New Food & Beverage Product Rollout: April 2023

Mars Inc. adds milk chocolate molten lava caramel to its Dove Promises premium chocolate line. Inspired by the classic, decadent molten lava cake, the new confection provides a multi-texture experience with a rich “flowing” caramel center.

Earlier in the year, the brand grew its presence in the freezer with Dove Mini Sticks, vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate and almonds. The 1.85-oz. bars are sold in boxes of six. Other new frozen treats from Mars include M&M’s Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches, which are available as single impulse items and in packs of four, and Twix Cookie Dough Ice Cream in shareable pints.

Fruitful Snacking

Dole Packaged Foods wants consumers to rethink how they snack with two new concepts. Good Crunch is dried fruit made using a gentle dehydration process that locks in fresh fruit flavor and preserves nutrients for a light, airy and healthy snack. The initial rollout includes pineapple bites in an original and with chili option, and banana bites.

Good Crunch is sustainably made. Solar energy is used to power the unique multi-step drying process, which lowers carbon dioxide contribution to the air, while unused pieces of fruit are upcycled into organic fertilizers to reduce food waste. The variety of bananas used includes “imperfect” ones that would have been thrown away.

The company is also introducing Dole Wiggles Fruit Juice Gels, a single-serve cup gelatin snack made with 100% fruit juice. The lunchbox-friendly treat comes in cherry, orange and strawberry flavors. The gels contain no added sugars and are an excellent source of vitamin C. Both new snacks support the company’s journey toward achieving the Dole Promise, which aims to bring access to good nutrition to one billion people and move towards zero processed sugar in all Dole products by 2025.

Ice Creams With Fries, Ranch Dressing

Limited-edition Malted Milkshake & Fries is the latest creation from Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. It contains real Idaho potato French fries in the malted-flavored base. While this offering is available to all retailers nationwide, the company has also launched seven new flavors exclusive to Walmart stores, with the Hidden Valley Ranch creation turning shoppers’ heads. The ice cream boasts the savory flavors of ranch dressing, including buttermilk, herbs and a touch of sweetness.

The other new flavors are Blood Orange Chocolate Chip (sweet cream ice cream with blood orange swirls and dark chocolate chips), Carrot Cake (cheesecake ice cream with carrot cake pieces and cream cheese frosting), Honey Graham Cracker (brown sugar ice cream with graham cracker pie crust pieces and honey swirls), Limoncello Cake (lemon ice cream with sweet brown sugar cake pieces), Strawberry Shortcake (vanilla ice cream with jam from Oregon-grown strawberries and shortcake pieces) and Sweet Maple Cornbread (maple ice cream with honey cornbread pieces).

Grass-Fed Beef-Veggie Blends

Teton Waters Ranch’s latest creation is Teton Taste Buds, a collection of nutrient-rich grass-fed beef and vegetable blended products for the freezer (burgers, meatballs and mini corn dogs). There’s also refrigerated hot dogs. Carrots, mushrooms and sweet potatoes are the three dominant veggies.

“In order to make positive change in the eating habits of this generation of school children, businesses need to play an active role, and Teton Waters Ranch is committed to doing just that,” says Jeff Tripician, CEO, Grass Fed Foods, Teton’s parent company. “Taste Buds make mealtime fun and healthy. The products are good for parents, their kids, the planet and business.”

Hostess Sweets for All-day Snacking

Believing that consumers want to explore new textures and formats of sweet treats for all times of the day, Hostess Brands is launching two new breakfast snacks. Donettes Old Fashioned delivers donut shop taste in the form of sweet-glazed, moist, poppable treats. There’s also Chocolate Drizzle Baby Bundts made with real cocoa. Both products are void of artificial colors and flavors, as well as high-fructose corn syrup.

The company is also rolling out Hostess Kazbars, a candy-bar-inspired innovation within the snack cakes market. The treat combines layers of soft chocolate cake, crème, candy crunch and melt-in-your-mouth caramel or smooth chocolate fudge. The bars are covered in a rich chocolate-flavored coating and topped with a drizzle. Flavors are chocolate caramel and triple chocolate. Kazbars come in 10-oz. boxes containing eight individually wrapped 1.25-oz. mini bars. There are also 2.75-oz. bars for the impulse market.

Hormel Goes to Mexico, Italy

Growing consumer interest in international flavors fueled Hormel Foods to develop Hormel Sliced Chorizo. This new innovation was crafted to help consumers take their culinary game to the next level. The meat is made with authentic Spanish spices, such as garlic, peppers and pimento, with each slice delivering a bold and savory flavor that adds depth to any dish. The product is fully cooked and ready to use. The sliced chorizo comes in 5-oz. packages, which is about five servings, and retails for $4.49-4.79.

For foodservice, the company is introducing Fontanini Cup & Char Sausage, a new concept for the pizza topping industry. The sliced meat features Italian flavors and crispy, caramelized edges. To celebrate March Madness, the company offered limited-edition Hardcourt Smoked Hormel Black Label Bacon, a first-of-its-kind bacon smoked with the actual northern cherry maple wood used to make the floors of the 2023 college basketball tournament.