From plant-based ice cream to fruit yogurt, we round-up the most exciting product releases to hit the shelves in the US and the UK this month. Scroll through the gallery to find out more.
Image sources, clockwise from top left: Ben & Jerry's, Chobani, Oatly, Nomadic Dairy, Bel Brands USA. Collage: Dairy Reporter
The Laughing Cow’s first plant-based iteration has been released in the States after Bel Brands USA ‘spent months perfecting the recipe’, the company’s Zach Fatla, brand director of The Laughing Cow, has said.
The vegan-certified cheese alternative comes in the familiar individually-portioned wedges, is almond-based, and available in Original and Garlic & Herb flavors. Bel Brands USA says it is exploring adding spicy flavors to The Laughing Cow Plant-Based line-up in 2025 and beyond.
For now, the plant-based triangles will be sold exclusively at Whole Foods for RRP of $4.49, and starting this spring, both flavors will be available at Kroger and additional grocery retailers nationwide.
Image: Bel Brands USA via PRNewswire
Ben & Jerry’s has announced a vegan variety of its top-selling ice cream flavor of the past 12 months. Strawberry Cheezecake uses an oat base instead of dairy but retains the familiar graham-crackrer crunch and fruit swirl filling while providing a ‘luxuriously smooth mouthfeel’ akin to the original, according to the company.
The new plant-based addition, which will be available in scoop shops as well as in supermarket shelves in the US, was reportedly a ‘fan favorite’ among tasters while the company was still working on its new proprietary oat base back in 2023.
As there is no real dairy in the tub, Ben & Jerry's dropped the word ‘cheese’ in the name.
Image: Ben & Jerry/s via PRNewswire
Ireland-based yogurt brand Nomadic released its first range of pouched snacks. Combining yogurt and smooth oats in a 150g pouch, Good To Go comes in three flavors – Mango & Passionfruit, Raspberry & Blueberry, and Banana & Honey.
The pouches are shelf-stable, though the company says they are best served chilled.
Bethan Miles, Nomadic’s marketing manager, said that the range is “firmly aimed at busy people who need handy and easy-to-consume snacks” and is the first such product to incorporate smooth oats. “This helps make them a great source of both protein and fibre,” she added. “Portable, filling and nourishing, they’re perfect for people who have to keep moving, or are on the go, all-day long. Expect more, similarly-focused, new products from us this year.”
The pouches are available from SPAR for £1.99 per pouch, with further rollout expected to follow.
Image: Nomadic Dairy
Tapping into the permissible indulgence snacking trend, Chobani has released a range of 5.3oz (150g) fruit-on-the-bottom Greek yogurt pots.
Coming in six flavors - Mocha Tiramisu, Apple Pie à la Mode, Cherry Cheesecake, Orange Cream Pop, Bananas Foster, and Caramel Sundae - the Chobani Creations range has been formulated to serve as both a treat or a snack. There are no artificial flavors, sweeteners or preservatives, while the yogurts have real fruit at the bottom.
"By pairing our natural, nutrient-dense Greek Yogurt with dessert-inspired flavors, we're stretching yogurt beyond the breakfast occasion," explained Niel Sandfort, chief innovation officer at Chobani. "These flavor profiles, whether they be nostalgic like orange cream pop or decadent like mocha tiramisu, hit the spot in terms of food memory, sensory, and satisfaction. With Chobani Creations, we're giving consumers a permissible, indulgent moment."
The new range is available now at a suggested retail price of $1.79 per 5.3oz cup in supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide.
Image: Chobani via PRNewswire
Swedish plant-based dairy alternatives maker Oatly Group AB has released Unsweetened Oatmilk and Super Basic Oatmilk. Both products are formulated to check different nutritional and functional boxes while maintaining taste. Designed to enhance smoothies, coffee, cereals, recipes, and more, Unsweetened and Super Basic will be offered by retailers nationwide, including Albertsons, Publix, Sprouts, Target and more over the coming months.
Oatly Unsweetened Oatmilk features a new proprietary oat base and has, indeed, 0g of sugar an just 40 calories per serving. Meanwhile, Oatly Super Basic Oatmilk has just four ingredients: water, oats, sea salt, and citrus zest fiber, to offer a simpler formulation.
“Our US R&D team spent nearly a year perfecting both of these oatmilks to strike this balance and complement the rest of our portfolio,” Leah Hoxie, SVP of Innovation, Oatly North America, said. “We’re confident these new products will live up to what people are looking for and we can’t wait for everyone to try them.”
Image: Oatly Group AB
Seattle-based Darigold, Inc. has launched Belle, a brand of dairy-based coffee creamers made with real cream. Betting on the clean-label trend, the company’s new range is made with five ingredients and excludes oils or fillers while also catering to consumers with lactose intolerance.
Available in four flavors - Vanilla, Sweet Cream, Hazelnut Latte, and Caramel - Belle Creamers are made to compete with other premium coffee creamers, which typically have 10 or more ingredients, said the company.
Sam Cohen, head of marketing at Darigold, said there is a gap in the market for a product that uses real cream, rather than vegetable-based alternatives. “Looking at the leading brands of coffee creamer today, it's a bit of a misnomer to call them 'creamers' since they are not made with real cream," he explained. "Like margarine, most common coffee creamers today are made with vegetable oils, not real cream, and tend to have as many as 10 or more ingredients. Belle Creamers are made with just five simple ingredients, including real cream and natural flavors, making them actual coffee cream rather than coffee oilers.”
Belle Creamers are now available at grocery stores and other food markets across the US Northwest.
Image: Darigold, Inc.
