Non-sticky icing and premium pizzas lead new product round up

Dawn Foods unveils non-sticky icing

Bakery ingredients manufacturer Dawn Foods has developed a non-sticky icing that the firm claims is perfect for packaged products such as iced buns, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts and muffins.

The freeze/thaw stable icing was designed to give baked goods a completely dry finish. This means that products should not end up in a sticky mess after being transported, with the icing able to retain its integrity for up to five days giving products a longer shelf life.

Dubbed ‘Dawn Pak Perfect’, the product was made using a proprietary formulation that is exclusive to Dawn Foods. The icing is also vegan and gluten free, while it contains 50% less calories than fat-based alternatives.

Dawn Foods has also released launched a non-sticky doughnut glaze that utilises the same technology.

Dr. Oetker goes premium with pizzas

German food manufacturer Dr. Oetker has launched three new pizza options under its Ristorante branding, two of which now make up a new premium tier of products.

The ‘Pepperoni Mozzarella Pesto’ pizza will join its core range, while the ‘Salame Piccante Nduja’ and ‘Pollo Funghi Truffini’ flavour pizzas now constitute Dr. Oetker’s Primo range.

The Primo range has been placed at a slightly higher price point of £4.40, compared to £3.85 for the core Ristorante pizzas. The two ranges are available at several major retailers including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado.

Dr. Oetker is promoting the new products, in addition to the rebrand of some of its existing ranges, with a £2.5m campaign which will include a return to TV advertising from September 2023.

“We’re pleased to be able to announce our fresh new look and feel, with both our new packaging and a range of exciting new products​,” said Paula Wyatt, head of marketing for pizzas at Dr. Oetker UK.

“Ristorante is a much-loved frozen pizza brand, and this relaunch ensures the brand remains relevant to a wide audience of frozen pizza consumers​.”

Lipton ice tea now available in cans

Ice tea maker Lipton has altered its soft drinks offering to include cans for the first time, with classic lemon and peach flavours now available in the new format.

The 330ml cans come in six-packs and are now available in supermarkets and convenience stores around the UK.

Lipton introduced the product as part of its bid to reach the at-home market, which includes people gathering for summer BBQs or sporting events.

Based on Kantar research, Lipton calculates that the multipacks could help unlock 3.1m at-home opportunities. Meanwhile, the data showed that more than half of consumers believe cans possess advantages over bottles, which is the packaging Lipton ice tea products have been primarily sold in up until this point.

According to Nielsen data, Lipton produces the number one ready-to-drink ice tea brand in Britain and is worth £58m.

Nākd expands into cereal

Natural Balance Foods is expanding its Nākd brand by introducing three new granola products.

The items went on sale in grocery stores earlier this month (August 2023) and are available in the following flavours: ‘Blueberry Muffin’, ‘Cocoa Orange’ and ‘Peanut Delight’. Each pack is 365g and priced at £3.75.

All Nākd granola is vegan and made with 100% natural origin ingredients. The range is also HFSS compliant and contains no added sugar. The launch follows the introduction of Nākd protein bars earlier this year.

“As our first brand extension outside of bars, we wanted to make sure we were tapping into an area where our expertise could really shine​,” said Jo Agnew, marketing director at Natural Balance Foods.

“The cereals category has faced challenges, but we can see that granola is going from strength to strength – to keep this momentum going, retailers need to offer choice. Great taste is key, shoppers don’t want to compromise and we’re confident that our hero flavours will go down a treat.”​

Quaker Oats adds ‘Caramelised Biscuit’ flavour

Quaker Oats has added ‘Caramelised Biscuit’ to its ‘Oat So Simple’ range, with new flavour available in sachets and on-the-go pots.

Now on sale, the 334g sachets come in 10 packs, while the 57g pots can be purchased separately. The products are priced at £3.50 and £1.29 respectively, and both contain 100% wholegrains.

According to Kerry Marketing Insights, ‘Caramelised Biscuit’ was one of the top 20 fastest-growing flavours over the last three years.

Claire Molyneux, head of brand for Quaker at PepsiCo, said that the new products were developed in response to growing consumer demand for the flavour.

“[Nine in 10] consumers eat breakfast every day, making it the largest meal occasion in the UK​,” Molyneux added.

“With this in mind, there is a huge headroom for growth, with flavour playing a major role in attracting shoppers – 71% of consumers tend to eat the same breakfast every day. [However], 50% of these said that they would widen their choice of breakfast if more exciting flavours were available​.”

In other news, Food Manufacture spoke to Riverford about its electric vehicle fleet and the viability of sustainable deliveries​​.