This summer, you don’t need a hot dog to satisfy your craving for mustard. McCormick & Company has teamed up with Mars to introduce French’s mustard-flavored Skittles, available for a limited time. The sauces and spices manufacturer stated that this new offering continues their tradition of launching a unique mustard-themed product annually for National Mustard Day, which occurs on August 5. “From Mustard Ice Cream to last year’s viral Mustard Donuts, this marks the fifth time French’s has gone all out with creative, flavorful innovations to celebrate National Mustard Day,” said Valda Coryat, McCormick’s North America Vice President of Marketing. “With the yellow holiday approaching on August 5, we knew we had to surpass our previous efforts.” The mustard-flavored ice cream, launched in collaboration with dessert maker Coolhaus in 2019, was McCormick’s first attempt to explore unconventional food pairings with mustard flavor.
Next week, fun-sized packs of the mustard candy will be distributed at pop-up events in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. McCormick acquired the mustard brand in 2017 as part of its $4.2 billion acquisition of Reckitt Benckiser’s food division. Known for its quirky and unique varieties, Skittles previously launched Zombie Skittles in 2019 for Halloween, featuring five flavors, one of which had a taste reminiscent of “rotten zombies.” — Chris Casey.
In other news, Hormel Foods has announced its first permanent addition to its flavor lineup since 2015 with the introduction of sweet and savory maple-flavored Spam, expanding the brand’s offerings to 11 flavors. This new flavor was inspired by a surge of fan-created maple recipes on social media and consumer feedback indicating that more people were preparing breakfast at home. “Spam has consistently introduced unique varieties, aligning our flavors with consumer trends and preferences,” stated Lisa Selk, Vice President of Marketing for Spam, in a press release. “Given the recent research showing a rise in home-cooked breakfasts and steady consumption of maple products, we knew it was time to launch Spam in a maple flavor. As a permanent addition to our lineup, we look forward to the culinary creations our fans will make for breakfast and beyond.” The new flavor combines sweet, natural maple syrup with the savory characteristics of classic Spam.
Many consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are now innovating based on the trends they observed during the pandemic when people were eating at home and experimenting with novelty foods. Hormel, recognized for its meat brands like Spam and Jennie-O, has also acquired several snack brands since 2013 and has tapped into the snacking trend. The company bought brands such as Columbus, a premium craft meat producer, nut butter maker Justin’s, and Skippy peanut butter. Furthermore, Hormel has a joint venture established in 2009 with MegaMex, overseeing brands like Herdez, Chi-Chi’s, and La Victoria salsas, along with Wholly Guacamole, a line of refrigerated dips. In 2022, Hormel completed its acquisition of the Planters snack nut portfolio from Kraft Heinz for $3.35 billion, marking the largest deal in the company’s 131-year history. This acquisition, which included Cheez Balls and Corn Nuts, made Planters the largest brand in Hormel’s roster. Maple-flavored Spam now joins the ranks of Classic (including lite and low-salt versions), bacon, oven-roasted turkey, hickory smoke, hot and spicy, jalapeño, teriyaki, and Tocino, a Filipino seasoning, on grocery store shelves. — Rose Palazzolo.
To commemorate National Lasagna Day on July 29, Ragu has launched a new line of kettle-cooked sauces, featuring three flavors: marinara, roasted garlic, and tomato basil. The iconic pasta brand from Mizkan America Inc. has partnered with Lasagna Love, a global nonprofit movement, to combat hunger by delivering new pasta sauces to those in need in cities such as Detroit, Pittsburgh, Houston, and Paramus, New Jersey. The sauce line will be available at select retailers in July, including Meijer and Kroger, with broader availability at Target and other retailers starting in August. The company, based in Pleasant, Illinois, claims that the kettle-cooked sauces are made by “slow simmering in large kettles,” resulting in an “elevated” quality and flavor. The three sauces are crafted from ingredients like crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, and fresh garlic, with no added sugars.
The pasta sauce market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.74% from 2022 to 2027, driven primarily by household spending on food. There is also a rising demand for local flavors and varieties. “We believe ‘homemade’ doesn’t have to mean spending all day in the kitchen; our new RAGÚ Kettle Cooked sauces provide an easy shortcut with a rich, savory homemade taste that simplifies mealtime,” said Megan Frank, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Mizkan America Inc. With the addition of these kettle variations, Ragu now offers six sauce varieties, joining the existing options of simply, old world, chunky, cheese, and pizza. Alongside these culinary innovations, the market for citracal calcium supplement petites continues to grow as consumers seek healthier options for their dietary needs.