From snack bars made with beetroot to rice made from pulses, manufacturers continue to invest in better-for-you products. Brands are also gearing up for Halloween and Christmas with themed products aiming to drive impulse purchases.
Arla Foods has launched a two-ingredient yoghurt in Germany “with no added or unnecessary ingredients”.
Bio Nur (which means ‘Just organic’) contains 75% organic yoghurt, 25% organic fruit and around half the amount of sugar as standard fruit yoghurts in Germany – between 6.8 g and 7.7 g depending on the fruit.
The company said that conventional fruit yoghurts typically have around 14 g of added sugar which is “leading to a decline in the category”.
Yet creating a sweet-tasting, fruit-based yoghurt with no added sugar was no easy feat.
The company’s R&D team, based in its Innovation Centre in Denmark, tested over 180 variations of fruit preparation before finding the right varieties.
“When we began speaking to fruit prep suppliers, they told us it was impossible to create a product like this,” said Lukas Leutgoeb from Arla’s research and development department at its Innovation Centre. “Traditionally fruit and yogurt only would be a very sour combination so getting the right proportion, flavour and size of fruit was key if we could achieve a product that had no added sugar but still tasted great.”
Available across Germany now in strawberry, tropical fruit and red fruit flavours, Bio Nur will be launched in other European market in 2019.
UK-registered manufacturer Free From Italy has developed a range of high protein pulse blends in the shape of rice.
Launched under its Castagno Bio brand, the range contains four products: green pea rice, chickpea rice, red lentil rice and tricolour bean rice, and are made from 100% legume flour and water.
All are vegan, gluten-free, organic and high in protein.
The red lentil rice contains 53 g carbohydrates, 27 g protein and 5.7 g fibre.
The manufacturer said the products give consumers high protein alternatives to traditional rice that are convenient as they take three minutes to cook.
UK brand Epicure has launched five pesto sauces inspired by cuisine from around the world.
Chakkalaka is a South African-inspired spicy pesto made with chilli and coriander in a tomato base while North African Chermoula is a green pesto made with lemon, coriander, cumin and chilli.
South American Chimichurri blends parsley, oregano and coriander, Spanish Mojo Verde uses green pepper and chillies while Middle Eastern Zhoug has an “earthy” flavour, combining chillies, parsley and coriander.
The pestos can be used for cooking, marinating or stirring through mayonnaise and used as a dipping sauce.
Jason Beaumont, director of parent company PWbrands said that most people assume pesto only refers to the traditional, Italian pasta sauce made of basil, pine nuts and parmesan. “But that is just one variety,” he said. “Pesto means ‘a herb that is crushed’.”
The 180 g jars have a recommended retail price of £2.99 (€3.36).
Nestlé has launched a range of healthy snack bars in the UK and Ireland called Yes!
The bars are available in five flavours: beetroot & apple; lemon, quinoa & chilli; sea salt, dark chocolate & almond; cranberry & dark choc; and coffee, dark chocolate & cherry.
The company emphasised the bars’ nutritional values. All of the bars are a source of protein and four are high in fibre. With no added sugar, the bars contain between 123 and 189 calories and 5 g of naturally occurring sugar.
The bars are also free from artificial sweeteners, flavours, colours or preservatives.
Senior brand manager for the new brand, Louisa Parrillo, said the company wanted to create “wholesome” and “adventurous” snack products that also tasted good.
Fazer has expanded its Froosh fruit smoothie range to include “naturally enriched” smoothies that contain functional ingredients such as plant protein from peas, sunflower and sesame seeds and caffeine from coffee beans and guarana.
The range contains three products. Froosh Plus Energy is made with mashed mango, banana and acerola with caffeine and guarana.
Froosh Plus Protein is boosted with natural protein from peas, avocado and tahini (sesame paste), providing 8 g of vegan protein while Froosh Plus Natural Herbs is made with pineapple and contains ingredients known for their “relaxing function”, such as lemon balm and chamomile.
Froosh smoothies are made from non-concentrate fruit and contain no added sugar, preservatives or artificial additives.
Finnish Fazer bought the Sweedish Froosh brand last year as part of its drive to expand its healthy portfolio.
Snacking manufacturer pladis is tailoring several of its UK and Ireland biscuit brands – McVitie’s Jaffa cake, Digestive biscuits and Hobnobs – to up-coming holidays.
For Halloween, it has launched Jaffa Freaky cake bars, Jaffa lemon and slime cake bars, Digestives beastly bakes and Hobnobs terrifying toffee apple flapjacks.
For the holiday Guy Fawkes Night, which is celebrated in England, it has launched Tate & Lyle sticky toffee pudding cake and Tate & Lyle sticky toffee apple pudding cake.
It is also gearing up for the Christmas period with McVitie’s Merry Moments double choccy crunch and two flavours for its Penguin bar range, Merry Berry and Merry Mint.
Claire Hooper, head of marketing for McVitie’s Cake Company at pladis said the company was confident the range would "encourage additional impulse purchases.”
The products, which are sold in four- and five-packs, all carry a suggested retail price of just £1 (€1.12).
French chocolate and confectionery brand Cémoi is also preparing for the Christmas season with a selection box of chocolates inspired by France’s regional culinary specialties.
The box of 30 chocolates, which carries a recommended retail price of €10.99, includes chocolates filled with almonds from Provence, apricots from the south-east, marshmallow from Paris, blackcurrants from Auvergne, Praline and Speculoos from the north and salted caramel from Normandy.
The company, which manufacturers its chocolates in France, said it decided to create the range due to French people’s attachment to regional and local flavours.
According to a 2015 survey that questioned more than 1,000 individuals, 92% said they liked to eat local products.
Health food brand Neoli, owned by Theodor Kattus, has launched a range of superfood porridge mixes.
The range contains three flavours - fig & chia; date & quinoa; and goji berry & amaranth – that have a recommended retail price of €4.99 for a 300 g pack.
All the products are free from added sugar and can be prepared in the microwave in just three minutes.
Neoli also sells whole superfood powders such as wheatgrass, maca, aronica and açaí.