Nuts for Nutrition, Flavor

CVS Pharmacy, Woonsocket, R.I., introduced Well Market, a 40-item private label line of snacks, beverages and groceries. Officials say Well Market offers “a fusion of nutrition options and irresistible flavors.” Nut offerings include Jalapeno Roasted In-Shell Pistachios, No-Shell Pistachios, Vanilla-Flavored Honey Roasted Pecans, Dark Chocolate Lightly Dipped Almonds, Dark Chocolate Lightly Dipped Cashews, Dark Chocolate Lightly Dipped Pistachios, and Dark Chocolate Lightly Dipped Peanuts 

CVS said it also is “revolutionizing the way flavors are introduced, such as the first-to-market line of flavor-infused sprouted almonds.” Varieties include Salt & Vinegar, Zesty Dill Pickle, and Maple Cinnamon, with each flavor infused during the sprouting process. Officials note, “This innovative technique not only enhances the taste and keeps hands clean but sprouting may help the body digest nutrients found in the almonds more easily, helping customers get the most out of every bite.”

Fun with Flavor

Hormel Foods Corp., Austin, Minn., says new PLANTERS Nut Duos Snacks offer the “ultimate snack experience” with two nut types combined with two flavors for “an exciting experience of texture and flavor in one bag.” Varieties include Buffalo Cashews and Ranch Almonds; Cocoa Cashews and Espresso Hazelnuts; and Parmesan Cheese Cashews and Peppercorn Pistachios.

“The combination of nut types and flavors is what makes PLANTERS® Nut Duos snacks truly unique to our consumers,” said Ashley Krautkramer-Gonya, senior brand manager for the PLANTERS brand. “The flavors play off each other so well. They are delicious on their own but are even better together. That’s why this product is trailblazing an entirely new segment of snack nuts.”

Each PLANTERS Nut Duos snack flavor combination comes in a 5oz, resealable bag at a suggested retail price of $4.79. In other news, Hormel bolstered its PLANTERS flavored cashews line with a new Salt & Vinegar flavor.

Get a Spoon!

Nuts figured into two of four new Chocolate Ice Cream Collection flavors introduced back in the spring by Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA), Tillamook, Ore. Varieties include Brownie Batter; Dark Chocolate Cookies & Cream; Chocolate Hazelnut with chopped hazelnuts and a hazelnut butter ribbon; and German Chocolate Cake, which includes pecan pieces.

“Our ice cream makers worked hard to source the perfect cocoa powder to bring the right balance of sweetness, bitter cocoa, and flavor intensity to our new chocolate ice cream base," said Hunter Clayton, Ice Cream Scientist, TCCA. "Our tastebuds also brought us to the kitchen to explore how decadent desserts could translate well into ice cream, which led to spending hours baking German chocolate cake and licking brownie batter off whisks – all in a day's work – to create a collection worthy of all chocolate lovers’ desire.”

Added Texture, Flavor

Fresh Express Inc., Windermere, Fla., greeted this spring with two new varieties: an Asian Apple Salad Kit and a Twisted Caesar Creamy Truffle Caesar Chopped Salad Kit. New Asian Apple includes fresh green leaf lettuces, carrots and radicchio. It also features crispy wonton strips, flavorful chili verde cashews, diced apples and a lightly seasoned Asian apple vinaigrette. Fresh Express salad products have a suggested retail price of $4.49 and are available now in the refrigerated produce department at retailers nationwide

"It's an exciting time at Fresh Express as we continue to help consumers eat better, expanding our current kit segments with innovative products that not only taste great, but we give consumers what they love based on the consumer work we do – concept and product testing," said Fabian Pereira, vice president of marketing and innovation at Fresh Express. "These new products are an example of our ongoing commitment to bring consistently, deliciously fresh products to the market and we look forward to continuing to invest in and support category growth through product innovations."

Let’s Go to the Ranch

Blue Diamond Growers, Sacramento, Calif.., extended its namesake line a limited edition Ranch Flavored Almonds offering. Officials said research finds 70% of ranch usage occurs outside the salad bowl and presents “an exciting opportunity to introduce a flavor that consumers are craving across all food varieties.”

"We're so excited to bring a flavor that is loved by so many to our Blue Diamond snack portfolio," said Maya Erwin, vice president, Marketing & Innovation, Blue Diamond Growers. "We’re always looking for new ways to incorporate trending flavors into our products, and with Ranch, we hope our customers feel inspired to take their taste buds to a new level of deliciousness.”

Blue Diamond says each serving contains 6g of plant protein and an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin E. The product comes in 6oz, 40oz, and 45oz options. 

Raise the Bar

Act Bar, Hermosa Beach, Calif., debuted this summer with a line of three nutrition bars, each featuring nuts, nut butters and upcycled, spent grains. Varieties include Cashew Coconut, Peanut Butter Cacao Nib and Pecan S’mores, with 12g of protein and at least 9g of dietary fiber in every bar.

“Ultimately, the desire to waste less so we can feed more is what inspired Act Bar,” said Founder Amelia Allen. “The US hunger crisis wasn’t going to get solved overnight, but knew that enough small actions would lead to change. So I created a bar wasting less through the use of upcycled grains, and feeding more through our donation of one meal (to schools) for every one bar purchased.”

Supporting Allen’s product development was Upcycled Foods, Inc., the Berkeley, Calif., supplier of

ReGrained SuperGrain+ and operator of the Upcycled Foods Lab.

Healthier Snacking 

Danone North America, White Plains, N.Y., and Broomfield, Colo., introduced its REMIX collection, a series of new, better-for-you snacks across each of three core brands: Light + Fit, Oikos, and Too Good & Co. REMIX is a variety of yogurts and dairy snacks with nuts and other bold mix-ins to satisfy snacking cravings as well as interest in either high protein, less fat, or lower sugar. Officials said Danone's R&D and nutrition science experts “looked at over 100 ingredients resulting in 50+ different flavor options” before the company identified final products.

New Oikos REMIX varieties (high protein) include Coco Almond Chocolate, S'mores, and Salted Caramel. Too Good & Co. REMIX varieties (lower sugar) include Strawberry Dark Chocolate Almond, Banana Dark Chocolate Honey, and Blueberry Almond Oat Crisp. New Light + Fit REMIX flavors (lower calories) are Strawberry Cheesecake, Key Lime, and Brownie Sundae (with honey praline almonds).