Expo West: Nostalgia’s Newest Looks; Plant-Based Brands Crack the Code on Egg Textures

Nostalgia’s Newest Looks: Pops and Dunkaroos

Last year, Natural Products Expo West saw nostalgic BFY innovations with smaller snack sizes and plenty of Uncrustables alternatives. While both of those formats were still growing at this year’s show, innovators have continued to find new ways to bring back nostalgic products, including with a continued clean-up of the frozen novelty category.

Frozen pop players at this year’s show brought an emphasis on non-dairy, whole fruits and vegetables, and flavor innovation. Under the Fresh Ideas tent, Canadian brand Real Pops exhibited its 6-SKU line of plant-based, small-batch organic ice pops. The line is made by cold-pressed juice brand Real Sips and uses fresh produce and juice to make sugar-free novelties in flavors like Hibiscus Lemonade and Strawberry Basil Chia.

Mauna Loa and Daily Harvest also both showed off their new plant-based pop lines. The former uses its hero macadamia nut to create a non-dairy milk base and combines fruit purees to make its Mango Liliko’I Vanilla and Strawberry Guava flavors; the line also includes a Kona Coffee Crunch flavor. Elsewhere on the floor, Daily Harvest exhibited its kid-positioned fruit and vegetable popsicles in Blueberry + Banana, Mango + Passion Fruit and Strawberry + Dragon Fruit.

Nearby in the frozen case, Marco’s reinvented ice cream sandwiches with flavors like Vanilla Chai, Turkish Mocha and Dulche De Leche. The products include vanilla sugar, cinnamon-crusted and double chocolate cookies and come in a 3-count box. And the frozen aisle isn’t the only set that saw novel and nostalgic takes on BFY products.

A handful of brands including Kokada, Sunnie and Endangered Species Chocolate exhibited new takes on Dunkaroo-style snacks. Sunnie, the clean label snack pack brand, debuted a new Chocolate Dipper product while Kokada doled out its coconut spread into dipper trays that come in two flavors – Original and Brownie – and are paired with pretzel twists.

Chocolate company Endangered Species Chocolate (ESC) also embraced the iconic snack format with its new Dip N’ Joy product launch that comes in three varieties: Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter and Almond Butter. Rather than pairing with a pretzel or cracker, the company opted for three salted dark chocolate batons.

The new snack format builds on the company’s existing line, which includes chocolate bars and bites, while utilizing ingredients and mix-ins from its most popular existing SKUs. ESC has also adopted a new certification, Cocoa Horizons, for its ethically-sourced new chocolate snack launch. A brand spokesperson explained that the program is similar to Fairtrade and was created by chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut.

Plant-Based Brands Crack the Code on Egg Textures

A pair of exhibitors demonstrated new plant-based spins on eggs at Eggs-po West. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist).

Israeli startup Yo Egg introduced two SKUs, poached and sunny-side-up, both made with sunflower oil, soy and chickpea protein. Initially developed for restaurants, the items are now rolling out to grocery freezers and feature a runny, yellow yolk-like filling created using the company’s proprietary technology, VP of Retail Ariel Glazer told Nosh.

Elsewhere at the show, Crafty Counter mastered an Easter mainstay. The Austin, Texas-based maker of WunderEggs debuted its deviled egg alternative and eggless egg salad, both made with Fabalish’s vegan mayo. The new offerings build on the brand’s earlier launch of hard boiled egg alternatives, crafted with almonds, cashews, coconut milk and other ingredients. Founder and CEO Hema Reddy won first place – and a $163,000 check – among more than 600 competitors at the Albertsons Companies Innovation Launchpad event held during Expo West for her eggs-centric creation.

While countless players have crowded the alternative meat and dairy markets, the plant-based egg segment has remained relatively uncracked, accounting for just 0.5% of the total U.S. egg market in 2022, according to Good Food Institute. Eat Just, with its Just Egg line of mung bean-based liquid and frozen egg substitutes, claims it owns 99% of the plant-based egg market, having sold the equivalent of more than 500 million chicken eggs since launching in 2019.

With newer formats entering the space, higher household penetration of plant-based eggs could be eggs-pected (OK, we promise, we’re done).

ChiChi Seeks to Turn Oatmeal Category on Its Head; New Launches From MUSH, Earnest Eats

Oatmeal, a long-standing breakfast staple, was a category hot with unexpected ingredients, pint-sized formats and better-for-you attributes out on the show floor.

Los Angeles-based breakfast startup ChiChi is on a mission to fill the whitespace for protein-packed offerings in the oatmeal/hot cereal category with its new 4-SKU lineup of oatless, chickpea-based “oatmeal.” Co-founder Chiara Munzi said she was inspired to create ChiChi as an alternative to adding protein powder into her daily oatmeal.

At Expo West, the brand showcased its latest formulation, dubbed “ChiChi 3.0,” which is currently available in Original, Apple Pie, Banana Bread and Maple Syrup Varieties and has 10-11 grams of protein per serving depending on the variety. The 8.8 oz. pouches retail for $44 per 4-pack via the brand’s website and can now also be purchased at select retailers such as Bristol Farms and Lassens in California and Straub’s in Missouri for a SRP of $7.99 per pouch.

Since its launch in 2022, ChiChi has gone through several reformulations and packaging iterations. Additionally, the brand has moved from producing its products in a commercial kitchen to partnering with a co-manufacturer in Chicago. All of these efforts have been funded by prize money earned at pitch competitions, totaling $169,000 to date.

Looking ahead, the brand will soon roll out new packaging labeling its products as “hot cereal” rather than “oatmeal” to avoid consumer confusion.

Elsewhere on the show floor, overnight oats producer MUSH was seeking a younger audience with its new line extension targeted at kids, MUSH Kins. Available in three varieties at launch – Chocolatey Chocolate, Strawberry Bananza and Apple a Day – the gluten-free, dairy-free oatmeal smoothies come in 3.2 oz. pouches designed for on-the-go consumption. Though little is being disclosed about the new line, a brand spokesperson said MUSH is currently establishing partnerships with retailers for a launch later this year.

Meanwhile, Earnest Eats, a superfood oatmeal brand, highlighted its new collection of Adaptogen Oatmeal cups in Cherry + Almond + Hemp and Tumeric + Coconut + Ginger flavors. The former features Lion’s Mane for “focus and power” while the latter features Golden Milk to help consumers “rest and restore.” According to president Andrew Aussie, all of the brand’s products feature a base of regeneratively grown oats from Canada. Both products are currently available on the brand’s website for $21.99 per 6-pack of 2.1 oz. cups.

Back To Nature Back To Nurturing The Brand

A year after B&G Foods sold the non-GMO snack company Back To Nature to Barilla Group, it took to the Expo show floor with a new 26-person team, said a brand spokesperson. She emphasized that over the course of the brand’s history it has changed hands numerous times and as a result, did not receive much time and attention.

Now, Barilla has staffed the snack company with experts from large CPG companies like General Mills as it looks to revive the brand’s position in the marketplace. She said the focus for the year ahead is to increase product velocity and assess what areas of its existing portfolio can help best achieve that goal.