# The Case for Frozen Muffins: How Unrefined Foods Is Bringing Whole Grain Nutrition to the Freezer Aisle

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2026-07-17
- Length: 28m
- Episode: 337
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-07-17-the-case-for-frozen-muffins-how-unrefined-foods-is-bringing-whole-grain-nutritio
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/341169e0

## Summary

Melissa Bermudez, founder of Unrefined Foods, explains her transition from finance and Big Ag to creating frozen muffins using 100% stone-milled whole grains. She details the operational challenges of maintaining a two-day shelf life without sugar preservatives and the strategic decision to place products in the frozen aisle near bakery items to expand the category. The episode highlights her direct relationships with organic and regenerative wheat farmers, noting that only 2% of U.S. wheat production is certified organic, and discusses a viral demo revealing the high added sugar content in competing bakery muffins.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Melissa Bermudez and Unrefined Foods
2. The Coffee Bean Analogy: Fresh-Milled vs. Store-Bought Flour
3. From Big Ag to Wheat: Sourcing Organic and Regenerative Grain
4. Kitchen Counter Origins: Three Kids, Zucchini, and Stone-Milled Muffins
5. Operational Tradeoffs: Why Frozen Over Fresh and the Two-Day Shelf Life
6. Category Expansion: Bakery-Adjacent Placement in the Freezer Aisle
7. The Maple Syrup Demo: Visualizing Added Sugar in Competing Muffins

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Unrefined Foods (company)
- JP Morgan (company)
- Walden Local Meat (company)
- Farmers Business Network (company)
- Spindrift (company)
- One Mighty Mill (company)
- Costco (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Simple Mills: Katlin Smith](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-15-simple-mills-katlin-smith) (How I Built This)
- [Jovial Foods: Carla Bartolucci](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-06-07-jovial-foods-carla-bartolucci) (How I Built This)
- [Healing through food with Danielle Walker of Against All Grain (2022)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-18-healing-through-food-with-danielle-walker-of-against-all-grain-2022) (How I Built This)
- [215 - Jason Burke on his Noble and Primal journey to disrupt a broken food system](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-09-26-215-jason-burke-on-his-noble-and-primal-journey-to-disrupt-a-broken-food-system) (People of Packaging)
- [Live From The HIBT Summit: Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-02-27-live-from-the-hibt-summit-jeni-britton-bauer-of-jenis-splendid-ice-creams) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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