Top Editors ... New Food Products from around the World

Title: New Food Products from around the World
Date: 16/08/2008
Autor: David Jago

Convenience, Indulgence and health have been the driving forces behind new product development during the past year as companies compete to bring successful products to supermarket shelves throughout the world.

It’s a crowded world. In 2007 Mintel’s Global New Products Database reported nearly 150,000 new food and beverage products, up around 20% on the previous year. Europe alone accounted for more than a third of all introductions, but Asia Pacific (largely thanks to China) and Latin America saw the greatest increases in activity.
Five diverse product categories accounted for more than half of all new products, and were also among those that saw the greatest increase in new product development (NPD). Convenience, indulgence and health positioning all came into play as drivers behind the growth, with record levels of introductions in sauces & seasonings, confectionery, dairy, beverages, and snacks.
The hot areas within sauces & seasonings were stocks and cooking sauces, and there was evidence of a renewed interest in cooking from scratch in some markets. But consumers still want convenience. In Australia, Nestlé introduced Maggi Stock Sticks ‘no mess and no fuss’ seasoning sachets, with each 10.5g stick pack being equivalent to one stock cube or one cup of stock. Consumers also seek higher quality, and authentic recipes. Unilever launched in Brazil a line of Knorr branded stock cubes in premium varieties including chicken breast (not merely ‘chicken’), herbs & extra virgin olive oil; and cod with olive oil.
The confectionery business saw significant growth in the gum and also in the chocolate sector – especially dark chocolate, which is benefiting from its antioxidant capacity to bring a degree of health positioning to an otherwise highly indulgent category. Health was also a major focus in snacks, with greater use being made of fruits and vegetables and more ‘balanced’ formulations, in products both for adults and children. Kraft Foods extended its Oscar Mayer Lunchables line in the USA with Lunchables Jr., staying with the theme of a convenient school lunch solution but bringing health values to the foreground. The 100g packs comprise combinations of foods including Ritz Sticks, raisins and peanut butter; or Ritz Bitz, mozzarella strips and turkey, and are described as a good source of fibre and provide the equivalent of a half serving of fruit. The range is promoted under the
banner of ‘tasty, sensible snacks for your active, little ones’.
Within beverages the focus was particularly on juices and fruit drinks where ‘natural’ and better-for-you positioning are key, and antioxidants are prominently flagged on-pack. Lucerne Foods in the USA extended its Eating
Right brand with a juice using blueberry & raspberry, or mango & açai, claimed to contain 100% of the daily recommended intake of antioxidant vitamin C as well as 3g of fibre per serving. Unusually, the pack also carries a reference to ORAC units (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, a measurement of the antioxidant capacity of
various foods). The product delivers 170 ORAC units per ml, and comes in a pack of four 237ml cans.

Diets out, weight management in
‘Low-in’ claims of course remain important, but ‘dieting’ and ‘weight loss’ are becoming somewhat outmoded and marginalised, and many leading brands are being repositioned. Where the emphasis was once on dieting and weight loss, it is now more likely to be lifestyle focused and geared towards weight management.
Unilever’s Slim-Fast brand, long associated with weight loss meal replacement programmes, has recently been repositioned in the UK with the introduction of Slim-Fast Hunger Shot. This is a chilled, yoghurt-based drink sold in a 100g bottle, using a combination of fibre and protein to ‘help you want to eat less’.
Each ‘shot’ delivers 54 calories, with just 0.2g fats and 6g fibre. Hunger management is the focus, with brands such as this helping consumers to control their appetite and reduce snacking between meals. The fibre + protein formulation is not new, of course, but the very clear repositioning of a former diet brand is worthy of note.
A similar lifestyle approach has been seen recently in the USA. In 2005, on the back of the ‘low-carb’ phenomenon, Kraft Foods introduced a range of products under the South Beach Diet brand. The South Beach Diet was designed around some basic dietary principles: lean protein, the ‘right’ fats (e.g. olive oil), fibre & wholegrains, and vegetables & fruit, and the range covered a number of product categories. During the past few months, the line has been renamed and relaunched as South Beach Living. This simple change of name reflects an important shift in nutritional behaviour.
Packs now carry the tagline ‘Changing the way America eats’; while some items, such as the Tide Me Over beverage mixes, additionally claim to be a ‘nutritious way to help satisfy hunger’. They contain 30 calories, 3g protein and 5g fibre per serving.

Promoting natural goodness
With balanced nutrition increasingly important, more foods are appearing that are balanced in fat, calories and sodium, or naturally rich in beneficial ingredients.
In addition to the rebranded South Beach Living brand, the Slim-Fast brand has moved in a new direction with Hunger Shots, and Weight Watchers too has seen a shift in emphasis in the USA. New under the Weight Watchers Smart Ones line, from Heinz, are Fruit Inspirations frozen ready meals, each containing a half serving of
fruit. Varieties include Cranberry Turkey Medallions, Pineapple Beef Teriyaki, Orange Sesame Chicken, and Honey Mango Barbecue Chicken. The meals are sold in single-serve 255g packs and can be prepared in a microwave oven. Although the products state calorie and fat content on the front of the pack, the focus is very much on ‘the natural goodness of fruit’.
Kraft has taken fruit and vegetables into the savoury snacks market with the launch in the USA of Nabisco Garden Harvest Toasted Chips. These are baked with 100% wholegrain and contain a half serving of fruit or vegetables per 28g (1oz), so a 170g bag potentially delivers three whole servings.
The range includes Banana, Apple Cinnamon, Tomato Basil, and Vegetable Medley varieties. Packs carry a reference to the revised MyPyramid US Dietary Guidelines, a trusted source of health information for many American consumers.

Nutrition by colour
Some Asian markets have an established culture of so-called ‘colour foods’. In China, for example, the use of black foods is very traditional (eg, black rice, sesame, soy), and they are usually allied to some health benefits as many black foods are naturally nutrient rich. Over the past few years, Japan has seen the introduction of many coloured foods linked to specific ingredients – for example purple coloured foods based on blueberry, or red foods using tomato. In many cases such products have not made any health claims, but have relied on consumer perception and understanding of the goodness of antioxidants in the blueberries, or lycopene in the tomatoes.
In 2007, the concept of nutrition by colour came to the West. In Italy, Unilever still controls the Findus brand and introduced a line of frozen soups using the tagline ‘the colours for living better’, which included a purple soup made with purple chicory. The back of the pack outlines the nutrients naturally present in vegetables.
Later in the year, Unilever introduced a similar concept into other markets as far afield as The Netherlands and Mexico, using a range of shelf-stable soups under the Knorr brand. The packs are sub-branded ‘Eat Colour’ (or its equivalent in the local language), and each variety is focused on a single colour. Green Soup contains spinach, peas, broccoli & courgettes; Red Soup contains tomatoes, paprika, red peppers & red onion; White Soup contains asparagus & cauliflower; Yellow Soup contains maize & yellow paprika; and Orange Soup contains pumpkin & carrots. The back of the pack states ‘discover the power of colour’, and describes the nutrients in each variety – e.g. the red soup is rich in lycopene, lutein and vitamin C.
Other companies are also active in this area. In Italy, Parmalat introduced a line of juices under the Santal brand, using the name ‘The 5 colours of health’. Each of the five varieties focuses on a specific colour and benefit. Natural Mix Red contains red oranges & pomegranate, rich in vitamin C and natural polyphenols, which are said to delay ageing and enhance natural defences. The Natural Mix Green is formulated with magnesium, important for the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins, and lutein, an antioxidant said to protect the eyesight.
Natural Mix Blue is rich in anthocyanin, an antioxidant said to help the blood circulation. Natural Mix White contains quercitin, a natural anti-inflammatory, and is particularly rich in fibre. Natural Mix Yellow contains lycopene and vitamin C, as a natural aid against free radicals. The shelf-stable juices are sold in 750ml Tetra Prisma cartons.
In the USA, General Mills is working with the natural goodness of vegetables in a different way.
Using its Green Giant brand, the company has introduced a line of frozen convenient vegetables that are positioned for specific health benefits. The products are not fortified or enriched in any way, but simply focus on the inherent nutrients in certain vegetables. Healthy Vision, for example, comprises sliced carrots, zucchini (courgette) quarters & sliced green beans, with natural antioxidants lutein and
vitamin A, ‘to help support healthy eyesight’. The range is completed by a Healthy Weight variety, using vegetables high in fibre to help maintain a healthy body weight, and Immunity Boost, rich in antioxidant vitamins A & C to support a healthy immune system.
The products come with a sauce or dressing of some kind and are sold in 200g boxes with a microwaveable tray, priced at around US$1.60.

Beauty from within
Japan has an established market for beauty foods and beverages, but the concept of beauty from within has taken a while to make the transition to the West. However, there have been some notable developments including launches from major brands, although the positioning and active ingredients used tend to be quite different from those in Asia.
Back in 2005, Parmalat in Italy introduced the Jeunesse (‘youth’) line of milk, yoghurt and juice with co-enzyme Q10, a valuable antioxidant claimed to help delay the signs of ageing. During the past year some items in the range have been reformulated and new flavour varieties have been added, including an indulgent coffee yoghurt.
Perhaps the highest profile launch in this area, particularly since its positioning is so clear, has been Essensis from Danone. The brand first appeared in France in February 2007 and has since been launched in Belgium, Spain, Italy and most recently Russia. Designed to nourish the skin from within, it uses a Pronutris complex based on green tea antioxidants, borage, vitamin E and exclusive probiotics. The Essensis line is available as a spoonable yoghurt in individual pots and as a drinking yoghurt in 100g bottles, both low in fat. The predictably feminine, bright pink packs state that the product is clinically tested, and that according to studies eight out of ten women noted more beautiful skin after six weeks of using the product.
The market for beauty beverages continues to develop in Asia, meanwhile, with further involvement from big brands. Coca-Cola, for example, used its Minute Maid brand in Japan for the launch of Beautia, a beauty support drink containing ‘the next-generation beauty ingredient’ gamma-tocopherol, an antioxidant, as well as skin-moisturising hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. It is flavoured with acerola and lemon juices and comes in a 210ml metal bottle.

Environmental wellbeing
If one single issue dominated the headlines in the past 12 months, globally, it was sustainability. But this is a highly complex issue, potentially encompassing organic food, local sourcing, Fairtrade, carbon footprints, and much more, which impacts on every area of food production and packaging.
The issue of carbon footprints has received huge amounts of media coverage, yet examples of product labelling remain few and far between.
Last year saw the launch of the first major food brand to feature a carbon emission label. PepsiCo’s Walkers potato crisps brand in the UK worked with the Carbon Trust to calculate the product’s emissions from source to shelf, taking into account production, materials, packaging, distribution, and disposal. A 34.5g bag of crisps has a carbon count of 75g and carries a CO2 logo on the pack.
Quesos Forlasa, in Spain, relaunched its El Ventero brand of cheese with the claim that it helps protect the environment, since the company produces more renewable energy than it consumes via windmills and solar energy, and redistributes the ‘spare’ energy to hundreds of homes. The pack is prominently flashed with the message CO2 =0.
In the USA, Bloomsberry & Co introduced Climate Change Chocolate. The product itself is unremarkable (milk or dark chocolate bars), but it is produced with support from TerraPass, a green energy broker. The wrappers feature 15 tips for reducing carbon footprints, such as turning off lights and cutting down on take-away meals, and
the sale price includes enough carbon energy credits to offset one person’s carbon footprint for one day.
Canada saw the launch of what was claimed to be the first carbon neutral coffee.
Carbon Cool coffee, from Salt Spring Coffee, is organic and Fairtrade certified, and is described as ‘cool coffee for a hot planet’. The company operates vehicles powered by biofuels; recycles and composts all materials; and uses renewable energy offsets.

The wellbeing of others
The past year has also seen the further development of Fairtrade and similar ethical movements, which are notably expanding out of coffee, tea and chocolate into new areas, and involving major companies.
Carbonated soft drinks represent one of the newer segments for Fairtrade products.
In the USA, JavaPop launched a range of coffee sodas using organic and Fairtradecertified Green Mountain coffee, also free from artificial flavours and high fructose corn syrup. The sodas are available in mocha, vanilla, espresso, hazelnut and caramel flavours, in 355ml glass bottles for US$1.25. We have also seen what is claimed to be the world’s first Fairtrade cola. Ubuntu Cola uses Fairtrade sugar from Zambia and Malawi, and has been introduced into markets including the UK and Norway.
Major players are also taking notice of ethical marketing issues. Unilever, for one, recently announced that all of its tea will be Rainforest Alliance certified, recognising the impact of production on the environment and workers in Third World producing countries.

Novelty
In Japan, Nissin Food Products recently introduced a new flavour to its line of Cup Noodles, which proves the adage that ‘the consumer is king’, and shows the role that consumer behaviour can have in developing new products. Personnel in the company’s R&D department noted that many consumers had enthusiastically tried making up the regular seafood noodle with milk. R&D then experimented with several different milk options, including concentrated milk, coffee creamer, soy milk, and different fat levels of dairy milk, to find the best one to put with seafood noodles.
They decided that dairy-based milk was the best option for texture, milkiness and saltiness, and launched Milk Seafood Noodles, which proved to be an instant success.

In the world of packaging, sustainability has been a major topic in the past year but we have also seen some innovative packaging solutions, especially in the area of beverages. Coca-Cola tested a resealable can for its cola in Germany and the Channel Islands. It features a swivelling plastic disc over the regular aperture, allowing the product to be carried more easily once opened and keeping it fresh and carbonated for consumers who do not want to drink the whole can in one.
In Taiwan, TD introduced a ready-to-drink oolong tea in a bottle with an innovative cap. The cold brew tea comes as a 430ml PET bottle of water and an oversized cap containing dry tea leaves – the consumer turns the cap to break a seal and release the leaves into the bottle, then leaves it to stand until ready to drink. An ingenious way of providing really freshly brewed tea.