Going bananas
Upcycled banana and plantain-based snack producer Barnana has released its newest product line, Plantain Tortilla Chips.
The chips are made from delicately seasoned ground plantains cooked in avocado oil and come in two flours: Himalayan Pink Salt and Lime & Sea Salt.
“Our Organic Ridged Plantain Chips are flying off the shelves, validating consumer demand for salty snacks from Barnana,” said Barnana founder Caue Suplicy.
“Initial taste tests of the new Plantain Tortilla Chips show we likely have another big winner for savoury snackers.”
The snack producer is also rolling out redesigned packaging and logo created by Brazilian artist and illustrator Speto. Touted as one of the most talented graffiti artists in the world, Speto’s work has been exhibited in museums such as Palais de Tokyo in France and Museu Afro Brasil in São Paulo.
“We’re honoured for Speto to be a part of Barnana’s brand evolution,” said Suplicy.
“We wanted to work with him as he not only speaks to our Latin American roots, but he also shares our vision of creating positive change in the world.”
The brand’s logo is accompanied by Nana, a whimsical monkey created by Speto, to help bring awareness to Barnana’s mission of reducing food waste and promoting regenerative agriculture in the Amazon.
Since Barnana was founded, it has saved over 100 million bananas from going to waste by upcycling ‘imperfect’ fruit into delicious snacks.
The certified B-Corporation is also a founding member of the recently formed Upcycled Food Association (UFA), aimed to educate consumers about the critical climate benefits of reducing food waste and explaining the difference between ‘upcycled’ and ‘recycled’.
Barnana’s Plantain Tortilla Chips – along with its Banana Bites, Cookie Brittle and Plantain Chips – can be found at selected retail outlets like Whole Foods, Costco, CVS, Kroger and Safeway. Also available online and on Amazon beginning July 1.
Have your cookie and eat it, too
The Empowered Cookie creates sweet treats that use only plant-based ingredients that have been responsibly- and sustainably sourced. The cookies are palm-oil free and non-GMO, suitable for vegans, coeliac sufferers and those following a Paleo lifestyle.
The brand was founded by pastry chef Natalia Barr as a way to connects people and keeps traditions alive. She believes food tells stories and carries the soul of a culture.
According to Barr, The Empowered Cookie is her way of putting the ‘healthy’ soul back into the American food industry.
As such, her cookies are also diet-friendly, low-carb, gluten- and grain-free and contain no soy, peanuts, dairy or refined sugars.
Available in six varieties – including Chocolate Cherry, Chocolate Walnut, Double Chocolate Chunk, Ginger Molasses, Lemon Lavender Poppy Seed and Raisin Walnut – from the producers website.
All in one bite
The flavour masters at Pringles have teamed up with hamburger queen Wendy’s to produce the limited-edition Pringles Baconator, which packs all the layers of flavours of Wendy’s Baconator in one bite.
Each burger is made with half a pound of beef, American cheese, six strips of crispy Applewood smoked bacon, ketchup and mayo – and replicating that was no challenge for Pringles.
“The Pringles brand delivers insanely accurate flavour combinations that are both delicious and convenient,” said Gareth Maguire, senior director of marketing for Pringles.
“With such a strong fanbase, we knew we had to nail that fresh, never-frozen Wendy’s flavour perfectly.
“Luckily, our flavour experts were up to the task. The Pringles Baconator crisps are the perfect way to enjoy the savoury goodness, all in one bite.”
Each can of Pringles Baconator comes with a code that can be used to score a free Wendy’s Baconator, Son of Baconator or Breakfast Baconator when you order through the Wendy’s app, redeemable until the end of September.
“At Wendy’s, the Baconator has long been an iconic Bacon Cheeseburger like no other. With stacked fresh beef, oven cooked Applewood smoked bacon and piping hot cheese, we knew it was going to be a challenge to get all that flavour and goodness into one bite,” said Carl Loredo, Wendy’s US chief marketing officer.
“We’re excited to work with the flavour experts at Pringles to deliver the taste our fans know and love in a unique way. We know our Baconator fanatics will be in for quite a treat when they taste how insanely accurate Pringles made this delicious crisp.”
Pringles Baconator will be available for a limited time nationwide.
Taste of the future
Pep & Lekker’s commitment to shake up the snacking establishment has won it a spot on Sainsbury’s Future Brands agenda, which champions the pioneering brands of tomorrow.
From June, two variants of the producer’s award-winning 30g Seed Snacks – Fennel & Chia and Rosemary & Hemp – will be trialling in 70 Sainsbury’s outlets across the UK, in the Taste of the Future aisle, for an RRP of £2.
Packed with fibre and protein, Seed Snacks provide health-conscious snackers with a treat that also recalibrates their blood/sugar balance and manage their weight. The snacks are also free from added sugar, gluten and refined grains, along with the 14 known allergens.
Each Seed Snack is baked not fried using apple puree and chicory root fibre. They also do not include any palm oil and come in fully compostable pouches.
Every Seed Snack is free from any: added sugar, gluten, refined grains or any unwelcome synthetic nasties.
“The life of a fledgling food supporting the war on obesity is certainly full of ups and downs, however the willingness of the fantastic Future Brands team to give Seed Snacks a break as part of their promotion of healthy eating is beyond even our wildest dreams,” said Susan Gafsen, cofounder of Pep & Lekker.
A magical remake
The Little Debbie brand is re-introducing a fan favourite.
Sparkling Strawberry Unicorn Cakes are pink strawberry-flavoured cakes filled with lavender-coloured vanilla crème, covered in white and blue frosting and topped with purple candy glitter.
Available in eight to a box, each finger-shaped cake is individually wrapped with pink, purple and blue graphics, making them a real party treat.
“Bringing back this delicious favourite is so exciting for our brand fans, and also for employees in the company,” said Tara Wiese, Little Debbie associate brand manager.
“We are gearing up for the fun and smiles these snacks bring to everyday moments. We can’t wait to see consumers sharing their enjoyment on social media once they return to shelves again. We loved seeing Little Debbie snacks tagged in so many posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter during the first launch of Unicorn Cakes, and anticipate lots of Little Debbie fan excitement and creativity this go-around.”
According to Little Debbie brand owner McKee Foods, a Little Debbie product is purchased more than 50 times per second in the US and Canada. The snacks are baked fresh and sold through retailers across the continent.
The Sparkling Strawberry Unicorn Cake are available wherever Little Debbie snacks are sold.
Boozy kick
Beat the pandemic blues with Bakedin’s Boozy Cupcake Kits.
Whether you’re partial to a refreshing Mojito, a zesty Margarita or an invigorating Espresso Martini, the cakes come with a boozy kick to get summer off to a great start.
The handy kits contain all the dry ingredients home-bakers need as well as colourful cupcake cases, step-by-step instructions, a piping bag, decorations and straws. All that’s needed to bring to the party is the fresh ingredients and the all-important alcohol.
It’s fuss-free baking with no food waste.
The boozy kits include Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcake Kit (£10), Mojito Cupcake Kit (£10), Espresso Martini Cupcake Kit (£10) and Lemon Margarita Cupcake Kit, all with an RRP of £10. If you’re looking for something more, Bakedin also offers a Gin & Tonic Cupcake Kit and Prosecco & Strawberry Cake Kit, each complete with miniature gin and miniature prosecco, for an RRP of £20.
The kits are available at the Bakedin online bakeshop, Amazon, Wicked Uncle and high street retailers such as Costco, Hobbycraft, Lakeland and Tesco.
Sharing snacks during lockdown
Royal Hawaiian Orchards has introduced a sharing 24oz bag of Sea Salt macadamia nuts to enjoy with loved ones.
“The creation of a family-sized product gives consumers the opportunity to continue enjoying Royal Hawaiian Orchards in their homes, but this time, with ample opportunity to share with the whole family,” said K.C. Blinn, GM of sales and marketing at Royal Hawaiian Orchards.
“With the majority of Americans still working and learning from home, we wanted to offer a one-stop, healthy option to help feed and nourish the entire household.
“Whether it’s a quick snack to keep you focused in between Zoom calls, or a delicious reward for finishing your math assignment, our gluten-free, Keto, Paleo, and vegan-friendly macadamias are sure to please.”
Royal Hawaiian Orchards’ Sea Salt macadamia nuts are also available in a 4oz bag, available online and in select retail locations across the US.
Upping the stakes
Pladis plans to take a bigger bite of the snacking market with another addition to its £13.3m Flipz brand.
Flipz Strawberry Cheesecake offers the sweet and salty taste that consumers have come to love, enrobing salty pretzels in a sweet strawberry glaze.
“Since introducing Flipz to UK consumers back in 2018, our shopper base has remained incredibly loyal – with a strong repeat purchase rate of over 30%. We can attribute the brand’s success to the uniqueness of its ‘swavoury’ flavour,'” said Jonathan Bull, head of McVitie’s Commercial & Seasonal Brands at pladis UK&I.
“In addition to the brand’s established shopper base, we want to help retailers drive incremental sales by encouraging new shoppers – especially younger consumers – to buy into Flipz. This is why we’re particularly passionate about innovation across the range and adding exciting flavour combinations to our core line-up.
“We chose Strawberry Cheesecake as Flipz’s next endeavour because it’s a popular flavour in the UK, appealing to shoppers across all sorts of categories, from ice cream to yoghurt-based desserts. In combining the quintessentially British strawberry flavour with the brand’s American roots, we’re confident that the latest product in the Flipz range will be a hit with British shoppers.”
Flipz Strawberry Cheesecake is available in 90g sharing pack format at an RRP of £1.50 across multiple grocery, convenience and wholesale channels, including Asda and Morrisons. Packaging is recyclable through pladis’ partnership with Terracycle.
Nutty about these
Pizootz Peanuts and Almonds are now available online with direct delivery to your home or office to be enjoyed during these extraordinary times.
The snacks were created by peanut pioneer Dr Alfred P Pizootz in 2016, using a patented infusing process that uses only water, pressure and steam to naturally put the flavours inside the nut, unlike others on the market that are typically deep fried in oil and coated in various substances.
Today, the better-for-you peanut and almond range includes 10 flavours, ranging from New York Dill Pickle, to Bay Spice, to Inferno.
Pizootz snacks are available online and can be shipped across the globe from Canada to Japan, Germany to American Samoa.
