In NPD news this month, The Coca-Cola Company is moving its Lilt brand into the ‘Fanta family’ with the launch of Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit, and Starbucks is incorporating olive oil into a new line of coffee products in Italy. In the UK, The Kraft Heinz Company has partnered with musician Ed Sheeran on spicy sauces. Scroll through the photo gallery for more…
GettyImages/Canan turan
In NPD news this month, The Coca-Cola Company is moving its Lilt brand into the ‘Fanta family’ with the launch of Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit, and Starbucks is incorporating olive oil into a new line of coffee products in Italy. In the UK, The Kraft Heinz Company has partnered with musician Ed Sheeran on spicy sauces. Scroll through the photo gallery for more…
GettyImages/Canan turan
As of 14 February, tropical beverage brand Lilt has been incorporated into the ‘Fanta family’, according to owner The Coca-Cola Company.
A gradual transition has taken place over the last few months, with changes to the drink’s packaging and logo, but now Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit has officially taken over. The Lilt brand is no more.
“With Lilt’s punchy taste profile and distinctive fruity flavour, it fits perfectly within the expanding Fanta family. Our main priority with this announcement is to reassure Lilt’s loyal fan base that absolutely nothing has changed when it comes to the iconic taste of the drink they know and love. It’s still bursting with tangy tropical flavours. It’s just got itself a new name,” said Charlotte Walsham, Fanta Brand Manager.
Lilt Zero will also rebrand to Fanta Zero Pineapple & Grapefruit and will be sold in 2L rPET bottles. Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit is available in 500ml and 2L rPET bottles, and 220ml cans.
Image source: The Coca-Cola Company
Ice cream brand Nuii is rolling out a new SKU championing ‘the ultimate flavour combination’: Milk Chocolate & Italian Roasted Hazelnut.
The ‘new taste experience’ is designed to ‘transport’ consumers across the globe to Italy – where the ‘jewel in the crown’ is the nocciola des Piemonte: ‘a delicious variety of hazelnut’.
“We’re excited to launch this new flavour to the market as we believe it will be a strong contender in Nuii’s ice cream collection and will be loved by UK consumers, because of its indulgent flavours,” said Helen Sharp, Brand Manager for Nuii.
The cocoa used is certified Rainforest Alliance, the product is made free from palm oil, and the sticks are sustainably sourced.
The Milk Chocolate and Italian Roasted Hazelnut ice cream is available in Asda from this month, before rolling out into other retailers from next month onwards. A three-pack (90g) has an RRP of £4.
Image source: Nuii
A new line of ‘bland-busting’ hot sauce has launched in the UK, following collaboration between The Kraft Heinz Company and musician Ed Sheeran.
Branded as ‘Tingly Ted’s’, the range comes in two flavours: Tingly and Extra Tingly Sauce. Both are made with red jalapenos and capsicum chillies. The sauces aim to ‘propel’ Kraft Heinz into the expanding hot sauce category.
“It’s rare to find someone who is passionate about sauces as we are – and it’s no secret Ed is already one of the biggest Heinz Tomato Ketchup fans you can find – so when we heard he wanted to make his own hot sauce, we of course wanted in.”
Kraft Heinz invited Sheeran to collaborate and delivered a prototype within five weeks.
Both sauces are sold in 265g/248ml jar and will rollout globally throughout the year.
Image source: The Kraft Heinz Company
In Israel, Vgarden has announced the global launch of its line of vegan deli meats will be jointly manufactured with supermarket chain and meat delicatessen producer Tiv Taam.
The series of kosher pea protein-based meat substitutes will be made in Tiv Taam’s manufacturing plant in Haifa, northern Israel. The portfolio will encompass a range of pepperoni, ham, chicken, turkey and other cold-cut alternatives.
“Our deli slices are suitable as a sandwich filling or pizza topping and were created as part of Vgarden’s strategy to provide the full spectrum of sustainable dairy, meat, and seafood alternatives that are compelling to the senses while still high in nutritional value,” said Vgarden CEO Ilan Adut.
“This strategic cooperation with Tiv Taam will enable our company to significantly increase production to meet anticipated demands in the US and internationally, as well as accelerate the pace of development of Vgarden products,” said Adut.
From Tiv Taam’s perspective, the partnership aligns with its expansion from cold-cuts, dairy and seafood into kosher and vegan foods. According to Hagai Shalom, owner and CEO of Tiv Taam, Vgarden is the ‘perfect fit’ for its retail shelves.
“This partnership also gives us new leverage to branch out to the international vegan food landscape.”
Image source: Vgarden
In the UK, burger chain Patty & Bun is preparing for St Patrick’s Day next month with a collaboration with Irish Beef and butcher HG Walter.
The result is a grass-fed Irish beef burger, the ‘Patty O’ Bun’, available in Patty & Bun restaurants throughout the month of March. The Patty O’ Bun includes two aged grass-fed Irish beef patties, Irish Cashel blue cheese, Guinness onions and bacon mayo in a brioche bun.
“Irish Beef is thrilled to partner with Patty & Bun and HG Walter for this St Patrick’s Day special,” said Donal Denvir, UK General Manager at Irish Food Board Bord Bia. “The Patty O’ Bun is a celebration of the best of Irish produce, showcasing the delicious taste and quality of grass-fed Irish beef and cheese.
“This collaboration is just one of the many ways we are working to bring the taste of Irish food to more tables across the UK.”
Joe Grossman, founder of Patty & Bun, also said he was excited about the partnership. “Having worked with HG Walter from the start, we use some of the best quality, sustainable, and delicious Irish beef in our patties, so this partnership makes complete sense.
“We’ve worked with Adam from HG Walter to create a bespoke patty blend for the Patty O’ Bun, made using 100% grass fed Irish beef. I can’t wait for people to try the burger, the taste is unbeatable.”
Image source: Patty & Bun
In Italy, Starbucks is launching a new range of beverages that combine arabica coffee with Partanna extra virgin olive oil. The ‘Oleato’ brand is a ‘smooth’ and ‘delicately’ sweet offering available in caffe latte, shaken espresso, and cold brew varieties, amongst others.
For Starbucks interim CEO Howard Schults, Oleato represents the ‘next revolution’ in coffee… “Oleato has opened our eyes to fresh new possibilities and a transformational way to enjoy our daily coffee.”
Starbucks will begin to introduce the beverages in select markets around the world, starting with Southern California in the US, then later on this year, Japan, the Middle East and the UK.
Image source: Starbucks
