Flavorful, Fun Snacking

Sargento Foods, Plymouth, Wis., extended its refrigerated natural cheese snacks line with two new string cheese flavors and three new Balanced Breaks Fun! offerings.

New string cheese varieties are Smokehouse, with a “rich hickory” flavor; and Fiesta Pepper, which blends jalapeño and habanero peppers with mild mozzarella.

Sargento says new Balanced Breaks Fun! snacks mix natural cheese with cookie favorites from Mondelēz International. Varieties include Mild Cheddar Cheese, cocoa yogurt covered Raisins & Mini CHIPS AHOY! cookies; Monterey Jack Cheese, mixed fruit snacks & TEDDY GRAHAMS Graham Snacks Cocoa; and Colby-Jack Cheese, mixed fruit snacks & TEDDY GRAHAMS Graham Snacks Honey Flavor.

Nostalgic Nod

Perry’s Ice Cream Company, Inc., Akron, N.Y., introduced six new ice creams including three new retail flavors and three new three-gallon flavors for scoop shop and restaurant customers.

New retail family-size (1.5qt) offerings are Caramel Panda Paws (sea salt caramel ice cream with caramel panda paw cups and swirls of thick rich fudge), Cookie Jar (sea salt caramel ice cream with chocolate chip cookie chunks). A new premium retail pint flavor is Over the Moon (toffee ice cream with crushed cookie swirls and sponge candy pieces).

New three-gallon tub flavors include Bee Sting (vanilla pudding ice cream with graham cracker and hot honey swirls), Cookie Jar (sea salt caramel ice cream with chocolate chip cookie chunks), and Fruit Scoops (fruity cereal ice cream with fruity cereal swirls).

Bold Flavors

Organic Valley, La Farge, Wis., introduced Flavor Favorites, a new line of real organic cheeses including Italian Herb Mozzarella Shreds, Spicy Cheddar Shreds, Spicy Cheddar Slices and Smoky Cheddar Slices. 

Officials say new Italian Herb Mozzarella Shreds deliver a “basil-forward” profile with a background of garlic and herbal zest. New Spicy Cheddar Shreds and Spicy Cheddar Slices each feature habanero and paprika. New Smoky Cheddar Slices feature hickory-smoked sea salt balanced with creamy cheddar 

Organic Valley Flavor Favorites shreds carry a suggested retail price of $5.99; slices are available for a suggested retail price of $6.99.

Gut Health, Sustainable

Nounós Creamery, West Babylon, N.Y., said its new 16oz probiotic strained yogurt is “packed with protein and billions of probiotics, including BB-12®.” Available in classic plain and vanilla bean flavors, the yogurt uses only natural, non-GMO ingredients, is hormone and antibiotic-free, gluten and rBST free, with no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

In conjunction, Nounós officials said they selected a more sustainable cardboard-plastic yogurt container that provides stability even with particularly thin walls. By using less plastic than other solutions, it delivers a reduced CO2 footprint. Greiner Packaging notes the cup and wrap can be easily separated. As the cup is always white or transparent, it produces high quality recyclates, which are not contaminated by inks.

Inspired Flavors

Froneri, Walnut Creek, Calif., extended its Häagen-Dazs line with two new flavors: New York Strawberry Cheesecake and Vanilla Caramel Pecan (known "Pralines & Cream" in Häagen-Dazs Shops).

Officials said New York Strawberry Cheesecake was inspired by Rose and Reuben Mattus, the brand's founders, who emigrated from Poland to start a new life in New York City. It features cheesecake ice cream with a swirl of sweet strawberry sauce and soft spiced graham cracker crust pieces. Vanilla Caramel Pecan features creamy vanilla ice cream paired with gooey caramel sauce and caramelized toasted pecans. The two new 14oz flavors carry a suggested retail price of $6.49.

The new Häagen-Dazs flavors come just one month after the brand unveiled two snacking items: Chocolate Cookie Crumble and Dulce de Leche bars, in addition to a mini version of its Vanilla Milk Chocolate bars.

Say Cheese! 

Lactalis USA, Chicago, bolstered two of its biggest retail brands with flavorful additions.

 In mid-March, it extended its Cracker Barrel Cheese brand with two new artisan block cheese flavors: Truffle Cheddar and Dill Havarti. “Truffle is a beloved flavor that provides decadent luxury; combining with our rich and bold White Cheddar delivers the best of both worlds,” said Amanda Vaal, brand director at Cracker Barrel Cheese. “Dill also continues to be high in demand, delivering a sharp and savory twist to a snacking classic.”

Lactalis closed March by introducing Kraft Signature Shreds. “Combining the highest-quality Kraft cheeses with a special, premium whole-milk mozzarella specifically developed by Lactalis for use in restaurants, this is the first time that this proprietary cheese has been made available for home cooking,” the company said. Three new flavor blends are Cheddar, Mexican and Mozzarella.

Chocolate Lovers Rejoice

Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA), Tillamook, Ore., launched its first “curated” chocolate ice cream collection, with new varieties that feature 45% more cocoa than the brand’s original offering.

New items are Brownie Batter, Dark Chocolate Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Hazelnut and German Chocolate Cake. Tillamook Ice Cream, including the new Chocolate Collection, is available nationwide at Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, Publix, Ahold Delhaize, and many other grocery stores.

"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, a TCCA ice cream scientist.

Spread the Heat

Bel Brands USA, Chicago, extended The Laughing Cow, a spreadable cheese brand, with a new Creamy Jalapeño flavor, its first new wedge variety in five years, officials said. The new flavor is made with real cheese, contains 2g of complete protein per pre-portioned wedge, and is a great source of both calcium and vitamins A & D. It is available at retailers nationwide at a SRP of $4.59.

“The Laughing Cow is constantly seeking new, innovative flavor options for our consumers, and through in-depth consumer research, we found there is a white space in the snack cheese category when it comes to Jalapeño,” said Zach Fatla, brand director of The Laughing Cow.

More Mochi! 

Bubbies Ice Cream, Phoenix, extended its namesake line with three new 90-calorie mochi ice cream flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Churro, and Mint Chocolate Chip.

Chocolate Peanut Butter pairs creamy super-premium peanut butter ice cream with soft, chocolate mochi dough. Available at Safeway, Jewel Osco, Shaw's, Acme, and additional Albertsons Company stores. Churro features churro-flavored ice cream wrapped in sweet mochi dough and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Available at all Sprouts Farmers Market stores. Mint Chocolate Chip has semisweet chocolate chips and wrapped in chewy chocolate mochi dough. Available at all Sprouts Farmers Market and Harmons stores and at select Safeway/Albertsons locations.