just-food publishes the most notable product development from the international food sector, presented in bitesize format to give you a flavour of the innovation from your peers and competitors announced this week.
PepsiCo takes US snack brand Poppables across pond
PepsiCo has taken its US snack product Poppables – sold domestically under the Lay’s brand – to the UK.
Available in the UK from the end of this month, Walkers Poppables are described as a light and airy. The product is already on sale in the US.
The company said the plan is to build on the success of the already well-established Mix Ups and Bugles brands in driving incremental sales in this segment.
Kate Charman, brand manager at PepsiCo, said: “We are seeing strong growth from the sharing segment and anticipate the launch of Poppables driving growth through a fun, new shaped snack, perfect for the ‘big night in’ occasion.”
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Poppables is available in flavours, including Sweet Chilli, Cheddar Cheese and BBQ Ribs. The full range is available as a 110g sharing bag priced at GBP1.99 (US$2.67). The Sweet Chilli variant can be purchased in a 60g pack and single-serve 25g format, price at GBP1.00 and GBP0.60 respectively.
Kellogg adds to Nutri-Grain range in Australia
Kellogg has launched a “squeezable” Nutri-Grain product sold in a pouch in Australia, one of the US giant’s largest markets.
Nutri-Grain To Go Protein Squeezers are “a thick and creamy breakfast blend of oats, protein and fibre and comes in five delicious flavours”, Kellogg said.
Tamara Howe, the marketing director of Kellogg’s operations in Australia and New Zealand, said: “We want to fuel more young Aussies [and] provide more options for busy parents and teens who are looking for a convenient, tasty breakfast that’s easy to eat on the go.”
The products, available at 140g, contain 12.2g of sugar, or 14% of a consumer’s “daily intake per serving”, as measured under local guidelines.
Kellogg said the products “are available at all major supermarkets and independent retailers.
Arla launches Lurpak Softest spreadable butter straight from the fridge
Arla Foods-owned brand Lurpak is expanding its range with the launch of a new butter that is spreadable straight from the fridge.
Lurpak Softest, available from major supermarkets from 21 May, is a new recipe format that gives consumers another choice in the butter and spreads category, Arla said. It is made with natural ingredients, and is a ”no compromise solution for creating easy, tasty food”.
Lucy Hurrell-Morgan, the brand manager for Lurpak, said research from Pplinsights has shown 92% of consumers spread butter straight from the fridge, ”so we really wanted to address the issue of spreadability which we know is a barrier to purchase”.
”With the new recipe we have created for Lurpak Softest, we can tap into the increasing consumer demand for convenience, but with the taste and naturalness of butter,” she added.
Yildiz-owned Pladis launches Flipz in the UK
Pladis, the UK-headquartered biscuits and confectionery arm of Turkish conglomerate Yildiz Holding, has launched the US snack brand Flipz in the UK.
The chocolate-covered pretzels launch follows what Pladis describes as a huge popularity surge for Flipz in the US, where the brand is worth US$61m RSV (retail sales value) having seen double-digit growth over the last three years.
Sold in 100g pouches, with a RRP GBP1.50 (US$2.02), in two variants – milk chocolate and dark chocolate – this will be the first time Flipz has been widely available in the UK. The snacks will be introduced first in Asda this month, followed by retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons in July and August.
Sarah Horowitz, director of the new ventures business unit within Pladis’ UK and Ireland arm, said: “We have seen sweet and savoury flavour combinations growing in popularity in the UK, although so far it has been largely limited to popcorn and nuts.”
Vivera’s plant-based steak secures Tesco listing
Dutch vegetarian and vegan food specialist Vivera has revealed its new 100% plant-based ‘steak’ is to be sold by UK supermarket giant Tesco.
It will be launched at 400 of its stores from 21 May.
In June “several large supermarket chains” will follow in the Netherlands and Vivera said that from the second half of this year it will also sell the product in other countries in Europe, starting with the German, French and Italian markets.
Vivera has started manufacturing the product and expects to produce several million pieces in 2018.
Only plant-based ingredients such as wheat and soy are used in the production of the steak, making its suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Gert Jan Gombert of Vivera said: “The smell, taste and bite can hardly be distinguished from real steak and we are convinced that this product will meet a large need of consumers.”
Vivera’s current product portfolio consists of more than 40 different meat alternatives.
Switzerland’s Coop launches organic, sugar-free yogurts
Swiss retailer Coop is launching the country’s first organic, sugar-free fruit yogurts to mark the 25th anniversary of the Naturaplan brand.
Available in three flavours – prune-cinnamon, blueberry banana and mango-passion fruit – the yogurts are made with organic fruit and lactose-free organic whole milk.
Priced at CHF0.95 (US$0.95), they have a natural sugar content of 5.4 to 6.5 grams per 100 grams and contain no additives or artificial flavours. The yogurts come in 150-gram jars and can be found now in Coop supermarkets and online.
In 1993, in collaboration with Bio Suisse – the leading association for organic producers in Switzerland – Coop launched Naturaplan, the first organic brand in the Swiss retail market.
Organix adds to range in UK
Organix, the UK baby-food supplier, has added to its product line-up in its domestic market.
The company, owned by Switzerland’s Hero Group, has launched its Goodies Fruit & Seed Bites, which it describes as a “fun alternative to just dried fruit, and a great way to get little ones to eat seeds”.
Organix said the chewy bite-sized pieces are made from ingredients including dates, prunes and sunflower seeds. Each 20g packet contains less than 100kcal.
Sainsbury’s will be the first grocer to stock the product, which “will be widely available in supermarkets this summer”, the company added.
