Page 49 - Food & Drink Magazine April 2019

NEW IN STORE
VEGEMITE GOES GLUTEN FREE
Vegemite now comes in a gluten-free variant after two years of research and development by the manufacturer of the popular spread. Bega Cheese’s new Gluten-free Vegemite uses gluten- free bakers yeast in place of the brewers yeast that makes traditional Vegemite unsuitable for people with coeliac disease. According to Vegemite’s marketing manager Matt Gray, a quarter of Australians are gluten avoiders, making the move a commercially savvy one. The impetus behind the product, however, was Zara Hill, the eight-year-old daughter of a Vegemite employee who had been diagnosed with coeliac disease and was no longer able to eat Vegemite. According to Gray, she was one of the first people to try the new product, and gave it the thumbs up.
CHIA PUDDINGS NOW IN POUCH PACKS
The Chia Co. has expanded its Chia Pod pudding range with a new pouch-based variant for more convenient on-the-go snacking.
Chia Pod Smooth blends Australian chia seeds and coconut milk into a smooth texture and comes packaged in ready-to-eat resealable and re-chillable pouches.
The product is dairy free, gluten free, nut free and vegan, and is being marketed as an allergen-free safe snack for play dates, sports groups and school lunch boxes.
“We wanted to make it easier for kids (and parents) to enjoy the taste and nutritional benefits of our Chia Pod range, a fantastic plant-based, non-dairy yoghurt alternative,” Australian farmer and The Chia Co.
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“The Vegemite brand’s venture into the gluten-free market has been consumer driven, with thousands of requests for the product,” Gray said.
“It hasn’t been an easy formulation to nail, with the most significant challenge being to find a suitable alternative
to brewer’s yeast. Working with bakers gluten-free
yeast we think we’ve nailed the Vegemite taste for those avoiding gluten and can’t wait to hear the feedback.”
Gluten-free Vegemite is also Monash University Low FODMAP Certified. The RRP is $4.89 for a 235g jar.
founder and CEO John Foss said.
“Ideal for any snacking ‘emergency’ moment, Chia Pod Smooth offers
blended chia pudding in a no-mess pouch, perfect for little hands and little mouths.”
Chia Pod Smooth comes in three flavours: Chocolate, Banana and Mixed Berry, and is available nationally in selected Woolworths stores.
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SIMPLE FOODS LAUNCHES ICE TREAT WITH LESS CALORIES
TIM TAMS DESIGNED TO SLAM
A new Australian-made low-calorie frozen dessert has hit the freezer aisle at Woolworths this summer, joining the growing number of sugar-free food products on offer.
Healthy-food start-up company Simple Foods launched its home-grown Tilly’s Guilt Free Frozen Dessert to capitalise on the global health and wellness megatrend.
Tilly’s Guilt Free Frozen Dessert contains no artificial sweeteners, using erythritol, a naturally occurring ingredient that tastes like sugar, but contains zero calories.
Available in three flavours including Chewy Gooey Choc Brownie, Cool Beans Vanilla ‘n Fudge, and Silky Salt Caramel, each tub is 475ml with only 275-320 calories per tub.
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | April 2019 | Food&Drink business | 49
Arnott’s newest Tim Tam range has been developed not only for flavour but to implement a popular Australian snacking ritual.
Tim Tam Slams are a version of the famous chocolate Tim Tam biscuits specially designed with a gooey core to help recreate what Arnott’s call the ‘Bite, Sip, Slam’ experience. The legendary snacking ritual involves biting the diagonal corners off a Tim Tam, dipping the bottom corner in a warm beverage and sipping the hot liquid and the melted filling of the biscuit through the gap in the top corner before ‘slamming’ it into the mouth.
“We are excited to deliver what Australians have been asking for... a Tim Tam designed specially to Slam,” Arnott’s marketing manager Tim Tam Matt Grant said.
“We have been overwhelmed with consumers who enjoy doing, sharing and teaching the Tim Tam Slam and have been calling for a Tim Tam which enhances this ultimate indulgent biscuit ritual,” Grant said. “We can’t wait to see even more Aussies doing the Tim Tam Slam.”
Tim Tam Slams come in three flavours including Choc Malt & Sticky Caramel, Choc Hazelnut & Gooey Caramel, and Dark Choc & Sticky Raspberry, available at major supermarkets nationally.
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