Three takeaways:
- Snack launches are increasingly built around where and how people eat – from minis and collectibles to airline-ready and festival-friendly formats.
- Regulation and inclusivity are now shaping NPD from the outset, with HFSS compliance and gluten-free positioning influencing both recipes and routes to market.
- Despite tighter controls and smaller formats, indulgence hasn’t disappeared – brands are protecting crave through texture, familiarity and layered flavor.
Snacking is getting more deliberate. Across categories, brands are dialing into when and where people eat, rather than chasing broad, all-day appeal. That might mean ice cream scaled down for a mid-afternoon pause, chips (crisps) reformulated to survive HFSS shelf rule or cookies that double as collectibles rather than cupboard fillers.
What’s striking is how little this shift has to do with restraint. Even when regulation or nutrition plays a role, indulgence hasn’t been sidelined. Jalapeño still brings heat, orange still lifts dark chocolate, caramel still anchors familiar comfort. The difference is that these cues are now being packaged with more intent, whether that’s through portioning, channel strategy or experiential design.
There’s also a growing sense of situational snacking. Airline cabins, music festivals, lunchboxes, TikTok feeds and convenience freezers are all being treated as distinct consumption zones, each with their own rules. Products aren’t just designed to sit on shelf anymore – they’re engineered to move smoothly through real life.
Oreo turns cookies into Marvel collectibles
Oreo’s Marvel collaboration turns a familiar cookie into a collectible experience. The limited edition drop features four packs showcasing 32 unique cookie embossments across Avengers, Spider-Man, X-Men and Fantastic Four characters.
Three packs will hit shelves, while a fourth is tied to an interactive QR-driven delivery challenge that asks consumers to guide trucks to their destination. It’s the largest special-edition pack release in the brand’s history and the first time all four Marvel franchises appear together.
Presales begin January 26, with retail rollout starting February 2 for a limited time.
SimplyProtein brings heat to protein chips
SimplyProtein’s latest launch signals that better-for-you no longer means pulling punches on flavor. The new Kickin’ Jalapeño Ranch protein tortilla chips lean into familiar restaurant-style cues, blending cool ranch seasoning with a subtle jalapeño kick.
Each serving delivers 7g of plant-based protein and 130 calories, wrapped in a crunchy tortilla chip format that keeps the product firmly in mainstream snacking territory rather than performance nutrition. Texture does much of the work here, positioning the chips as satisfying enough to replace conventional salty snacks.
The chips retail from $7.49 for a 4.58oz bag and are available now via the brand’s website.
Burts rewrites the rules on HFSS crisps
Burts Snacks is preparing for a reshaped UK retail landscape without walking away from its premium positioning. From February, the brand will roll out HFSS-compliant versions of its hand-cooked crisps, starting with Lightly Sea Salted and Devon Roast Beef.
Mature Cheddar & Onion and Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar will follow later in the year. All recipes have been reformulated to meet HFSS requirements while preserving crunch and seasoning depth, with consumer testing used to validate flavor acceptance.
“HFSS legislation is changing the landscape for snacks in-store, and our goal is to make the transition seamless for our retail partners,” said Sas Horscroft, head of marketing. “By reformulating our hand-cooked range, we’re giving shoppers products they trust, while helping retailers stay compliant on shelf.”
The range will be sold in 40g and 150g bags across supermarkets in the South West, supported by a targeted summer marketing campaign.
Bournville brightens dark chocolate with orange
Bournville is expanding its Indian dark chocolate range with two orange-infused variants, tapping into growing demand for premium chocolate experiences. The launch includes a 50% cocoa bar aimed at newer dark chocolate consumers and a 70% cocoa variant for more established palates.
Orange is used to lift and balance cocoa intensity rather than dominate it, keeping the bars accessible while clearly signaling premium intent.
“The new orange variants bring together our signature richness with the vibrancy of citrus, offering Indian consumers more sophisticated ways to experience dark chocolate,” said VP of Marketing Nitin Saini.
The bars are now available across key retail outlets and e-commerce platforms in India.
Snickers shrinks indulgence into mini form
Snickers Ice Cream is shrinking its signature format to fit everyday snacking occasions. The new Ice Cream Minis compress layers of ice cream, caramel, nuts and chocolate into bite-sized pieces designed for casual, inbetween moments.
The permanent lineup includes Original, Crunchy Peanut Butter, Almond and Salted Caramel, with a fifth variety combining peanut butter ice cream, caramel, peanuts and candy pieces available exclusively at Walmart from February. All varieties are sold in 10-count packs.
“We’re raising the bar with a cool, snackable treat that fits moments when people just want to kick back,” said Chanel Gant, marketing director at Mars Ice Cream.
The Minis are available now across major US retailers.
Welch’s syncs fruit snacks with flavor mashups
Welch’s is building on the success of its Fusions platform with two new varieties designed around layered flavor mashups. Citrus Surge and Tropical Tornado combine contrasting fruit profiles within each piece, delivering complexity rather than single-note sweetness.
“Young adults want more from their snacks – they want experiences,” said Lisa Eustic, senior VP of Marketing at PIM Brands. “We’re delivering that through unexpected flavor mashups and immersive music partnerships.”
The new varieties are rolling out now in US convenience stores, with broader grocery and online availability to follow.
Nairn’s lifts oat snacks into the skies
Nairn’s is expanding into airline catering after securing a British Airways listing worth 3.5 million snack packs. The move positions inflight service as both a growth channel and a high-volume sampling opportunity.
The condensed range includes sweet and savory oat-based snacks tailored to airline requirements, with gluten-free credentials helping carriers simplify onboard offerings.
“WTCE was a turning point,” said Ken Cameron, national account controller. “Airlines are actively looking for gluten-free, vegan and inclusive products. Suddenly, our niche strength became a mainstream advantage.”
While margins are slimmer, Nairn’s sees airline listings as a powerful brand-building platform, turning routine travel moments into trial at scale.
