Environmental Benefits Of Upcycling Are Real – And The Snacks Are Good, Too

Companies that produce upcycled snacks – made with food production by-products otherwise bound for landfills – claim they’re helping the environment by reducing food waste and creating products with less power, water, and other carbon-heavy resources. Nutritionist and writer Ariane Resnick says her research found the claims mostly true. In the process, she discovered a few upcycled snacks and food products that she really liked. Among these are: CaPao’s fruit and nut bites made from cacao fruit left over after chocolate processing; Fast Company’s high-fiber, gluten-free flours, baking mixes. and snacks made with the by-products of plant-based milk processing; Renewal Mill’s okara flour made from the leftovers from soy milk production; and Pulp Pantry’s fiber-rich chips made from the pulp left over after fruits and vegetables are juiced.

"Are Upcycled Snacks Having Any Impact On Food Waste? We Investigate", Byrdie , August 17, 2021

British Company Boundless Raises Cash, Launches Sorghum Snacks

The four-year-old U.K.-based “activated” snacking brand raised $1.4 million from angel investors and others to expand its healthy snacks business, which includes a range of high-protein, gluten-free nut and seed mixes. The company’s FAB (flood, activate, bake) method involves soaking the nuts and seeds in salt water to kick-start germination before “activating” them by drawing out hard-to-digest phytic acid. The products are then baked at a low temperature. This month the company will debut two new snacks made from sprouted sorghum. The new funding will be spent primarily on overseas marketing, working on in-store sampling and virtual trade shows, and social media campaigns.

"Boundless adds Activated Chips duo to bagged snacks offering", The Grocer, August 17, 2021

General Mills Tells Parents: Cereals Do Deliver A Healthy Breakfast

With breakfast cereal sales declining steadily in recent years – though growth projections have been rosier lately, thanks to the impact of the pandemic – the Battle Creek, Mich.-based company surveyed parents and found that many feel guilty about feeding their kids breakfast cereals thinking they’re sort of a nutritional cop out. In fact, the company says, nutrient-dense eating can and should include foods – i.e., breakfast cereals – that are accessible and affordable to all. “In reality, a bowl of cereal is hard to beat when it comes to nutrient density.” Especially, the company says, a bowl of one of the nutrient-dense options from General Mills Big G Cereals: Cheerios, Fiber One, Chex, etc. Guilt-free parenting can be easy after all.

"General Mills Uses New Data to Launch 'Good Is Good Enough' Campaign to Remove Parental Guilt Associated With Nutritious Eating", Business Wire, August 17, 2021

Calls For Deposit Scheme After Huge U.K. Can And Bottle Beach Cleanup

A massive U.K. beach litter cleanup effort found that nearly two-thirds of the discarded bottles and cans collected had been traced to 12 companies, with Coca-Cola packaging being the most prevalent. The report, by marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), said other branded packaging pollution came from PepsiCo, AB InBev, McDonald’s, Mondelēz International, Heineken, Tesco, Carlsberg Group, Suntory, Haribo, Mars, and Aldi. Nearly four thousand volunteers collected branded items on 11,139 miles of coastline, making it the U.K.’s biggest coordinated cleanup event. SAS called for legislation creating an “‘all-in” deposit scheme that would hold companies to account and “turn off the tap of plastic and packaging pollution flooding the ocean.” Beverage and other companies have said that a lack of a good deposit return scheme (DRS) in the U.K. means their packaging is needlessly littered.

"Coca-Cola most common littered brand on UK beaches, says study", The Guardian, August 11, 2021

Dr Pepper Debuts Chocolate-Flavored Variant, Rewards Program

The Frisco, Texas-based soft drink company’s FANtastic Chocolate! Flavor Is being introduced with a limited time Dr Pepper "Pepper Perks" rewards program. Consumers participate by scanning the proof of purchase QR code on Dr Pepper purchases, triggering a prompt to create a "Pepper Perks" account. Once the qualifying number of points are earned, consumers can redeem their purchase to receive the new flavor while supplies last. Participants can also enter for a chance to win a trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship and redeem other Dr Pepper branded college team gear.

"Calling All Super Fans: Dr Pepper Reveals FANtastic Chocolate", PRNewswire , August 15, 2021

“Click For Snack Delivery” Remains Strong Trend As Pandemic Wanes

A report from PepsiCo and Chinese on-demand delivery and retail platform Dada Group acknowledges growth in ecommerce but says the pandemic has been the real catalyst in driving home delivery sales. That trend is still strong: the number of Chinese consumers preferring to “click” to have goods delivered directly to their home continues to grow, creating real opportunities for retailers and brand owners to attract new customers, as well as repeated orders. Snacks in particular are enjoying a real boost through ecommerce, with JDDJ reporting a 91 percent growth of snack sales in 2020. Snack buyers come from all channels, all scenarios, and all regions. And their tastes range from everyday treats to the most eclectic, like mango-flavored chocolate and sauerkraut-flavored potato chips. 

"The five major trends motivating the ecommerce snack customer in China", BakeryAndSnacks.com, August 17, 2021