New Food & Beverage Product Rollout: March 2023

Slater’s 50/50, a brand of gourmet burger restaurants founded in Southern California, is entering the retail sector with Slater’s 50/50 Beef & Bacon Hotdogs. As the name suggests, the dogs are half beef and half bacon. They are making their debut in select Kroger stores in Atlanta, Nashville, Louisville and Columbus, Ohio; Basha’s in Arizona; and Smith’s Food & Drug stores in Southwest states. Manufactured by Bar-S Foods Co. for Slater’s 50/50, packs contain four quarter-pound dogs and retail for $5.99 to $6.99.

“Slater’s 50/50 restaurants are known for our over-the-top menu options and mouth-watering flavor combinations,” says Ernie Romo, chief operating officer for Slater’s 50/50. “It was a natural move for us to develop an exciting new hotdog product extension of our gourmet restaurant experience, and we believe consumers will love being able to have them in the refrigerator at home.”

Sustainable Cheese Crackers 

Cheddies was founded by Texas-based brothers Francisco and Tomas Pergola, who were looking for a healthy but delicious alternative to the highly processed cheese-based snacks they grew up eating. While still in college, they started to create a sustainably sourced cheese cracker with the savory flavor and crunch they loved, while also being kind to the planet. They partnered with Alexandre Family Farms -- one of the only regenerative dairy farms in the U.S. -- to create the proprietary recipe that gives Cheddies its uniquely cheesy taste.

Cheddies are made with only seven ingredients and contain 130 calories and 6g of protein per serving. The crackers come in Classic Sea Salt, Spicy Cheddar and White Cheddar flavors with a 4.2-oz. box having a suggested retail price of $5.99. They are also available in 100-calorie snack packs.

“We’re on a mission to put real, fresh cheese back in cheese snacks,” says CEO Francisco Pergola. “We believe Cheddies is the perfect cracker for the next generation of snackers looking for tasty, sustainable, healthy snacks that also put flavor first.”

A Smooth Move for Cottage Cheese

According to an “attitudes and usage survey” conducted by Kemps, a business of Dairy Farmers of America, more than 40% of consumers said they would be motivated to eat cottage cheese if it tasted better and had a better texture. That’s what the brand set out to do with its new Kemps Smooth Cottage Cheese for Kids. The new offering gives parents a nutritious and delicious option for their kids, as the product packs almost twice as much protein per ounce as most yogurts.

It is made with 4% whole milk cottage cheese that gets blended into a smooth and creamy texture with real fruit. The initial launch is in three flavors, each tied to a specific licensed Hasbro brand: Peppa Pig Strawberry Banana, PJ Masks Power Heroes Strawberry and Transformers Mixed Berry. Sold in four packs of 4-oz. cups, each cup contains 130 calories, 4g of fat, 11g of sugars and 10g of protein along with three probiotic cultures: Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus paracasei. The suggested retail price is $3.98.

Cobrands Galore

Conagra Brands Inc. kicked off 2023 with a tasty collection of sweet treats, breakfast mixes and flavored seeds. The Snack Pack brand is seeing the most action, with four new flavors of puddings and gels, three of which include an external licensing partner. Varieties are Snack Pack Cinnabon, Snack Pack Fruity Pebbles, Snack Pack Ice Cream Sandwich Pudding and Snack Pack Starburst.

Conagra’s partnership with the beloved cinnamon roll brand extends to three other new products: Duncan Hines Epic Cinnabon Muffin Kit, Mrs. Butterworth’s Epic Cinnabon Pancake Kit and Mrs. Butterworth’s Cinnabon Syrup. In anticipation of warmer weather, when baseball training camps start up, there’s new David Frank’s RedHot Jumbo Sunflower Seeds.

“Our teams are constantly innovating so that our food delivers fun and flavor,” says Lucy Brady, president of grocery and snacks. “With the addition of dynamic licensing partners that team with our iconic brands, our collection of new products is one that we’re excited to share with consumers.”

Thirty Minutes at 425

Kraft Heinz Co. created Homebake 425:30 to give families more time together and spend less time cooking. The new frozen brand includes five entrees, five side dishes and five vegetables, all made in a 425-degree oven in 30 minutes. Each package containing about four servings.

Entrées are Chicken Parmesan, Garlic Butter Chicken Scampi, Italians Style Meatballs in Marinara Sauce, Pulled Pork with BBQ Sauce and Southwest Chipotle Chicken. Sides are Creamy Tomato Tuscan Style Pasta, Homestyle Mac & Cheese, Loaded Scalloped Potatoes, Parmesan Crusted Potato Medley and Southwest Style Cheesy Rice. The vegetables are Cheesy Broccoli, Chipotle Glazed Carrots, Green Bean Casserole, Italians Style Cauliflower and Southwest Style Corn.

Consumers can mix up the offerings for variety. They’re available in select retail freezers. The brand is also selling direct to consumers from its website. Entrees cost $15, while sides and vegetables are $9.50.

Juices With Benefits 

Farmer-owned co-operative Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. is growing its shelf-stable juice-with-benefits lineup with three varieties. Immunity Cranberry Blueberry Acai is formulated to help support immune health with 130% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C, 15% DV of vitamin E and 15% DV of zinc, along with 80 calories per 10-oz. serving. Immunity Orange Mango also supports immune health. A serving contain 100% DV of vitamin C, 10% DV of vitamin E and 10% DV of zinc, along with 60 calories. Revitalize Cranberry Pineapple contains electrolytes — namely magnesium -- to help hydrate. A 10-oz. serving contains 80 calories.

All varieties are made with real fruit juice, have zero added sugars, and contain no artificial colors or sweeteners. The juices come in 60-oz. multi-serve bottles and six packs of 10-oz. single-serve bottles. The new varieties are supported by a TV campaign where, in each spot, the lead character is overtaken by an overwhelming newfound confidence, or “cranfidence,” inspired by Ocean Spray’s feat of making better-for-you juice products without sacrificing flavor.