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 the leftovers pulled from our inboxes.
A toast, with Extra Toasty Cheez-Its
What is better than wine and cheese? House Wine and Kellogg have put the two together — with a twist.
Just in time for a picnic with cheese that won’t melt, the companies have made a box that is half Kellogg's Cheez-It crackers and half a variety of House Wine. There are three combinations, custom curated by the vintner's winemaker Hal Landvoigt to highlight the flavors in both the beverage and the crackers.
The pairings, which Landvoigt said in a statement appeal to palates ranging from crisp and bright to savory and spicy, include Original Cheez-Its and Red Blend, White Cheddar crackers with rosé, and Extra Toasty Cheez-Its with sauvignon blanc.
As the snack market continues to expand, with 47% of consumers eating about three or more snack foods a day, according to IRi, Cheez-It has innovated with flavors and textures to keep consumers interested. Adding a fancy wine pairing elevates the small cheese crackers to a more indulgent place. That could be helpful, since IRi found in its 2019 State of the Snack Industry report that the snack cracker category had actually seen a 0.9% drop in the number of products sold in 2018.
This isn't Cheez-It's first new product launch to reinvigorate sales. In January, the company premiered Cheez-It Snap’d Thins, slimmer crackers that more closely resemble chips than the original crackers and could have a better-for-you appeal.
Kellogg has previously launched other products designed to broaden Cheez-Its' appeal, with chicken breast bites coated in Cheez-It cracker crumbs in 2016. However, this is the first attempt to make the cheesy cracker a more upscale snack.
— Anastassia Gliadkovskaya
Not your typical chip
These new triangle-shaped chips may look like the average bag of the popular snack, but pack a lot more protein.
Tyson Foods just launched Any'tizers Chicken Chips, antibiotic--free all-white-meat chicken topped with a crunchy chip coating. The new product comes in three flavors: BBQ, Ranch and Cheddar & Sour Cream. Each bag has 55 chips in it and there are about 11 grams of protein per serving.
As snacking becomes more popular and consumers stray away from the standard three meals per day format, companies have been developing and acquiring more snack products. According to the Hartman Group Eating Occasions Compass, which was cited by Tyson, 8% of snack consumers forego meals entirely.
The poultry giant is looking to keep up with this trend by combining its signature product with a go-to snack: chips. And given Americans recent penchant for products with protein, this latest innovation could be a hit.
But Tyson isn't the first to come up with this idea. In 2017, Taco Bell released similar chicken chips. But the Naked Chicken Chips, which were a nugget and nacho combination, didn't last on the menu for long, according to Thrillist. Tyson's new chip-shaped chicken, which can be found in freezer aisles, could have a longer shelf life since frozen foods have seen a surge of interest lately.
This isn't the only innovation from Tyson. As meat and poultry companies battle with the growing plant-based segment, Tyson is branching out its portfolio. The company announced last month that it plans to roll out a new brand in late summer called Raised & Rooted, which includes plant-based nuggets made from a blend of pea protein isolate. The company also launched an innovation lab in recent years to develop new products and get them out to consumers faster.
This turn toward innovation seems to be helping the company. Tyson‘s sales and earnings exceeded analyst expectations in its latest earnings report, but the meat company still has work to do since its bottom line dropped year-over-year. If these chicken chips become popular, it could help boost Tyson's bottom line and figure out what protein snacks to launch next.
— Lillianna Byington
Happy birthday, Froot Loops (and Kellogg's NYC)
Froot Loops is having a party.
The Kellogg brand is celebrating the third birthday of its New York-based cereal café this month with a limited-edition Froot Loops Birthday Cake variety. The cereal — a strawberry flavor with bright colors and sprinkles — is being sold at select retailers nationwide.
As part of the promotion, on the restaurant's anniversary date of July 13, Kellogg offered the first 113 guests — one for every year Kellogg has made cereal — to enjoy a slice of a special "cake" made from Froot Loops Birthday Cake and Rice Krispies Treats. Kellogg also published self-described "over-the-top recipes" online so consumers can recreate the birthday cake at home, as well as enjoy strawberry cake milk.
Kellogg’s decision to open the New York restaurant three years ago marked the latest attempt by a major cereal company to turn around sales , which have grown soggy as consumers want to eat healthier and consume more of their food on the go.
But despite this shift, shoppers still like to indulge in a bowl of cereal — Americans purchased $8.3 billion worth of it in 2018. With billions in revenue still up for grabs, food companies have been quick to introduce new products, many of which come in unique flavors or are a twist on another popular item already on the market.
Post Holdings has been among the most prominent companies to introduce new varieties, turning Mega Stuf Oreo O's, Chicken and Waffles, Sour Patch Kids, Chips Ahoy and Nutter Butter into cereal.
Kellogg's Birthday Cake Froot Loops could attract the attention of consumers eager to try something new, but its limited availability could also give shoppers an added incentive to toss it into their carts.
The cereal also provides extra publicity for its café in New York among consumers who purchased the cereal or saw it on the shelf, and may have never been to the brick-and-mortar store in the Big Apple before.
— Christopher Doering
