Oatly spreads into cream cheese

Start spreading the news: Oatly’s getting into cream cheese.

The Swedish oat milk creator’snew spreadable cream cheeseswill start to hit grocery shelves nationwide this month. They come in two varieties — Plain and Chive & Onion — and the company says they deliver “all the savory, tangy goodness of a ‘traditional’ cream cheese without any dairy whatsoever.”

The hero ingredient of the new option is Oatly’s oat base ingredient, which powers its oat milk, yogurt and ice cream.

“We’re extremely excited about the launch of our new cream cheese in the US, as it not only expands our mission to bring more plant-based consumption occasions to consumers, but also continues to prove the versality and opportunity for oat-based products,” Oatly North America President Mike Messersmith said in a release.

虽然奶酪是新的美国,similar Oatly product exists in Sweden — though they cannot call it “cheese” there because of labeling restrictions.

燕麦的植物性奶油芝士加入多种变化ety of alternatives on grocery shelves. While well-known plant-based brands including Daiya, Miyoko’s Creamery and Kite Hill have had products available for years, several newcomers have recently added their takes on cream cheese alternatives.

Kraft Heinz’s Philadelphia brandlaunched a plant-based cream cheesein December. And Nature’s Fynd’sdairy-free cream cheesemade from Fy protein — a fungi-derived ingredient — has been launching in more stores nationwide in recent months, including all Fresh Thyme Market locations.

But as far as dairy alternatives go, oat is a favorite key ingredient.According todata from the Plant Based Foods Association and SPINS, Oat was the second favorite milk alternative in the U.S. last year, tallying $621 million in sales and making up 22.4% of the plant-based milk category.

Some consumers have said theyprefer oat milk becauseof its neutral taste and creamy mouthfeel, similar to that of dairy milk. While that sets Oatly and its products apart in the dairy case, it also may bring immediate notice to its cream cheese.

The major ingredient in many other cream cheese alternatives is coconut, which has a similar mouthfeel and spreadability factor compared to dairy, but lower melting point. Consumers may go all oat for a plant-based option that won’t melt on a freshly toasted bagel.

—Megan Poinski

Kellogg harvests better-for-you Pringles

This summer, Kellogg is gathering new ingredients and touting a health halo with a new variety of its signature canned chips.

The company debuted Pringles Harvest Blends, which include blended multigrain and sweet potato ingredients — a first for the snack brand.

The Pringles are available in four flavors, two of which feature sweet potato: Farmhouse Cheddar, Homestyle Ranch, Sweet Potato Sea Salt and Sweet Potato Smoky BBQ.

"With our new Pringles Harvest Blends collection, we're ecstatic to bring our fans an elevated tasting experience — one that is both familiar with the bold flavors our fans know and love, and completely unique with its irresistibly crunchy texture and flavorful blends of sweet potato and multigrain,” Mauricio Jenkins, U.S. marketing lead for Pringles, said in the press release.

The launch follows the brand’s 2020 debut ofPringles Scorchin’— a lineup of spicier alternatives of its classic flavors including BBQ and Sour Cream & Onion — in expanding the varieties of the chips.

With a multigrain Pringles option, Kellogg is following consumer trends for greater nutritional benefits in snacks. The global better-for-you snacks market is projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 6.5% until 2032, when it could be worth $70 billion,according to Future Market Insights.

Kellogg isheavily investing in its biggest snack brands like Pringles and Cheez-Itas it spins off its snacking division into Kellanova, which current Kellogg CEO Steve Cahillane will lead. A large majority of the company’s overall sales — 80% in 2021 — come from its snacking segment.

Last year, Cahillane said at a Wall Street conference that the snacking business will be buoyed by its “world-class portfolio” of brands andcontinue to drive growth in the category, which is dominated by snacking giants like PepsiCo and Mondelēz International.

—Chris Casey

Sam Adams toasts to laziness this summer with new ‘I Can’t’ can

As consumers look for another reason to let loose this summer, Sam Adams has found the answer: just shake your beer.

The popular brew is giving beer lovers a reason to say no to their responsibilities with the Samuel Adams “I Can't” Can. Similar to the Magic 8 Ball, consumers shake the “I Can't” Can and an excuse will appear at the top.

The empty beer can, which is modeled after Boston Beer’s Samuel Adams Summer Ale, reveals excuses including: "Working on a 6-pack," "Caught an ale-ment" and "Blew out my flip flop."

“Summer should be the season of fun, not obligations," Lauren Price, head of brand for Samuel Adams,said in a statement. "We created the 'I CAN't' Can as a lighthearted way to help drinkers take a well-deserved break from some of life's less desirable occasions and return to what they love most - cracking open a cold one.”

A recent survey from Samuel Adams conducted online by The Harris Poll found 80% of Americans say they have obligations on their calendar they would be eager to ditch this summer, but 22% of them have struggled to come up with a believable excuse. This was the impetus for the limited-edition “I Can't” Can.

The alcohol space is known for coming up with unique beer-themed items, such as popsicles and lollipops.

去年秋天,波士顿啤酒愤怒的果园partnered with Brooklyn-based pie shop Four & Twenty Blackbirdsto launch limited-edition Boozy Baked Apple Pies made with Angry Orchard’s most recent cider innovation: Natural Baked Apple Pie Style Hard Cider. The beer maker alsopartnered to create a chocolate barinspired by the 2021 release of Samuel Adams Utopias.

— Christopher Doering