Jarlsberg Cheese Snacks
The popular Norwegian cheese brand is now available in single-serve portions, ideal for on-the-go snacking.
Created in 1956, Jarlsberg is naturally lactose-free as the whey is separated from the curd; lactic acid bacteria – which is added to give the cheese its distinctive, nutty taste and consistency consumes any residual lactose. The resulting enzymes help to fully mature the cheese before packaging and sale.
A 6oz bag of ¾oz individually wrapped cheese sticks runs for an RRP of $4.99, while a 10.5oz club bag costs $6.29. They are debuting across the US in major retailers, including Wal-Mart, Costco, Kroger, Safeway, HEB and online through Instacart.
Angie’s Boomchickapop White Cheddar Puffs
Less than two years into its tenure with Conagra, the popcorn brand has extended into the trending natural puffs category.
The corn-based White Cheddar Puffs will be available in the standard 6oz bag (RRP $3.49) as well as single-serving 1oz bags (RRP $5.49 for a six-pack). Like Angie’s Boomchickapop flagship product, the puffs are gluten-free and non-GMO.
“We saw an opportunity to introduce a snack that combines flavor and fun with real, simple ingredients to deliver a snack that has all-family appeal that Angie’s Boomchickapop can deliver in a unique way to the category,” the company told BakeryandSnacks.
“We continue to look for opportunities to expand Angie’s Boomchickapop into new categories that make sense for the brand.”
Last year, the company added a microwave popcorn and a limited-run trail mix, the latter of which will be permanently available later in 2019.
Another new product, the Sea Salt Air-Popped Popcorn, features white popcorn tossed with avocado oil and French sea salt. One cup contains 35 calories. A 4.2oz bag runs $3.49.
"The addition of White Cheddar Puffs gives us the chance to expand beyond popcorn, but still deliver on the promise of a hugely flavorful eating experience in a new format,” said Kevin Moses, senior brand manager at parent company Conagra Brands.
“With Sea Salt Air-Popped Popcorn, we now offer a ready-to-eat popcorn made with avocado oil and French Sea Salt that contains 35 calories per popped cup that doesn't sacrifice on flavor or real, simple ingredients."
Cap’n Crunch Strawberry Shortcake
The crunchy corn cereal has unveiled a slew of new sweet flavors in recent years, including Oops! All Berries, Chocolatey Berry, Peanut Butter, Sprinkled Donut and Cotton Candy.
Add to that list: Strawberry Shortcake, now available in a mega-sized 34oz bag at Wal-Mart for $5.98. This particular cereal comes not in the nuggets for which Cap’n Crunch, owned by Quaker and PepsiCo, is famous, but rather a puffed ring.
Jim Jams Hazelnut Spread
A father of five in the UK created Jim Jams as a healthier, low-sugar alternative to Nutella, the chocolate hazeulnut spread. He recently expanded distribution to the US, including to 800 Publix grocery stores.
“Despite having no background in the food industry, I realised, as a parent of young children, that there was a real and urgent need for healthier spreads for children,” said founder Kevin Bath.
Jim Jams’ milk chocolate and hazelnut chocolate spreads claim to contain 83% less sugar than the leading competitor. A 100g serving of the hazelnut contains 494 calories with about 50g of carbohydrates and 8.7g of sugar – plus 6.4g of protein.
By comparison, a 37g serving of Nutella offers 22g of carbohydrates and 21g of sugar, plus 3g of protein.
Rather than sugar, Jim Jams use maltitol. The ingredient list includes vegetable oil, skimmed milk powder, reduced-fat cocoa, whey powder and sunflower lecithin.
The company also produces several jams and marmalades in flavors like orange and blackcurrant.
Bubbie’s Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bites
The Hawaiian mochi (and vegan mocha) maker has swooped into cookie dough, developing a similar ice treat wrapped in an eggless, edible cookie dough batter.
Available in four flavors and sold in packs of six (RRP $5.99 to $6.99), each bite contains less than 130 calories.
The Chocolate Chip flavor features vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips, while Birthday Cake offers a speckled cookie dough shell with plain vanilla ice cream inside. Sugar Cookie is filled with a pink strawberry ice cream, and the Brownie Batter packs peanut butter ice cream inside a chocolate dough.
“Cookie dough is a classic favorite that's here to stay," said Rick Schaffer, CEO of Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream & Desserts. "By coupling these delicious cookie dough flavors with our expertise in premium bite-sized ice cream treats, we're opening a new world of innovative snacking possibilities."
Native State Foods Breakfast Energy Bites
Native State Foods makes plant-based breakfast products that feature any number of 10 superfoods, which it claims are sustainably sourced.
The Breakfast Energy Bites combine herbs, seeds, fruits and nuts – all of which are wrapped in dates and stuffed with roasted almond butter.
Ingredients such as maca and turmeric lend superfood power, while whole coconut, blueberries and goji berries provide balance, according to the Los Angeles-based company.
“We saw a need in the marketplace for a portable, shelf stable breakfast solution that wasn’t over-processed, baked, or full of sugar and empty calories,” said cofounder and CEO Angela Palmieri.
“Our bites are fresh, not baked, and full of nourishing, plant-based whole foods that have been used in their native state for hundreds, if not thousands of years.”
A pack of eight costs $27.95 on the company’s website. The ‘poppable’ bites come in three flavors: Goji Berry Chia, Cacao Coconut and Blueberry Ginger. Each is organic and kosher, while also free from soy and dairy.
Optimum Nutrition Protein Wafers
For more than 30 years, Optimum Nutrition (ON) has serviced sports nutrition through a full line of nutritional bars, vitamins, protein shakes and other energy products.
The company – best known for its whey protein powder – developed these crispy wafer bars with a creamy protein-enhanced crème filing as a throwback to classic wafer cookies. Their rendition, however, packs 15g of protein per serving (or two wafers).
“Our new ON Protein Wafers have that same amazing crunch and sweet center – but deliver a grown-up serving of complete protein in the protein-enhanced filling,” said marketing director Sarah Teeter.
"For a long time, it seemed consumers had to choose between convenience and good nutrition," said Teeter.
"ON has made it a priority to create convenient snacking options that deliver the great taste people want with a better-for-you nutritional profile.
"Indulgence, convenience and nutrition do not have to be mutually exclusive."
The bars contain 6g of sugar and fall between 190 and 210 calories. They are available in four flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Raspberry Chocolate and Mocha. A pack of nine costs an RRP of $19.99.
Pillsbury Fillows
General Mills has introduced two new sweet cereals to its lineup at Wal-Mart stores in the US. Initially, they will be available at 1,700 stores in 37 metro areas (RRP $3.98 for 22oz box).
Both feature what General Mills calls a ‘fillow’ – or a crème-filled crunchy cereal pillow.
The Hershey’s cereal stuffs a vanilla crème filling inside a chocolate piece, while the Pillsbury version boasts cinnamon roll-flavored bites.
