The 2013 New Products Annual showcases products from across food and beverage aisles, some teetering close to reaching the pinnacle of merging health, convenience and indulgence.
To sum up an entire year of new product introductions into one (hopefully) clever headline can prove difficult. In fact, the working title for this (truth be told, for the dairy article in this New Products Annual, as well) was initially “The Year of Yogurt.” Yogurt has crossed aisles and entered new categories. No longer solely in dairy products, it can now be found in beverages, dressings, snacks—even cereals.
NPD Group agrees; recently, its research found consumers are turning to yogurt across all eating occasions—breakfast, lunch, dinner and even between-meal snacks. While breakfast may remain the primary eating occasion (39% of yogurt eating occasions over the past five years), yogurt has firmly established itself in other dayparts: 20% of eating occasions are between-meal snacks; 19% are during lunch. Greek yogurt has emerged in smoothies, and Post Foods has announced it will appear in another breakfast staple: cereal. Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch will combine bunches of Greek yogurt, whole-grain flakes and honey.