Leftovers: Mars turns Skittles from chewy to crunchy | Kraft Heinz cracks the quesadilla code
Leftovers is our look at a few of the product ideas popping up everywhere. Some are intriguing, some sound amazing and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We can’t write about everything that we get pitched, so here are some leftovers pulled from our inboxes.
Crunch time for Skittles
Starting this fall, there’s a new way to taste the rainbow.
Mars announced Skittles Pop’d, a freeze-dried version of the colorful candy with a crunchy texture. The treats will be available in original and sour flavors in 5.5-ounce bags.
“At Mars, we’re constantly looking for innovative ways to deliver new experiences to our fans, based on flavor profiles and texture trends that we know consumers are seeking,” Ro Cheng, Mars Wrigley’s vice president of marketing for North America, said in a statement.
While the candy hits stores nationwide in early 2025, Skittles Pop’d will first be available for early access to purchase on TikTok Shop starting on Oct. 21, ahead of the biggest candy holiday of the year, Halloween.
Candy giant Mars, which reported its annual sales at over $47 billion, has innovated the Skittles brand in recent years with unique and novel product launches, including Skittles Gummies, miniature Skittles Littles and a mustard-flavored variety last year.
—Chris Casey
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Courtesy of Kraft Heinz
Delimex takes on soggy quesadillas
Kraft Heinz’s Delimex brand is expanding beyond taquitos with the launch of Crispy Quesadillas.
The offering, one of the Mexican food brand’s first new products in more than five years, is available in Char-Grilled Chicken and Chipotle Chicken. The quesadilla uses Kraft Heinz’s 360Crisp technology to deliver restaurant-quality quesadillas with pan-fried crispiness from the microwave.
The Delimex Crispy Quesadillas are now available in the frozen aisle at retailers nationwide.
“As we look to elevate Mexican-style frozen foods beyond taquitos, we’re redefining what’s possible through innovative technology,” Maryana Dluzniewski, Delimex’s marketing director, said in a statement. “As we look to elevate Mexican-style frozen foods beyond taquitos, we’re redefining what’s possible through innovative technology.”
Kraft Heinz said while quesadillas remain popular, most consumers are dissatisfied with the current offerings in the frozen aisle. They complain the food is soggy, contains cheese that doesn’t melt and lacks crunch. The packaged food giant found an opportunity to use its 360Crisp to meet this void in the market.
Delimex Crispy Quesadillas is the second innovation that leverages Kraft Heinz’s 360Crisp.
The technology uses material with strategic venting and varied heat points to ensure proper cooking throughout the food.
The first product with 360Crisp came in 2023 when Kraft Heinz rolled out Lunchables Grilled Cheesies that have a crispy outside and melty cheese that can be made in a minute.
The food and beverage manufacturer has targeted innovation as “the single biggest driver” as it aims to boost net sales by $2 billion by 2027, Alan Kleinerman, vice president and head of disruption at Kraft Heinz, told Food Dive last year. He noted 360Crisp is viewed as an “important innovation” in achieving that goal.
—Christopher Doering
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Courtesy of Pepperidge Farm
Pepperidge Farm brings a new holiday lineup
Though the leaves have just begun to change, Campbell Soup Co.’s cookie brand is ready to deck the halls.
Pepperidge Farm introduced a new offering ahead of winter. Thin & Crispy peppermint cocoa cookies are the company’s first thin & crispy style in the company’s holiday cookie lineup.
The holiday debut features a chocolate cookie sprinkled with crisp peppermint chips, according to Pepperidge Farm.
The bakery brand has launched several holiday offerings over the years such as Snowballs, Gingerman, and Raspberry Linzer.
The newest holiday cookies will be available for limited time only at retailers starting in November.
First with pumpkin spiced lattes in August and now with holiday offerings in October, more and more companies are launching seasonal flavors to adjust to consumer demand.
Whole Foods Market is also bringing out its festive collections weeks before the Nov. 1 start of the holiday shopping season — the retailer is already selling its limited edition eggnog, for example.
—Elizabeth Flood