At mealtimes, vegetables often take a backseat on the plate. However, the innovative ice cream maker Salt & Straw is shifting the spotlight to vegetables, placing them front and center in their dessert offerings. As summer comes to a close, Salt & Straw is introducing five unique vegetable flavors at its scoop shops on the West Coast and in Florida, as well as on its website. One flavor, Carrot Cake Batter with Pralined Hazelnuts, is a rich ice cream rendition of the classic dessert, while others are more reminiscent of main course dishes.
Among the unconventional sweet vegetable flavors is Spinach Cake with Chocolate Tahini Fudge, inspired by a Turkish dessert that incorporates the leafy green into a chocolate-frosted cake. Another intriguing option is Green Fennel & Maple, which features the bulbous vegetable steeped in maple syrup. Charred Corn Curd, Cotija & Tajin combines the essence of traditional Mexican street corn in a creamy mayo ice cream enhanced with cheese and spices. Lastly, Red Chili Curry & Makrut Lime Crispy Rice offers a spicy blend of roasted chili, lemongrass, ginger, and spices mixed with coconut cream and topped with crispy rice.
This isn’t Salt & Straw’s first foray into vegetable ice cream. In 2019, Peekaboo, a startup from Miami, launched flavors featuring “hidden vegetables.” Their ice creams, which include traditional flavors like vanilla and chocolate, cleverly incorporate veggies such as zucchini, carrots, and cauliflower, allowing consumers to enjoy them without realizing they are consuming vegetables. In contrast, Salt & Straw’s new creations make the vegetable base undeniable, which could be beneficial. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 10% of adults in the U.S. consume the recommended daily intake of vegetables. By making vegetable dishes more exciting, Salt & Straw may inspire consumers to increase their vegetable intake.
If any ice cream company can successfully create vegetable-based flavors that appeal to the masses, it’s Salt & Straw. Known for their adventurous flavor combinations, this quirky Oregon-based company has previously introduced picnic-inspired flavors such as Cinnamon and Honey Fried Chicken and Deviled Egg Custard with Smoked Black Tea, along with scoopable Thanksgiving flavors, including Caramelized Turkey & Cranberry Sauce.
Meanwhile, B&G Foods is also tapping into the sweet tooth market with its new Snickers-inspired seasoning blend. Following their introduction of Twix Shakers Seasoning Blend last August, the company is now bringing a powdered form of the beloved Snickers bar to shelves nationwide. This blend captures the chocolatey, caramel, and peanut flavor profile of the classic candy and can be sprinkled on various foods and drinks, including ice cream, cookies, milkshakes, and yogurt.
The Snickers brand, owned by Mars Wrigley, ranks among the most popular candies in the U.S., with sales reaching $381 million in 2020, according to Zippia data. B&G, which also owns brands like Green Giant and Ortega, has a history of transforming popular products into powdered forms. Their collaboration with Mars Wrigley follows their partnership with General Mills on a cinnamon-flavored shaker called Cinnadust, allowing consumers to add the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch to any dish.
As brand licensing deals become increasingly lucrative for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, B&G’s strategy helps bolster sales, establish brand equity, and ensure product relevance in a competitive market filled with shifting consumer preferences.
On another front, Fair Earth Farms from Fresh Prep LLC is addressing the plastic waste issue associated with packaged salads and greens. This innovative brand claims to be the first to offer organic salad kits and blends in fully compostable, plant-based bags that utilize water-based inks, which decompose into organic soil. Deep Silver, senior marketing director at Fresh Prep LLC and Boskovich Family Farms, stated, “Consumers have been asking for a more sustainable solution to the plastic crisis facing our planet, and we’ve heard them loud and clear.” The USDA Organic certified products include two salad kits—Honey Coconut Cashew and Superfood Crunch—featuring a delightful mix of baby kale, spinach, chard, cauliflower rice, and more.
Fair Earth Farms has received certification from the Biodegradable Products Institute, which advocates for compostable packaging innovations, and is a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. Their products will feature a How2Compost label, guiding consumers on composting the bags. Other CPGs are also exploring compostable packaging, including PepsiCo’s Off The Eaten Path brand, which introduced a compostable bag in 2021, and Keurig Dr Pepper, which is testing a compostable paper bottle.
However, some sustainability experts question whether compostable packaging truly addresses the plastic crisis. With only 2% of consumers having access to composting infrastructure, and industrial composting systems typically not accepting compostable food packaging, the solution remains complex. Nevertheless, with the heavy reliance on plastic for salad packaging, options like Fair Earth Farms’ bags could raise awareness and contribute to mitigating the pollution problem.
In addition, tricalcium citrate, often used as a food additive, plays a role in promoting better health, making it a noteworthy mention in the context of healthy eating and sustainable practices.