This week’s New Product Development round-up suggests that brands are already looking ahead, beyond the 25th of December, to another big event on the food calendar: Veganuary. Kerry-owned Fridge Raiders is getting ready for 1 January with a brand-new line of Veggie Bites, while Meatless Farm is rolling out new packaging that highlights its plant-based products are ‘rich in protein’.
GettyImages/Dmitrii_Guzhanin
This week’s New Product Development round-up suggests that brands are already looking ahead, beyond the 25th of December, to another big event on the food calendar: Veganuary. Kerry-owned Fridge Raiders is getting ready for 1 January with a brand-new line of Veggie Bites, while Meatless Farm is rolling out new packaging that highlights its plant-based products are ‘rich in protein’.
GettyImages/Dmitrii_Guzhanin
Plant-based company Meatless Farm is rolling out a ‘full packaging refresh’ ahead of Veganuary.
The new packaging for its entire line, including its plant-based mince, sausages and burger patties, highlight the product is ‘rich in protein’.
According to a Meatless Farm packaging review carried out in June this year, 40% of meat-reducers said this was the most important consideration when choosing to try a plant-based product.
The packaging is made up of a 100% recyclable sleeve and tray and boards which are FSC certified.
“Targeting the meat-lesser is our focus and all of our communication and packaging is aiming to do that. We’ve really focused on ensuring the key motivator of ‘Rich in protein’ plays a leading role,” said Managing Director UK Michael Hunter.
“Veganuary is a key period to attract first time tryers and this packaging refresh aims to ensure they choose Meatless Farm.”
Image source: Meatless Farm
Kerry Foods-owned Fridge Raiders has announced its foray into the plant-based space with the launch of new Veggie Bites.
The 100% vegetable snacks are available in three flavours: Simply Seasoned, Mexican Heatwave, and Indian Masala.
According to Kerry, the decision to expand beyond its Chicken Bites range responds to a ‘clear gap in the market for plant-based snacks’.
“We are so excited to enter the plant-based category with the launch of our new Veggie Bites range. Fridge Raiders is committed to creating real food that will sustain consumers for longer, through our investment in flavour innovation and delivering great tasting, high quality snacks,” said Senior Brand Manager Lauren Innes.
“With shoppers continuing to look for variety in healthy snacks, we are confident that our three flavours will be crowd pleasers and fly off the shelves!”
The new line will launch in time for Veganuary 2021 into Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, Waitrose and Boots.
Image source: Kerry Foods
The great-great-great grandson of John Cadbury, James, is bringing a festive range of chocolates to consumers in the UK this Christmas.
His Love Cocoa brand has launched a Giant Christmas Pudding Milk Chocolate Bar (£16/500g), which is made with 51% single origin milk chocolate from Colombia alongside a ‘generous helping’ of fruits and nuts. A smaller Christmas Pudding bar is also available.
A Gingerbread 71% Dark Chocolate Bar, and a Peppermint Bark 35% White Chocolate Bar, have also rolled out. Both 75g SKUs have an RRP of £4.50.
Image source: Love Cocoa
This Christmas, Mondelēz International is swapping out plastic trays for cardboard in its Cadbury selection boxes in the UK and Ireland.
The initiative, which the Cadbury and Oreo owner says will save the equivalent of 33 tonnes of plastic, has ben applied to adult selection boxes including Cadbury’s Classic Collection 430g, Cadbury Darkmilk 340g, Cadbury & Oreo 430g, Bournville 400g and Toblerone 510g.
At the same time, Mondelēz is adding a season-specific recycling labelling programme to its selection box range in partnership with recycling label OPRL.
“Reducing the amount of packaging we put into the world, and making it easier for consumers to recycle our products, is vitally important to us,” said UK Managing Director Louise Stigant.
“The steps we are taking on our adult selection boxes, which follow the recent packaging reduction on our Cadbury large share bags, is an example of the varied approaches we are taking to tackle the shared problem of packaging waste.”
Image source: Mondelēz International
UK snacks brand Made For Drink is launching a plastic-free pack for its off-trade customers.
The company sells meat snacks to be paired with specific drinks, for example Chorizo Things to be consumed alongside a Rioja, or Salami Chips made for a Pilsner.
The flow-wrap pouch contains an extra 30% of product, making it a 30g sharing pack. According to Made For Drink, the new size comes at no extra cost to either the trade or end consumer.
The on-trade packs will also move to the new recyclable and compostable pouches.
“The pioneering home compostable paper pouch sees all plastic removed and replaced with two innovative layers made from biomass and wood pulp,” a company spokesperson told FoodNavigator sister publication BakeryandSnacks.
The new pack will be rolled out across Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, and Ocado – as well as select independents – from January 2021.
Image source: Made For Drink
