Caribbean-inspired frozen food brand Calypso Harvest has received Non-GMO Project verification for three Trinidadian staples—Dhalpuri Roti, Bussupshut (Paratha Roti), and Trinidad Doubles—with costs covered through the Non-GMO Project's Equitable Transfer Program (ETP), a grant initiative designed to lower the verification barrier for food businesses led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The brand is the first ETP recipient to bring Caribbean or Trinidadian frozen foods through the program.

The Products and the Brand

Founded by Trinidadian entrepreneur Natalia J. Kalloo, Calypso Harvest is the consumer-facing arm of Victual Solutions, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit she established in 2025. Kalloo entered the food industry in 2019 selling handcrafted spice blends at D.C. farmers markets under the brand Trini Vybez before expanding into a food truck and restaurant. The frozen food line now carries that culinary heritage into retail, with dishes rooted in traditional Trinidadian cooking: a split-pea-filled soft flatbread, a flaky layered paratha, and the street-food classic Trinidad Doubles—curried chickpeas served on soft bara flatbread.

"For us, Non-GMO Project verification is about more than putting a label on a package," said Kalloo, who also serves as founder of Victual Solutions. "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."

Victual Solutions' broader mission extends beyond the brand: Kalloo is developing a community farmers market and other programming aimed at improving fresh food access in D.C.'s Ward 7, with Calypso Harvest revenue directed back into those efforts.

Program Scope and Expansion

Launched in 2023, the ETP has awarded more than $46,000 to 21 businesses, supporting verification for 41 products. The program has now expanded to cover the Non-GMO Project's newer Non-UPF Verified certification—which evaluates ingredients, formulation, and processing methods alongside GMO status—giving eligible applicants the option to pursue either credential with grant funding. Applications for the current round close November 13, 2026, at nongmoproject.org/equitable-transfer-program.

For foodservice operators and retail buyers paying attention to frozen food category trends, the Calypso Harvest story points to a growing consumer appetite for globally inspired, heritage-rooted products with credible third-party credentials. Independent verification has historically skewed toward larger brands with dedicated compliance budgets, making programs like the ETP increasingly relevant as smaller specialty producers attempt to compete on shelf. The Non-UPF Verified expansion also signals that clean-label and ingredient-integrity standards are broadening beyond the GMO conversation into processing and formulation—a distinction operators sourcing for health-forward menus may want to track.

Megan Westgate, founder and CEO of the Non-GMO Project, framed the program's intent plainly: "A better food system needs more voices, more traditions and more people shaping its future."

As part of Non-GMO Month, the Non-GMO Project, Victual Solutions, and East Capitol Urban Farm will co-host a free virtual workshop on October 22 from 6:00–7:30 p.m. ET, covering how verification works, documentation requirements, and how to apply. The session is open to food vendors, growers, and sellers.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.