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SIDE DISH - CCD's Monthly Compilation on Food and Beverage Industry Trends
Hitting the Shelves

NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES

October 2009

Crack it, sip it then tote it…One of the latest beverage trends in Brooklyn is enjoying the water from fresh young coconuts, drunk from the peeled, three-pound fruit with a straw. While the sale of fresh coconuts is not new, it is new to see young hip urbanites walking around the street sipping from the coconuts. The trend is partially driven by the tropical exoticism of coconuts and its wellness attributes. We profiled coconut water in our latest Culinary Trend Mapping Report on Beverages. (New York Times, 9/27)
  • Health nuts: Emerald Baked Nut Chips…Diamond Foods is offering consumers another way to snack on more nutritious foods. Emerald Baked Nut Chips are made with almonds and 15g of whole grains per serving. The snack comes in Zesty Ranch flavor. (Prepared Foods, September)
  • Simply cookies, simply delicious…General Mills Inc. is the latest manufacturer to release a stripped down product touted for its simplicity, Haagen-Dazs leading the way with its Five ice cream line. Pillsbury Simply…Cookies is a line of refrigerated cookie dough made with simple ingredients and no trans fats, no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. The line includes peanut butter and chocolate chip. CCD did a bake-and-taste test. We cut the pre-portioned dough balls in half and found them very reminiscent of homemade cookies. (Food Processing, September)
  • Paula Deen serves up new affordable, quality baked goods line for Walmart…The Food Network celebrity cook launched a line of exclusive baked goods with Walmart. The first items to appear are three pies, Apple Crunch Top, Dark Rum Pecan and Old Fashioned Fudge, and Gooey Butter Cake dessert bars. Since we profiled The Return of Pie in our recent Generational Comfort Food Report, we were not surprised to see these new co-branded pies. (PR Newswire, 9/1)
  • Franklin Foods announces availability of award-wining Green Mountain Farms Tzatziki Savory Yogurt Dips in Publix Super Markets in Florida…Three flavors of Tzatziki non-fat yogurt dips include Cucumber Garlic, Kalamata Olive, and Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke. Beyond dipping, the products can be used as a light sauce for grilled meats or poultry. (Yahoo Finance, 9/2)
  • Plum Organics introduces portable baby food pouch…The organic baby food brand has launched baby food in BPA-free, 4-oz. portable pouches that allow for the natural preservation of flavors and freshness, and on-the-go, re-sealable convenience. The new line has six flavors including Sweet Potato, Corn & Apple, Spinach, Peas & Pear, and Pumpkin & Banana. (PR Newswire, 9/10)
  • Campbell builds on success of Select Harvest Soups with new 100% natural varieties…Part of the new collection include five new Mediterranean-style flavors in support of the healthful Mediterranean diet: Chicken Tuscany, Zesty Tomato Bisque, Savory Sausage and Vegetables, Light Roasted Chicken with Italian Herbs, and Light Minestrone with Wholegrain Pasta. (Yahoo Finance, 9/16)
  • Guyaki delivers powerful rainforest experience with newest yerba maté beverage innovations…Guyaki rolled out two new yerba maté products: RTD Lemon Elation Yerba Maté, in an aluminum can, and Lime Tangerine Organic Energy Shot, the first organic energy shot on the market. (Reuters, 9/16)
  • Hansen’s launches natural lo-cal juice…Four all-natural juice cocktails from Hansesís are sweetened with Truvia stevia-based sweetener, and exhibit trendy superfruit flavor profiles: Tropical Mangosteen, Açaí Blueberry, Pomegranate Blackberry and Apple Raspberry. Learn more about stevia sweeteners in our recent Beverage Trends Culinary Trend Mapping Report. (PR Newsire, 9/17)
  • Asian-inspired Chex Mix…East meets West with two new Asian-inspired Chex Mix flavors, Spicy Szechuan and Teriyaki. The packaged snacks combine Chex pieces, crunchy rice crakers and peas with spicy Szechuan or teriyaki seasonings. (Convenience Store News, 9/18)
Food Front

FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY HEADLINES

October 2009

Time’s: Heroes of the Environment – Kin Lui, Raymond Ho and Casson Trenor…These environmental heroes own and operate Tataki, America’s first sustainable sushi restaurant. The 24-seat spot in San Francisco serves only sustainable fish and thus leaves many popular sushi options off the menu. New sustainable options include fish such as wild Arctic char. (Time, 9/17)


  • CCD Chefs’ Council® Book Release: Baking instructor and master baker Mike Kalanty has an exciting bread baking book due out this month: How to Bake Bread: The Five Families of Bread (Red Seal Press). The book breaks down bread baking into five families based on bakers’ percentages of sweetener, fat and water. Recipes range from lean breads, like pretzels, to fattier breads like cinnamon rolls, to those with more water like focaccia.
  • Bento boxes win lunch fans…Kids, dieters and those indulging in clean, fresh Japanese foods are making bento boxes increasingly popular. The multi-compartmented boxes are often filled with rice, pickled vegetables and fish, meat or tofu; kidsí bentos include foods made to resemble animals or cartoon characters. For more trend info on kids’ bento boxes, see our Kids’ Food Culinary Trend Mapping Report. (New York Times, 9/9)
  • Gen Y forces retailers to keep up with technology, new stuff…According to the new book, Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings are Revolutionizing Retail, Gen Yers are changing how all consumers shop, basically taking us all online and keeping older family members “cool.” (USA Today, 9/13)
  • Latino health guide features updated pyramid… Oldways and the Latino Nutrition Colation have released “Latino Living: A Guide to Better Health Through Traditional Food and Active Lifestyles,” a consumer kit with a meal plan, recipes, grocery lists, and a new Latin American Diet Pyramid. The new pyramid stresses plant foods at the core of oneís diet. (Supermarket News, 9/16)
  • Why cholesterol may not be the cause of heart disease…Dr. Mark Hyman details his point of view on how medical science has not proven the benefit in lowering cholesterol on health. He also points to sugar and refined carbs as more implicated in heart disease, not dietary fat, one of the biggest myths out there. (Huffington Post, 9/20)
  • How much do green issues influence QSR patronage…A new survey from M/A/R/C Research showes that while eco-friendliness isn’t a make-or-break factor in choosing a QSR for most consumers, it may encourage greater frequency by making consumers feel good about their choice. In addition, it appears that QSRs need to work harder at getting the word out about their green practices; fully 80% of users said they are not aware of QSRs taking steps to go green. (Media Post News, 9/21)
  • IBM survey: Three in four Americans choose quality over lowest price in food aisles…Americans at all income levels are refusing to sacrifice quality, value and nutrition to save money on food. However, shoppers are taking a closer look at the brands they purchase, the stores they frequent and preferred packaging to find new ways to save. (PR Newswire, 9/24)
  • Food writers fostering culinary children… New cookbooks and writings by food authors indicate a more sophisticated palate and openness to new foods among many children who are exposed to a wide variety of delicious food. New cookbooks include Gastrokid Cookbook: Feeding a Foodie Family in a Fast-Food World by Hugh Garvey and My Two-Year-Old Eats Octupus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything by Nancy Tringali Piho. More on adventurous kids’ menus in our Kids’ Food Culinary Trend Mapping Report. (ABC News, 9/25)
  • Organic Valley launches online calculator to measure personal impact of food choices…The new online calculator shows consumers the toxic burden prevented by their choices of organic vs. non-organic and natural foods. As each of Organic Valley’s products are placed in the virtual basket, the calculator automatically adds up and displays the amounts of pesticides and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers avoided by that product. (NPI Center, 9/25)
  • Ben & Jerry’s, GE bring BBQ fuels to freezers…Beyond firing your grill, propane and butane can also chill your drinks and ice cream with less energy and almost none of the global warming worries of current refrigerants. Ben & Jerry’s is testing new hydrocarbon coolers, already popular in Europe, at stores in Washington and Boston. (USA Today, 9/27)