Some health organizations might like to take credit for 'pressuring' food manufacturers to produce healthier snacks.
At an analysts meeting Monday, the snack giant [Frito-Lay] will unveil Flat Earth, snacks with half a serving of fruits or veggies per ounce (about 11 chips). The company considers the February rollout a critical step in convincing consumers it cares about nutrition. "Consumers are looking for healthier snacks," says Tess Zbuchalski, Frito-Lay's wellness chief. "There aren't many other snacks that are healthy and convenient." from USA Today.
If you haven't been paying attention, PepsiCo, the parent of Frito-Lay, was among the original supporters of introducing healthier snacks into school vending machines. With a guaranteed distribution system to a captive audience, who wouldn't support getting the 'junk' (aka competitors) out of the schools - especially with products like these in the pipeline? And for the 'there are no coincidences' segment, don't believe that these new products were suddenly developed since the October 6th agreement.
Every serving of Sun Chips, Frito-Lay's 'Health and Wellness' product, has 140 calories and 6 grams of fat per serving (and 18 grams of whole grains). From the website: Add 1 oz. of SUNCHIPS® to a sandwich made on whole wheat bread and you've got the recommended 3 whole grain servings!
Guess they'll be recommending adding a serving of Flat Earth snacks to your salad for a crunchier meal - will Chester Cheeto go vegan?
I'll stick to my premise that it's all about maintaining distribution and access to students that drives these school vending machine agreements. And I'll be curious to see what the calories per serving size are for these products - or how many chips can you fit into a 100 calorie bag, and at what price?
A case study on using all the Ps - product innovation, pricing, place (distribution) and coming-soon promotions - to outflank the health groups.
Technorati Tags: Food Marketing, Obesity, Schools, Snack Foods, Vending Machines
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