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

NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES

Summer Round Up 2009

For General Mills, wheat-free items are tricky to make, cheap to market... Betty Crocker brand is rolling out gluten-free baking mixes for cookies, brownies and cakes. The line, initiated by consumer demand, will be marketed strategically to gluten-free eaters, a move that reduces expense and makes the niche product viable. (Wall Street Journal, 7/2)

 
  • Kellogg’s launches meal replacement protein shake...The new 180-calorie Special K shake contains 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber to help women stay on track with weight management. (NutraIngredients-USA.com, 5/29)
  • Stocking the borough’s larder... A new crop of food shops is offering Brooklynites quirky yet curated collections of mostly local specialty foods. Stores like Bedford Cheese Shop and Bierkraft, Foragers Market, and Blue Apron Foods sell rustic, artisanally made products such as Hot Bread Kitchen tortillas, Salvatore Bkln ricotta cheese and McClure’s pickles. (New York, 6/8)
  • A&P introduces kids’ private label... America’s Choice Kids was developed in partnership with registered dieticians. It includes soy butter, graham crackers, cereal, fruit cups and raisins. The products are based on healthful ingredients and include low saturated fat, beneficial dietary fiber and whole grains. (Supermarket News, 6/18)
  • New natural health beverage contains whole grains...Odwalla released Wholly Grain!, a fruit smoothie with 32 grams of natural whole grains in a tropical blend of orange, pineapple and mango juices. It’s made with naturally gluten-free whole grain brown rice. (QSR, 7/16)
  • Kikkoman introduces new flavors...The Japanese brand rolled out eight new sauces and a variety of portion-control to-go packets, offering consumers more authentic flavoring agents. Asian Sauces include: Ponzu Citrus Seasoned Dressing, a tangy, lemony soy sauce; Katsu Sauce, typically served with Japanese fried cutlets; Kotteri Mirin, a sweet rice wine for cooking; and several curry simmer sauces such as Thai Red Curry and Tikka Masala Curry. (QSR, 7/21)
  • Embracing slowness: the anti-energy drink...Slow Cow is a new drink from Canada that “offers an acupuncture session in every can. It contains ingredients designed to calm: theanine, chamomile, valerian and passiflora. (Springwise, 7/29)
  • World Baby Foods let future gourmets sample new tastes and cultures…Tokyo Tum Tum, Baby Dal, Sweetie Tahiti and Que Pasa Calabas are some of the flavors in Dr. Susanna’s World Baby Foods. The line, born in the West Seattle Farmers Market, is now available at Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh. (NWSource, 7/31)
  • This day...and age...BeneVia is a fruit-based protein beverage that promises to address common health conditions faced by aging consumers. Each of the four flavored drinks has ingredients to promote strength and energy; memory and focus; heart health; and immunity protection. (Prepared Foods, July)
  • Food rating systems: Grocery stores roll out nutrition rankings...More stores are introducing rating systems to help confused consumers understand food labels better. Five new programs are in use or will be launching soon, including Nutrition iQ at Supervalu which uses a color-coding. Critics believe these systems are just as confusing and add more clutter to many food packages, already covered with healthy choice icons. (Chicago Tribune, 8/3)
Food Front

FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY HEADLINES

Summer Round Up 2009

Young idols with cleavers rule the stage...Butchers are the new rock stars of the culinary world. Young cooks and meat aficionados are clambering to learn how to butcher whole animals, a trend begun in fine dining restaurants to economize. Now boutique butcher shops are opening up in urban centers and some chefs are making a name for themselves with their natural meat products. (New York Times, 7/8)


  • Commercialization News: Brought to you by Jan Matsuno, CCD Director of Commercialization:
    Surprise! Going outdoors is good for you A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, reporting data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), found a startling percentage of Americans (up to 77%) show sub-optimal blood concentrations of vitamin D. Despite the fact that vitamin D is cheap and readily available - generated when the skin is exposed to sunlight – fewer outdoor activities and recent campaigns to limit sun exposure seems to have resulted in a significant decline in blood vitamin D concentrations over the past 10 years. While some experts are calling for increased vitamin D supplementation, others point out that a moderate amount of sunlight is the cure. Expect this issue to gain attention in the future as vitamin D deficiency is linked to cancer, heart disease, infection, and overall poor health.
  • When local makes it big...Large scale food manufacturers are borrowing lingo from the locavore movement to communicate to consumers how their products are local to somewhere, how the companies are working on environmental issues, and how they are also concerned about quality, food safety, carbon footprints, and cost. (New York Times, 5/13)
  • Probiotic chocolate springboards off Activia success...Callebaut has introduced its ProBenefit probiotic chocolate for food manufacturers in the U.S. now that consumers better understand the benefits of probiotics, thanks to the Activia yogurt marketing campaign. The chocolate cannot be used for baking as the higher temperatures kill the beneficial bacteria, but works fine for coating and confections. (Food Navigator-USA.com, 5/29)
  • On the other hand: Probiotics still misunderstood...Despite the efforts of companies like Activia and Kraft, 63% of consumers reported that they are still confused by probiotics, according to a study by Datamonitor, commissioned by Kraft. However, the numbers are improving; according to prior surveys, over 75% of consumers were unfamiliar with the term in 2007 and 2008. (Brandweek, 6/25)
  • The food industry’s newest smell test...Manufacturers are experimenting with aroma infusions that can trick our brains into thinking we are tasting certain flavors. These infusions can be added to food or even packaging. One result would be cutting back on sugary additives or expensive heavy cream in food and replacing the loss of flavor with aroma. (Money.CNN.com, 5/29)
  • Ancient grain blend to plug gluten-free nutrition gap...ConAgra Mills has developed a gluten-free flour, Eagle Mills gluten-free all-purpose multigrain flour, that claims to have superior nutritional qualities to white rice, potato and corn flours. It’s made with a blend of nutritionally rich ancient grains: amaranth, quinoa, sorghum, millet and teff. (Food Navigator-USA.com, 6/15)
  • 91% of shoppers will keep buying store brands after recession ends...According to a poll by GfK Custom Research North American for the Private Label Manufacturers Association, 91% of shoppers will not abandon the store brand products they have turned to during the downturn. The poll found that 9 out of 10 consumers agree that these store brands are just as good or better than national brand products. (PRNewswire, 6/17)
  • Kashi joins TerraCycle, Inc. in national upcycling program to reduce landfill waste...Together the pair have created Kashi Brigade, a program in which Kashi fans can join together to collect and mail in their used Kashi boxes and wrappers to TerraCylce to be repurposed into eco-friendly, affordable products. (PRNewswire, 6/23)
  • Operators say calories count little in eyes of NYC diners...A year after New York City required calories posted on chain menus, operators and nutrition experts alike say that the calorie data’s impact on ordering habits has been minimal. Chains like Applebee’s, Au Bon Pain and Jamba Juice haven’t seen the drops in higher-calorie items as expected. (NRN, 6/29)
  • Economy drives diners to their grocery stores...Thanks to the recession and reduced restaurant spending by consumers, some grocery stores have seen a 7 to 10% growth in sales of prepared items, according to Technomic. To drive this trend, stores are rolling out more enticing offerings such as Albertsons “Simply Good Meals,” an initiative that groups together prepared foods so shoppers can easily assemble a meal. The area where these items are found is dubbed “4:15,” the time when most moms are planning dinner. (San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/13)
  • WhiteWave shifts from organic to natural soybeans...With the cost of producing organic soybeans on the rise and consumer demand flattening, Dean Foods subsidiary WhiteWave-Morningstar ditched organic in favor of conventional soybreans in all but three of its Silk Soymilk products. The company also plans to introduce a natural dairy product to the market under the Horizon Organic label. The Organic Consumers Association has called for a boycott of the products. (Jacksonville Business Journal, 7/20)
  • Traditional butcher shops add prime-cut touches...Meanwhile, butcher shops are adding services like gourmet markets, dining rooms or space for butchery classes. In New York, the owners of Marlow & Sons restaurant opened up Marlow & Daughter, a butcher shop that provides meat for the restaurant and sells cheese, risotto and other items. (USA Today, 7/23)
  • Starbucks tests new names for stores...Three remodeled Starbucks stores in Seattle are getting new names to accompany their new looks; an example is 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea. The new names are meant to give the stores “a community personality.” The stores will also serve wine and beer, host live music and poetry readings, and sell espresso from a manual machine. Local coffee-shop owners say Starbucks is appropriating their environments. (Seattle Times, 7/24)