Booth 3634

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., the agricultural cooperative owned by roughly 700 farmer families, will exhibit product concepts created to highlight the latest in snacking trends, such as permissible indulgence, consumer desire for bold flavors, value for money and nostalgic comfort foods.

“Ocean Spray Ingredients is thrilled to bring our proud heritage of quality cranberry ingredients, combined with forward-thinking processing and deep insights, into the foods consumers crave, to the upcoming 2024 IFT Expo,” said Sarah O’Neil, senior managing director, Ocean Spray Ingredients.

“Grown by our dedicated family-farmer owners, cranberries are an ingredient solution for manufacturers looking to appeal to a wide variety of consumers, from health-conscious Millennials to novelty-seeking Generation Y. Consumers of all demographics prefer minimally processed ingredients like cranberries, and a recent survey by AHDB/Blue Marble found that farmers are the most trusted part of the food chain. Partnering with Ocean Spray Ingredients brings function and flavor to your next snack product, as well as access to our world-class culinary support, insight, and innovation teams.”

The Ocean Spray team will feature several concepts showcasing different cranberry formats, designed to help manufacturers envision their next winning snack concept. Attendees can sample three new flavor mixes for various applications including:

• Peanut Butter & Jelly Mix: Made with strawberry-flavored dried cranberries, pretzel bites, dry-roasted peanuts and peanut butter chips, it ties to the nostalgic comfort food trend.
• Sweet Tangy Mix: Orange-flavored cranberries, dry-roasted cashews, pineapple chunks and diced mango combine for a unique sensory experience.
• Hot Honey Mix: Hot Honey continues to be a hot trend. Discover the sweet spiciness of this mix of dried cranberries, honey-roasted almonds, honey sesame sticks and spicy dried pineapple for a bold flavor sensation. 

“The snack category continues to grow,” said Adena Barber, innovation and marketing manager, Ocean Spray Ingredients. “In the U.S. alone, it is projected the average person will spend $151 on snacks in 2024. The global market is expected to grow by 3.25% in the next 5 years, offering significant opportunity for manufacturers. The key is to understand what products consumers want to buy.”