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Diving overview:
- Bel Group, owner of Babybel and GoGo Squeez, is partnering with food technology company Foodberry to develop better snacks using real fruit.
- Bel’s U.S. operations will utilize Foodberry’s plant-based coatings made from real fruit. The collaboration seeks to develop innovative products that deliver “nutrition, convenience and taste in new formats.”
- The first products from the partnership are expected to launch in select U.S. markets this year. The first product combines “real fruit and protein” into individually portioned snacks, according to the company.
Dive Insights:
Despite growing consumer interest in health and wellness, Americans still don’t eat enough fruit. Foodberry’s plant-based food coatings aim to help solve these problems by creating snacks that are nutritious, yet convenient and appetizing.
Developed in labs at Harvard and MIT, Foodberry maintains a product platform that mimics the fruit with a protective coating of fiber, phytonutrients, and minerals. The coating can be used to make fruit coated ice cream. Foodberry is also developing new innovations, such as tasty treats that include real vegetable packaging for cheese or hummus.
“This partnership will help us realize our mission to make fruits, vegetables and dairy more accessible to Americans through delicious, convenient and nutritious snacks created in partnership with Foodberry,” said Carolina Cespedes Virguez, general manager of GoGo Squeez in Bel US, in a statement. “Together, we are reinventing snacking and bringing a unique proposition to the market.”
For their first snack collaboration, Bell and Foodberry are focusing on fruit snacks that also contain protein, a popular ingredient sought by consumers. Recently, updated federal dietary guidelines also made protein a priority.
Fresh fruits and vegetables have experienced modest growth as consumers prioritize their health and seek out foods with minimal processing. From 2023 to 2024, fruit sales increased by 4%, while vegetable sales increased by 1.2%, according to NIQ.
Despite recent sales increases, 80% of the U.S. population still consumes less fruit than recommended, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“Bel’s commitment to accessible and nutritious food reflects Foodberry’s mission to contribute to a healthier world by creating new snacks that taste great and making better options easier to choose,” said Marty Kolewe, CEO of Foodberry. “Our collaboration is about reimagining what’s possible in the snacking category and beyond, providing consumers with real fruit and functional ingredients in new convenient, shareable formats.”
The fruit’s antioxidant and other health properties have led food scientists to find new ways to apply these benefits to other applications. Startup Novella creates fruit-derived ingredients through cell culture without the need for the entire plant.
