News Briefs

Nestlé Toll House is bringing springtime flavors to the baking aisle with the return of its Easter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

The seasonal product, which contains pastel egg sprinkles, is a spring-inspired spin on the brand’s famous chocolate chip cookie recipe, the company said.

Available for purchase for a limited time, the cookie dough comes in a 16-oz. size that retails for $3.49.

Premier Protein has launched its new Plant Protein Powder line.

The new product line aims to bring its iconic taste, affordable price points and easy-to-understand nutrition credentials to the vegan protein space, the company said. Additionally, the protein powder contains 25 g of protein from peas and rice protein per serving.

“Premier Protein has dedicated itself to making convenient, delicious products that help people stay on track with their health goals,” said Amy Larek, director of marketing at Premier Protein. “With our new Plant Protein Powder, we are excited to deliver on these same benefits, but to people who are seeking a plant-based protein offering.”

The new product is available in chocolate and vanilla flavors for purchase at major retailers nationwide.

Pop-Tarts is bringing the cinnamon apple flavors of Apple Jacks to its toaster pastries.

The brand’s new Apple Jacks Frosted Apple Cinnamon Flavor Pop-Tarts feature a green and orange-sprinkled frosting, as well as the cereal's cinnamon aroma and sweet apple flavor.

“We know our fans love a brand mashup, so Pop-Tarts is continuing to provide new ways of enjoying the nostalgic flavors from our childhoods,” said Heidi Ray, senior director of marketing, portable wholesome snacks. “With over 50% of Apple Jacks households also purchasing Pop-Tarts, we believe this new flavor will bring families the best of both into one crazy good offering.”

Apple Jacks Frosted Apple Cinnamon Flavor Pop-Tarts will begin hitting shelves throughout March with a full nationwide rollout in April in an eight-count box that retails for $3.84 and a Walmart-exclusive 16-count box for $5.02.

For the first time, the Natural Bliss line is expanding beyond its well-known coffee creamers with the launch of not one but two new plant-based oat milks.

Made from a unique blend of oats and fava bean protein, each contains 5 g of protein per serving and comes in two varieties—original and unsweetened.

“As interest in plant-based beverages continues to rise, we’re thrilled to expand our natural bliss portfolio beyond the creamer aisle to introduce our first-ever ready-to-drink Oat Milk,” said Daniel Jhung, President of Beverage at Nestlé USA. “We know our consumers seek products that are both delicious and nutritious, and this offering delivers with a first-to-market blend of oat and fava bean protein that has more protein than the leading oat milk brand, less sugar than dairy milk, and can be enjoyed in several ways, at any time of day.” 

Natural Bliss’ plant-based oat milk will launch nationally in retailers beginning in May.

Amazon is reportedly investing in ultra-fast delivery, which could come with fees, as it also tries to cut expenses, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The report also noted that Amazon is continuing to allocate resources to facilities and services designed to deliver packages to customers in less than a day.

A critical part of Amazon’s ultra-fast delivery strategy is its network of warehouses, dubbed same-day sites, which are a fraction of the size of its large fulfillment warehouses and are designed to prepare products for immediate delivery, the report said.

Unlike Amazon's large warehouses, these smaller warehouses typically rely on delivery stations closer to customers for the final stage of shipping.

Amazon has opened about 45 of the smaller sites since 2019 and could expand to at least 150 centers in the next several years, the report said, citing MWPVL International, which tracks Amazon warehouse operations.

The sites are mainly open near large cities and deliver the most popular 100,000 items in Amazon’s catalog, the report said, again citing MWPVL. Recently opened sites include Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix. 

Amazon's latest move comes as rivals Walmart and Instacart also provide quick shipping options to customers. The report pointed out that Walmart has used its thousands of stores to help fulfill fast online orders.

CBDistillery is introducing its Microdose Synergy+ THC & CBD line, which includes tincture and soft gel products.

THC offers many health and wellness benefits, especially when combined with CBD. Microdosing, at its base level, is “taking a small enough dose of a potentially intoxicating substance to experience its benefits without the feeling of intoxication,” CBDistillery said.

Each serving of Microdose Synergy+ features 1 mg of THC and 30 mg of CBD that "work in harmony, a phenomenon we know as the Entourage Effect — to nourish and support your mind and body for optimal health and wellness,” the company said.