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Moana Taro Chips tempts mainland snackers with a new taste treat

Moana Taro Chip package
The locally produced chip is a product of Breakers Point Inc
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Moana Taro Chips, a product of locally owned Breakers Point Inc, which also owns and operates Paradise Restaurant and Pizza in Pago Pago and Nu’uuli is currently a trending taste treat direct from American Samoa to Hawaii and the mainland. 

The chips are made with taro grown right here in the Samoa islands.

Families and friends in Hawaii and the mainland have been writing home for years asking their families to send not only taro chips, but breadfruit and banana chips as well. This prompted the company to launch its first products in 2019.

Breakers Point president Patricia Vaivao said their vision is to export a variety of chips to the US and the rest of the world and source taro, bananas, breadfruit and other local produce from American Samoa’s farmers to make tasty snacks.

The business also creates jobs to grow the territory’s economy.

Moana Taro Chips are made in small batches to give them their distinctive taste and unique flavor. “We crisp them to a perfect crunch using only non-GMO canola oil and gently season with sea salt,” making Moana Taro Chips “the new go-to snack for those who crave great taste and premium quality for a healthy lifestyle,” a company press release states.

“As a growing family business, we help build our local economy by providing jobs and helping communities. We employ only local subsistence farmers and we sell both locally in American Samoa as well as internationally through overseas exports,”

The exporting facet of the business has been particularly praised by the American Samoa Department of Commerce as setting an example for other local companies in American Samoa.

“Buying our taro chips means you are helping local farmers and their families,” the company handout said.

BACKGROUND

During her confirmation before the House of Representatives in the beginning of this year, the director of the Department of Commerce, Patti Tagipo Matila told representatives that her goal throughout her first term in office is the development of small businesses, through programs which would include business loans, to start a new business or expand an existing one. Also important is “private-public partnership” in the territory as well as working on trades with other Pacific islands countries — and Breakers Point Inc with the development of chips made from locally grown produce is a perfect example of private-public cooperation.

“As a growing family business, we help build our local economy by providing jobs and helping communities. We employ only local subsistence farmers and we sell both locally in American Samoa as well as internationally through overseas exports,” Ms Vaivao said in the company release, and was pleased that the exporting facet of the business has been particularly praised by the American Samoa Department of Commerce as setting an example for other local companies on our remote island.