Getting a Grocery Distributor for Cricket Flour: UNFI, KeHE, and Regional Options

KeHE is typically 30% more accessible to new insect protein brands than UNFI due to its active alternative protein category development. That difference in accessibility is significant when you're trying to get your cricket flour into natural food retail without a national sales force.

Grocery distribution is the key to scaling a cricket flour brand. But most producers approach distributors backwards: they contact UNFI or KeHE before they have retail accounts, which is the reverse of how distribution actually works. Understanding the right sequence is how you get your product on shelves without wasting months of outreach effort.

TL;DR

• KeHE is typically 30% more accessible to new insect protein brands than UNFI due to its active alternative protein category development.
• Win your first 5-10 natural food stores as direct accounts.
• These stores are ordering from you directly, which proves there's real retail demand.
• Step 2: Approach the distributor your retail accounts use.
• Step 4: Expand to new accounts through the distributor's reach.
• Once you're in their system, distributors help you reach additional accounts in their network.
• Your first 3-4 answers will identify the 1-2 distributors most relevant to your geographic market.
• This means:

Step 1: Get retail accounts first. Win your first 5-10 natural food stores as direct accounts.

• These stores are ordering from you directly, which proves there's real retail demand.

Step 2: Approach the distributor your retail accounts use. Ask your retail accounts which distributor they order through.

Step 1: Get retail accounts first. Win your first 5-10 natural food stores as direct accounts.

• These stores are ordering from you directly, which proves there's real retail demand.

Step 2: Approach the distributor your retail accounts use. Ask your retail accounts which distributor they order through.

• You gain logistics leverage.

Step 4: Expand to new accounts through the distributor's reach. Once you're in their system, distributors help you reach additional accounts in their network.

• Your first 3-4 answers will identify the 1-2 distributors most relevant to your geographic market.

Step 1: Get retail accounts first. Win your first 5-10 natural food stores as direct accounts.

• You gain logistics leverage.

Step 4: Expand to new accounts through the distributor's reach. Once you're in their system, distributors help you reach additional accounts in their network.

• If your production cost is $6/lb, a $7.20 selling price through distribution provides minimal margin and likely isn't sustainable.
• That difference in accessibility is significant when you're trying to get your cricket flour into natural food retail without a national sales force.
• Grocery distribution is the key to scaling a cricket flour brand.
• But most producers approach distributors backwards: they contact UNFI or KeHE before they have retail accounts, which is the reverse of how distribution actually works.

How Grocery Distribution Actually Works

Distributors don't discover your product and decide to carry it. Retailers ask their distributors to source products that consumers are already buying or requesting. This means:

Step 1: Get retail accounts first. Win your first 5-10 natural food stores as direct accounts. These stores are ordering from you directly, which proves there's real retail demand.

Step 2: Approach the distributor your retail accounts use. Ask your retail accounts which distributor they order through. For natural food, this is typically UNFI, KeHE, or a regional natural foods distributor. Approach the distributor your accounts already use with the fact that X accounts are currently ordering from you direct.

Step 3: Let the distributor convert your direct accounts. The distributor picks up your product and consolidates ordering for your retail accounts through their system. You gain logistics leverage.

Step 4: Expand to new accounts through the distributor's reach. Once you're in their system, distributors help you reach additional accounts in their network.

This sequence is more effective than cold approaching a distributor with a product idea and no retail accounts. Distributors are volume businesses; they're motivated by demonstrated demand, not potential.

UNFI (United Natural Foods)

UNFI is the largest natural foods distributor in North America and is the primary distribution partner for most major natural food retailers including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, and thousands of independent natural food stores.

Pros:

• Widest retail reach of any natural foods distributor
• Strong alternative protein and specialty food category presence
• National coverage

Cons:

• Highest barrier to entry for new brands
• Requires demonstrated retail velocity (sales per store per week) to maintain listing
• Complex new item submission process
• Slotting fees and promotional expectations

How to get into UNFI: The most effective path is through an existing UNFI-selling retail account that requests your product be added to UNFI's supplier list. UNFI's Vendor Portal is also available for supplier applications. Your broker (if you have one) can facilitate the UNFI submission process.

UNFI new item requirements typically include:

• UPC codes on all products
• FDA facility registration
• Product liability insurance ($1M+ per-occurrence)
• Third-party test results (COA)
• Pricing that maintains appropriate distributor and retailer margin (expect UNFI to take 20-25% margin)

KeHE Distributors

KeHE is the second-largest US natural foods distributor and is known for actively developing emerging categories including alternative protein. KeHE is typically more accessible to new insect protein brands than UNFI.

Pros:

• Active emerging brand development programs
• Alternative protein category development focus
• More accessible to small and emerging brands
• Strong presence in Midwest natural food retail

Cons:

• Smaller retail network than UNFI
• Some regional gaps in coverage

How to get into KeHE: KeHE's Supplier Portal accepts new item applications. KeHE also hosts supplier show events (Expos) where emerging brands can pitch to KeHE buyers directly. Attending a KeHE show and presenting your product is the highest-conversion path for a new brand.

KeHE alternative protein interest: KeHE has been more proactive than UNFI in actively sourcing novel protein categories. Their category managers have attended insect protein industry events and expressed specific interest in insect-derived products for their alternative protein section.

Regional Natural Foods Distributors

Regional distributors are often your fastest path to distribution. They cover fewer retailers but are far more accessible to small producers and often develop loyal relationships with local and regional brands.

Examples by region:

• Northeast: DPI Specialty Foods, Chex Finer Foods, Kehe Northeast
• Mid-Atlantic: Ace Natural, Penn Jersey Paper
• Southeast: Dot Foods regional, locally-focused co-op distributors
• Midwest: Associated Wholesale Grocers (natural division), regional specialty distributors
• West Coast: Tree of Life West, Natural product regional specialists

Finding your region's distributors: Ask your natural food store retail accounts which distributors they order from. Your first 3-4 answers will identify the 1-2 distributors most relevant to your geographic market.

Working with a Broker

A natural food broker is a sales representative who sells to retailers and distributors on your behalf, taking 5-10% of net sales as a commission. For a new cricket flour brand without a dedicated sales team, a broker accelerates distribution significantly.

What a good broker provides:

• Existing buyer relationships at UNFI, KeHE, and retail accounts
• Knowledge of distributor submission requirements and processes
• Sales representation at trade shows
• Monthly sales reporting and buyer communication

Finding brokers: Natural food broker networks include SPINS, RangeMe, and Naturally Network. The cricket protein natural food channel guide covers the broker landscape for insect protein specifically.

Pricing for Distribution

Distribution pricing requires building in distributor and retailer margins while maintaining a competitive retail price:

Typical margin stack for natural food retail:

• Retail price: $15.99/lb
• Retailer margin (30-40%): Retailer pays distributor $9.60-$11.19
• Distributor margin (20-25%): Distributor pays you $7.20-$8.95
• Your effective selling price to distributor: $7.20-$8.95/lb

Confirm that your cost of production supports this effective selling price before approaching distributors. If your production cost is $6/lb, a $7.20 selling price through distribution provides minimal margin and likely isn't sustainable. This is why building production efficiency matters before scaling into distribution.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get UNFI to distribute my cricket flour?

The most effective approach is to first build 5-10 direct retail accounts that are ordering from you. Then approach UNFI with existing retail demand as your primary selling point: "We currently supply X stores in the natural food channel who have asked us to facilitate ordering through UNFI." UNFI is demand-driven; they respond to retailer pull, not supplier push. Alternatively, a natural food broker with existing UNFI relationships can submit your product and shepherd it through the new item process. Apply through UNFI's Vendor Portal and expect a lengthy review and approval process (2-6 months is typical).

Is KeHE or UNFI better for a new cricket flour brand?

KeHE is typically the better starting point for a new cricket flour brand. KeHE is 30% more accessible to emerging alternative protein brands than UNFI, has an active emerging brand development program, and has expressed specific category interest in insect protein products. UNFI requires demonstrated retail velocity (sales per store per week) to maintain a listing and has a higher threshold for new brand acceptance. Start with KeHE, build your velocity data in their network, and use that performance to support a UNFI submission 12-18 months later.

What does a grocery distributor require before agreeing to carry cricket flour?

Standard distributor requirements include: FDA facility registration, product liability insurance ($1M+ per-occurrence, often with the distributor named as additional insured), UPC codes on all products, a Certificate of Analysis from third-party testing, allergen documentation that specifically addresses cricket's shellfish cross-reactivity, pricing that maintains distributor and retailer margins while supporting a competitive retail price, and demonstrated retail demand (existing accounts or a letter of intent from retail buyers). Many distributors also require a minimum pack size (typically 6 or 12 units per case), cases priced at a defined wholesale price, and compliance with their product data submission format (1WorldSync or similar industry data platforms).

How does CricketOps help track the metrics described in this article?

CricketOps provides bin-level logging for the variables that drive production outcomes -- feed inputs, environmental conditions, mortality events, and harvest results. Rather than maintaining these records in separate spreadsheets, you can view performance trends across bins and over time to identify which operational variables correlate with better outcomes in your specific facility.

Where can I find industry benchmarks to compare my operation's performance?

The North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture (NACIA) publishes periodic industry reports with production benchmarks. University extension programs in agricultural states, including the University of Georgia and University of Florida IFAS, occasionally publish insect farming production data. Industry conferences hosted by the Entomological Society of America and the Insects to Feed the World symposium series are additional sources of peer benchmarking data.

What is the biggest operational mistake cricket farmers make in their first year?

Expanding bin count before achieving consistent FCR and mortality targets in existing bins is the most common and costly first-year mistake. At 5-10 bins, problems are manageable. At 30-50 bins, the same proportional problems represent much larger financial losses. Most experienced cricket farmers recommend holding expansion until you have three consecutive production cycles hitting your FCR and mortality targets.

Sources

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) -- Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security
• North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture (NACIA)
• Entomological Society of America
• University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
• Journal of Insects as Food and Feed (Wageningen Academic Publishers)

Get Started with CricketOps

The practices covered in this article are easier to apply consistently when they are supported by organized production data. CricketOps gives cricket farmers the tools to track what matters -- by bin, by batch, and over time. Start your next production cycle in CricketOps and see how organized data changes the way you manage your operation.