This summer, satisfying your mustard cravings doesn’t require a hot dog. McCormick & Company is teaming up with Mars to introduce French’s mustard-flavored Skittles, available for a limited time. In a statement, McCormick noted that this launch continues their tradition of unveiling an innovative mustard-themed product every year for National Mustard Day, which is celebrated on August 5. “From Mustard Ice Cream to last year’s viral Mustard Donuts, this is the fifth year French’s has gone all out with unique, flavorful innovations for National Mustard Day,” stated Valda Coryat, McCormick’s North America Vice President of Marketing. “With the yellow holiday on August 5, we knew we had to raise the bar.” The mustard-flavored ice cream, created in collaboration with dessert maker Coolhaus in 2019, was McCormick’s first foray into unconventional food pairings featuring mustard flavor.
Fun-sized packs of the mustard candy will be distributed at pop-up events in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta next week. McCormick acquired the mustard brand in 2017 as part of a $4.2 billion deal to purchase Reckitt Benckiser’s food division. Skittles has a history of launching playful and unique varieties; in 2019, it released Zombie Skittles ahead of Halloween, featuring five flavors, one of which had the taste of “rotten zombies.”
In another exciting development, Hormel Foods has introduced the first permanent addition to its flavor lineup in eight years with the new sweet and savory maple-flavored Spam, expanding the brand’s offerings to 11 flavors. This new flavor was inspired by a surge of fan-generated maple recipes on social media, coupled with consumer insights indicating that more people were enjoying breakfast at home. “Spam brand has introduced a unique variety of products, aligning our great flavors with consumer trends and feedback,” said Lisa Selk, Vice President of Marketing for Spam, in a press release. “As recent research indicated a resurgence in home-cooked breakfasts and a steady demand for maple products, we knew it was time to create Spam maple-flavored. We can’t wait to see the culinary creations our fans come up with for breakfast and beyond.”
The new Spam flavor combines sweet, natural maple with the classic savory notes of Spam’s signature tinned meat. The company anticipates that consumers will enjoy it with any meal or as a snack. Many consumer packaged goods (CPGs) companies are now innovating based on trends that emerged during the pandemic, where people experimented with novelty foods at home. Hormel, widely recognized for its meat products like Spam and Jennie-O, has also expanded its snack offerings since 2013, acquiring brands such as Columbus, a craft meat producer; nut butter maker Justin’s; and Skippy peanut butter. Additionally, Hormel established a joint venture in 2009 with MegaMex, which oversees brands like Herdez, Chi-Chi’s, La Victoria salsas, and Wholly Guacamole, a line of refrigerated dips. In 2022, Hormel finalized its acquisition of the Planters snack nut portfolio for $3.35 billion from Kraft Heinz, marking the largest deal in the company’s 131-year history. This acquisition, which included Cheez Balls and Corn Nuts, positioned Planters as the largest brand in Hormel’s portfolio.
Maple-flavored Spam joins the classic options (including lite and low-salt versions), bacon, oven-roasted turkey, hickory smoke, hot and spicy, jalapeño, teriyaki, and Tocino, a Filipino seasoning, available in grocery aisles.
To commemorate National Lasagna Day on July 29, Ragu has launched a new line of kettle-cooked sauces, featuring three flavors: marinara, roasted garlic, and tomato basil. Mizkan America Inc., the iconic pasta brand, has also partnered with Lasagna Love—a global nonprofit dedicated to combating hunger—to deliver these new pasta sauces to those in need in cities like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Houston, and Paramus, New Jersey. The sauces will be available at select retailers starting in July, including Meijer and Kroger stores, with wider availability at Target and other retailers beginning in August.
According to the Mount Pleasant, Illinois-based company, the kettle-cooked sauces are made by “slow simmering in large kettles,” resulting in an “elevated” quality and flavor. The three sauces are crafted from ingredients such as crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, and fresh garlic, with no added sugar. The pasta sauce market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.74% from 2022 to 2027, primarily driven by consumer spending on food. The industry has also seen a rise in demand for local flavors and varieties. “We believe ‘homemade’ doesn’t have to mean spending all day in the kitchen; the new RAGÚ Kettle Cooked sauces offer a smart shortcut with a rich and savory homemade taste that simplifies mealtime,” said Megan Frank, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Mizkan America Inc. With the addition of these kettle-cooked varieties, Ragu now boasts six different sauce options, alongside old world, chunky, cheese, and pizza sauces.
In summary, this summer’s offerings, including mustard-flavored Skittles and maple Spam, highlight the ongoing trend of creative flavor innovations in the food industry, underscoring the importance of consumer preferences and trends.