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MINNEAPOLIS — This summer, General Mills Inc. plans to begin rolling out more than 200 new products, ranging from cereals, snack bars and yogurt to bake mixes, meal kits, and breakfast and gluten-free items.
The consumer packaged goods giant announced the global product launch Tuesday during its annual Investor Day meeting at the New York Stock Exchange.
"Product innovation is the fuel that creates category growth," Ken Powell, chairman and chief executive officer of General Mills, said in a statement. "We have a robust new product plan, with more than 200 new items being introduced worldwide in the first half of the year alone."
In the United States, General Mills aims to launch a range of new snack and mini-meal items that deliver protein or fiber, including Nature Valley Protein Granola cereal, Nature Valley Greek Yogurt Protein bars, Fiber One Protein Peanut Butter bars, Fiber One 90 Calorie Lemon Bars, Fiber One 90 Calorie Cinnamon Coffee Cake bars, Yoplait Greek yogurt and Yoplait Greek 100 multipacks, Go-Gurt Protein yogurt and LARABAR ALT bars.
Noting that U.S. consumers, on average, spend less than 30 minutes to prepare and cook the evening meal, General Mills is unveiling new dinner options focused on convenience. Among the new meal items slated to launch in the U.S. are Ultimate Helper premium dinner kits, Old El Paso Mexican Cooking Sauces, Old El Paso Frozen Entrees, Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff Soft Flour Tortillas and Progresso Heart Healthy soups.
Also offering U.S. consumers more convenient options will be a series of new, on-the-go breakfast items. Due to roll out this summer are Nature Valley Soft-Baked Oatmeal Squares, Pillsbury Heat-N-Go Mini Pancakes and Pillsbury Heat-N-Go Mini Waffles, as well as BFAST, a shelf-stable, drinkable breakfast shake.
General Mills also is expanding its roster of over 300 gluten-free products in response to the increasing number of consumers seeking to live gluten-free. New gluten-free products set to launch in the U.S. this summer include Vanilla Chex cereal; Betty Crocker Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Mix and Gluten Free All-Purpose Rice Flour Blend; Pillsbury Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Gluten Free Pie and Pastry Dough and Gluten Free Thin Crust Pizza Dough; and LARABAR uber bars in Baklava, Sticky Bun, and Coconut Macaroon flavors.
Consumers looking for the indulgent taste of chocolate will see some new choices as well. In July, Betty Crocker is slated to introduce a new line of cookie mixes, cupcake mixes and frostings made with iconic flavors such as Hershey’s, Reese’s and Almond Joy. Also upcoming at convenience stores nationwide will be the Betty Crocker Caramel Brownie.
Other new General Mills products due out in the U.S. market in the first half of the fiscal year include Totino’s BOLD Rolls in Jalapeno Popper and Buffalo Chicken varieties, Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme cereal, Green Giant Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips in Garden Ranch flavor, Green Giant Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips in a Barbecue variety, Mott’s Strawberry Apple Fruit Flavored Snacks, and Food Should Taste Good Blue Corn and Yellow Corn Dipping Chips.
The company added that the new offerings build on successful product innovations in fiscal 2013, such as Yoplait Greek 100 yogurt, Fiber One Protein bars and Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch cereal.
