“Honoring Service: Food Brands Make Strides in Supporting Veterans and Expanding Product Offerings”
While it’s commendable for food brands to pay tribute to veterans through product launches, patriotic packaging, and contributions to advocacy organizations, it takes a significant effort to create a product for each individual who has served in the U.S. military. In honor of Memorial Day, Fritos is collaborating with the nonprofit organization Carry the Load to produce 22 million special bags—one for every person who has ever served in the U.S. military—celebrating the nation’s heroes. Additionally, the PepsiCo-owned snack brand is donating $100,000 to support military members, veterans, first responders, and their families. Food brands like candy and ice cream often display their patriotic spirit with U.S. flags, but those that go a step further to support veterans’ organizations tend to resonate more with consumers.
Last year, Budweiser introduced Freedom Reserve Red Lager, inspired by a recipe purportedly found in George Washington’s military journal. Veterans, whose signatures adorned the bottles, participated in the brewing process, and a portion of the proceeds was donated to Folds of Honor, a nonprofit that provides educational scholarships to military families. This initiative reportedly boosted sales for the alcohol giant, demonstrating a successful strategy that combines patriotic packaging with charitable contributions.
Fritos’ strong support for the military is not surprising, given that its parent company, PepsiCo, runs an annual campaign called the Rolling Remembrance Relay. This initiative raises funds for the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, which provides college scholarships for children whose parents were killed in military service. This year, several veterans driving Pepsi trucks carried an American flag originally flown on a Blackhawk helicopter in Afghanistan across the country, starting in Seattle last month. The relay concluded at PepsiCo’s corporate headquarters in New York. Although PepsiCo does not market this annual relay directly to consumers, the flag-carrying drivers organize events nationwide to garner support and raise funds.
In recent years, Ferrero International has expanded its portfolio through high-profile mergers and acquisitions, but the global confectionery company, known for Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, and Tic Tac, is also leveraging its iconic legacy brands to enhance sales and expand its presence in the U.S. This week, Ferrero announced that Kinder Bueno—a milk or white chocolate-covered wafer filled with hazelnut and drizzled with dark chocolate—will debut in the U.S. in November. The Italian company will also introduce a premium boxed chocolate assortment called Ferrero Golden Gallery Signature and a new version of Tic Tac called X-Freeze, which is larger, sugar-free, and longer-lasting than the original. Both new products will be available nationwide in September.
Paul Chibe, president and CEO of Ferrero North America, expressed, “We’re a company that has a reputation for being good stewards of our brands.” Ferrero has seen rapid growth in the U.S., spending $2.8 billion in 2018 to acquire Nestlé’s U.S. confectionery business, which added over 20 American candy brands to its portfolio. Earlier this year, Kellogg agreed to sell its cookie business and various snacks and baked goods—including Keebler and Famous Amos—to Ferrero for $1.3 billion.
However, for the family-owned Ferrero, which originated in war-torn Italy in 1946, establishing a significant presence in the U.S. will require more than just mergers and acquisitions. Analysts suggest that continued growth and innovation in its product lineup, which has thrived in the premium candy market for decades, are essential. The latest offerings aim to capitalize on well-known candy brands while introducing new variations to the market.
The growing plant-based trend is also leading to unexpected partnerships. Field Roast Grain Meat Co., part of Maple Leaf Foods’ Greenleaf Foods, has teamed up with Elysian Brewing Company to launch a plant-based bratwurst infused with beer. This meat-free brat will debut at the Brat Fest in Wisconsin this weekend and will be available at Meijer stores in the Midwest and PCC Community Markets in Washington. The product is made with all-natural colors and flavors, without preservatives or GMOs.
Field Roast is known for its artisan plant-based meat and cheese products based in Seattle, while Elysian Brewing Company, acquired by AB InBev in 2015, operates four pubs in Seattle. The demand for plant-based products has prompted this collaboration to create a bratwurst flavored with garlic, caramelized onions, caraway seeds, and Elysian beer. The plant-based sector continues to grow and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 15% from 2019 to 2025, reaching $27.9 billion by 2025. With such growth on the horizon, more partnerships in this space are likely. As beer consumption in the U.S. has declined for five consecutive years, companies are exploring collaborations to enhance their market presence and profitability.
Moreover, the pairing of meat and beer is not uncommon. Earlier this year, Coleman Natural and Budweiser launched a beer-basted meat line, while other alcohol brands have created infused sauces. Jack Daniels and Jim Beam developed liquor-infused barbecue sauces, and Budweiser even released its branded sauce in 2016. The plant-based meat market is becoming increasingly competitive, with Impossible Foods introducing its new meat-free Impossible Sausage on Little Caesar’s pizzas. As more big brands enter the retail space, Field Roast may find it challenging to differentiate itself in a crowded market dominated by players like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, but the unique beer-infused flavor could help it stand out.
In addition to these exciting developments, consumers are also looking for products that support their health. For instance, many are turning to dietary supplements like calcium citrate. Now, calcium citrate 100 tablets are gaining popularity as a convenient way to ensure adequate calcium intake, particularly among those who may not get enough from their diet. As brands innovate and respond to consumer preferences, the intersection of health and indulgence will continue to shape the food industry landscape.
