Five years have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns; life has returned to the hustle and bustle of schedules on the go. Younger consumers, especially, are eating more meals while traveling and are seeking protein-rich, satiating snacks to help feel fuller, longer. Dairy checks all the boxes, and processors are stepping up to answer this call.
Dairy snacks for all ages
Baby and toddler food in portable pouches has been a mainstay for parents looking for fast, nutritious options when away from home. These pouches have been an option on store shelves for years, with many pureed fruit and vegetable flavors, some including yogurt. According to Dairy Processing, California-based Brainiac Foods developed new refrigerated pouches containing milkfat globule membrane, a nutrient found in breast milk and proven to support a baby’s brain and immune system development. Made with full-fat dairy, the 3.5-ounce perishable pouches come in carrot-blueberry and strawberry-banana flavors.
Targeting the teen and tween category, Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) partnered with General Mills to create YoBark, combining the texture of creamy yogurt with the crunchy texture of granola. This refrigerated snack includes dried nonfat Greek yogurt for the bark base.
As Americans look at nutrition labels, simple ingredient lists have been a consumer trend where dairy can thrive. Sargento is no stranger to the snack category with the success of its Balanced Breaks. A prepackaged cheese paired with a complementary side, these snack packages have been a success story of the dairy case. Sargento recently launched natural American sliced cheese — a 100% real, natural cheese that boasts the taste, melting ability, and texture of its original American cheese. The natural American cheese has five ingredients: milk, cheese cultures, enzymes, salts, and natural color.
Dairy’s new flavor profiles
Another growing trend among younger consumers is spice blends that are globally inspired, with snacks that offer flavors from Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American dishes. Sargento also considered this in partnership with several popular seasonings and condiments on the market, teaming up with McCormick, Frank’s RedHot, and Cholula to bring Seasoned Shreds, a line of shredded cheese mixes with a fiery kick.
CheeseBits of California recently introduced wasabi-seasoned CheeseBits Mozzamini Pearls. A flavor of cheese that resembles a fusion of fresh Mozzarella and mild Provolone, this new cheese adds an option of wasabi to the cheese-snacking category.
Kefir, a fermented probiotic dairy beverage with origins in Eastern Europe, has also seen innovation of flavor options by manufacturer Lifeway Foods based in Illinois. A growing star in the fluid dairy space, Lifeway is adding an 8-ounce line of lactose-free kefir flavors, including matcha latte, taro ube, guava jackfruit, pistachio rose vanilla, passionfruit lychee, and coconut pineapple, giving consumers a chance to travel the world in their flavor profiles.
