This year has been a challenging time for the food industry as a whole and the ice-cream category is no different with brands having to think a little differently about their consumers' usage and consumption occasions given the effect that Covid has taken on us all this year.
With Summer ending and Autumn just around the corner, let's take a look at what’s been happening in the frozen aisle during the months of July and August. Surprisingly, launches have been plentiful with innovation at the forefront of the category centering around a few major global trends:
Snackification, with the emergence of ice cream bites.
Immunity boosting formulations, as a result of Covid.
Better for you, with Keto ice cream extending its reach.
And a flurry of Dairy-free and Animal-free frozen innovations!
BITE-SIZED SNACKS TAKE OVER
In a likely attempt to satisfy consumer cravings for portion control when it comes to indulgent snacking, FRONERI have hit the nail on the head with their new smaller bite-size innovations with Milka and Oreo ice-cream hearts and ice-cream bites, demonstrating the success that brands from other categories can have in ice-cream as well.
Packed in 3 boxes of 8 bites of 10 ml, the product can be found at the price of about 4 Euros in Europe. The launch is targeting teenagers and young adults with a share-able on-the-go format.
IMMUNITY-ENHANCING INGREDIENTS MAKE THEIR WAY INTO ICE CREAM
One segment you are probably not surprised to see make this list is the addition of immunity-boosting ice-cream options. With the global population more concerned about their physical health since Covid came into our lives earlier this year, it only makes sense that immunity-boosting ice-cream products came to the forefront.
AMUL have launched their dairy ice-cream with added turmeric (known as Haldi), an ingredient hailed for its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, this ice-cream also includes honey which is renowned worldwide as a cure for sore or dry throats.
AICE, an ice-cream company from Singapore / Indonesia have also released an immunity-boosting ice-cream sku which includes milk, eggs and honey (once again) as their main ingredients. They swear by their natural properties to fend off sicknesses - who are we to argue!
THE KETO CRAZE CONTINUES
The Keto diet has attracted many loyal followers since its beginning a few years ago so it’s only natural that we would eventually start to see this craze move into multiple categories. A good example of this is 88KETO’s new Keto ice-cream called 88KETOCOCO ZERO, and launched in Malaysia over the summer. They also have a non-zero range but this product, which demonstrates the growing popularity of the KETO diet outside North America, uses xylitol, lakanto or monk fruit as the sweeteners of choice. It seems like it will immediately attract keto fans, as well as ice-cream fans in general with two classic, but delicious flavour choices of vanilla and chocolate mint and sells at 35 MYR (roughly 7 EUR / 8 USD) per 473 ml pint.
DAIRY-FREE IS HERE TO STAY!
A new must-have for the portfolio, dairy-free ice-cream is looking like it is here to stay with lots of manufacturers, both large and local, adding it to their ranges. SO DELICIOUS, the dairy-free beverage and dessert US company owned by DANONE, have upgraded their range with a light frozen dessert line-up made from coconut oil and pea protein. They now boast 45% percent fewer calories than average plant-based frozen desserts and have 6 flavours to choose from (see below) making it near impossible for customers to not find at least one they will love. Expect to find them in US stores at a recommended price of 5.49 USD (about 4.85 EUR) per 473 ml pint.
Flavours:
Mint Chip
Tiramisu
Peanut Butter
Strawberry
Salted Caramel
Cocoa Chip
HALO TOP is also introducing a new and improved recipe for its non-dairy low-calorie range. Made with a coconut milk base, the new range comes with the addition of fava bean protein replacing the brown rice protein to offer a softer and creamier texture.
Each pint contains between 280 and 360 calories per serving, and up to 20 grams of protein. The new range will be introduced progressively with 3 flavours launched in September 2020 (Birthday Cake, Peanut Butter Cup, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough) and another 4 being introduced in October. It will be sold at approximately 5.49 USD (about 4.85 EUR) per 473 ml pint.
IS ANIMAL-FREE THE NEXT NEW TERM?
BRAVE ROBOT, a newcomer in the Ice Cream market, is leveraging the innovative protein developed by its parent company, PERFECT DAY. What is the secret? A flora-based animal-free dairy protein obtained through the fermentation of yeast. Interestingly enough, while being animal-free it is still considered dairy and comes with the same allergy labelling as milk!
Validated by the US Food and Drug Administration in April 2020, Brave Robot is the first consumer goods using this new protein, allowing them to convey the following claims: lactose-free, cholesterol-free and vegan! The BRAVE ROBOT range is sold at 5.99 USD per pint (mostly in California for the time being) and is made of 8 flavours:
Vanilla
Buttery Pecan
Blueberry Pie
Raspberry White Truffle
Vanilla & Cookies
Peanut Butter & Fudge
Hazelnut Chocolate Chunks
A Lot of Chocolate
[FINAL] MEET THE BRAND NEW FLAVOURS BURSTING ONTO THE SCENE
We are going to end this trend review by looking at some of the new flavours that have popped onto our shelves in recent months starting with bubble milk tea which Unilever have jumped on the bandwagon with their new launch - BOBA-licious! After a debut in Malaysia this year under their WALL'S flagship brand, the multinational has introduced it in Vietnam over the summer. Incorporating tea, milk, sugar and tapioca pearls, this flavour has become a hit all across South-East Asia. Do you think it will make it to the West soon as well?
As we enter the fall season, we can start to see the return of limited seasonal editions on our shelves and in foodservice. Pumpkin spice seems to be in high demand in the US this year with both MY/MO and ALDEN'S announcing their limited editions:
Pumpkin Spice and Apple Pie flavoured mochis for MY/MO
Pumpkin Cheesecake and Peppermint Twist for ALDEN'S Organic
What exciting or interesting flavours or trends have you seen in your space this year that could be a game changer or something you could incorporate into your portfolio?
If you are interested in launching any of the products listed above or would like to discuss new innovations, get in touch with us by sending an email to andrea.montreuil@innodelice.com or nicolas.marie@innodelice.com, or by connecting with us on LinkedIn.
Thank you for reading and we hope you found this helpful!