FoodNavigator brings you a weekly snapshot of product innovation from around Europe. This week's highlights include hemp 'super bars' from France and sharing boards delivered via Deliveroo.
FoodNavigator brings you a weekly snapshot of product innovation from around Europe. This week's highlights include hemp 'super bars' from France and sharing boards delivered via Deliveroo.
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French start-up Kanna’bar is launching its three-strong range of hemp “super bars” in national retailer Monoprix.
The line includes three SKUs: apricot & chia; lemon; and banana chocolate. Each 40g bar contains 11-13% hemp and 7 grams of protein.
Kanna’bar founder Jordan Lellouche said that the fruity flavours aim to combine a “gourmet” experience with hemp as a good source of vegetable protein.
Initially launching in Monoprix, the bars are now available online at kannabar.com and will be launching in Cojean shortly.
Kanna’bar said it is organising more than 100 events in Monoprix stores by the end of the year, while a group of 50 "influencers" will promote the bars to their online communities.
"We recorded more than 300 orders in five days at the opening of kannabar.com! The craze around Kanna'bar is exceptional,” Lellouche said.
Hemp belongs to the same botanical species as cannabis. It is legally grown in France with a THC content of less than 0.2%. Kanna’bar noted that hemp is considered a “superfood” thanks to its high protein content.
Young’s Seafood is targeting “younger, health conscious shoppers” with the launch of Gastro Tempura Battered Fish Fillets.
The SKU comprises of a wild caught Alaska Pollock fillet, naturally high in Omega 3, coated in a tempura batter.
Yvonne Adam, Marketing Director of Young’s Seafood, said: “Fusing the great taste of Gastro with the significant health benefits of Omega 3, our Tempura Battered Fish Fillets offer shoppers the best way to create their own restaurant quality experience at home”.
The Gastro Tempura Battered Fish Fillets 300g have an MRSP of £4 and are available in Tesco and Waitrose. They will launch in Morrisons at the end of this month.
Plant-based brand Plenish is launching a range of dairy-free m*lksakes that the company claims have half the sugar and 30% of the calories contained in dairy equivalents.
The company noted that its coffee almond shake has the “lowest sugar content in the category” with 70% less sugar than Starbucks’s ready-to-go Frappuccino. Meanwhile, Plenish added, its almond m*lk produces 66% fewer CO2 emissions than dairy.
The range is available now throughout the UK for an RRP of £2. It contains a “handful of natural ingredients” with no additives, emulsifiers or stabilisers.
The three varieties are: chocolate almond; coffee almond; and almond butter.
Kara Rosen, founder of Plenish, said: “This range shows that you don’t have to sacrifice things you love in order to make a healthy change. We all want a treat sometimes and now, thanks to our new m*lkshakes range, there’s finally one you can feel good about.”
‘Gourmet’ instant noodle brand, Mr Lee’s Pure Foods, has launched reformulated recipes in fully recyclable cups.
The group said it has further balanced its seasoning levels and introduced “game-changing” chunks of 100% chicken breast into two of their flavours alongside market-leading amounts of freeze-dried veggies and proteins.
Mr Lee’s Noodles are available in six flavours: coconut chicken laksa; dragon fire vegetables; tai chi chicken; warrior fighting shrimp; and zen garden vegetables.
The noodles are gluten-free, low calorie, low sugar and contain “no nasties”. Vegan flavours are also available, the company noted.
“Taste doesn’t have to come at the sacrifice of healthfulness in food, and Mr Lee’s Noodles are proving that point in the convenience sector. Our noodles are tasty and guilt free, crafted by real people, using only the finest ingredients,” Mr Lee’s Pure Foods founded Damien Lee commented.
The line is also now available in 100% recyclable packaging.
It is carried in Ocado, Amazon and Mr Lee’s online shop and will launch in Holland & Barrett in mid-July.
French food group Greenshoot is partnering with Deliveroo to deliver aperitif boards that cater for between four and 15 people.
The company is rolling out six sharing board options: a cheese board for 4-5 people; a mixed board for 4-5 people; a healthy board for 4-5 people; a dipping board for 4-5 people; a plate for 10 people and a plate for 15 people.
Share boards start at €34 and are available in certain Parisian districts – Paris 9, Paris 17, Paris 18 – and some cities.
Snack company Pladis has launched a new limited edition treat to its cake portfolio in the UK, McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Pineapple Cake Bars.
The new cake treat is available now in Tesco and Asda stores at an MRSP of £1.00 and will be rolling out across all major grocery and convenience channels later this month.
The pack includes five individually wrapped bars. Pladis said the SKU is targeting “adult lunchboxes” and on-the-go consumers.
At 97 calories a bar, the snack is in-line with Public Health England’s new 100-calorie snacking guidelines.
All packaging is recyclable via Pladis’ partnership with Terracycle, the company added.
“We’re thrilled to launch our limited edition McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Pineapple Cake Bars, offering consumers a new taste adventure for a product they already know and love,” said David Carey, Senior Brand Manager for McVitie’s Cake at pladis UK&I.
“Our McVitie’s Jaffa Cake Bars range has become one of the fastest growing products in the cake category over the last few years, helping to make McVitie’s the number one brand in Cake Bars, and Jaffa Cake Bars the nation’s favourite cake bar. We’re excited to build on this momentum with a new zesty, potentially controversial, flavour which we’re sure will spark debate with consumers around one of the country’s most loved brands.”
Pep & Lekker Seed Snacks are entering the sweet snacking category with the launch of additional SKUs.
The company is rolling out cacao & coconut and apple & cinnamon variants. This is the start-up's first foray into sweet snacking. The products are high in protein and vegan. This, co-founder Susan Gafsen said, would allow the group to appeal to a “wider/younger audience” without compromising on the company’s “full-bodied flavours and healthy convictions”.
“Whilst overjoyed with the success we’ve enjoyed in our first year of trading in nutritiously empowered snacks, we realised that there was so much more we could do to broaden our appeal yet further,” Gafsen explained.
The company is also increasing the protein content and lowering the sugar in its existing fennel & chia seed; cumin & linseed; and rosemary & hemp SKUs.
Additionally, sesame seeds have been taken out so that the brand is free from all 14 major allergens and a new fully compostable pouch packaging was unveiled.
Danone has launched a new water infused with coffee and fruit flavours in Germany under the Volvic brand.
The company said that the SKU is an alternative to iced tea. It is available in three varieties: mocha & lemon; Robusta & cassis; and Arabica & passionfruit lychee.
The range is free from artificial preservatives, flavours and sweeteners. It contains 25 calories per 250ml serving.
It is available in 370ml and 750ml formats for an RRP of €0.99 and €1.69 respectively.
The new line will be available nationwide in Rewe, Hit, Globus and Edeka.
French retailer Intermarché is rolling out a new line of iced fruit sticks under its L'Essentiel own label.
The range is additive-free and contains no preservatives, artificial colours or artificial flavours. It is also free from added sugar for a “guilt-free” treat.
The recipe contains just fruit puree, lemon juice, apple juice, the company revealed.
A pack of six sticks will be available for an RRP of €2.50.
Intermarché is also extending its range of gourmet ice creams with the launch of frozen yogurt from the Saint-Malo dairy, ice cream with prunes and Armagnac and salted butter caramel ice cream with Guérande salt.
