As soon as it knows what it wants to market, the Island Park, N.Y., food and snack maker will introduce plant-based gourmet snack foods to its product lines in 2021 to meet demands of health- and environment-conscious consumers. The company says it is working out plans with co-packers and other marketing associates to “decide on the best possible specific product choices.” Immediate emphasis will be on gourmet cookies and snacking, two of the company’s bestselling lines. The company's established sales division will handle marketing with the help of partner store sites, and ecommerce channels, including Amazon.com. CEO Paul Adler said he and staff “have been aggressively investigating the best options to add to our product lines so that we can give our valued customers the choices they want most.”[Image Credit: © Global Diversified Marketing Group Inc]

Health-conscious consumers increasingly opt for snacks that offer nutritional benefits, full transparency, and are “free from” ingredients perceived to be either useless or harmful. So, snack developers are innovating with a focus on natural, familiar ingredients that also offer nutritional benefits; One of these is almonds, which deliver essential nutrients that may be hard to come by in a total plant-based diet, including protein and calcium. In addition, most consumers think of snacks as an indulgence, so mouthfeel and flavor are important. A crunchy ingredient like almonds complements products with softer textures, and roasted almonds pair well with sea salt or high cacao chocolate to add a more premium product positioning. Market data show that almonds continue to be the leading nut used in global new product introductions, with particularly strong growth in the bakery, snack, and confectionery categories.[Image Credit: © Steve Buissinne from Pixabay]

CEO James Quincey told investors at a Barclays conference recently that his company is determined to emerge from the pandemic with more customers and a more engaged, slimmed down organization. Coke restructuring during the pandemic crisis involved streamlining its portfolio and its global organization. The changes, which include easing its customer supply chain through reduced SKU management, offer a “golden opportunity” for the No. 13 consumer goods company to accelerate the focus on portfolio winners that attract and keep customers globally.[Image Credit: © Business Wire, Inc./The Coca-Cola Company]

NAT Bears, a new individually-wrapped breakfast cereal for children from the Gatwick-based food company, contains no artificial colors or flavors, is high in fiber, and comes in honey and chocolate flavors. The brand claims one 32-gram bear equals one bowl of breakfast cereal when added to milk. The product is packaged as pre-proportioned, individually wrapped bears, sold in a pack of six for £2.89 ($3.68). NAT Bears began rolling out in Sainsbury’s and will go on sale in Tesco stores in November. The launch will be supported by a marketing campaign, including social media, digital TV, and shopper activation.[Image Credit: © Nestle]

The British food distributor and wholesaler (Wokingham) is targeting the healthy snacking market in the U.K. with a nutrient-dense snack made from fiber- and protein-rich chickpeas. According to the company, PeaPops have 20 percent plant-based protein, are high in fiber, gluten-free, vegetarian and, because they are popped using heat compression technology, have 60 percent less fat than regular fried chips. Pea Pops are available in Smoky BBQ, Chilli & Lime, and Cheddar & Onion and come in two pack sizes: single-serve 23-gram and 80-gram sharing bags. They are priced with an RSP of 86p ($1.09) for single serve and £1.99 ($2.53) for a sharing bag. UF International will also be selling via its own website and Amazon. The marketing will comprise a social media campaign and future brand activation events.[Image Credit: © UF International Ltd]

As consumers watch their weight, and investors and governments urge action on obesity, the $81 billion Ill.-based maker of Oreo cookies, Cadbury chocolate, and Ritz crackers, is looking to acquire healthier snack brands. The company has made healthy snacks a priority as it diverts billions of dollars’ worth of investments in coffee companies JDE Peet’s and Keurig Dr Pepper. CEO Dirk Van de Put criticized increasingly popular sugar taxes in an interview with the Financial Times, saying they were overly “restrictive” to consumers and would limit the potential for his company to invest. [Image Credit: © Mondelēz International]

The Bethlehem, Pa.-based minority-owned better-for-you heirloom corn snacking brand’s new Heirloom Crunchies are baked, not fried. The crunchy, twisty, cheesy treats have 20 percent less fat than category favorites. Available in cheddar, cheddar jalapeno, and parmesan truffle flavors, Crunchies are made with sustainable heirloom corn and organic cheese, are Non-GMO Project Verified and whole grain, and available for $3.99 a package. The company says Heirloom Crunchies will be launching in retailers that “mirror Pipcorn's commitment to sustainable agriculture,” with Truffle Parmesan & Jalapeno Cheddar available exclusively at Whole Foods Market, and Cheddar on Thrive Market.  The company’s other Heirloom snack lines include Cheese Balls, Corn Dippers, and Crackers, all with less than four ingredients, and whole grain, gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified. [Image Credit: © PRNewsfoto/Pipcorn]

The Austin, Texas-based middle-market private equity firm, owner of the Turkey Hill and Pretzels Inc. food brands, among others, has acquired Halo Foods Ltd., a Welsh maker of healthy bars and snacks. Halo’s portfolio includes cereal bars, fruit and nut bars, and gluten-free, high protein, and nutritionally controlled bars, including the rapidly growing "Skinny" brand. No financial terms were disclosed.[Image Credit: © Halo Foods]

As homebound shoppers stocked up on familiar and traditional shelf-stable snacks that deliver comfort, nostalgia, and flavor during the pandemic, dollar sales for crackers leapt 14.1 percent for the four months ending April 5, 2020, year-over-year. Sales were up 6.8 percent over the previous quarter ending June 14, 2020. Camden, N.J.-based Campbell Snacks has introduced more than a dozen new cracker products this year. Traditionals like Kellogg’s Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers, Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, and Nabisco’s Ritz Crackers earned the most dollar sales. Pepperidge Farm Flavor Blasted Goldfish sales rose 19.6 percent. But customers were also looking for healthful attributes, e.g. fiber as a functional benefit. TH Foods’ Crunchmaster brand launched a line of fiber-rich Grain-Free Crackers. Also high on the shopping list were functional snacks that boost energy or satiate hunger mid-morning or afternoon. Another cracker shopping trend: larger package sizes. Crunchmaster launched a 10-oz Party Pack of its bestselling Multi-Seed Original Crackers to appeal to value-seekers.  [Image Credit: © WikimediaImages from Pixabay]

Conagra Brands’ Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn and Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix are teaming up with the Hallmark Channel to sponsor the "Snack, Watch and Win" Sweepstakes, an 18-week campaign of weekly drawings whose grand prize is a walk-on role in an upcoming Hallmark Channel original movie taping. The winner will also get a one-year supply of Orville Redenbacher's microwave popcorn. Other prizes include a limited-edition Swiss Miss & Hallmark Channel mug and a package of Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix. Orville Redenbacher's microwave popcorn with no artificial preservatives, flavors, or dyes.[Image Credit: © Conagra Brands, Inc.]

The Canadian cereal and snack maker’s new line includes two granolas and two RTD oatmeal cups containing several functional ingredients. The “superfood” line includes Golden Turmeric Superfood Granola, a “cookie-like” granola with clusters made from gluten free oats and cashews, as well as turmeric (anti-inflammatory) and avocado oil; and Smoothie Bowl Superfood Granola strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and super greens spirulina, barley grass, wheatgrass, broccoli, chlorella, kale, and spinach. [Image Credit: © PRNewsfoto/Nature’s Path]

The company plans to invest $30 million in the Closed Loop Leadership Fund, a private equity fund of Closed Loop Partners, to help support the shift from virgin plastics to food-grade recycled plastics across the U.S. The goal is to upgrade U.S. recycling infrastructure and secure access to food-grade recycled plastics. It is the first investment from Nestlé’s sustainable packaging venture fund, which was established earlier this year as part of its CHF 2 billion ($2.2 billion) sustainability commitment. The company plans to make 100 percent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, and reduce its use of virgin plastics by one third. Closed Loop will use the money to finance acquisitions of companies advancing circular economies in the U.S.[Image Credit: © Nestlé]

The bite-sized savory crackers from the London, U.K.-based snack food start-up are made with cricket flour, a sustainable source of protein, which the founders claim is “a great way to eat insects without the yuck factor.” Company founders Edoardo Imparto and Francesco Majno say their mission is to make consumers aware of the benefits of insect-based snacking to the planet and people’s health. “Small Giant Crackers are the best way to try insects for the first time – and fall in love with them,” says Majno. The oven-baked snacks, available in three umami flavors in 40-gram packs, are made with 15 percent cricket flour. Other ingredients include extra virgin olive oil and wheat flour.[Image Credit: © Small Giants]

As part of the comprehensive reorganization initiative announced last week, Coca-Cola is pruning its Africa business unit from the previous Europe, Africa & Middle East division and making it a distinct operation led by Bruno Pietracci, current Africa & Middle East business unit president. Europe will also stand on its own, led by Nikos Koumettis. The Middle East operations will be combined with Eurasia. Vamsi Mohan Thati, head of the South Pacific business unit, was appointed president of the Greater China business comprising mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and Mongolia. South Korea will be paired with Japan as a single unit. Latin America, Europe, and North America will also have new operational leaders. Lastly, T. Krishnakumar, president of the India and Southwest Asia business unit, was named chairman of Coca-Cola India, and Sanket Ray, COO of the Mainland China business, was named president of India and Southwest Asia.[Image Credit: © The Coca-Cola Company]

After 20 years at Danone, the head of the dairy and plant-based food and beverage unit is leaving to pursue “outside opportunities.” Francisco Camacho has served in a variety of leadership roles at the company, most recently as EVP of Essential Dairy and Plant-Based (EDP) International. Prior to that he was EVP of Danone’s global waters business and chief growth and innovation officer.[Image Credit: © Danone S.A.]

The company appointed Mauricio Alarcon, a twenty-year Nestlé veteran with an “in-depth understanding” of Central and West Africa. Alarcon joined Nestlé Mexico in 1999 and has held various roles within the global business since then. He became the managing director of Nestlé Nigeria, the largest Nestlé operation in the region, in 2016. Before that he served as managing director of Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire, and also headed Nestlé’s operations in Senegal, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Mauritania, and Cape Verde. Alarcon succeeds Rémy Ejel.[Image Credit: © Nestlé Indonesia]

Three key leadership appointments were announced in the wake of the company’s recent reorganization into an entity that is highly networked, less hierarchical, and built for future growth. Henrique Braun of the Brazil business unit was named president of the new Latin America Operating Unit; Nikos Koumettis, president of the Europe, Middle East & Africa group, was named president of Europe Operating Unit; and Nancy Quan, who oversees the company’s technical and supply chain community, will lead the combined innovation and technical function, following the February 2021 retirement of chief innovation officer Robert Long.[Image Credit: © THE COCA-COLA COMPANY]

The Atlanta-based company’s newest reorganization helps implement the strategy of ensuring there’s a Coca-Cola beverage for consumers at every life stage and for every occasion. The reorganization – which affects operations, beverage categories, and services – will drive growth by balancing the “power of scale” with deep local marketing information. Nine new tightly-interconnected operating units will replace the current 17, offering more consistency in structure, less resource duplication, and faster scaling of new products. The company has settled on five global categories that show the strongest consumer opportunities: Coca-Cola; sparkling flavors; hydration, sports, coffee, and tea; nutrition, juice, milk, and plant; and a catch-all “emerging categories.” The company expects that the reorganization will require layoffs globally, but it has initiated a “voluntary separation program” offering employees a separation package. The severance programs could cost as much as $55 million, the company said.[Image Credit: © The Coca-Cola Company]

The young Shanghai-based company has its marketing eyes fixed on the country’s younger, more health-conscious generation with its instant oatmeal made of oat bran. The company raised several million dollars from C Ventures, led by a Hong Kong billionaire, to take advantage of China’s burgeoning health food market. “China has a severe lack of wholegrain food options,” said Claire Fang, founder and chief executive. “We want to introduce [whole grains] into young people’s diet in a way that is easy for them to embrace.” The market for natural health food in China is forecast to expand to $26 billion in value by 2022, an annual rate of 12 percent since 2017. Wholly Moly, which generates 90 percent of its income from e-commerce channels, including a store on Tmall, posted sales of $15 million in 2019 and hopes to triple that this year. The company works with farms and milling factories in the Midwest and northern U.S. as well as southern Canada, because the oats harvested there are said to be more aromatic and chewier than cheaper oats planted in China or Australia.[Image Credit: © Yum Delight, Inc./WhollyMolyChina]