Hershey has launched a range of snack bars under its Brookside range in the US.
The snack bars feature real fruit pieces, Brookside dark chocolate and whole roasted almonds. They are gluten free, contain no artificial flavours, are low in sodium, cholesterol free, and have zero grams of trans-fat.
"People love to snack throughout the day and want a broader range of wholesome options," said Tony Tyree, VP, snacks and grocery ."They also want to know what’s in their food, how it’s made and where the ingredients come from. Inspired by our consumers’ wholesome snacking preferences, we’ve developed Brookside Fruit & Nut bars which are crafted from simpler ingredients to create an extraordinarily delicious eating experience that can be enjoyed at any time of day."
On a conference call discussing the company's full year results in January, John Bilbrey, Hershey's CEO, president and director said snacking was "not just a short term".
"This is really a trend and its becoming a habit if you look at the way the number of meals people have during the day, they have broader options on the menu of how to participate that.
"We just have to be competitive and we have to be competitive with the brands we have that are within the core of the Hershey Company, our confectionery products, we are expanding brands like Brookside which have a nice halo effect of goodness."
The range includes three variants: Brookside Fruit & Nut Cranberry with Blackberry Flavor; Brookside Fruit & Nut Cherry with Pomegranate Flavor; Brookside Fruit & Nut Blueberry with Acai Flavor.
Each variety will be available in a 1.4-oz. bar at an SRP of $1.69.
