Amid the steady stream of plant-based meat and dairy launches, new innovations hitting shelves this quarter include zero sugar dairy milk from Maple Hill Creamery, yerba mate from Honest Tea, and rice cooked in bone broth, ready-to-eat in 60-seconds, from A Dozen Cousins.
The first three ingredients in KIND's new frozen pints are pear juice, water, and nuts, followed by more familiar elements found in most plant-based desserts (sugars, starches, oils, gums etc), making for an intriguing new entry into the category with 4-6g protein from nuts and 1-4g fiber. Picture credit: KIND LLC
Maple Hill Organic's zero sugar dairy milk has been ultra-filtered to remove the carbohydrates (lactose). The final product has zero grams of carbs or sugar. Picture credit: Maple Hill Creamery
According to the company: "The product meets the requirements to be classified as being lactose-free. As with other lactose-free products there may be insignificant trace amounts in the milk."
The latest addition to General Mills’ :ratio line - a dairy yogurt with added whey protein concentrate to take the protein level up to 25g - is sweetened with erythritol and sucralose and contains 3g sugar per serving, says the firm: "Delivering delicious taste and creamy texture required brand innovation including global research into new milk proteins, more than 50 pilot plant trials, and a new processing system for the protein."
Blue Diamond’s new dairy-free, gluten-free mug cakes - Tasty Little Cups - are made with almond flour, and are ready in 60 seconds (add water and microwave). Its new gluten-free baking mixes are also made with finely sifted almond flour. Picture credit: Blue Diamond
Kellogg's new Special K chocolatey dipped flakes with almonds contain 4g fiber, 5g protein, 16g added sugar, plus added vitamins and minerals. Picture credit: Kellogg's
Despite growing interest in all things plant-based, collagen - typically sourced from animal skin - remains a hot functional food and beverage ingredient, and stars in a new line of meal replacement bars from Obvi containing 14g protein and 260-270 calories, depending on the flavor.
A Dozen Cousins, meanwhile, is launching a new line of ready-to-eat rice cooked in bone broth on May 20. The line will be available on Thrive Market and www.ADozenCousins.com ($3.99 per pouch), while Amazon will carry the line starting late June. Each serving contains 7g of "collagen-rich protein." Picture credit: A Dozen Cousins
Botanical-infused functional beverage brand REBBL has added baker's yeast beta glucan - which is claimed to support the immune system - to selected products including Reishi Chocolate, Turmeric Golden-Milk, Vanilla Protein, and Dark Chocolate Protein.
With 13g of sugar and 60 calories per can, Honest Tea's organic yerba mate contains 80mg caffeine per can from brewed yerba mate leaves, and comes in three flavors: Strawberry Pomegranate Matcha, Peach Mango Green Tea, and Lemon Ginger Black Tea – all featuring Fair Trade certified ingredients.
Claimed to be the first non-dairy frozen dessert made with extra virgin olive oil, Wildgood from Greek artisanal ice cream maker Sotiris Tsichlopoulos, is offering nationwide shipping through direct-to-consumer online sales following a successful launch in grocery stores across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. Picture credit: Mark Weinberg
The ingredients in the vanilla pints are: Filtered water, fructose, extra virgin olive oil, chicory root fiber, pea protein, natural vanilla flavor, carob bean gum, vanilla beans, vanilla extract.
Available in four flavors - chocolate, vanilla, cocoa-hazelnut and banana - GoGo squeeZ's new plant-based puddings feature 5g protein per serving from pea protein and 9g added sugar.
Lightlife's new fresh breaded plant-based chicken tenders and fillets are designed to be merchandised in the fresh meat section in stores, and are billed as the "most chicken-like products in the plant-based category today.”
Meatless Farm's new pea-protein-fueled plant-based hot dogs are high in protein, low in sodium and saturated fat, and free from artificial ingredients, preservatives, gluten, and soy.
New plant-based nuggets from plant-based meat startup Nowadays have an ultra-short ingredients list: filtered water, yellow pea protein, whole wheat flour, sunflower oil, yeast extract, maple fiber, and mushroom extract.
Tyson Foods' new plant-based burger patties, ground, and sausages under the Raised & Rooted brand are available in the refrigerated section of grocery stores nationwide. The burger patties - fueled by pea protein and canola oil - contain 280 calories, 21g protein, and 1.5g of saturated fat. (As a comparison, the new Beyond Meat burger v3.0 contains 5g saturated fat, while the Impossible Burger contains 8g saturated fat.) Picture credit: Tyson Foods
K2 Ventures, a Boston-based startup that launched a new snack brand called Brave Good Kind (BGK) earlier this year, today announced the debut of its Tender Chicken Bars, which contain 8g protein, 4-5g carbs and less than 6g sugar.
Available nationwide now at Whole Foods, and other retailers beginning this August, Vital Farms' new egg-fueled refrigerated Breakfast Bars contain 7-14g protein and under 200 calories per serving.
Healthy Height kids’ nutrition bars from Israeli firm Nutritional Growth Solutions are now available in the US and Canada direct to consumer via healthyheights.com. The patented formula - in bars and nutritional shakes - is backed by a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of Pediatrics showing that one year of supplementation was effective in promoting the linear growth of short and lean children aged 3 to 9 vs placebo.
Ferrara Candy Company (part of Ferrero Group) has renamed the Kellogg's fruit snacks business (acquired in 2019) as 'Funables,' a master brand "meant to bring a sense of permissible fun to snacking for families." The snacks now come with added vitamins, new packaging and a licensing deal with Barbie designed to "empower girls and celebrate diversity." Picture credit: Ferrara Candy Company
Uncle Ben’s is now ‘Ben’s Original,’ says brand owner Mars Inc, which like several leading CPG players including PepsiCo (Aunt Jemima) and Conagra Brands (Mrs Butterworth’s), has been under pressure to address racial stereotypes enshrined in its legacy brands.
