This week’s roundup includes several plant-based products and dairy alternatives, as well as beverages made with hemp, upcycled ingredients, and low or no sugar.
Daring Foods: Plant-Based Frozen Meals
Daring Foods is expanding its product line into a new category with its plant-based frozen prepared entrées in four varieties — Daring Plant Chicken Teriyaki Bowls, Fajita Bowls, Penne Primavera Pasta Bowls, and Autumn Harvest Bowl.
Like the brand’s other products, the new plant-based frozen meals offer a chicken-like flavor and texture and are non-GMO, gluten-free, and made with simple ingredients.
The new products are debuting at Natural Products Expo West this week at Booth #N2052 (North Hall) and at the Daring Food Truck.
Chocxo: Dark Chocolate Coconut Cups
Also coming to Expo West (Booth #2053, Hall B) is Chocxo’s latest low-sugar chocolate product — Dark Chocolate Coconut Cups.
The new product is made with organic coconut mixed with slightly sweet white chocolate and covered in an 85% cacao organic dark chocolate shell. Thanks to sustainably-sourced cocoa beans that offer more flavor with less bitterness, Dark Chocolate Coconut Chips contain less sugar without any artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols. Each cup has 80 calories and 3 grams of sugar. The new product is also organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, Keto Certified, and kosher.
Dark Chocolate Coconut Cups will be available on the brand’s website and Amazon, as well as in all Mother’s Market locations in Southern California.
Climax Foods Inc.: Climax Blue Plant-Based Cheese
Climax Foods Inc. announced the first product in its line of specialty cheese alternatives — Climax Blue.
Developed with the help of predictive analytics and AI, Climax cheeses offer the same protein content as dairy cheeses but with healthier fats. They’re made with clean, sustainable, non-GMO ingredients, but without fillers, gums, artificial colors, or preservatives. Climax Blue is a good source of protein, offering 5 grams per serving.
Climax Blue will be available to grocery and specialty retailers later this year, after U.S. foodservice operators get a taste of it in April. Attendees of Natural Products Expo West will be able to sample the product at booth #N1013.
The Spare Food Co.: Spare Tonic
The Spare Food Co. recently added a new Passion Fruit & Yuzu flavor to its line of climate-friendly probiotic sparkling tonics called Spare Tonic.
The brand’s functional beverage line uses upcycled whey from Greek-style yogurt manufacturing, mixing in fruit, spice, and a little bit of honey to complete the drink. The beverage offers probiotics, electrolytes, and B-vitamins.
The new Passion Fruit & Yuzu flavor is the fifth in the Spare Tonic line and will debut at Natural Products Expo West (booth #5194). It will then roll out regionally at the end of March.
Powered by Plants: Non-Alcoholic Hemp Infused Spirits
Powered by Plants announced the launch of the first known line of non-alcoholic hemp infused spirits in the U.S. The line of bottled botanical spirits includes tequila, rum, and gin.
The spirits contain no alcohol and no or low sugar — Gin CBD and Rum CBD contain zero sugar or calories, and Tequila CBD has just 2 grams of sugar.
The new products are available on the brand’s website, but may roll out to beverage distributors and bars in Texas soon.
Vitaminwater: New Zero Sugar Flavors
Vitaminwater is adding “with love” and “forever you” flavors to its line of nutrient-enhanced, zero sugar beverages. The brand is also reformulating all six of its zero sugar flavors with a new sweetener formula that includes monk fruit and stevia.
“with love” is flavored with raspberry and dark chocolate and includes 85 mg of magnesium. “forever you” is tropical coconut lime flavored and contains 18 mg of white curcumin. Both new beverages offer vitamins A, C, and E and are a great source of vitamins B3, B5, B6, and B12.
The new products are now available nationwide.
Nestlé: Natural Bliss Oat Milk
Nestlé is unveiling several new products at Natural Products Expo West, including natural bliss Oat Milk, a milk alternative made with a first-to-market blend of oat and fava.
The new product claims to offer twice the protein (5 grams per serving) of the leading oat milk brand and 90% less sugar than dairy milk. The milk alternative will roll out to grocery retailers in May.
Other new products Nestlé is showcasing at Expo West include:
- California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Frozen Pizza with Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- Life Cuisine Carb Wise Keto-Friendly Veggie Pizza
- A new probiotic line from Solgar
- Vital Proteins Daily Greens
- New Sweet Earth recipes and packaging
The Hershey Company: Reese’s Plant Based Peanut Butter Cups
The Hershey Company is releasing two new plant-based products — Reese’s Plant Based Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey’s Plant Based Extra Creamy with Almonds and Sea Salt. Offering a milk chocolate alternative, the new products are made with oat chocolate.
Both plant-based products will be available at retailers nationwide this spring.
