This audio is generated automatically. Please let me know if you have any comments.
The Leftovers is a look at some of the product ideas that are popping up everywhere. Some are interesting, some sound amazing, and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We couldn’t write everything we suggested, so here are some remaining items from our inbox:
Progresso serves candied soup.
General Mills’ latest ingenious product brings the taste of a bowl of soup to a hard candy treat.
Progresso Soup Drops pack the flavor of the brand’s chicken noodle soup into a lemon drop candy-like shape. The brand called the product “suckable soup.” According to a press release, the candies come in soup flavors, savory vegetable flavors, chicken flavors, egg noodle flavors, and parsley flavors.
“When you’re sick, nothing comforts you like chicken noodle soup. So why should we stop at the soup bowl? We’ve taken the beloved flavor of Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup and packed it into fun and delicious Candy Soup Drops. This is a whole new way to enjoy the flavors you want, anytime, anywhere,” said MC Comings, Vice President of Progresso General, Mills said in a statement.
Progresso Soup Drops will be available for purchase on the brand’s website for a limited time every Thursday this month, while supplies last. Each bag of candy also comes with a can of Progresso’s Chicken Noodle Soup.
The power of social media has allowed CPGs to experiment with bizarre, limited-time offerings to increase awareness of foods with household names. Some of the more bizarre flavor combinations live up to expectations, often mixing unrelated sweet and savory flavors in the same package. In 2022, Kraft Heinz teamed up with Van Leeuwen for a Mac & Cheese ice cream flavor, and the food company partnered with the winery for a Gray Poupon mustard-flavored wine blend.
— Chris Casey
optional captions
Provided by Hershey
Raghu heats up the heat.
Italian sauce brand Ragu is paying attention to the strong interest in spicy food.
The 88-year-old is bringing a new level of excitement to the pasta sauce aisle by partnering with the YouTube series Hot One. The new Ragu Hot Ones heat pack is touted as a complementary product to meals and snacks.
The limited-edition pack includes three 14-ounce bottles of increasingly spicier sauces: Fiery Garlic (spicy), Chipotle Blaze (spicy), and Chile Inferno (spicy).
“We’re always looking for opportunities to push the boundaries of flavor while providing delicious, quality sauces,” said Megan Frank, senior vice president of marketing for Mizkan America, makers of Ragu. “With this launch, we are thrilled to be collaborating with a leader in ‘spice’, an expert in ‘heat’ and one of the trendiest entertainment venues to introduce the nation’s favorite pasta sauce.”
Spicy food shows no signs of cooling down.
More than half of Gen Z consumers identify themselves as hot sauce connoisseurs, according to a 2024 survey released by NC Solutions. Additionally, 62% of all consumers surveyed said they were more likely to purchase spicy foods or drinks if they were advertised.
This is a big reason why we rely on spices for food and even beverages.
Kraft Heinz launches spicy ketchup in 2023. A year ago, condiment and sauce maker Tajín combined Kellanova with Pop-Tarts to encourage consumers to use spicy chamoy sauce on its baked pastries. And last year, PepsiCo established Flamin’ Hot as its own brand within the beverage and snack giant’s portfolio to make it easier for consumers to identify the product.
— Christopher Doering
optional captions
Courtesy of Kellanova
Cheez-It chooses pizza flavor for its latest snack.
Lovers of margherita and pesto pizza can decide for themselves whether the new Cheez-It flavor adequately captures the essence of the food.
Kellanova has announced the launch of two new types of crackers inspired by pizza flavors. Cheez-It Snap’d Extra Crunchy Margherita Pizza contains pizza flavors that include tomato, basil, olive oil and mozzarella, according to a press release. Cheez-It Duos Pesto + Mozzarella is a product that combines the flavors of green herbs, savory Italian cheese, and garlic.
According to Kellanova, the new Cheez-It products will be available nationwide by March.
The multibillion-dollar Cheez-It brand has been Kellanova’s main focus since it was spun off into the snack specialty company in 2023. The company’s CEO, Steve Cahillane, told investors this year that growing the brand is a key part of the packaged foods giant’s growth strategy. Market share in snacks segment.
Kellanova has transformed the brand from the traditional square cracker format in recent years with Cheez-It Puff’d and Snap’d. Last year, the company introduced two collaborative products with Clorox’s Hidden Valley Ranch, crackers and dressing, capitalizing on the popularity of the ranch flavor on social media. Last fall, the company launched Smoked Cheddar and Smoked Gouda Cheez-It flavors in response to a TikTok trend of consumers sharing smoky-flavored foods.
Kellanova found success by taking inspiration from past pizzas, which have become one of the most popular Pringles flavors since the chip brand launched in 1999.
— Chris Casey
