Leftovers is our look at a few of the product ideas popping up everywhere. Some are intriguing, some sound amazing and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We can’t write about everything that we get pitched, so here are some leftovers pulled from our inboxes.
Carbone spices up Italian food with chili crisp
While Carbone Fine Food is best known for its pasta sauces, the brand is aiming to be a bigger player in the Italian foods space.
The restaurant-inspired brand, which launched in retail locations five years ago, is debuting Carbone Italian Chili Crisp, its first expansion beyond the pasta and pasta sauce categories.
The new offering is an Italian-inspired take on the chili crisp, a popular crunchy and spicy condiment that originated from China. Available in two varieties – the red Calabrian Chili Crisp and the less spicy Aglio e Peperoncino – the offerings are inspired by bold flavors found in some of the most requested dishes at Carbone restaurants.
Both of Carbone's chili crisps are made with 100% olive oil and a blend of peppers, onions and garlic. The condiment is designed to add flavor and crunch to pizza, pasta, grilled meats, fish and vegetables, among other dishes.
Eric Skae, Carbone’s CEO, said he was attracted to the $100 million chili crips category because it is growing and adjacent to its red, white and pizza sauces carried on store shelves. The segment also hasn’t been deeply infiltrated by other larger brands and wouldn’t require “massive investment dollars” to enter.
It also marked a way for Carbone to further establish itself as an Italian brand rather than one only known for its sauces, Skae said.
“We saw it as a kind of nice line extension that wasn't just going to do the same thing everybody else is doing,” Skae, who previously oversaw sauce competitor Rao’s. “It kind of sets us apart. It's different.”
Carbone Italian Chili Crisp is available in 6-ounce jars for $13.99 each. It is first rolling out exclusively at Whole Foods Market, with additional availability on Amazon and Carbone’s website. Other retail stores will begin carrying the line in 2027.
Skae said while he is considering other product extensions for Carbone in the future, including canned tomatoes and pesto, the company has significant growth opportunities available for its sauces.
Carbone, which has $100 million in sales across more than 30,000 stores, is growing more than 40% annually, according to the company.
— Christopher Doering
Little Debbie flips for flapjacks
McKee Foods' Little Debbie is serving up an easier way for consumers to enjoy a stack of pancakes, no griddle required.
Little Debbie Flapjack Mini Muffins are bite-sized sweet treats that bring the taste of pancakes and syrup into a portable muffin format. The snacks are available at retailers nationwide.
"We wanted to capture the warmth and comfort of a traditional family breakfast and make it accessible for today's fast-paced lifestyle," Hannah Norman, Little Debbie’s product manager, said in a statement. "Flapjack Mini Muffins offer that beloved pancake taste in a neat, pre-packaged pouch."
Around half of all meals now take fewer than five minutes to prepare, including 65% of breakfasts, according to Circana. This comes as about 50% of Americans eat breakfast away from home before 9 a.m., making quick and convenient options more of a priority.
— Sarah Zimmerman
ChampionSips brews a functional non-alcoholic winner
Think bar owner Glanbia Performance Nutrition is launching a functional non-alcoholic beer it says better reflects evolving consumer lifestyles.
The ChampionSips beer was created by Glanbia’s supplement and beverage brand, Optimum Nutrition, and brewed by Wisconsin Brewing Company. Each 16-ounce can has 10 grams of protein from pea and rice, 90 calories and 11 grams of carbs. The limited-edition beverage reportedly delivers notes of citrus and hops.
Consumers away from the gym can be forgiven for not wanting to guzzle a shake or add powder to another beverage. But yet they might still crave a beer and the socialization that comes with it, making ChampionSips something worth celebrating.
While Americans are spending more time on activities that fit active lifestyles, nearly two-thirds of people say they wished they had gone out after choosing to stay in, the company said, citing data from Morning Consult.
ChampionSips provides consumers with a better-for-you version of non-alcoholic beer that allows them to maintain their health goals while still having the opportunity to spend time with friends.
“We're constantly looking at how consumers' needs and routines are evolving and where we can create something new,” said Jeff Schoenfield, Glanbia’s director of innovation. "ChampionSips reflects that mindset, opening up an entirely new occasion for Optimum Nutrition and challenging expectations of where the brand can show up.”
ChampionSips is available in four-packs for $14.99 at Optimum Nutrition’s website.
While Optimum Nutrition’s is unlikely to get into the beer space permanently, ChampionSips is a unique way for a brand known for everything from protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes to energy and hydration products and multivitamins to extend its brand’s healthier mantra into a popular beverage category.
— Christopher Doering
