New Food & Beverage Product Rollout: May 2021

Functional Matcha

Matcha Love is the creation of ITO EN North America Inc. The brand includes a line of revitalizing green tea powders and beverages made from vibrant and flavorful whole-leaf Japanese green tea. The company is growing the brand with three varieties of Matcha Love Energy +, all of which contain 50mg of natural caffeine for a gentle energy boost, along with green tea’s catechin antioxidants, vitamin C and L-theanine. The latter is an amino acid known to provide a state of calm alertness, while supporting mental clarity and wakeful relaxation.

The Matcha Love Energy + Soothe formulation includes honey and ginger. The Immunity variant has the superfruit acerola and yuzu, while Focus includes blueberry and ginseng for an empowering, focused blend. The drinks are packaged in colorful, recyclable 8.2-fl-oz. steel cans.

“As we see more consumers seeking plant-powered energy products to help navigate their health and wellness during these times, our Matcha Love Energy + couldn’t be more timely in helping consumers customize their daily wellness routines,” says Rob Smith, vice president of sales. “With so many unhealthy energy drinks on the market, we are excited to deliver a clean and natural energy with functional benefits.”

Syrups Go Nutty

Imagine maple syrup that has 50% less sugar than traditional syrup while also delivering 3g of protein in every serving. That’s what you get with the two varieties of Nut Butter Syrups being rolled out by Kodiak Cakes. A base of pure maple syrup is combined with either almond butter or peanut butter, along with some sunflower oil, plant fibers and natural flavors. The syrups come in 11-oz. bottles and sell for about $10.

This category first is intended to be enjoyed on the company’s extensive range of protein-fortified grain-based breakfast foods. Recent rollouts include Plant-Based Classic Flapjack and Waffle Mix, a just-add-water mix that packs in 12g of protein per serving. An 18-oz. box has a suggested retail price of $5.99. There’s also Carb-Conscious Buttermilk Flapjack and Waffle Mix with 14g of protein, no added sugar, and a wholesome mix of flours with only 15g of net carbohydrates. A 12-oz. box costs about $6.99. The new No-Bake Protein Balls Mix comes in dark chocolate and oat chocolate chip varieties. The dairy protein-enriched mix gets combined by the consumer with water, honey and nut butter and rolled into a dozen balls that pack in 10g of protein per serving.

Refrigerated Layered Yogurt Bars

Clio Snacks, the fresh-snacking brand behind the world’s first refrigerated Greek yogurt bar wrapped in chocolate, continues to shake up the dairy department with the rollout of Clio Granola and Yogurt Parfait Bars. The new product combines Clio’s signature Greek yogurt with a layer of crunchy granola, transforming the traditional parfait into a ready-made, hand-held product that functions as a convenient breakfast, satiating snack or better-for-you dessert.

Available in two varieties—Strawberry wrapped in yogurt and Coconut wrapped in chocolate—each bar is packed with 10g of protein. A single 1.94-oz. bar comes in a box and has a suggested retail price of $2.49.

“Parfait is a classic offering, combining the crunchiness of granola with Greek yogurt for a delectable breakfast or snack option,” says Heather Cox, chief operating officer. “For Clio, it felt like a natural next step as we continue to push the boundaries and reimagine the yogurt and bar experience. From the first bite we knew we had a product that perfectly balances crave-ability with guilt free-ingredients, all wrapped in a delicious, convenient bar.”

Blended Sausages

Dietz & Watson knows many consumers today are looking for ways to eat more plant-based foods, yet struggle with giving meat up altogether. So the company created Blends, a 50/50 blended sausage that features no-antibiotics-ever lean chicken and a medley of vegetables along with the ancient grain quinoa. Packed with 10g of protein, each variety is casing- and gluten-free with no nitrates or nitrites.

The culinary-inspired sausages come in three varieties. The Italian Style emulates a classic Italian sausage sandwich with the savory flavors of roasted peppers, onions and mozzarella cheese. Buffalo-style Spicy Cheddar balances a little spicy, a little cheesy and a little veggie. Tomato and Basil is inspired by classic Tuscan flavors. These products are geared not only to omnivores and flexitarians, but also as an option for families trying to add more vegetables to the plates of picky eaters.

“Our research shows that consumers would like to see more blended protein products and their numbers will surely rise as these types of products become more readily available,” says Lauren Eni, vice president brand strategy.

Healthy but Dipped in Chocolate

SkinnyDipped, known for its thinly dipped almonds, peanuts and cashews, is making waves in the candy category with the launch of chocolate bars and peanut butter cups. The brand’s new offerings have as much as 79% less sugar than leading similar products and are made without stevia or sugar alcohols.

The company’s founders—mom and daughter duo Val and Breezy Griffith--saw an opportunity to fill the gap left between chocolate bars and peanut butter cups made with lots of sugar and lower-sugar options that rely on sugar substitutes that may have undesirable aftertastes or cause stomach upsets. To accomplish this, the two are sweetening the bars with a blend of maple sugar, cane sugar and allulose.

The two dark chocolate bars are Almond Sea Salt and Salted Caramel. Both have a sweet and salty flavor profile and contain only 3g of sugar in a 30g serving. The SkinnyDipped Peanut Butter Cups come in dark and milk chocolate varieties. The balanced peanut butter interior and thin chocolate shell candies are made with simple ingredients and have only 2g and 4g of sugar, respectively, per each 15g cup.

Culinary-Inspired Tofu

Franklin Farms, a division of Keystone Natural Holdings, is introducing Fusion Tofu to its growing line of plant-based products. Infused with different flavors, this line of extra-firm tofu offers consumers craveable flavor and functionality, saving time with a new easy-to-prepare healthy meal solution.

Fusion Tofu is vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, cholesterol-free and provides an excellent source of protein ranging from 10g to 11g per serving. The product contains no preservatives, artificial colors or flavors and is currently available in four savory, flavor-forward options: Curry, Italian, Mediterranean and Tuscan Tomato. The ready-to-eat tofu may be consumed hot or cold, and may be added to salads, stir-fries, wraps, pasta dishes, buddha bowls and more. There is no draining or pressing required, making it a very convenient plant-based option for consumers.

“Today’s consumers are cooking at home and looking for plant-based products that are simple to prepare, without adding stress or confusion to dinner time,” says Kenny Sung, CEO. “It was our goal to take the intimidation out of preparing tofu by offering our consumers a tofu that is infused with flavor, pre-seasoned and pre-pressed for easy slicing or cubing.”