Product showcase 2020: General Mills’ returns Dunkaroos in the US, Ben & Jerry’s launches Snackable Cookie Dough in the UK and Nestle debuts POGO
Crunch better
Calbee North America’s Harvest Snaps is launching Crunchions at Natural Products Expo West 2020 – being held in Anaheim, California, from March 3-7 – in three flavours: Sour Cream & Onion, Tangy Sweet Chili, and Kick’n BBQ.
Crunchions – which resemble small, crunchy onion rings – consist of lentils as the first ingredient and 4g of plant-based protein per serving, with no artificial flavours or colours.
In addition to debuting Crunchions, Calbee is showcasing the relaunch of fan favourite, Harvest Snaps Popper Duos.
The kid-centric snack has been modified to fit consumers’ craving to make snacking a healthier experience and are always baked, never fried. Made from green peas or red lentils, the brand has combined the duo of flours into a single puff, including Yellow & White Cheddar, BBQ Ranch and Salsa & Cheddar.
“Originally when crafting Popper Duos, we thought parents would have the upper hand by getting their kids to eat veggies without them knowing they were eating veggies,” said Steve Kneepkens, VP of sales and marketing, Calbee North America.
“We’ve learned the exact opposite is true. Kids are brilliant and they read the ingredient statements. Instead of mindless munching, they know these snacks are made with real vegetables and love it. They love the crunch and they love the flavours.
“Even better, kids know their parents will buy them because they’re the kind of snacks you don’t feel bad about eating.”
Have your cake and eat it, too
After months of trial and error, Good Dee's has added a line of low carb all-in-one mixes to its range of treats that even those living with food sensitivities and allergies can enjoy.
A sweet Chocolate Snack Cake and savoury Cracker Biscuit – both made without sugar, dairy and most common allergens – have been added to its range of sweet and savoury baking mixes that feature nothing but simple, allergen-free ingredients.
These include pantry staples like dairy-, sugar- and stevia-free Dark Chocolate Chips (made with natural allulose); quick and easy one-bag mixes like grain- and gluten-free Yellow Snack Cake; Corn-Free Cornbread (made with almond flour); and low carb all-in-one mixes Chocolate Snack Cake and savoury Cracker Biscuit (both made without sugar, dairy and most common allergens), as well as nut-free brownie, blondies, muffin mix and a sugar alcohol and stevia-free Maple Syrup.
“In this day and age, you shouldn’t have to choose between ‘safe’ and ‘delicious’ when it comes to baking and enjoying your favorite foods,” said Deana Karim, founder of Good Dee’s.
“At Good Dee’s, we’re working to prove that everyone - even those living with food sensitivities and allergies - can absolutely ‘have their cake and eat it, too’ worry-free and without sacrificing taste.”
All available online for an RRP of $11.99 each.
Mindful snacking
Supernola has gone mainstream after winning listings with Walgreens and Giant Foods in the US.
Founder Cindy Poiesz created the organic plant-based clusters – which marry clean, whole food ingredients and superfoods with bold flavours – so that the snack had everything she wanted.
The certified organic and paleo on-the-go clusters are made from nutrient-dense fruits, tree nuts and seeds, providing consumers with a healthier alternative to single serve energy/snack bars
“Unlike the saturated bar market, Supernola believes that people shouldn’t have to choose between nutritious and delicious; we’ve created a snack that has mouth-watering flavour in a unique and portable pack, while only using the absolute best, purposeful ingredients to make the healthy choice the easy choice for consumers,” said Poiesz.
The snacks are now available in over 6,500 Walgreens store locations nationally and over 150 Giant Food stores in the Washington D.C, Maryland and Virginia area.
“We’re excited to work with these forward-thinking retailers to help round out their snack portfolio with Supernola’s line of nutrient dense superfood clusters,” said Poiesz.
“Now, with the addition of Supernola, consumers visiting Walgreens and Giant Food stores won’t have to choose between nutritious and delicious when looking for an on-the-go snack.”
Available in six variants – including Banana Nut Crunch, Dark Chocolate Nut Crunch, Dragon Fruit Lemon Zest, Honey Sweet Goji, Triple Berry Vanilla and Pineapple Ginger Fusion – all of Supernola’s superfood clusters are certified organic, certified paleo, grain free, plant based, dairy free and non-GMO.
Cracking seasonal range
New for 2020, instore bakery specialist Delice de France is launching limited edition Hot Cross Buns in packs of four.
The traditional recipe, incorporating sultanas and raisins, is fragrantly spiced and topped with a classic piped cross; and available in cases of 24 with an RRP of £1.50.
Back by popular demand is the Cracked Egg Muffin, featuring a chocolate chip chocolate sponge and a vanilla frosting centre, topped with a white chocolate cream cracked egg decoration.
“Half of convenience store retailers believe that getting behind seasonal events with themed displays, products and promotions will create a more enjoyable experience for their shoppers, resulting in greater basket size and spend,” said Jenny Bayliss, sales operations director at Delice de France.
“Our Hot Cross Buns will help retailers to maximise bakery sales in the run up to Easter, while our Cracked Egg Muffins are perfect for consumers looking for something a little different versus traditional chocolate Easter eggs.”
The Cracked Egg Muffins (RRP £1.20) are supplied frozen, in cases of 28 and can be ready to serve in just 90 minutes, minimising costly wastage.
The seasonal products are available from the ‘Baked by Delice’ range, which comprises a range of classic bakery items focusing on speciality breads, viennoiserie and sweet bakery treats designed for inhouse bakeries.
Getting fruity
Kellogg’s has expanded its Frosted Mini-Wheats range with the launch of Frosted Mini-Wheats Filled.
The cereal features classic Mini-Wheats bites filled with a combination of Blueberry, Strawberry and Raspberry centres.
According to Kellogg, Frosted Mini-Wheat Filled is crafted with 10 layers of 100% whole grain wheat and features ‘much more filling’ than its Frosted Mini-Wheats Touch of Fruit in the Middle variants that were introduced in 2011 – but have since been discontinued.
The high fibre cereal is available at Target and select regional grocers across the US for an RRP of $3.99 for a 16.5-oz box.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for …
British fans of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream are in for a treat with the rollout of the brand’s iconic cookie dough chunks in snack bags in the UK.
The bags feature gooey bite-sized pieces of its chocolate chip cookie dough, which appears in the brand's bestselling ice cream flavour.
Each of the 170g bags contain six portions and should be kept for the occasional indulgent treat, racking up 111 calories per 28g serving.
Ben & Jerry’s Snackable Cookie Dough can be found in the freezer section of Asda stores across the UK for an RRP of £3.99.
Ugly delicious
Plantain chip producer Chifles has introduced Plantain Shells, a plant-based potato and tortilla chip alternative.
According to Chifles, the vegan snacks contain 30% less fat than traditional potato chips, are gluten-free and certified kosher. A 28g serving contains 150 calories, 3g of saturated fat, 125mg of sodium and 0g of sugar.
“The launch of this product is the perfect synthesis of chip and function, and the perfect bridge between cultures,” said Antonio Rivas Jr., president of Chifles.
“The new plantain shells offer much more than just another option in snacking. It’s a fan-favourite selection that you can enjoy in brand new ways.”
The gluten-free chips are also made from plaintains ‘that look ugly and taste delicious … which helps divert perfectly good produce away from landfills and into our pantries,’ according to the company.
Available from selected stores and online in 8.5oz bags.
On the POGO
Nestle’s Sweet Earth Foods brand has debuted a new plant-based product platform called POGOs (power-on-the-go snacks).
According to the producer, the heat-and-eat wraps are packed with prebiotics, 1 billion C.F.U.s of probiotics and at least 4g of fiber per serving.
The brand has been rolled out in in six varieties made from non-GMO veggies, fruits and spices.
- Blackberry POGO – blueberry and chia filling wrapped in a chia and sweet potato crust and topped with chia seeds.
- Chocolate POGO – nut butter, cocoa and banana in a cocoa wholewheat wrap topped with sunflower and flax seeds.
- Chai POGO – nut butter, cocoa and chai in a wholewheat pastry wrap with toasted pumpkin seeds.
- Dulce POGO – banana and dulce de leche wrapped in a cocoa whole wheat crust topped with puffed quinoa.
- Figgy POGO – fig and tart cherry filling wrapped in a tart cherry and beet crust topped with oats and chia seeds.
- Lemon poppy POGO – blueberries and chia seeds wrapped in a lemon poppy wrap topped with poppy seeds.
The wraps range from 220 calories to 300 calories, providing 13g of protein and between 4g and 6g of fibre.
“Sweet Earth POGOs are an entirely different and delicious snacking category — not to be equated to frozen pastries of the past,” said Kelly Swette, CEO of Sweet Earth Foods.
“We’re excited for people to experience this new, convenient and energizing snack, which supports today’s modern, active lifestyle.”
Sweet Earth POGOs are available across the US for an RRP of $2.29 per wrap.
Become a kid again
General Mills is relaunching a beloved cookies-and-cream snack from the 1990s.
Dunkaroos were first introduced in 1992 – accompanied by slam-dunk mascot Sydney the Kangaroo – but were discontinued in the US in 2012.
According to the company, the version to be relaunched is the classic vanilla cookie with vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles.
“We’re thrilled to relaunch Dunkaroos in the US after years of it only being available in Canada,” said Jeff Caswell, president of snacks at General Mills, said in a company blog post.
“For those who grew up in the ’90s, the original cookie-frosting combo represents the taste, colour and fun of being a kid during that decade.
“We know there’s a lot of love for Dunkaroos, and fans everywhere have been asking for it. We’re excited to help ’90s kids relive all the best parts of childhood.”
The snacks are returning to selected retail outlets across the US this summer.
