GIC's new product offerings focused on health and gourmet
From healthy snacks to unusual beverages, last week’s Grocery Innovations Canada did not disappoint in the new product department.
Canadian Grocer’s editors scoured the aisles of Canada’s largest grocery show, Oct. 24-25 in Toronto, and found more than a few interesting new products. Here are a few of note:
Mini Oliva from Alfa Cappuccino. These tiny satchels of olive oil and balsamic vinegar salad dressing are perfect for those bring a salad to work for lunch. Each satchel contains 14 ml of dressing. By squeezing the pouch, dressing is released down a tiny tube and sprayed onto the salad. Mini Oliva is sold in clear plastic containers with either 12 or 50 individual satchels.
Hype Organic Energy Drink by Aliments Unique Food contains organic guarana, apple juice, aloe vera and tea. It doesn’t contain any taurine. Also at the Aliments Unique Food booth was an interesting drink called Venga Calorie Burn that claimed to increase metabolism and help burn calories in those who drink it.
Sally’s Cereals from Malt-O-Meal. Made in Minnesota, the most interesting thing about Sally’s Cereals is the packaging. Rather than a standard cereal box, the cereal is sold in brightly coloured bags. A spokesperson for the company said the product contains 75 per cent less packaging waste than comparable cereals. Sally’s is available in nine different varieties, including Raisins & Bran, Cinnamon Bliss, and Honey Oat Medley.
Tyrrell’s Hand Cooked English Crisps from Tree of Life stand out for their packaging. Each bag features a black and white photo of early 20th century vintage with a loose link to the product inside. For instance, the Lightly Sea Salted chips feature a photo of women doing handstands on an ocean beach. Sweet chili and Red Pepper flavour chips show a photo of a 1920s-style fire truck driven by firemen in ceremonial garb.
Yogalicious offers a delectable and healthy frozen treat with its probiotic vanilla iced kefir. Kefir is a fermented milk product similar to yogurt but has more than three times the probiotics of yogurt. Yogalicious contains 22 billion powerful probiotics per 125 ml serving. It is suitable for those with lactose intolerance, low in fat and only has 110 calories per serving. The iced kefir is made with organic ingredients and is sweetened with xylitol.
Notorious nut confections from Green Bay, Wis., features five gourmet nut snacks. Made from all natural ingredients, each one can be paired with a cheese and fruit platter or party snack. Flavours include Ooo La La Original, featuring walnuts, almonds and pecans in a rich buttery confection; and Cheery Vanilla Va-Voom that contains walnuts, almonds, pecans and dried Montmorency cherries in a sweet vanilla confection.
Labrador Preserves Co. of Forteau, N.L., offers premium fruit spreads and syrups featuring wild berried hand-picked in the Labrador barrens. Wild, low bush bluberies grown in Atlantic Canada and Quebec have been used in the company’s Blueberry syrup, which can be used for baking, cooking and desserts.