In this week's round-up of new product launches from around Europe, the low-sugar trend is in evidence in France and Germany as reduced sugar juice and ice cream hit the shelves. Elsewhere, innovation in the plant-protein space continues apace. Here are this week's highlights of new product launches in the region.
In this week's round-up of new product launches from around Europe the low-sugar trend is in evidence in France and Germany as reduced sugar juice and ice cream hit the shelves. Elsewhere, innovation in the plant-protein space continues apace. Here are this week's highlights of new product launches in the region.
Pic: GettyImages-Prostock-Studio
Plant-based ready-to-eat food brand Squeaky Bean is launching Thai flavour marinated chicken style pieces in Tesco stores this June, adding a South East Asian twist to its existing range of chicken style products.
Seasoned with Asian herbs and spices, Squeaky Bean RTE Thai chicken pieces are 'perfect' in a Pad Thai, salads, stir-fries, sandwiches and more, the company suggested.
Squeaky Bean’s Kick of Tikka and Sweet Smokey BBQ chicken style pieces will also be launching into Tesco alongside the new Thai variant.
Kick of Tikka and Sweet Smokey BBQ flavours are also launching in the Co-op, where they will be placed alongside RTE meat products.
Sarah Augustine, Squeaky Bean’s Co-Creator, said: “The Ready-to-Eat Thai Marinated Chicken Style Pieces are the latest in our range of inspired products made from wildly delicious plants. Not only are they packed with flavour, they are simple to prepare – whether it’s stuffing a pitta or sandwich or frying with rice and noodles. More than ever, Squeaky Bean is the sidekick in the kitchen for those who love plant-based food. No longer does vegan food need to be bland, boring or burdensome to prepare and enjoy.”
The plant-based alt chicken is made with pea protein for a 'realistic texture'. The product is high in protein and low in saturated fat, Squeaky Bean noted.
Kissyo! is expanding its range with the launch of the 'first' reduced-sugar organic ice cream in Germany.
The company is rolling out two new varieties. Cookie ice cream combines 'several flavors in one mug': 70% vanilla ice cream with ground organic bourbon vanilla pods, 30% hazelnut ice cream and delicious biscuits. In its second new SKU, Kissyo! combines 'intense, full-bodied coffee' with organic dark chocolate pieces, fresh milk and cream to produce its coffee & chocolate chip ice cream.
The new varieties contain 30% less sugar than alternatives on the market, according to the company.
A 'revolutionary' 100% plant-based protein, Pulled Oats from Gold&Green, is being launched in Planet Organic.
The Finnish oat-based protein has already successfully launched in retail in Finland and the Netherlands, and now the aim is to accelerate growth with its expansion in the UK.
According to the company, the Pulled Oats contain as much protein as beef and taps into the growing trend for plant-based eating.
Pulled Oats is made from five plant-based ingredients: oats, yellow peas, faba beans, rapeseed oil and salt. Thanks to the mechanical process of pulling the oat-fibres with legume proteins, Pulled Oats has 'a unique, fibrous texture' which absorbs flavours well, the company noted. It is free from GMOs and artificial additives.
The patented process sees ingredients are sheared, heated, and baked together.
Sanna Antola, Exploration Manager, Gold&Green commented: "We are on a mission to provide people with healthy and sustainable food without compromising taste. Our launch in Planet Organic is the next exciting step in our journey and our retail expansion into new markets around the world. This is the start of something very exciting here in the UK and we are looking forward to realising our growth potential through some great retail partnerships.
"Since launching in 2015 our products have made a lot of people happy in homes throughout Finland and the Netherlands, they love that Pulled Oats is such as versatile protein that can be used in normal cooking without having to learn new dishes. Pulled Oats has also made its way permanently onto menus in hundreds of professional kitchens here in the UK as well as right across Europe and the US. We hope UK consumers will love our product, too. Pulled Oats does not try to mimic anything, it is a real plant-based alternative that stands on its own. Oats is a true superfood with many proven health effects and minimal environmental impact."
General Mills is extending its Old El Paso brand in France with the addition of a 'French taco kit'.
"There are many interpretations of essential Mexican street food recipes: tacos, burritos, grilled corn and other delicacies ... In France, the phenomenon is not to be outdone. We've all succumbed to exotic flavors with a spicy accent," General Mills said.
According to the company, the new kit offers classic Mexican street food with a 'French accent'.
The kit includes tortilla wraps, spices for chicken or another protein and ingredients for a cheese sauce.
Online retailer Muscle Food is launching meal kits that only use 'wonky' ingredients that would otherwise be rejected as part of its drive to fight food waste.
Muscle Food said the pre-portioned wonky recipe kits will also cut down on kitchen leftovers.
The company stressed the new kits are 'low in price, calories and fat'. All of the kits are retailing at £4.75, including the the Sticky Chilli Sausage and Veg Bake Recipe Kit, which contains low fat pork sausages, a spicy chilli ketchup and vegetables including carrots, courgettes and potatoes.
Other kits now available include Piri Piri Chicken with Wedges and Sweet Mustard Pork with Roast Veg.
Amy Kershaw, Head of Product Innovation, commented: “Wonky meal kits tick all the boxes – they’re nutritious, convenient and ethical. By making the most of ‘wonky’ ingredients that might otherwise be discarded, customers are doing their bit to help the planet and making the food we go stretch further.
“As the meals are all perfectly portioned for one diner too, there’s no waste at the cooking stage either. The kits are also simple and fast from fridge to plate, whilst making no sacrifices on the nutritional side. They’re packed full of protein and vegetable goodness, and low in fat and calories – perfect for health conscious and eco-conscious customers alike."
French juice maker Cidou, a pioneer in "no added sugar" juices, is launching a new range - Les Désucrés - that leverages 'an unprecedented manufacturing process' to produce juices with 30% less sugar.
The new juices will be available in three flavours: apple, multifruits and orchard fruits. The beverages will be available in the ambient juice department at a price of € 2.29 per 1L carton.
Explaining the process used to produce Les Désucrés juices, Cidou noted it 'does not use any chemistry'. It takes 100% fruit juice which is passed through a filter to remove some of the sugar. The filtered juice is then combined with pure unfiltered juice.
"Thanks to a slight transformation, the recipes obtain a score of 1 on the NOVA scale," the company noted.
Containing 6.5g of sugar per 100ml, the recipes score a B Nutri-Score rating.
Pleesecakes, a UK custom no-bake cheesecake brand, is launching Build Your Own At Home (BYOAH!) – a DIY delivery kit featuring 'all the elements required to create one of its famous cheesecakes' at home.
With two options available, the Fully Loaded or the Pick ‘n’ Mix, each kit is priced at £30 and contains an already made, frozen cheesecake base and filling, which is ready to be decorated with chocolate ganache and stacked high with either their signature fully loaded topping pack or an old school nostalgia pick’n’mix topping pack.
Founder of Pleesecakes, Joe Moruzzi, commented: “One of my main goals for Pleesecakes has always been to deliver our products on a national scale and Build Your Own At Home marks the first of many products to launch to a UK-wide market. A DIY delivery kit has been in the making for a while, but with people now looking for innovative ways to entertain and have fun at home, we couldn’t have timed it better if we tried."
Build Your Own At Home is available online through Pleesecakes direct.
