Trinidadian Entrepreneur Brings Caribbean Food Favorites To America’s Frozen Food Aisles
Originally published by News Americas Now Read the original
By News Americas Now Food Editor
News Americas Now, WASHINGTON, D.C., Fri. Oct. 30, 2026: Trinidadian entrepreneur Natalia J. Kalloo is bringing the taste of Caribbean food and home to American freezers with Calypso Harvest, a Caribbean-inspired frozen food brand built around some of Trinidad and Tobago’s most beloved dishes.
The company’s Dhalpuri Roti, Bussupshut, or Paratha Roti, and Trinidad Doubles have now received independent verification from the Non-GMO Project, marking a new milestone for the growing food business.
“For us, Non-GMO Project verification is about more than putting a label on a package,” Kalloo said. “It is about creating greater transparency around the foods we stand behind, strengthening trust with our customers, and showing that small, underrepresented food businesses can pursue rigorous standards while honoring the foods and traditions that are important to our communities.”
The three products are rooted firmly in Trinidadian food culture. Dhalpuri is a soft roti filled with seasoned split peas, while bussupshut is a flaky, layered flatbread whose name comes from its torn, “busted-up shirt” appearance. Doubles, one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most iconic street foods, pairs curried chickpeas, or channa, with two pieces of soft fried bara.
For Caribbean consumers in the United States, the appeal is familiar: traditional foods made more accessible without having to prepare them from scratch.
FROM FARMERS MARKETS TO FROZEN FOODS
Kalloo’s journey into food entrepreneurship began in 2019, when she started selling handcrafted spice blends at farmers markets in Washington, D.C., under the name Trini Vybez. The business later expanded into a food truck and restaurant before evolving into Calypso Harvest.
The frozen-food brand now aims to make Caribbean dishes easier to find and enjoy in American homes while preserving the flavors and culinary traditions that inspired them. The Non-GMO Project verification was made possible through the organization’s Equitable Transfer Program, which helps smaller food businesses led by underrepresented entrepreneurs overcome the costs and barriers associated with independent product verification.
Calypso Harvest is the first recipient of the program offering Trinidadian or Caribbean frozen foods. Launched in 2023, the Equitable Transfer Program has awarded more than $46,000 to 21 businesses and helped 41 products obtain verification.
Megan Westgate, founder and CEO of the Non-GMO Project, said Kalloo’s work stands out because it combines cultural entrepreneurship with community investment. “She’s building a business rooted in her heritage while creating opportunities for other entrepreneurs and investing in her community,” Westgate said.
FOOD, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
Kalloo’s work extends beyond the frozen-food aisle. In 2025, she founded Victual Solutions, a Washington-based nonprofit focused on improving access to affordable food and creating economic opportunities, particularly in the city’s Ward 7 community.
Plans include developing a community farmers market and other initiatives aimed at increasing access to fresh foods. For Kalloo, the growth of Calypso Harvest reflects both a business opportunity and a broader mission: bringing Caribbean food traditions to a wider audience while reinvesting in communities facing food-access challenges.
And for Trinidadians and Caribbean food lovers across the United States, it means familiar staples like dhalpuri, bussupshut and doubles are making their way into a space where they have long been underrepresented – America’s frozen food aisle.
