Advanced Food Products LLC, New Holland, Pa., a division of Bongrain Cheese USA, has entered into a licensing agreement with Jelly Belly Candy Co., Fairfield, Calif., to produce Jelly Belly Pudding Snacks. These dairy-based desserts debut this month in Wal-Mart stores nationwide. Described as having “authentic Jelly Belly flavor,” the puddings come in six varieties: Blueberry, Bubble Gum, Green Apple, Peach, Very Cherry and Watermelon. Fortified with calcium, fiber (in the form of inulin) and the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the puddings are sold in packs of four 3.5-oz cups. According to the companies, the Jelly Belly brand has 94% brand awareness.

Sonoma Jacks are consumers’ favorite cheese flavors blended into smooth, spreadable, single-serve wedges of gourmet cheese. Wrapped in foil, the 0.67-oz wedges come six to a pack, with the package being a cardboard round. The new cheeses are the most recent innovation from Dairyfood USA, Inc., Blue Mounds, Wis. The cheeses come in four flavors-Original, Garlic & Herb, Parmesan Peppercorn and Pepper Jack-with each wedge containing 50 calories, 3g of both fat and protein, and less than 1g of carbohydrate.

Gold Peak, the premium ready-to-drink (RTD) tea from The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, introduces Gold Peak Chilled Tea. Available in the popular Gold Peak sweetened and lemon flavors, the chilled multi-serve version is packaged in a stylish 59-oz carafe bottle. It begins shipping to retailers in late January. Made with hand-selected, high-quality tea leaves and pure-filtered water, Gold Peak Chilled Tea complements Gold Peak’s existing portfolio of single-serve 16.9-oz bottles, available in sweetened, unsweetened, diet, lemon and green. Since launching in 2006, Gold Peak has been one of the brands driving growth in the shelf-stable premium tea segment as RTD teas continue to gain popularity in households. “Gold Peak offers consumers a truly authentic tea taste,” says Andrea Freeman, director of the tea portfolio for Coca-Cola North America. “When we thought about expanding our Gold Peak portfolio, developing Gold Peak Chilled Tea was a natural choice for our consumers who expect high quality and delicious real-brewed flavor. Gold Peak Chilled Tea enhances any meal occasion, and provides classic iced tea pleasure any time of the year.”

To help consumers stretch their food dollars this past holiday season, Reser’s Fine Foods, Beaverton, Ore., introduced six new premium dips under its Stonemill Kitchens brand. According to the company, once the dipping is over, these dips can turn holiday leftovers such as turkey and mashed potatoes into gourmet meals. “Simple, high-quality ingredients go a long way. A great rule of thumb is to buy once, and then use an ingredient in three meals,” says Stonemill Kitchens Chef Jeff Quatraro, who suggests using Stonemill Kitchen’s Spinach & Artichoke Parmesan dip one night as an appetizer, the next morning to make an Artichoke & Spinach Quiche and the following day to create a cheesy Turkey panini. Another great use for dip is to cut the prep time for a holiday favorite such as stuffed mushrooms. Quatraro says, “Stuffed mushrooms are a classic holiday appetizer and using Artichoke & Parmesan Dip as a base makes prep effortless.” Other varieties in the new dip line are: Artichoke & Jalapeno, Artichoke & Parmesan, Cajun Seafood, Crab & Roasted Corn, Three Cheese Peperoncini and Seafood & Parmesan. All of the dips include dairy components. Either sour cream or cream cheese is used as a base, and most include one or more natural cheeses such as Cheddar and Parmesan.

Chavrie, a brand of Bongrain Cheese USA, New Holland, Pa., introduces Chavrie Goat Cheese log, which is available in the specialty cheese case of supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide. The new logs come in three sizes and varieties: 4-oz Original, 4-oz Herb and 11-oz Original. Suggested retail price for the 4-oz log is $4.79, while the 11-oz suggested retail price is $9.49. “Chavrie consumers often use our goat cheese to dial up the flair on an everyday food,” says Jody Hallman, brand manager. “Whether it’s substituting goat cheese for milk in creamy tomato soup preparation or topping a baked potato, Chavrie can make a simple meal simply better.”

Dairy Foods now offers Dairy Product Innovations (www.dairyfoods.com/dpi), an e-newsletter focused on new dairy products and new products and services from dairy industry suppliers. Subscribers receive Dairy Product Innovations monthly with the occasional special installation or themed issue focusing on specific niches like artisan cheese or organic and natural foods. To subscribe, visitwww.dairyfoods.com.

Noteworthy Introductions

Sodus, N.Y.-based Heluva Good!, a brand of HP Hood LLC, Lynnfield, Ma., has added limited-edition Jalapeño Cheddar sour cream dip to its product line up. It balances the fiery taste of jalapeño peppers with the cool and creamy taste of Cheddar to create a uniquely smooth and spicy flavor that can be enjoyed with chips, veggies or even on a burger. The dip comes in 12-oz resealable tubs.

To appeal to the growing Hispanic population, Happy & Health Products, Boca Raton, Fla., introduced a Horchata bar. Dairy-based, this stick novelty is reminiscent of its namesake Mexican beverage that combines rice milk with cinnamon.

International

European companies have typically been quite progressive in introducing flavored milk that provides a dose of indulgence. More closely resembling desserts than drinks, these products often feature sophisticated packaging and gourmet flavors. For example, Mars recently added a flavour to its portfolio with Galaxy Chocolate Smoothie in an Orange Truffle flavor. Made with cream, cocoa and orange oil, Galaxy only contains 5% fat, making it a reasonable choice for health-conscious consumers.

Another shot-style dairy drink brings new functional ingredients to European consumers. In Finland, Valio has introduced Evolus_ Double Effect Fermented Milk, which comes in 100g daily dose bottles. Developed to promote cardiovascular health, this drinkable yogurt contains both bioactive peptides and cholesterol-lowering plant sterols. While peptides and plant sterols are already widely used in dairy-based drinks for their cardiovascular benefits, it is rare to see them combined in the same product. In fact, it is this synergy that Valio has highlighted, claiming the plant sterols and peptides have a “double effect” on heart health.

In a crowded beverage marketplace, interactivity can often be the key to winning over new consumers, particularly younger ones. That premise is the foundation of a new product from Tnuva Dairies in Israel. Part of Tnuva’s Shock range, this Banana-Punch Milkshake comes in a uniquely shaped 250ml bottle that expands when consumers shake it. The combination of a frothy milkshake with an expandable package that requires shaking for activation creates a truly multi-sensory consumption experience. 

Contributed by Krista Faron, senior analyst, Mintel Custom Solutions,  Global New Products Database (GNPD). For more information call 312/932-0400, or visit www.gnpd.com.

Focus on Yogurt

Stonyfield Farm, Londonderry, N.H., unveils a trio of seasonal flavors in 2009. Apple Pie, the first of Stonyfield Farm’s Limited Edition Seasonal Yogurts, rolls onto store shelves this month.

“Back on the farm, we used to have eleven months of winter and one month of bad sledding,” says Stonyfield Farm President and CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg. “Fortunately, we also had warm fires, good books, and comforting food, like apple pie.”

Apple Pie will be available until early spring, followed by a spring/summer seasonal flavor that will provide a taste of refreshing goodness as the warm weather arrives. Soon after, a new seasonal flavor will be on shelves, just as the air turns cooler and thoughts turn to fall and winter.

In fall 2008, Target Corp., Minneapolis, debuted a low-fat Apple Cider Yogurt under its house brand Archer Farms. Described as “thick and cream,” a 6-oz cup of this indulgent yogurt contains 190 calories and 2g fat.

One of today’s most important global health and wellness trends surrounds the goodness of fruits and vegetables. Once found only in frozen, canned or fresh produce, full servings of fruits and vegetables can now be obtained in everything from frozen desserts to crackers. While some of these “full serving” products appear in indulgence categories, the majority are aligned with segments that already have an innate association with health. Dairy fits especially well with the full serving concept-something that Weight Watchers has embraced in Ireland. Its Yogurt Smoothie combines raspberries and cranberries with dairy to deliver one complete serving of fruits and vegetables. This benefit is prominently displayed on the front of the Weight Watchers’ package, enticing health-conscious consumers to synergize their nutrition benefits. Considering that both time and nutrition are at a premium among today’s global consumers, multi-benefit products that allow people to enjoy the goodness of both dairy and fruit are a logical nutrition solution.

Last year Danone launched Essensis, a beauty yogurt, throughout Europe. Said to promote healthy skin, the product was originally sold in spoonable and drinkable forms in countries from Spain to Russia. Now Danone has introduced a new package for its beauty yogurt-the 100g plastic shot bottle. This package was first popularized by dairy-based probiotic and plant sterol drinks, but recently European companies have used it to provide mega-doses of ingredients such as omega-3s, fruits and vegetables and dairy peptides. With Essensis, Danone has not altered its formulation, which still includes borage oil, green tea extract and the antioxidant vitamin E. Instead, the company has focused on the packaging that now emphasizes convenience, making it easier for consumers to get a daily beauty boost and a shot of dairy goodness.

There is no doubt that yogurt smoothies have become big business for dairies around the world, but the competition in that segment has become increasingly fierce. To counter that rivalry, dairy processors have realized that packaging can create an important point of differentiation. Yoplait has adopted that strategy in Belgium. Yogurt Smoothie comes in an on-the-go cup with attached straw. This package competes directly with those from smoothie shops and other foodservice outlets. In a tough economy, more consumers are trying to replicate restaurant experiences at home, so this package comes at an ideal time to bridge functionally, style and value.  

Speaking of foodservice yogurt, it is important to mention that international frozen yogurt company Yogen Früz is making a comeback in the United States. Established in 1986 in Toronto, Yogen Früz quickly saturated Canada and today has more than 1,100 locations in over 20 countries.

The Yogen Früz menu features its signature Blend It frozen yogurt, offering a combination of low-fat, nonfat or no-sugar-added frozen yogurt with a variety of flash-frozen fresh fruit blended individually. Yogen Früz also offers its Tart Top It soft-serve frozen yogurt with the choice of a wide range of fresh fruit and dry toppings. Other menu options include yogurt and non-dairy smoothies, and a variety of healthy additions and beverages. All Yogen Früz products contain probiotic cultures.

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