Expo West 2023 Gallery: Frozen Foods Category Sees New Innovations from Brazi Bites, Tucson Tamale and More

At last week’s Natural Products Expo West, innovations in the frozen food set were plentiful, ranging from modern interpretations of international flavors to plant-based breakfast sandwiches to crispy appetizers. Here’s a look at some of the notable new and recently-launched products featured at Expo West 2023.

Tucson Tamale

Tucson Tamale has moved into the snacking set with the launch of its bite-sized tamales. The new product joins the brand’s line of salsas, hot sauces and full-size, frozen tamales. Creating a product that had the fluffy masa texture of a tamale but no corn husk proved tricky to develop, co-founder Todd Martin told NOSH At launch, Tucson Tamale Bites will be available in Chipotle Chicken Diablo and Sweet Corn & Cheese varieties.

Pitaya Foods

San Diego-based Pitaya Foods unveiled a new frozen dessert line, Sorbetter. Available in four varieties – Passion Fruit, Coconut, Acai Berry and Dragon Fruit – the sorbet comes in individual pints. Meanwhile, the frozen food company also launched 12 oz bags of new “Snack-Sized” Pieces in Immunity (Dragon Fruit + Passion Fruit + Mango) and precooked Plantain varieties.

Brazi Bites

Latin-inspired frozen snack maker Brazi Bites expanded its lineup of frozen cheese bread bites with the addition of a new Everything flavor. As its name suggests, the gluten-free, soy-free offering coats the brand’s classic cheese bread in everything seasoning. Each 11.5 oz. bag contains 18 cheese bread bites. In conjunction with the launch of Everything Brazi Bites, the brand is rolling out revamped packaging across its entire portfolio that features a smaller logo, clearer product illustrations and more prominent product names.

Alexia

Conagra-owned Alexia unveiled the newest addition to its line of vegetable side dishes, Cauliflower & Broccoli Au Gratin with Red Chili Flakes. The new gluten-free offering, which contains 140 calories per ½ cup serving, joins the brand’s other vegetable sides including Loaded Cauliflower, Mexican-Style Street Corn, Mashed Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Mashed Cauliflower with Sea Salt, among others.

Feel Good Foods

Gluten-free frozen appetizer and meal brand Feel Good Foods showcased two new products: Fried Pickles and Crispy Jalapeño bites. They join the brand’s portfolio, which spans across various categories such as breakfast, pizza, snacks and calzones.

Milton’s

Milton’s Craft Bakers added a new flavor to its lineup of cauliflower crust frozen pizzas: Grilled Chicken & Garlic. The new gluten-free variety features white chicken meat, mozzarella cheese and “zesty” red pepper sauce. Grilled Chicken & Garlic joins the brand’s four other cauliflower crust pizzas, including Uncured Pepperoni, Margherita Four Cheese, Roasted Vegetable and Four Cheese. The brand told NOSH it believes the pizza offers an alternative to more traditional white or red sauce pizzas. Debuting in Midwest Costco stores in March, the new SKU will then be sold in the club store’s Los Angeles region in May.

Taste Republic

At the show, Taste Republic unveiled revamped packaging specifically designed for retailers who want to sell its gluten-free pasta in the freezer aisle. Unlike the clear, plastic, rigid packaging the brand uses for its fresh products, the aqua-colored bag is opaque and instead features product photography.

Daiya

Daiya also expanded its pizza offerings at the show, highlighting its new dairy-free Chik’n Smoked Bac’n & Ranch flatbread, which utilizes plant-based chicken proteins. The brand first launched its line of plant-based, allergen-friendly flatbreads in September with Mushroom, Caramelized Onion & Fig, Tomato, Sunflower Seed Pesto & Arugula and Meatless Italian Sausage Style Crumbles, Roasted Pepper and Kale varieties.

Jack & Annie’s

Meat-alternative brand Jack & Annie’s unveiled three new product innovations: Plant-Based Sausage Wrap with Real Egg & Cheese, Plant-Based Sausage Sandwich with Real Egg and Cheese and Plant-Based Sandwich with Real Cheese, Egg and Spinach. Like the rest of the brand’s portfolio, the new products feature plant-based meat made from jackfruit. However, the line is notable for its use of animal-based ingredients as well as alt-meats, with many other vegetarian or flexitarian products choosing to only use plant-based proteins. The new addition comes on the heels of the brand’s collaboration with Smashburger to trial a plant-based burger on the restaurant chain’s menu for a limited time.

Veggies Made Great

Veggies Made Great expanded its baked goods offerings with the launch of its frozen Homestyle Cornbread and Jalapeño Cornbread. The former contains 140 calories per serving while the latter has 130 calories per serving. Each 12 oz. box comes with six individually wrapped cornbreads and joins a lineup of products that also includes mini muffins and frittatas, egg bites and veggie bites.