10 Aug 2018 Snack innovation: cauli pretzels and PB&J bites

Changing consumer tastes are prompting some mind-blowing snack innovation: here are two interesting debutants out of the US, vegan cauliflower-based pretzels and peanut butter ‘n jelly bites.

Vegan cauliflower-based snacks

US venture capital firm, Halen Brands, has launched a vegan range of cauliflower-based snacks, crackers and pretzels, under its ‘From The Ground Up’ brand.

Featuring cassava flour and vegetable blend powders, the crackers are available in three flavours – sea salt, cheddar and nacho – and the pretzels are sold in sticks and twists variants.

Halen Brands was launched in 2015 and co-founded by Jason Cohen and Leigh Feuerstein. The firm aims to deliver better-for-you food and beverage offerings in stagnant categories.

Jason Cohen said: “At Halen Brands, we are listening to consumers and applying the wants and needs that we uncover to natural products.

“Consumers were asking for a veggie-based snack that actually had increased nutritional value, so we began looking at the vitamin and fibre-rich cauliflower since it’s so versatile and seemed to really be resonating with people.. 

From The Group Up president Aaron Greenwald added: “We’re really proud about what we’ve been able to accomplish on the nutritional front with the crackers and pretzels.

“The products taste as delicious as the mainstream versions and have all the characteristics that a better-for-you customer is looking for. This was not an easy feat and took two years to perfect.”

The crackers are available in the US in 4oz boxes and pretzels are sold in 4.5oz bags for a suggested retail price of $3.99.

Just recently, too, the company launched Joyfuls, a line of health-conscious chocolates. Inspired by an artisan European confections, these are rich dark chocolates crafted with
60% cacao.

Each individually-wrapped treat is topped with fruit, nuts or seeds, and a sprinkling of pink Himalayan salt, offering a ‘perfect balance of sweet and salty’.

Classic PB&J snack

Hormel Food’s Skippy brand has released a new fruit-filled peanut butter snack, inspired by the classic combination of peanut butter and jelly.

Skippy PB Fruit Bites feature pieces of dried of fruit which are then coated in Skippy peanut butter to replicate the iconic peanut butter and jelly flavour in a convenient snack.

Two flavours will initially be available in the new line: strawberry-flavoured dried cranberry and dried grape, both of which will contain 4g of protein per serving and come packed in 4oz resealable packets.

Aly Sill, brand manager at Hormel Foods said: “We took the classic peanut butter and jelly flavour and created a convenient, on-the-go snack, combining the undeniably smooth taste of Skippy peanut butter and real dried fruit.

“We are thrilled to introduce Skippy PB Fruit Bites as the next member of the iconic Skippy peanut butter family of products and a perfect snack for peanut butter and jelly lovers across the country.”

Skippy PB Fruit Bites will be available in the peanut butter aisle nationwide in US retailers, with a suggested retail price of between $3.29 and $3.69.

Source: Company Press Releases