What’s new on shelf: Marshmallow Moon Oreos, waffles for breakfast from Kellogg's and ecologically clean veggie chips
Oh, wow!
UK snack brand Graze – acquired by Unilever earlier this year, the company’s first acquisition in the F&B sector under CEO Alan Jope – is launching Wow Bakes in response to growing consumer demand for lower-calorie options.
The oat-based snacks contain less than 100 calories per serving.
The new products also contain less than 4g of sugar per bake, aligned with the company’s sugar reduction initiative across its entire cereal bar range by using chicory root fiber.
“The introduction of our new sub-100 calorie Wow Bakes is just another step in our mission to help consumers enjoy healthy eating,” said Pia Villa, chief brand officer at Graze.
“Following the launch of our initiative to significantly reduce the sugar content across our entire cereal bar range last month, we plan on continuing to push the boundaries of healthy snacking innovation in order to provide delicious, nutritious products for our grazers.”
Wow Bars are available in four flavors – Chocolate Sea Salt, Honeycomb Crumble, Sticky Toffee and Lemon Drizzle – from Tesco stores this month, followed by other major retailers across the UK.
To the moon and back
Oreo has released a lineup of new flavors and a returning favorite.
The cookie company has brought back a take on the campfire classic – S’mores Oreos – available for a limited time only.
It has also announced four new flavors.
Oreo Thins Latte: The latte crème-filled cookie will become a permanent fixture in the Thins line.
Marshmallow Moon Oreos: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, the limited-edition purple marshmallow crème-filled cookie is decorated with a trio of lunar-inspired designs. The packaging glows in the dark and comes with stickers.
Baskin-Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreos: Coming mid-July, the cookies feature mint and chocolate crème with chocolate chips.
Maple Crème Oreos: Available in late August, this cookie features maple crème between two golden Oreo cookies.
Rise, flow, play
Good-for-you brand Kashi has given its GOLEAN line a refurb – now called Kashi GO – to reflect the values of its customers who choose foods that fuel and inspire them.
The California-based brand conducted market research in partnership with brand agency JKR to understand how its customer base has evolved and found that people are changing the way they think about healthy eating. They want to invest in brands that not only reflect their food values, but also inspires them.
As such, the term ‘lean’ has been removed from Kashi’s new packaging and motivational words have been added to each box, such as ‘rise,’ ‘flow,’ ‘play,’ ‘defy,’ ‘crush,’ ‘wander,’ and ‘love.’
“Kashi GO encourages people to do what they love, and we wanted that to be apparent from the second they looked at the box,” said Jeanne Wilson, Kashi’s director of marketing.
“The words inspire people’s next step, from small daily activities, to big adventures, while the food provides positive plant-based nutrition to fuel them to do those things.”
The first product to be launched under the new brand identity is a Kashi GO cereal.
Maple Brown Sugar Flakes & Clusters is a mix of plant-based flakes and crispy clusters, including pumpkin seeds, lentils, peas and quinoa, that deliver 10g of protein, lightly sweetened with maple and a hint of brown sugar and cinnamon.
The cereal is the first in Kashi’s GO portfolio to contain the propriety flake format, which ensures protein delivery and a crunchy texture.
The brand is also launching three Kashi GO protein bars – Crunchy Peanuts + Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate + Almonds + Sea Salt, and Dark Chocolate + Peanut Butter – that contain 12g of protein and only 6g of sugar.
Kashi GO products are available at select grocery stores around the US, including Kroger, Hy-Vee and online at Amazon.
Ecologically clean
Liberty Trade Inc. is rolling out a line of vegan snacks in the US that use ingredients sourced from ecologically rich and clean lands with a low environmental impact.
Crunch Instinct works to promote soil health, minimize overall water use and lower total pollution levels on its vegetable farms.
The brand also strives to meet society’s snacking needs without adding to climate change or compromising sustainable agricultural for future generations.
Crunch Instinct chips are made from organic vegetables grown in the South Caucasus (specifically for the brand), which, according to the Global Footprint Network, is distinctly noted for having no ecological deficit. The chips also contain no artificial fragrances, preservatives or taste intensifiers.
Available in four gluten- and palm-oil free varieties — Carrots, Beets, Turnips and Pumpkin – the ingredients are good sources of fiber, nutrients, good fats and antioxidants.
Crunch Instinct is the latest in a line of eco-friendly clean food products planned for the US market from distributor Liberty Trade, a promoter of ethical business practices.
Biscuits on the fly
Mondelēz World Travel Retail (WTR) has partnered with retailer Dufry Group to launch an interactive campaign at UK airports for its new Cadbury Biscuits Collection.
The collection includes three travel retail exclusive pouches, including : a Nibbly Fingers 320g pouch, which contains eight bags of mini biscuits dipped in Cadbury Dairy Milk; a Break Bar 364g pouch, which contains 14 biscuit bars and is available in either plain or chocolate; and a Round 360g pouch, which has 12 round wafer biscuits coated in Dairy Milk.
The company’s latest Biscuit Bakery campaign is based around a digital air hockey game, which invites travellers to choose to compete with Oreo or the Cadbury Biscuits Collection. Brand ambassadors are on site to offer samples of the new Cadbury biscuits, as well as classic Oreo cookies.
The launch and activation is aligned with Mondelēz’s strategy to reinforce biscuits as an established sub-category in the global travel retail market.
“Buoyed by the success of Milka biscuits and the increase in dedicated biscuits space across the channel, we feel reassured in this segment’s potential as a powerful growth driver,” said Irina Tarabanko, Mondelēz WTR category marketing manager.
Biscuit Bakery activations are running at London Stansted Airport throughout May, at London Heathrow Airport in June and London Luton Airport in August, followed by other locations worldwide.
Off grid
Kellogg’s has launched a range of protein-packed frozen waffles that delivers a ‘hearty and wholesome breakfast experience within any healthful lifestyle.’
Off the Grid waffles are made with soy protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, wholewheat flour, egg whites, hemp seeds and cage-free eggs. Each two-waffle serving delivers 12g of ‘complete’ protein.
“When protein contains all nine essential amino acids in the right amounts, it’s considered complete protein. With complete protein you’re fully fueling yourself and your possibilities,” said Sarah Ludmer, registered dietitian and director of wellbeing for Kellogg.
The waffles are Non-GMO Project Verified and made with 100% whole grains. Available in three variants – Vanilla Buttermilk, Cinnamon Brown Sugar and Wild Blueberry – they contain 230 or less calories per serving.
Off the Grid waffles will hit the freezer aisle in the US at the beginning of June.
Hit me with that rhythm stick
All-natural snack brand Rhythm108 is releasing an improved vegan All Day Snack Bar range.
The London-based snack brand now has the fully vegan title, having replaced all animal ingredients with plant-based ones to create organic chocolate bars, snack bars, mini chocolate eggs and tea biscuits crafted by trained Swiss patissiers.
The new offerings – including Coconut Chocolate Chip, Choco-Walnut Brownie, and Hazelnut Cookie Dough – are made with natural and completely free of GMO ingredients, without preservatives, flavorings or colorings.
“We went vegan because we didn’t like what we saw at existing food companies and we wanted to create a new type of food business; one where 21st century values like trust and mindfulness are at the forefront of what we do,” said Siddhi Mehta, founder of Rhythm 108.
“As a brand, we look at everything from sustainability to company culture and how we can be a company our clients are proud to purchase from.”
Rhythm 108 products are stocked throughout the UK, Ireland and Switzerland in retailers such as Sainsbury’s, WHSmith Travel Stores, Boots, Selfridges, As Nature Intended, as well as over 3,000 independent retailers.
All Day Snack Bars have an RRO of £1.59 ($2.03).
Friendly on your tummy
Roberts Bakery’s Digestion Boost Bloomer range – crafted with organic live ferments to complement a healthy gut – is rolling out exclusively in Tesco in the UK.
Digestion Boost Seriously Seeded and Heroic Wholemeal also contain 6g of wheat bran fibre per 100g, while Digestion Boost Wondrous White contains 15% of the Reference Intake (RI) for calcium.
The new formulation means the bakery has also been able to remove some of the artificial preservatives, like E471, E472e, E282, that are present in other loaves.
Roberts has also taken another step closer towards plastic-free packaging and the range comes in a single material paper bag.
Roberts’ Digestion Boost Wondrous White, Heroic Wholemeal and Seriously Seeded will replace other Bloomer SKUs in 300 of Tesco’s Express, Superstore and Extra stores.
The remaining 150 Tesco stores will stock Roberts’ Heroic Wholemeal.
“As the UK’s most innovative, next generation bakery brand, we never stand still. We absolutely must bring relevant, interesting NPD to shelves, which chimes well with our own brand ethos and positioning,” said Stuart Spencer-Calnan, Roberts’ MD.
“This particular NPD was driven by the perceptions of bread being unhealthy among consumers, and in some cases, causing stomach discomfort such as bloating. It starts to bring forward proactive health benefits, which get to the heart of the category issue, and hopefully lays to rest some of those consumer concerns, creating a perception that bread can be gut friendly and can be eaten daily.”
Roberts’ Digestion Boost Bloomer range has an RRP of £1.49 ($1.91).
Go nuts
The cereal aisle will get a bit sunnier with the addition of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch Vanilla Almond that has slivers of almond slices and raisins nestled among vanilla flavored-bran flakes.
The only cereal in the Raisin Bran lineup to include nuts, it also provides a good source of fiber along with 16g of whole grains.
“We know Raisin Bran Crunch fans love the mix of textures in every bite, and our new Vanilla Almond flavor adds an extra layer by marrying the crisp smoothness of almond slivers with vanilla flavor,” said Brad Schwan, senior marketing director for Kellogg's RTE cereal.
The cereal will be available beginning in June at major retailers and grocery stores across the US.
