Tyson Foods enters the ‘functional’ food realm with a new snack brand

Meat giant Tyson Foods has long offered protein snacks like its “Any’tizers” branded frozen chicken products. But the Springdale-based company is also trying meatless options announcing with a new line of snack bites designed to provide healthy options.

Tyson said Wednesday, (Sept. 18) its new Pact Snack Bites are made with real fruits and nuts and have more than 10 ingredients per serving. Pact products are also a source of protein and include live probiotic cultures, prebiotic fiber and collagen protein, the company said in the release.

“Consumers are looking for delicious, convenient foods to deliver essential protein and other functional benefits,” said Noelle O’Mara, group president of prepared foods for Tyson Foods. “As one of the largest food companies in the world and a leader in protein, we are in a strong position to capture that demand as we continue to innovate with exciting new products like Pact.”

O’Mara said Tyson developed the bite-sized products working with nutrition and culinary experts. She said the snack line is expected to tap into the growing functional food market projected to reach $100 billion in U.S. sales by 2025.

Functional foods have the potential to offer positive effects on health and wellness and can help people fill gaps in nutrition. O’Mara said 65% of people are seeking foods with functional benefits, while the number of snacking occasions continues to increase as the lines between breakfast, lunch and dinner blur.

“We are innovating at the intersection of these trends, giving consumers more convenient, nutritious snack options,” she said.

Tyson said the Pact Snack Bites do not contain artificial flavors, and while they are refrigerated to maintain freshness and functionality, they can be consumed without refrigeration for up to a week. Tyson launched the following four varieties in the first product line:
• Gut Instinct, cranberry and kombucha probiotic snack bite made with green banana flour, cranberries and kombucha for a fruity and tart flavor;
• Gut Ahead, turmeric and ginger Prebiotic snack bite made with green banana flour, ginger and turmeric for a savory and spice-forward flavor;
• Vibe On, a mint matcha and blueberry energizing snack bite made with wild blueberries, peppermint oil and matcha for an aromatic and slightly sweet flavor; and
• Glow With It, a cocoa and collagen snack bite made with coconut flakes, cocoa and collagen protein for a rich and sweet flavor.

Tyson said the wellness benefits of the four varieties range from probiotics and fiber for healthy digestion, protein for building, repairing tissues and omega-3 and magnesium for heart and circulation wellness.

Tyson said this product launch will take place with the initial campaign on Indiegogo, a crowd-funding platform the Pact brand team is leveraging to test its product before a broader rollout. This is an alternative product launch plan, but will give Tyson a way to gauge product demand before pitching to brick and mortar retail. This is a direct-to-consumer marketing channel and it can engage brand advocates to provide real-time feedback. Consumers who want to try the Pact brand can access it online.

“Pact is part of our disruptive innovation model to create, iterate and bring products to market faster,” said O’Mara. “It’s also part of our multi-dimensional approach to innovation which includes creating food that is fresh and less processed, in flexible forms that fit seamlessly into consumers’ lives, and that is functional with important health and well-being benefits.”