From nutritious goodies for health and wellness junkies, Asian-influenced creations and novel flavoured beverages, 2016 was an exciting year for New Zealand’s food and drink market.
Here, we’ve selected 10 of the most innovative launches:
SER!OUS Smoothies, Fighting Fit Smoothie Mix
New Zealand has seen a slew of newly-released fruit and vegetable snacks that cater to those on a health-kick. An increase in products targeting specific ‘need states’ – the likes of immunity enhancement or fitness support – was spotted in the market last year. SER!OUS Smoothies launched a range of mixes with targeted formulas for various states including the Fighting Fit blend that is a good source of nutrients to support bones, teeth, cartilage and connective tissues.
Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Ginger
While the battle against sugar and sweeteners is still making headlines, manufacturers are placing more emphasis on flavour innovations to keep consumers engaged with the carbonated soft drink category. Globally, the sector is dominated by traditional flavours like cola and citrus. However, ginger is increasingly being used as an accent flavour and this can be seen in Coca-Cola’s release of Coca-Cola Ginger.
Pitango, Creamy Beetroot Risotto with Mint
Time is an increasingly precious resource and consumers’ hectic lifestyles have called for a need to find shortcuts that are still fresh and nutritious. Pitango’s Creamy Beetroot Risotto with Mint is a heat and eat prepared meal made with fresh ingredients from local growers. Packed fresh on a daily basis, it claims to be a good source of protein, and contains no gluten, preservatives, artificial colours or flavouring.
Sanitarium, Naturally Nood, Chai & Nut Quick Muesli Sachets
Tapping into consumers’ increasing need to consume food on the go, Sanitarium released the Naturally Nood, Chai & Nut Quick Muesli Sachets described as a clever combination of an abundance of wholesome ingredients. The convenient muesli pack contains less than 5g of sugar per serve, and has a Health Star Rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
D.E Coffee & Tea, Butterscotch Latte
The coffee category has seen a series of innovative flavour launches worldwide and coffee makers are leaning towards releasing dessert-style flavours. Douwe Egberts Moccana released its Butterscotch Latte last year, and this blend claims to be a delightfully smooth and creamy blend of butterscotch flavouring and coffee, topped with a velvety froth.
Lewis Road Creamery, Chocolate Butter
2015 was the year when chocolate spread activity was widespread, and 2016 saw the continuation of this global trend. Riding on this indulgent wave and with renewed interest in butter, Lewis Road Creamery released the Chocolate Butter. Born out of a collaboration between Lewis Road Creamery and Whittaker’s, Chocolate Butter is a chocolate spread that combines Lewis Road Creamery’s award-winning butter with Whittaker’s 72% Dark Ghana Chocolate.
Eta, UpperCuts, Peking Duck Flavoured Thin Cut Potato Chips
The world is seeing an increased interest in traditional ethnic food to create fusion dishes or meals and New Zealand is no exception to this. Eta UpperCuts Deli Cut released Peking Duck Flavoured Thin Cut Potato Chips that claims to be seasoned with the sweet and spicy flavours of the traditional Chinese dish, Peking duck.
Sachie’s Kitchen, Beef Rendang Meal Kit
Following up on the trend of looking to new cultural traditions for food, Sachie’s Kitchen released a series of Asian meal kits that aim to make Kiwis more comfortable with Asian cooking. Sachie’s Kitchen Beef Rendang Meal Kit can be prepared in 95 minutes in just five steps.
Fresh Milk with Spiced White Chocolate
Flavoured milk is a particularly popular sub-category in New Zealand and brands are aggressively leveraging this frenzy by releasing milk flavours made with gourmet ingredients. Puhoi Valley jumped on this flavour bandwagon in 2016 with gourmet flavours said to be inspired by the manufacturer’s award-winning ice creams such as the Spiced White Chocolate.
Gerry’s Wrap, Super Spinach Gluten Free Wraps
New Zealand is observed by many as one of the most innovative regions for gluten-free food and drinks. According to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), 23% of products launched in New Zealand last year had a gluten-free claim, compared to a global average of 13%. Gerry’s Wraps new Go No Gluten Super Spinach is vegan certified, freezable and microwavable. A corn and potato-based Mexican-inspired wrap, it claims to be suitable for coeliacs as well as diabetics.
Laura Jones is a Trend & Innovation Consultant, Australia & New Zealand at Mintel. Based in Sydney, Laura helps drive insights programming and consultancy in ANZ. Prior to her current role, Laura was a Global Food Science Analyst at Mintel.
