Oser Communications Group

1 0 SNACKING NEWS December 2018 Among on-trend products she cites are Lebby Mocha Chickpea Snacks, dry- roasted chickpeas flavored with mocha, a coffee-chocolate blend. The Millennial passion for authenticity and spicy flavors combines in another trend that the Culinary Visions Panel is watching. It anticipates that African and Mexican flavors, including berbere and new variations on taco seasoning, will be the hit of the 2019 market. Kalsec, a family-owned herb and spice supplier based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, worked with Innova, the market research company, to look at trends in spicy foods. Their findings show that more than 550 new products featuring hot and spicy flavors debuted in 2017, up from just 100 a decade ago, and the companies expect that to continue to grow. Peri peri, serrano, guajillo, anaheim, pasilla and chiles de arbol peppers showed the most growth. Last year, Whole Foods predicted a rise in flower flavors, and we saw a lot of new floral-influenced products at both the Win- ter and Summer Fancy Food Shows, in- cluding Haribo's Flower Power candies, Black Medicine's Lavender Latte cold- brewed coffee, and Danika's Lavender Mustard. Innova Market Insights says flower flavors rose 132 percent between 2015 and 2017, and predicts that rose, hibis- cus and elderflower will join lavender in the fast-growing floral flavors trend. Their natural appeal and exotic notes make them a winner for new product launches in any application, from cook- ies to drinks and snacks, says the Culi- nary Visions Panel. n Flavor Trends Continued from Page 1 This year's NACS Show, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, broke attendance records, with more than 25,000 people in attendance, according to the show's sponsor, the Na- tional Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). By comparison, last year's show drew 24,940 attendees, while the first official NACS show, held in 1993, had an atten- dance of 11,900, the organization said. Peo- ple came 72 countries to attend the show. The show also broke a record for its expo display space. More than 1,250 ex- hibitors — the 182 first-time exhibitors in- cluded —used 431,800 net square feet, NACS said. Last year's expo covered 425,800 net square feet, which had been the previous record. Show attendees voted to select the top 10 products among more than 300 products featured in the Cool New Products Preview Room. Among the snack manufacturers, Kellogg Co. snagged several awards, for Joyböl, Rice Krispies Treats Poppers, Cheez-It Snap'd, and Pringles Wavy. GLK Foods won for its OH SNAP! Hoppin' Jalapeños. Voters also gave Califia Farms' Dairy-Free Probiotic Yogurts the nod. Keynote speaker Mike Rowe, perhaps best known for the Discovery Channel show "Dirty Jobs," told retailers that their biggest challenge is recruitment. "If we can find people who are willing to show up early and stay late and put in the time, the opportunity is there," he said. "The country has become profoundly discon- nected from the definition of a good job." Genessee Candy Land's Alden says she definitely plans to attend next year's show, because she didn't get as much time to walk this year's show as she wished. "As a convenience store owner, I'm ab- solutely going," she says. "I saw so many cool things, including chicken products on a stick that were ready in minutes in the microwave." At the end of the show, NACS and Tyson Foods Inc. paired up to donate 35,000 pounds of protein to Three Square Food Bank in southern Nevada. Three Square dis- tributed the food, about 140,000 servings, to more than 1,600 community partners. The 2019 NACS Show will be held Oc- tober 1–4 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Highlights from the 2018 NACS Show and information on next year's event can be found at nacsshow.com. n NACS Show Continued from Page 1 Lenny & Larry's Adds to Protein Cookie Line Lenny & Larry's, the creators of the orig- inal protein cookie, has introduced its newest flavor, White Chocolaty Razzberry. It's only available for a limited time from now through December. Lenny & Larry's White Chocolaty Razzberry melds the buttery-smooth components of white chips and dried raspberries for a snackable delight sure to cure any sweet tooth craving while still packing the protein punch and fiber that Lenny & Larry's enthusiasts love. This new limited-time vegan-friendly snack is available in 4-ounce and 2-ounce sizes delivering at least 8 grams of plant-based protein and 5 grams of fiber in each cookie. "Lenny & Larry's thrives on inventing playful new complete cookie flavors while still giving them a better-for-you option that everyone can enjoy," says Apu Mody, the company's Chief Executive Officer. "We cannot wait for fans to get their hands on White Chocolaty Razzberry — it's the perfect flavor to transition us from summer to fall." As with all products in the line, White Chocolaty Razzberry is fresh-baked, con- tains no artificial sweeteners or sugar al- cohols, and is made without genetically modified ingredients, soy or dairy to suit a wide array of dietary needs. White Chocolaty Razzberry cookies can be found online on Lenny & Larry's website and at GNC and CVS stores nationwide. The suggested retail price for the original 4- ounce size is $2.29, while the 2-ounce size retails for $1.29. For more information, visit www.lenny larry.com. n Noosa Yogurt Joins Sovos Brands Sovos Brands has signed a merger agree- ment under which noosa yogurt, LLC, which will expand Sovos Brands into the yogurt category. The Sovos portfolio also includes Michael Angelo's and Rao's Homemade. noosa was co-founded in 2009 by Koel Thomae, an Australian expatriot, and Rob Graves, a Colorado dairy farmer, who set out to bring the Aussie-style yogurt with a creamy texture and sweet-tart flavor pro- file to the U.S. market. noosa boasts im- pressive consumer loyalty with premium positioning, and is made with whole milk, a touch of wildflower North American honey and real fruit purées on a family farm in Bellvue, Colorado. Sovos plans to continue to manufacture products at the Bellvue facility. noosa is the third brand to join the Sovos portfolio in the last two years. In January 2017, Sovos acquired Michael Angelo's Gourmet Foods, a leading producer of pre- mium, authentic frozen Italian entrées, and in July 2017 purchased Rao's Specialty Foods Inc., which produces a leading super premium pasta sauce and other Ital- ian specialty foods. "noosa fits perfectly into our portfolio of one-of-a-kind brands in the food and beverage sector, and we have been im- pressed by its compelling growth opportu- nities, attractive consumer demographics and talented employee base," said Todd Lachman, President and CEO of Sovos Brands. "noosa shares our unwavering commitment to authentic, delicious-tasting products using only the highest quality in- gredients. Our team brings significant ex- perience across food and beverage categories, and we see a number of attrac- tive opportunities to grow the noosa brand as we expand Sovos Brands into the yo- gurt category." Bill Johnson, Chairman of both the noosa and Sovos boards of directors and former chairman, chief executive officer and president of H.J. Heinz, says Sovos will guide noosa into its next phase of growth while remaining true to the brand's standard of making the finest yo- gurt with the finest ingredients. "With the addition of noosa, Sovos will become a more powerful force in the food and beverage sector," said Johnson. "I've had a chance to work first-hand with the team at Sovos, and they bring a wealth of knowledge and capability that will help noosa continue to scale and grow its brand. As part of Sovos, noosa will con- tinue to create the same great 'farm-to- fridge' products that consumers expect, and I'm excited about what our compa- nies can achieve together." Advent International acquired a major- ity interest in noosa in November 2014, and during its ownership has worked with the company's founders and management team to accelerate growth. Over the past four years, noosa has more than tripled its sales, market share and local production capacity in Bellvue, introduced more than 25 new flavors and sizes, and increased distribution from 5,000 stores to 25,000 nationwide. "noosa's merger into Sovos is a clear and logical next step for both companies, as they share the same brand and cus- tomer-centric values and growth goals," said Jeff Case, a Managing Director at Advent. "noosa has established itself as a market leader in the premium yogurt cat- egory, and we are confident that it will be well positioned for continued success as part of Sovos Brands. We look forward to working with Sovos to identify new growth opportunities across all their brands." Advent International has significant in- vestment experience in the retail, con- sumer and leisure industry. Over the past 28 years, the firm has invested more than $10.9 billion in 75 companies in the sector across 22 countries worldwide. noosa is currently available in a variety of unique flavors and sizes, ranging from 4-ounce four-packs and 5.5-ounce mates mix-ins to 8-ounce and 24-ounce tubs. For more information, visit www.noosa yogurt.com. n

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