Food & Beverage News: Insights, Safety, and Dining Trends
- Cheez-It Crunch introduces 3D-shaped crackers offering a bold, flavor-forward, crunchy snacking experience in three spicy and cheesy flavors.
- Kick'n Nacho Cheese and Zesty Jalapeño Cheddar debut in 7-Eleven before a nationwide rollout of all flavors in January 2026.
- Wonderful Pistachios enters confectionery with Chocolate Sea Salt and Chocolate Toffee dark chocolate-coated pistachios as better-for-you indulgences.
- Market context shows texture and sensory snacking drive interest, while chocolate category growth and rising cacao costs shape product positioning.
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.
Cheez-It adds some crunch
Kellanova is releasing its biggest innovation for the Cheez-It brand in three years by adding some crunch.
Cheez-It Crunch is a new line of 3D-shaped cheese crackers meant to deliver “a flavor-forward, crunchy snacking experience,” according to a release.
The launch includes three flavors: Kick’n Nacho Cheese, Zesty Jalapeño Cheddar and Sharp White Cheddar. The nacho cheese and jalapeño cheddar flavors will be available in 7-Eleven stores starting in October, with a nationwide retailer rollout for all three options in January 2026.
“We’ve taken everything fans love about the original Cheez-It cracker and reimagined it with a new, irresistible snacking experience,” Cara Tragseiler, senior brand director for Cheez-It, said in a statement. “As the name indicates, Cheez-It Crunch has a bold, craveable crunch, delivering a satisfying bite and making it a must-have for all snack lovers.”
The launch plays into a shift among younger consumers toward sensory snacking experiences that integrate multiple flavors and textures into often surprising combinations. Kellanova noted a 55% increase in crunchy snack videos uploaded to social media in the past year, citing data from Tubular.
Texture is a powerful driver in attracting consumers. Ingredient giant Ingredion said descriptions on a product’s label, such as chewy or crunchy, can drive up to 70% of the consumer’s preference for a product.
— Sarah Zimmerman
Wonderful Pistachios mixes sweet with its salty
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Courtesy of Wonderful Pistachios
Wonderful Pistachios is stepping into the confectionery category with two new chocolate-coated product launches.
Wonderful introduced chocolate sea salt and chocolate toffee pistachios, which the company said was meant to offer customers a better-for-you option for consumer indulgence.
The products include the company’s no-shell pistachios dipped in dark chocolate made with 50% cacao. The products are sold in 4 ounce bags and are available in Walmart stores and on its e-commerce platform.
“Consumers are increasingly looking for snacks that hit the sweet spot, literally and nutritionally,” Diana Salsa, vice president of marketing for Wonderful Pistachios, said in a news release. “With Chocolate Sea Salt and Chocolate Toffee, we’re giving snackers the best of both worlds: The crisp crunch of pistachios paired with a bite-sized amount of dark chocolate decadence.”
Wonderful is stepping into the chocolate space at a time where cacao costs have soared, prompting many major companies to raise prices. While demand has declined with higher prices, chocolate made up $21.4 billion in the confectionery sales last year — a new high.
Wonderful is positioning its expansion into chocolate as a “new chapter” for the brand. Its product assortment contains several savory varieties, including chili roasted, smoky barbeque, dill pickle and jalapeño lime.
— Laurel Deppen
Snickers gets saucy
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Courtesy of Mars Wrigley
Snickers hopes football fans will soon find another way to tackle their craving for the popular candy bar.
The Mars-Wrigley-owned offering is partnering with NFL quarterback Josh Allen to launch Snickers Sauces — limited-edition dipping sauces combining sweet and savory flavors.
The sauces bring together the core elements of a Snickers – chocolate, caramel and peanuts – by featuring three distinct flavors. Caramel Buffalo comes with Buffalo heat for a sweet and spicy combination; Peanut Teriyaki contains notes of soy and garlic; while Chocolate Barbecue has sweet and smoky flavors.
SNICKERS Sauces deliver a flavor experience as satisfying as the bar itself, built for game day snacking whether you are in the stadium, at home, or at the tailgate,” Gabrielle Wesley, chief marketing officer with Mars Wrigley North America, said in a statement.
Fans can go online for a chance to score the limited-edition Snickers Sauces with the purchase of a pack of Josh Allen Snickers Minis. Weekly sauce drops will occur online during halftime of some NFL Sunday games throughout September.
Mars Wrigley is no stranger to bringing Snickers outside of its iconic candy bar.
The company previously rolled out Snickers Dessert Sauces in the United Kingdom in 2022, touting their use on ice cream, crepes and waffles. That same year, B&G Foods licensed the Snickers trademark to launch Snickers Shakers Seasoning Blend, a powder form of the bar to enhance the flavor for everything from cookies and milkshakes to cookies and yogurt.
— Christopher Doering
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