MINNEAPOLIS — Taste was top of mind for General Mills, Inc. when developing its new product portfolio for 2018. The company is focusing on flavors that consumers are already drawn to, the company said.
“Superfoods like kale and quinoa have emerged in popularity over the years, but it turns out that people still love classic flavors like chocolate, peanut butter and fruit,” General Mills said. “So, we’re focused on delighting our consumers with a host of new products that deliver mainstream taste appeal.”
The classic chocolate and peanut butter combination appears in several of General Mills’ new launches, from Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios to cocoa peanut butter Nature Valley Filled Squares to Larabar Chocolate Peanut Butter Nut & Seed Bars.
“While chocolate seems to be a universal taste preference, peanut butter is a distinctly American staple,” General Mills said. “Americans reportedly consume 700 million pounds of the protein nugget annually, or about 22 tablespoons per person per year. Compare that to Europeans, who on average consume less than one tablespoon of peanut butter per person per year.”
Fruit is also a common theme in General Mills’ innovation for the new year, cropping up in such products as Yoplait FruitSide, Annie’s Pouch Yogurt and Cascadian Farm Fruit Granola.
Click to view a slideshow of General Mills’ new Winter 2018 product portfolio.
