Bel UK has launched a new crudités with cheese line that it hopes will appeal to time-pressed consumers and appease the health police at the same time.
The Laughing Cow Cheese & Veg Dip, which contains freshly cut carrots and a healthy white cheese dip, hits the shelves in the next fortnight.
It is being marketed as a more virtuous snack than rival convenience snack offerings, such as Philadelphia Splendips or Dairylea Lunchables, and is aimed at office workers as well as children who want an on-the-go healthy snack.
The single packs contain the similar mild cheese to The Laughing Cow triangles, but in a more fluid format. The product offers consumers a well-balanced and nutritious snack, said Bel UK research and innovation consultant Rosie Tapp. It also offers one of their recommended 5-a-day fruit and veg intake and one of their 3-a-day recommended dairy intake, she claimed.
"With 113 calories per pack it is sure to be a popular alternative to crisps and chocolate for a wide range of people.
"It answers the needs of consumers who want something healthy, convenient and enjoyable in their busy lives."
Lunchtime was a big opportunity for retailers, she added, pointing out there were 3.75 billion lunchbox occasions in 2006 with more than 70% of lunchboxes eaten by adults [TNS Worldpanel 2007].
"With cheese accounting for almost 20% of snacking occasions, making it the biggest-single snacking item, The Laughing Cow Cheese & Veg Dip is the perfect product for retailers to stock," she said.
The new product would benefit from the £2.5m brand spend for The Laughing Cow this year, creating awareness and driving trial, she added.
The dip has been developed in partnership with Hazeldene Foods, a subsidiary of the William Jackson Group.
Earlier this year Bel UK launched an Emmental version of Mini BabyBel, and last year it squeezed its Laughing Cow cheese triangles into bottles.
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