Dive Brief:
- Babybel and GoGo Squeez owner Bel Group is partnering with food technology company Foodberry to develop better-for-you snacks using real fruit.
- Bel's U.S. operations will leverage Foodberry's plant-based coatings made from real fruit. The collaboration wants to develop innovative products that deliver "nutrition, convenience, and taste in new formats."
- The first product from the partnership is set to launch in select U.S. markets this year. The inaugural offering combines "real fruit and protein" into an individually portioned snack, according to the company.
Dive Insight:
Despite a growing consumer focus on health and wellness, Americans still aren't eating enough fruit. Foodberry's plant-based food coatings aim to help solve that by creating snacks that are nutritious, but still convenient and craveable.
Developed in labs at Harvard and MIT, Foodberry maintains a platform of products that mimic fruit with protective coatings of fibers, phytonutrients and minerals. The coatings can be used to create fruit-coated ice cream bites. Foodberry is also developing new innovations such as savory bites that include real vegetable wrappings for cheese or hummus.
"This partnership will help bring our mission to life—making fruits, veggies, and dairy more accessible for Americans through delicious, convenient, and nutritious snacks created in partnership with Foodberry," Carolina Cespedes Virguez, general manager of GoGo Squeez at Bel US, said in a statement. "Together, we’re reimagining snacking to bring unique propositions to the market."
For its inaugural snack collaboration, Bel and Foodberry are focusing on a fruit snack that also contains protein, a popular ingredient sought out by consumers. Protein has also recently been prioritized in the updated federal dietary guidelines.
Fresh fruit and vegetables have seen modest growth as consumers prioritize their health and seek out minimally processed foods. Fruit sales grew 4% from 2023 to 2024, according to NIQ, with vegetable sales increasing 1.2%.
Despite some recent sales gains, 80% of the U.S. population consumes less than the recommended amount of fruit, according to the USDA.
“Bel’s commitment to accessible, nutritious food mirrors our own mission at Foodberry – to contribute to a healthier world by creating new snacks that taste great and make choosing better options easier,” said Marty Kolewe, CEO of Foodberry. “Our work together is reimagining what’s possible in the snacking category and beyond, bringing real fruit and functional ingredients to consumers in convenient, portionable new formats.”
Fruits' antioxidants and other health qualities have prompted food scientists to find novel ways to transfer those benefits to other applications. Startup Novella makes fruit-derived ingredients without needing the whole plant through cell cultivation.
