Seasoned Butters From Irish Grass-fed Cows
Kerrygold Butter Blends are a new range of flavored butters designed to be the perfect finish to any dish or simply spread on a snacking cracker or slice of bread. The three varieties are rolling onto store shelves across the U.S., with national distribution expected by September.
Bell Pepper & Garden Herbs includes the flavors of paprika, oregano, basil, onions, garlic and bell pepper. Chive & Onion contains the herby flavors of chive, onion and parsley. Sundried Tomato & Basil combines dried tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, onions and garlic.
The butters are made with milk from Irish grass-fed cows and free from artificial flavors or preservatives. The company works with 14,000 small Irish family farms to make its products. Less than a year ago, the Irish dairy processor started exporting Kerrygold Grader’s Select cheese into the U.S. The range is described as an epicurean exploration curated by those who are passionate about cultivating the world’s best cheddars for those who love to enjoy them. The line consists of sharp, extra sharp and vintage varieties.
Nearly 40% of U.S. shoppers believe that the breakfast category is too processed, according to Mintel. So Applegate Farms LLC, a company that has focused on 100% natural products with real ingredients for more than three decades, saw room to expand its expertise into a new category: handheld frozen breakfast. The company is launching Applegate Naturals Frittata Bites. The high-protein breakfast bites feature either Applegate’s chicken breakfast sausage or its bacon.
The chicken sausage frittata includes red pepper, onion and spinach. Each serving of two frittata bites provides 13-19g of protein and less than 1g of sugar. The heat-and-eat frozen egg bites are ready within three minutes in the microwave. An 8.4-oz. box contains four bites and has a suggested retail price of $9.99.
“What goes better with bacon and breakfast sausage than eggs? As we looked at the egg bite category, we noticed a 100% natural egg bite didn’t exist that met our high standards, so we set out to create it ourselves,” says Joseph O’Connor, president. “As a longtime leader within the natural and organic meat category, we’ve led food movements including organic and meat raised without antibiotics. We’re looking to do it again by offering the first and only frozen handheld egg bites where the eggs and meat are Certified Humane.”
Jack Links Partners With Doritos
Meat snack consumption is set to achieve its highest peak since 2012, according to recent research from jerkybrands.com. The study showed that meat snack sales have increased by 40% in the past four years, from about $3.5 billion in 2019 to $4.9 billion in 2022. The survey showed some of the most popular meat snack flavors are teriyaki, peppered, spicy, mesquite, barbecue and hickory. The flavor gaining traction is “swicy.” It is a combination of sweet and spicy, also known as sweet heat.
Swicy is exemplified in new Jack Link’s Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Flavored Beef Jerky and Meat Sticks from Jack Link’s Protein Snacks, which teamed up with Frito-Lay to develop this flavor mashup. The joint venture also includes the rollout of Jack Link’s Flamin’ Original Beef Jerky and Meat Sticks.
“Jack Link’s has always been about pushing boundaries and bringing bold experiences to our fans through our high-quality meat snacks,” says Stephanie Leibke, vice president of marketing for Jack Link’s. “Through this legendary collaboration with Frito-Lay, we can take consumers on the next epic snacking adventure we know they are hungry for.”
Simple Mills, with a mission to advance the health of the planet and its people, is elevating snack time with new Cheddar Pop Mmms Veggie Flour Baked Snack Crackers. The nutrient-dense crackers feature organic butternut squash as the first ingredient, a source of vitamin A and fiber. They also include organic red beans, which contain potassium and iron, and real organic cheddar cheese. The crackers have a light, airy texture and provide a half-cup of vegetables per serving, which is about 50 pieces.
The brand advances regenerative agriculture through at least one of three pathways: design for diverse ingredients, direct trade with farmers or investing in regional adoption of regenerative agriculture. Pop Mmms are designed to help diversify agriculture and consumer diets by going beyond the most dominant crops in the food system (corn, wheat, rice and sugarcane) to create a delicious home for a variety of less represented crops that play unique roles in a farm ecosystem. Butternut squash, for example, has big leaves that can act as armor for the soil, protecting it from forces like direct sunlight, weed competition and erosion. Red beans are a legume that can help build soil health by fixing nitrogen.
PlantPlus Foods North America is rolling out Hilary’s Prime Plants Superfoods in four varieties. All products provide purposeful combinations of superfood-rich plant ingredients to nourish and vitalize from the inside out.
Mediterranean Beet Veggie Poppers include chia, hemp and pumpkin seeds, while the Tomato & Spinach Veggie Fritters include hemp and sunflower seeds. The Chickpea and Curry Veggie Bites contain apples and sweet potatoes and are seasoned with ginger. The bite-sized snacks are sold in 10.8-oz. bags. There’s also Super Mushroom Veggie Burgers that include chia seeds and spinach. They come in boxes of two frozen patties. Hilary’s prides itself on offering vegan products free from the top-12 allergens.
Non-alcoholic Spritz
Sparkling Aperitivo Spritz joins Abstinence Spirits’ line of sophisticated, non-alcoholic botanical spirits and aperitifs. The ready-to-drink spritz comes in blood orange and lemon flavors in 750-ml bottles. They are intended to be a quick-and-easy, alcohol-free option when chilled, poured over ice and garnished with a fresh citrus slice. They are made with the brand’s same-flavored aperitifs.
The company’s other products are four non-alcoholic spirits. There’s sugar-free, calorie-free Cape Citrus, Cape Floral and Cape Spice, which highlight signature South African botanicals, such as buchu, cassia and honeybush. There’s also Epilogue X to round out the portfolio with a malty, smoky profile.
“Due to popular demand by large retailers and clients around the world, we’ve made a guilt-free, 0.0% Sparkling Aperitivo Spritz with low calories, low sugar and natural flavors that have been married with small-batch distilled botanicals and authentic flavor profiles from South Africa’s Cape Floral Kingdom,” says Stefan Coetzee, co-founder.
