Company leverages legacy brands in new product launches.
Kraft Heinz added frozen skillet meals to the O, That’s Good! brand lineup in July. The launch is the fourth category from Mealtime Stories, L.L.C., the joint venture between Kraft Heinz and Oprah Winfrey.
O, That’s Good! frozen skillet meals are available nationwide in six varieties: chicken alfredo, chicken margherita, Southwest style chicken and penne, Italian sausage and rigatoni, garlic chicken and potatoes and vegetarian-friendly three cheese tortellini. The skillets include sauces partially made with vegetables. In the chicken alfredo variety, for example, some of the cream in the sauce was replaced with pureed cauliflower.
“We are welcoming our consumers back to the comfort food they love with a unique twist of veggies and high-quality ingredients,” said Christopher Urban, head of Mealtime Stories at Kraft Heinz. “We’re excited to enter the skillet category with O, That’s Good! and make dinner delicious and easy.”
In April, Kraft Heinz introduced Lunchables Brunchables, featuring items such as breakfast flatbreads, ready-to-eat bacon strips and miniature blueberry muffins. This offering is the brand’s first foray into breakfast. Lunchables Brunchables varieties include bacon and cheese, ham and cheese, and sausage and cheese.
“Lunchables always likes to excite adults and kids alike with options that bring mixed-up fun to lunchtime, and we wanted to extend that mission to breakfast,” said Zach Meyers, director of marketing for Kraft Heinz. “For years we’ve seen fans ask whether or not Lunchables would create a breakfast version. We’re excited to finally unveil Brunchables, an exciting new choice at breakfast that helps start kids’ days off right.”
The Kraft Heinz Co. has added an extra layer of nutrition to its Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner with new varieties that include white beans and cauliflower in the pasta. The new dishes debuted in July.
New Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner White Bean features white bean added to the pasta to deliver nine grams of protein per serving.
New Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner with Cauliflower adds cauliflower to the pasta to provide ¼ cup of vegetables per serving. The cauliflower blended pasta comes in original and white cheddar varieties.
In April, Kraft Heinz put a tart twist on its Kool-Aid brand with new Kool-Aid Sour Jammers. The beverages are available in five fruit flavors: Snappin’ Green Apple, Shockin’ Blue Raspberry, Electric Lemon Lime, Watermelon Slam and Zappin’ Tropical Punch.
Kraft Heinz’s O, That’s Good! brand expanded its pizza line in July to include three new frozen thin-crust options: BBQ Chicken, Margherita and White. sO, That’s Good! pizza crust is partially made with cauliflower.
Kraft Heinz in June launched a new smoothie brand to appeal to snack-seeking consumers who demand “unique flavor combinations and a variety of textures, as well as foods that have real nutritional value, satisfy hunger, and of course, taste delicious,” Kraft Heinz said.
New Fruitlove spoonable smoothies combine yogurt with three or more fruits and vegetables and are packaged in single-serve bowls that include a spoon. Containing 100 to 140 calories each, Fruitlove comes in five flavors:
“We know that snacking is both functional and emotional, and Americans want more from the foods they snack on — more flavor, nutrition and a better overall taste experience,” said Nicole Kulwicki, head of brand building at Fruitlove. “Fruitlove was born from the idea that we could create a better and more exciting way to snack on smoothies.”
New Fruitlove smoothies are available in the yogurt aisle at retailers including Albertsons, AWG, Bi-Lo, Giant Carlisle, Giant Martin, H.E.B., Harris Teeter, Hy-Vee, Meijer, ShopRite, SpartanNash, Stop & Shop, Supervalu, Wakefern and Winn Dixie.
In May, Kraft Heinz expanded its Just Crack an Egg breakfast scramble bowls with three new varieties. Featuring Oscar Mayer meat, Kraft cheese, Ore-Ida potatoes and diced vegetables, each cup requires only the addition of one egg.
The new Veggie Scramble contains broccoli, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, red peppers, sharp white cheddar cheese and mild cheddar cheese.
The Southwest Style Scramble features chorizo, Monterey jack cheese, potatoes, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, onions and jalapeño peppers.
The Protein Packed Scramble includes uncured bacon, pork sausage and sharp cheddar cheese.
“Consumers are demanding more of their breakfast,” said Matt Riezman, associate director of marketing for the Just Crack an Egg brand. “We know people are looking for something that’s easy to prepare but also satisfies their personal breakfast desires. Our four original varieties satisfy people’s desire for a convenient, hot breakfast on a weekday that reminds them of something they only had on the weekend. Now, we’re expanding the line to include meatless options, incorporate spicy flavors and provide an option for people looking for more protein.”
Condiments collide in three hybrids Kraft Heinz rolled out in March and April. The company has introduced Heinz Mayocue sauce, a blend of barbecue sauce and mayonnaise, Heinz Mayomust sauce, a mashup of mustard and mayonnaise, and Heinz Kranch sauce, a fusion of ketchup and ranch with a blend of spices.
The Kraft Heinz Co. in April partnered with Ree Drummond, creator of The Pioneer Woman, to launch The Pioneer Woman brand of ranch dressings and dips, barbecue sauces and pasta sauces.
To develop the products, Ms. Drummond collaborated with Kraft Heinz chefs. The Pioneer Woman dressings and dips are available in Frontier Ranch and Spicy Southwestern Ranch flavors. Four barbecue sauces include Frontier, apple brown sugar, peach whiskey and honey habanero. The Pioneer Woman pasta sauces include Italian sausage and peppers, bolognese, marinara, four cheese, and garden vegetable varieties.
“I love making homemade meals … but like most busy home cooks, there are days when I don’t have time to make everything from scratch,” Ms. Drummond said. “My new dressings and sauces cut down on all the prep, but still deliver my signature, can’t-get-enough-of-it flavor to your dinner table. Now you can spend more time enjoying that delicious meal with your family, which is really what counts.”
Apr
2024
May
More product innovation introduced at the show, including new plant-based offerings.
New introductions debut in the pantry aisles and refrigerated sections.