including Kroger, Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods Market. “Consumers have been raving about kimbap for several years now, and we are very pleased with the results of our launch last year,” said founder Robert Mock. “The feedback we received was awesome, so we pulled the data on frozen recipes overall in the ethnic aisle and began consumer testing the leading entrees, snacks and appetizers. The roll format is incredibly innovative for frozen, and has opened the door to introduce all-time consumer favorites like Fried Rice.” The organic fried rice will first be available beginning this spring in-store in the U.S. and Canada. The popularity of Asian recipes across multiple categories has grown substantially in recent years, specifically among younger consumers who demand adventurous, healthy and organic food choices. All of Ocean Halo’s products are USDA-certified organic. For more information about Ocean’s Halo, please visit here. Follow us here. Founded in 2011, Ocean’s Halo is a fast-growing, Asian-inspired brand, committed to making the world a happier and healthier place. Ocean’s Halo donates to 1% for the Planet, an organization that inspires support for the environment.

Ocean’s Halo Introduces Noodle Soups

Leading Asian Recipe Brand enters $5 Billion U.S. Soup Market with Organic, Ready-to-Serve Noodle Soups, starting with Malaysian Laksa! (Burlingame, CA) February 14, 2025 Ocean’s Halo, one of the fastest growing Asian-inspired brands offering seaweed snacks, broth, noodles and condiments, announced today that it will launch a line of ambient, ready-to-serve savory noodle soups. Production started this month with an organic Malaysian Laksa Noodle soup, a creamy, coconut and lemongrass noodle soup with a touch of heat! Miso Noodle, Thai Coconut Curry Noodle and Kimchi Noodle soups round out the initial offering. The company will be exhibiting the noodle soups at Expo West early next month. Ocean’s Halo organic broth line of Ramen, Miso and Pho have led the Asian broth category for several years, paired with its organic rice and ramen noodles. “Consumers increasingly seek healthier, easy to prepare Asian noodle soups, and we believe these complete meal solutions are a game-changing innovation,” said founder Shin Rhee. “We studied the cart data, researched consumer trends in the aisle, and began solving for a nothing-needed concept a while ago. After watching the success of our broths and noodles, we are excited that it’s finally come to fruition. The organic noodle soups will first be available beginning this summer in-store in the U.S. and Canada. The popularity of Asian recipes across multiple categories has grown substantially in recent years, specifically among younger consumers who demand adventurous, healthy and organic food choices. All of Ocean Halo’s products are USDA-certified organic. For more information about Ocean’s Halo, please visit here. Follow us here. Founded in 2011, Ocean’s Halo is a fast-growing, Asian-inspired brand, committed to making the world a happier and healthier place. Ocean’s Halo donates to 1% for the Planet, an organization that inspires support for the environment.

Kung Pao Style Tofu

We’ve paired our savory Ocean’s Halo Korean BBQ Sauce with firm tofu, fresh zucchini, and roasted peanuts for a stir-fry that’s big on flavor and texture. It’s smoky, sweet, and ready in 20 minutes! Ingredients Serves 2-3 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2” cubes 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2” cubes 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 container firm tofu, cut into 1/2” cubes 3/4 cup Ocean’s Halo Korean BBQ sauce 1/2 can (4oz) water chestnuts, diced 2 green onions, thinly sliced (white parts only) 1/3 cup Roasted Peanut Halves, unsalted Instructions Heat 1 Tbsp of sesame oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and bell pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of sesame oil and the cubed tofu. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the Ocean’s Halo Korean BBQ sauce and stir well to combine. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the sauce has slightly reduced and coated everything beautifully. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the diced water chestnuts and roasted peanuts for added crunch. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the green onions. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

These Teriyaki Chicken Wings are crispy, sticky, and packed with umami thanks to our Ocean’s Halo Soy-Free Teriyaki Sauce. Ingredients Serves 2-3 8-10 party-sized chicken wings and drumsticks • 1 cup Ocean’s Halo Teriyaki Soy-Free Sauce (optional: substitute with Ocean’s Halo Korean BBQ Sauce) 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds 1 green onion, thinly sliced Instructions Put chicken in a bowl or resealable plastic bag with 1⁄2 cup of the teriyaki sauce. Marinade at least 30 minutes or overnight. Preheat oven to 400F. Place a rack on top of a baking pan and put the wings on the rack and cover with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and increase temperature to 425. Bake 10-15 minutes longer until browned. Toss in remaining 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion.