Going nuts in China
PepsiCo is rolling out its Lucky brand nut products in China as a part of its “daily nutrition” plan to provide more healthy snacks to Chinese customers.
The company has signed an exclusive license with Select Harvests, the largest nut and healthy foods company in Australia, which operates over 4,000 hectares of almonds.
This little piggy
In the UK, Snaffling Pig is on a mission to transform porky snacks – a category that saw a 50% growth in the past year, with a retail sales value of £8m ($10.5m) – with the launch of a multi-flavored pork crackling multipack.
Available exclusively in Tesco, the “snaffle pack” multipacks feature three flavors: Perfectly Salted, Low & Slow BBQ and Marvellous Maple.
At the same time, a new Perfectly Salted multibag has been launched exclusively into 368 Sainsbury’s stores.
The multi-flavored multipacks feature 6x18 gram packs, retailing at £2.50 ($3.28), exclusively across 250 Tesco stores. Sainsbury’s Perfectly Salted multipack also retails at £2.50.
Berkshire-based Snaffling Pig was started in 2014 on the back of a £500 ($656) bet by founder and CEO Nick Coleman.
Today, Snaffling Pig products are available in John Lewis, Selfridges, Not OnThe High Street, Debenhams as well as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, the Co-op and WHSmith.
Groundbreaking snacks
US venture capital firm Halen Brands has launched a range of cauliflower-based crackers and pretzels under its From The Ground Up brand.
The vegan line is made with cassava flour and vegetable blend powders. The crackers are available in three flavours – Sea Salt, Cheddar and Nacho – and the pretzels are sold in sticks and twists variants.
Halen Brands was launched in 2015 by Jason Cohen and Leigh Feuerstein, aimed to deliver better-for-you offerings in stagnant categories.
The crackers (in 4oz boxes) and pretzels (4.5oz bags) are available in the US for a RRP of $3.99.
Signature donuts in India
Dunkin' Donuts has collaborated with Nestlé India to launch three new signature donuts made with bestselling chocolates: Kitkat, Bar One and Munch Nuts.
The donuts will be a part of Dunkin's Signature Donut category and will be available in Indian stores at a RRP of INR 89 ($1.30).
Kid appeal
Canadian company MadeGood Foods has added Soft Baked Mini Cookies to its product portfolio of snacks that are free from the eight common allergens (peanut, tree nuts, wheat & gluten, soy, dairy, egg, sesame and fish & shellfish).
The chewy cookies taste homemade, containing organic oats, apples, bananas, chocolate chips and brown sugar. They are portion-controlled and portable and come in four flavors, including Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, and Chocolate Banana.
The cookies are also certified vegan, Kosher, organic and non-GMO. Each pack has 110 calories and is high in vitamin A C, D, E, and B6.
MadeGood Foods are school safe from a purpose built peanut and nut free facility. Its product contain nutrients found in one serving of vegetables from a highly concentrated extract of carrots, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, beets and shiitake mushrooms. These hidden vegetables deliver nutrients but do not affect taste.
Breakfast to go
Carrs Foods has launched a new On the Go individually wrapped products within its St Pierre brand.
The new range includes Croissant, Pain au Chocolat, Brioche Swirl, Brioche Chocolate Chip Roll, Caramel Waffle, Caramel Cake Bar and Chocolate Cake Bar, which join the existing Belgian waffle products (Butter, Chocolate & Cinnamon).
Each product is individually wrapped for convenience so they can be easily eaten with one hand and cause minimal mess.
The range is initially being rolled out in Nisa, Spar and Costcutter in the UK, with a RSP ranging from 69p to £1 ($0.91-$1.31).
New research by Carrs Foods into food to go shopping habits reveals the variety of products offered by the St Pierre range – which had a retail value of £12.2m ($16m) in 2017 – is particularly important as consumers choose different snacks according to the eating occasion.
For example, Croissant (74%), Pain au Chocolat (51%) and Brioche (44%) were the favorite for breakfast, while out Cake Bars (62%) and Caramel Waffles (46%) were selected in the afternoon.
Belgian Waffles were favoured all day long.
Breakfast is one of the fastest growing out of home eating occasions with nearly half (49%) of UK adults choosing this option at some stage, according to Mintel.
America in the bag
Lay’s has released eight new potato chip flavors to showcase local cuisines across the US.
Lay’s new “Tastes of America” flavors are inspired by popular regional dishes, including Cajun Spice, Chili con Queso, Chesapeake Crab Bay Spice, Deep Dish Pizza, Fried Pickles with Ranch, New England Lobster Roll, Pimento Cheese, and Sweet Thai Chili.
The new bags hit US grocery stores on July 30 and will be available until September 23, but only in the region from where the flavor was inspired.
Alternatively, a variety pack of all seven flavors is available from lays.com.
Alongside the new releases, Lay’s is bringing back some old regional favorites for a limited-time, including Wavy West Coast Truffle Fries, Ketchup and Wavy Fried Green Tomato.
Pots of protein
UK-based Meatsnacks Group is launching jerky and biltong meat snacking pots under new brand Krave.
The company said this new branding will bring the category to the front of store and at till points.
The pots are under 100 calories per pack and are targeted at the fitness, health and nutrition-conscious consumer.
Krave snack pots are launching in two flavors: Szechuan Pepper & Ginger Salt Beef Jerky and Warm Chimichurri Beef Biltong.
Rustiks come to the UK
Japan-based snacks producer Calbee is launching Rustiks in the UK.
Calbee said the snacks have enjoyed success in the US and it is now bringing them to the UK under a new name, packaging and flavors.
The snacks, which are gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians – are made from Russet potatoes and “look and taste like real chips” in two varieties – Ready Salted and Sea Salt and Vinegar.
Rustiks has been rolled out exclusively in Tesco at a RRP of £1.50 ($1.99) for a 115g bag.
Additionally, Calbee is expanding its Japanese-inspired Yushoi brand.
Yushoi Inclusions are a gluten-free, chickpea-based snack that comes in a Fire Roasted Chipotle flavour and Caramelised Onion and Balsamic Vinegar.
Breakfast Indian style
Nestlé India – part of Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW), a joint venture between Nestle SA and US firm General Mills – has launched Nesplus, a range of nutritious breakfast cereals made from a combination of wholegrains and multigrain.
The range contains four multigrain variants – Kokos, Choco-Burst Fillows, Strawberry-Burst Fillows and Nutty Honey Granola. Each is a combination of four grains - wheat, rice, oats and the traditional Indian millet, jowar – specially created for the Indian palate.
A key characteristic of the product is that it remains crunchy in warm milk.
The breakfasts are packed with vitamin D, calcium, B-vitamins, iron, folic acid and fiber, which the company says makes it a great addition to the breakfast table.
The company enlisted Elephant Design to design the Nesplus packaging, which imparts a multi-sensorial consumption experience by using a combination of custom illustrations with product photographs.
Just love pizza
Nestle SA’s Sweet Earth Foods is putting a plant-based spin on pizza.
The brand is launching a new line of frozen pizzas featuring crusts blended with ancient grains, carrot and rosemary.
The Veggie Lover’s pizza is vegan, contains 6g of protein per serving and is made with a cornmeal, carrot and chia crust, featuring a marinara and vegan cauliflower herb sauce topped with broccoli, brussels sprouts, mushrooms and corn.
Protein Lover’s boasts 16g of protein per serving and is made with a wheat, chia, quinoa and flax seed crust, topped with marinara sauce, and the brand’s meatless Planet Pepperoni and Tuscan Savory Grounds with mozzarella cheese and roasted bell peppers.
Sweet Earth Foods Truffle Lovers pizza, made with a whole wheat and psyllium fiber crust, contains 12 of protein per serving and is topped with mushrooms, spinach, garlic, caramelized onions and mozzarella, Gruyere and Romano cheese and a caramelized onion truffle sauce.
Finally, the Herb Lover’s pizza provides 14g of protein per serving and is made with a rosemary-infused wheat and psyllium fiber crust, with an herb pesto base and topped with chives, red pepper flakes and a blend of mozzarella, Fontina, Parmesan, Asiago and Romano cheeses.
Available in more than 12,000 retail locations across the US, including Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Harris Teeter and Raley’s.
Introducing the unicorn in Canada
Lucky Charms has introduced a new and permanent marshmallow – the magic unicorn.
The new unicorn charm, which features hues of bright purples and blues, is the first-ever marshmallow to be inspired and created by kids.
However, with the entrance of the new magical charm, consumers will say goodbye to the hourglass marshmallow, which has been a staple in the magical line up for more than a decade.
Lucky Charms marshmallow blend will continue to feature eight lucky charms including hearts, stars, horseshoes, clovers, blue moons, rainbows, red balloons and now magical unicorns.
The new unicorn charms have appeared in boxes of Original and Chocolate Lucky Charms cereals across the US and now in Canada.