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.
Perdue doesn’t chicken out when it comes to beer
Perdue is making chicken and beer the stars of its latest product launch.
The Maryland-based company is launching Perdue Beer Can Chicken Beer, a honey double-citrus summer ale brewed with classic grilled chicken seasonings including rosemary, thyme and pink peppercorn. The company says it will help backyard grillers make the perfect beer can chicken. The beverage was created in partnership with Torch & Crown Brewing Company.
“Beer can chicken has long been one of the most popular methods of grilling poultry, but we noticed a lack of consensus on what type of beer is best,” Julie Lehman, Perdue’s vice president of marketing, said in a statement. We wanted to “make a beer that is expertly crafted to help backyard cooking enthusiasts prepare the ultimate beer can chicken.”
According to Perdue, Google searches for beer can chicken recipes typically peak around Memorial Day, and evidence suggests the grilling method is on the rise. During the last year, online conversation around beer can chicken grew by nearly 20%, the company said, citing Netbase.
Beer can chicken involves pouring beer into a food-grade roasting stand and then placing a chicken upright and cooking it using a grill or smoker. The beer not only infuses the chicken with flavor but keeps it moist.
With the popularity of beer can chicken appearing to be on the rise, Perdue and Torch & Crown are finding a unique way to partner together with what they do best.
The brewery has come up with a beer that can be used as a cookout ingredient or consumed straight out of the can, which helps it stand out in the crowded craft beer market. Perdue, on the other hand, gets its name tied to beer, potentially making its poultry offerings more top-of-mind during summer cookouts.
— Christopher Doering
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Courtesy of Six Star Pro Nutrition
Kellogg and Six Star bring cereal taste to the gym
Gym-goers with nostalgia for their favorite childhood cereals are in luck.
Kellogg announced a protein powder collaboration with Six Star Pro Nutrition. The company’s Six Star 100% Whey Protein Plus is launching flavors featuring the taste of Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops.
The powders contain 30 grams of whey protein and two grams of sugar per serving, along with 6.7 grams of branched-chain amino acids. The companies said the products are designed for athletes who want the familiar sweet flavors of cereal when working out. They will be available at Walmart and other retailers, starting in August.
David Lee, Kellogg’s senior director of global licensing and culture, said in the press release the collaboration brings “balanced breakfasts and new, innovative high-performance protein powders for busy families and sports lifestyles.”
Other cereal and dessert CPG products have appeared in protein powders in recent years. In 2020, Post Holdings turned to its Flintstones-themed cereals Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles for whey protein isolate mixes in collaboration with supplements maker Dymatize. That same year, Hostess debuted a sports nutrition brand, Remix Nutrition, with its first products being protein powders featuring the flavors of its Twinkies and Chocolate CupCakes.
The health and fitness foods industry ballooned during the pandemic as many began to take fitness more seriously, and consumer interest in wellness products continues to grow. The protein supplements market was valued at $6.2 billion in 2021, and is projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 8% through 2030, according to Grand View Research. Big CPGs have taken notice, including Nestlé, which last year bought a majority stake in organic protein brand Orgain for an undisclosed amount.
— Chris Casey
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Courtesy of General Mills
Not so sweet: Nature Valley creates a bar to be savored
While Nature Valley has a reputation for being sweet, the General Mills-owned bar brand is embracing its savory side.
The brand, is launching its first savory snacks. Nature Valley’s Savory Nut Crunch Bars — in Everything Bagel, White Cheddar and Smoky BBQ flavors — have the crunch and branding of the well-known snacks, but none of the sweetness.
While many consumers prefer savory snacks — 63%, according to a Wakefield Research Survey done by General Mills in April — consumer preference was not the only impetus for the new line. The company has developed a new piston molding technology that can hold the bars together, replacing the sugar or syrup binders often used in this snack. General Mills says this is the first technology of its kind to be leveraged in North America.
“This has unlocked an opportunity for us to craft Nature Valley snack bars with 2g of sugar in surprisingly savory flavors, delivering on a whole new set of cravings,” Ali Shaikh, senior brand manager for bars innovation said in a release.
Savory snacking is worth $28.3 billion, according to the former IRI, which is now known as Circana. Statistics reported by SNAC International, the snack food trade association, show savory and salty snacks make up about 57% of the total snack category, which had 15.6% growth in the 52 weeks before Jan. 8.
The bar category, which is characterized by sweeter products, saw 10.3% sales growth in that time, according to SNAC International’s report. Innovations last year were more along the lines of mixing flavor profiles and adding functional ingredients.
A more savory bar could be a game changer for the category. Despite its health halo, many granola bars are highly processed and sugary. Consumers wanting a healthier shelf-stable grab-and-go snack minus the sweet taste and high sugar content have something to try that isn’t totally nuts.
— Megan Poinski
