Leftovers: PepsiCo launches protein-packed Doritos | Jack’s Link meat snacks are clean label certified.

PepsiCo packs protein into Doritos.

Doritos has entered the protein craze.

The PepsiCo-owned brand is launching Doritos Protein this month. It contains 10 grams of protein per ounce, and Doritos plans to release single-serve bags with 17 grams of protein in late 2026.

This launch includes classic Nacho Cheese flavors as well as sweet and tangy BBQ options.

“We wanted to deliver an authentic snacking experience but do it in a new way with the added benefit of protein,” Jess Spaulding, vice president of marketing for PepsiCo Foods US, said in a statement. “As consumer needs change, we are showing that Doritos is a brand that can evolve and expand to meet those needs.”

The launch is part of PepsiCo’s broader effort to better position its brands to meet consumer demand for functional ingredients and healthier formulations. The snack giant is also cutting prices on some of its existing snack brands that have been struggling with declining sales.

PepsiCo said 86% of Americans are actively adding protein to their daily diet, and seven in 10 consumers want their salty snacks to contain protein. The New York-based company added that more than half of shoppers prioritize protein at snack time.

America’s obsession with protein has led to the ingredient being used in everything from Pop Tarts to Kraft natural cheese. The Doritos launch adds to PepsiCo’s other function-driven innovations, including SmartFood fiber-coated popcorn and SunChips fiber whole grain and black bean snacks.

PepsiCo also announced a partnership with Jack Link’s on Doritos-flavored meat sticks and jerky, promoting the collaboration as another example of providing protein to consumers without compromising convenience or taste.

— Sarah Zimmerman

Jack Link’s Meat Snack Roundup

Jack Link’s keeps it simple for protein-starved consumers.

The meat snack giant is introducing a line of clean label sticks, steaks and air-dried beef cuts. The snack only has three ingredients listed on the front of the pack. Jack Link’s is comparing its formula to other “clean” products on the market that the company says contain “(ingredient lists) longer than a store receipt.”

“Making three-ingredient meat snacks at scale doesn’t happen by accident. It takes serious infrastructure, discipline and decades of category expertise,” Troy Link, CEO of Link Snacks, said in a statement. “Many brands say they are ‘clean,’ but their labels tell a different story.”

The Wisconsin-based company said it will launch 2-ounce bags of air-dried beef strips in its Original and Hickory products this spring. Each bag contains 31g of protein. Clean Label Sticks and Steaks are expected to launch later this year.

It wasn’t that long ago that meat restaurants were avoided because they were considered salty and highly processed. But sales have surged in recent years as snacks benefit from consumers’ obsession with protein and convenience.

Sales of dried meat snacks, excluding jerky, will hit $3.3 billion in 2024, up 10.7% from the previous year, according to data provided by Circana.

Shoppers are more willing to accept some processing because convenience and other qualities are more important to them, but consumers still want clean label products. Jack Link’s ability to offer a reduced ingredient list along with protein and portability could give the brand an edge in the crowded meat snack category.

— Christopher Doering

Honeymaker sweetens nut butters and fruit spreads.

Nate’s Honey is tapping into an untapped market for pantry staples by introducing the popular sweetener into nut butters and fruit spreads.

The Honey brand is embracing the simpler-is-better mantra, with three ingredients in a nut butter (peanuts, honey, salt) and four ingredients in a fruit spread (fruit, honey, lemon juice, and citrus pectin). Ingredients are listed on the front of the package.

Honey has become a popular sweetener as consumers prefer natural, minimally processed, and functional ingredients. Nate’s brand was among the beneficiaries, growing 18% in 2025, and owner Sweet Harvest forecast long-term retail growth in the high single or low double digits.

Honey was a $550 million category in 2013 but is expected to be worth $1.7 billion this year, according to market data provided by Nate’s. Mike Carle, CEO of Sweet Harvest Foods, said honey has “much more runway for growth” with strengthening health trends and increasing household penetration of the sweetener, which now stands at 55%.

Nut butter was a natural extension for Nate’s because the company observed that many consumers were pouring in natural peanut butter to sweeten it, he said.

“Combining these kinds of stories with the research we’ve done gives us confidence that this is the first product of its kind that we’re launching as an extension outside of our core honey,” Carle said.

The nut butters and fruit spreads are now available at Kroger, Sprouts, HEB, Safeway, Albertsons and Target in Texas, as well as on Amazon. Fruit spreads are available in berries, strawberries and sour cherries.

Carle adds that while other foods on the market tout their connection to honey, honey is often one of the latter ingredients, along with refined sugars and “other crap.” This gave Nate’s an opportunity to promote its streamlined ingredient list and really promote its connection to honey.

“We think this is a great time to branch out or expand honey into a variety of products,” Carle said. “Consumers have shown a really strong appetite.”

— Christopher Doering