UK retailer Sainsbury's creates a buzz with beer snack bugs, French jam brand Bonne Maman moves into the chilled dessert category and Mars France removes Skittles' crunchy coating. Here is our round-up of Europe's most interesting recent product launches.
As of today, edible insects are available in one of the UK’s biggest retailers, Sainsbury’s.
It will sell whole, flavoured crickets (acheta domesticus) made by UK manufacturer Eat Grub.
The Smoky BBQ Crunchy Roasted Crickets will be available in 250 UK-wide Sainsbury's stores in the beer section.
Each product contains around 50 crickets and retails for £1.50 (€1.69).
Rachel Eyre, head of future brands at Sainsbury's, said: “Insect snacks should no longer be seen as a gimmick or something for a dare, and it’s clear that consumers are increasingly keen to explore this new sustainable protein source.
“We’re always looking to provide our customers with new and exciting products, and with the growing interest in edible insects we’re excited to be the first UK supermarket to make these products easily accessible for shoppers across the country.”
Iconic French jam brand Bonne Maman has made a foray into the chilled fruit dessert category, with a range of fruit puree-based desserts in heat-sealed jars.
The desserts come in six flavours – strawberry, raspberry & elderflower; peach, apricot & verbena; pears &Tonka bean; pineapple, rum & vanilla; apple & vanilla and apple & cinnamon – and have a recommended retail price of between €2.29 and €2.49 for two pots.
Bonne Maman said the product taps into consumer trends, with increasing numbers of French consumers looking for healthy products and sustainable packaging.
While chilled dairy and fruit-based desserts tend to come in plastic pots, this range is packed in glass which is beneficial for the consumer’s sensory experience as well as the environment, Bonne Maman said.
“A sustainable material par excellence, glass stands out for its exceptional qualities: infinitely recyclable without any loss of quality, it is also the material that best preserves the taste and protects the health of consumers.”
According to an 8000-strong 2017 study by Insites, 73% of millennials say they are willing to pay more for products from companies committed to sustainable development.
The manufacturer worked with glass supplier Verallia for over two years on the packaging design and scaling up manufacturing facilities.
UK snack brand Metcalfe’s has launched two low-calorie snacks, Corn Chips and Mini Ricecakes.
The Corn Chips are popped, triangle-shaped snacks available in two flavours: Nacho cheese and Sizzlin’ BBQ, which provide 92 and 94 calories respectively.
The Mini Ricecakes are chocolate-covered snacks made with a blend of multigrain and while rice, and come in three flavours: dark, milk and white chocolate, packing in 79, 81 and 80 calories respectively.
Mars France has launched Skittles Chewies, a softer version of its Skittles sweets.
The Uncle Bens-to-Twix manufacturer said it decided to “break its own codes” by removing the crunchy coating of the sweets to create a softer and chewier texture.
The manufacturer described the new product as “a texture innovation [that will] reinforce the attractiveness of a dynamic segment”.
One pack contains five flavours – lemon, lime, orange, strawberry and blackcurrant – and are available in 45 g, 152 g and 300 g packs with recommended retail prices of between €0.99 and €2.85.
The brand has previously launched limited editions Skittles Darkside and Skittles Sweet & Spicy alongside its Fruit, Fruits of the Forest and Tropical flavoured Skittles.
Nestlé expanded the alphabet version of its Nesquik cereal to Spain.
The cereal is made with toasted wheat, corn and rice, and contains 14.9 g of sugar per 100 g. According to the Swiss manufacturer, this is 40% less sugar than the average children’s chocolate-flavoured breakfast cereal.
All the letters of the alphabet are represented and the cereal makes breakfast “fun and pedagogical”, the company said.
It is also free from artificial colours, sweeteners and flavours.
Gearing up for the holiday season, French honey manufacturer Martine has launched a Christmas gift set.
The set contains three types of honey – Acacia, Mixed Flowers and Chestnut Tree – and has a recommended retail price of €13.90.
It teamed up with French illustrator Agathe Singer for the packaging design.
Martine works with third party certifier Respect Code to ensure its honey is fully traceable.
