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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

Heinz

Heinz Introduces REMIX, a Coca-Cola Freestyle for Condiments

I have to admit I was not expecting to write about Heinz condiment product today, but a big company surprises you every now and then.

No, it’s not MayoChup or Wasabioli, but the Heinz REMIX, a vending-machine-sized sauce dispenser that lets customers create personalized sauce mixes.

The new machine, which the company claims to have developed from concept in just six months, can create up to 200 sauce combinations from a base of sauces that includes ketchup, ranch, Heinz 57 Sauce, and BBQ Sauce. From there, the customers can mix in what the company calls “enhancers, ” including jalapeño, smoky chipotle, buffalo, and mango at varying intensities (low, medium, high).

The product, which is part of the company’s “Away From Home” (AFH) division, will debut later this month at National Restaurant Show.

The product is reminiscent of the Coca-Cola Freestyle, which lets customers create weird combinations of sodas to their heart’s content. However, unlike the Freestyle, it’s unclear how many restaurants are willing to cede floor space to a giant condiment mixer. Sodas are something customers actually pay for, and I’d gone to places just so I could use the Freestyle. So while the REMIX might be a draw for condiment-conscious consumers, restaurants will need to be sure the extra cost of having a REMIX adds enough to the bottom line in recurring or new customers to make it worth it.

But who knows, maybe all those RanchUp or Mango 57 nerds out have been waiting for the moment when they can finally express themselves.

Heinz Unveils A Packet Roller to Help You Avoid Mustard Pants

Not all innovations in food can be world-changing. Sometimes you want to keep mustard off your pants, and that’s why Heinz is rolling out a new device just for that: The Heinz Packet Roller.

The device features a corner cutter and lets you squeeze out the ketchup or mustard onto your food. It’s also small and has a keychain attached, and while I don’t see anyone stuffing this in their pockets, I can see busy drive-thru users throwing one in the glove box.

But all this begs the question: is a Juicero of condiment packets necessary? Probably not, but my guess Heinz knows that and sees this as more of an attempt to gain some social media clicks outside of their standard condiment marketing efforts.

Not that I don’t see some value. How many times have you gotten ketchup or mustard on your hands or clothes and still haven’t gotten out all the condiment? Yeah, me too.

But in the end, I wonder if Heinz should stop building gadgets like this that make using a lousy product (plastic condiment packets) better and instead work on better packaging to keep all the empty packets out of landfills?

You can see the Heinz Packet Roller in action below.

Introducing Heinz Packet Rollers :15

Roundup: CPGs Are Exploring Foodtech Through Startup Incubators

There’s no shortage of news about foodtech startups and the incubators that hatch them. Of late, though, an old player has entered this relatively new space: the CPG.

Huge corporations like Kraft and General Mills are struggling to stay relevant and maintain market share. According to one recent study, U.S. food and beverage sales for the top 25 food manufacturers declined from 66 percent in 2012 to 63 percent in 2015. And we don’t need a report to know that artificially flavored cereals and processed cheese are in direct conflict with recent shifts in the way consumers eat.

It makes sense, then, that these CPGs are associating themselves with startups through foodtech accelerators and incubators. Some simply invest, while others actually run their own programs or partner with programs.

Here’s a rundown of just some of the CPGs tapping into the world of emerging foodtech startups.

Springboard

Kraft Heinz just announced a new platform called Springboard, which will partner with and nurture up-and-coming brands focused on one of the “four pillars” of food: natural and organic, specialty and craft, health and performance, and experiential options.

Springboard also announced an incubator program for pre-valuation-stage companies in Chicago (date TBA). Selected participants will get $50,000 funding upon acceptance, with the chance to raise up to $50,000 more. They’ll also receive guidance on research, development, and networking. And in case you wondered if this was just another way for Kraft Heinz to snag ideas, participating companies will be encouraged to stay in charge of their organizations, with the CPG playing a more mentor-like role.

Springboard is accepting applications for the incubator through April 5.

Chobani

Greek yogurt maker Chobani runs one of the more well-known startup incubators. This past week they announced the Spring 2018 class for the program’s third installment. According to a press release, participants were “hand selected by Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya.” The lucky ones include an organic baby food company, a startup making superfood smoothie packs, a handful of organic-snack companies, and a tea maker.

Participants receive $25,000 in grants, opportunities for mentorship, and access to Chobani’s network. The class will run from April through July at Chobani’s sales and marketing offices in NYC.

Nutrition Greenhouse

You wouldn’t automatically pair edible insects and tortillas made from beets with the maker of one of the most sugary drinks on the planet. But that’s what you’d find at Pepsi’s Nutrition Greenhouse incubator. The drink company has been very clear that its incubator is focused on emerging health and wellness brands.

The first installment, which focused on companies catering to European consumers, has already wrapped. Eight companies took part in the program, with all of them receiving €25,000 as well as assistance with growing their business throughout the six-month program. Plant-based food company Erbology won the grand prize, a €100,000 grant.

There’s no word yet on the next set of dates, or if that focus will expand to include other parts of the world.

301 INC

General Mills doesn’t have an emerging brand incubator; it has an “emerging brand elevator.” 301 INC works with up-and-coming foodtech brands who already have a compelling product and are looking to turn it into a viable business and gain access to capital. Right now, Rhythm Superfoods, Beyond Meat, and plant-based food company Kite Hill are all partners.

301 INC is slightly different from other incubators in that there’s no stop and start date for participating companies. Instead, members work with the 301 team on an ongoing basis (although they do hold events from time to time). Interested companies should contact 301 through the program’s website.

VEB

Similar to 301 INC, Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) is a unit within Coca-Cola that fosters emerging brands on an ongoing basis. In this case, Coca-Cola is focused on beverage-specific brands who fall within one of the company’s four phases: experimentation, proof of concept, pain of growth, and scale to win. How much the CPG invests in each startup is determined by where that emerging company is in the four phases.

Coca-Cola notes that a successful brand “eventually graduates from VEB to join one of The Coca-Cola Company’s key business units.” Which is a fancy way of saying participants can eventually expect to become a cog in their machine. Whether that’s good or bad for innovation is up for debate.

That question might be true for all these programs. As CPG-driven accelerators and incubators are still a fairly new concept, it remains to be seen how these startups will change and grow once they have corporate capital and involvement. Call me overly optimistic, but I think this trend will end up doing more good than harm, giving emerging companies the ability to bring healthier lifestyle choices to the average consumer.