Leftovers: AriZona chills out with ice pops | Kit Kat beats the heat with pink lemonade flavor

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AriZona is cooler than ever in the freezer aisle

With the summer months beginning, a popular iced tea and juice brand is entering a new category — and maybe causing a few brain freezes.

AriZona Ice Pops are available now in three varieties: Mucho Mango, Fruit Punch and Watermelon, based on the flavors of three of its most popular juice products. Each pop contains 50 calories, and no artificial flavors or sweeteners, according to the brand.

“From the hot days of summer heat to a sweet treat any day of the year, AriZona juices provide welcome refreshment for Americans across the country,” said Spencer Vultaggio, AriZona’s CMO, in the press release. “The freezer aisle was the obvious next step for our flavor-forward brand, and we can’t wait to hear what people think.”

The Ice Pops are available for a limited time at select retailers across the country, competing with established brands like Popsicle and Outshine.

Known best for its tall cans of iced tea, AriZona has also shown interest in expanding its portfolio of products into new categories. In 2021, it teamed up with Heineken to launch a hard seltzer, and debuted a line of hard tea products last summer. The company also entered ground coffee in 2021 with its Sun Brew line.

— Chris Casey

Kit Kat cools down with pink lemonade flavor

Kit Kat is giving consumers another way to ease the heat this summer with a Pink Lemonade flavored version.

The limited-edition offering, which includes crisp wafers wrapped in a pink lemonade flavored creme, reportedly delivers a refreshing taste experience with unexpected hints of strawberry, according to Hershey. The Pennslvania company said the new flavor caters to Gen Z and Millennials as more than 93% of them express a preference for Pink Lemonade treats.

“Creating new, unexpected flavor experiences for our KIT KAT® fans is at the core of what we do,” Hilary Long, Kit Kat Brand Lead with Hershey, said in a statement. “The KIT KAT Pink Lemonade Flavored Bar delivers an immersive experience in every bite, reminiscent of a refreshing glass of pink lemonade as the weather heats up for summer fun.”

The Kit Kat Pink Lemonade joins other extensions the brand has issued before, including Chocolate Frosted Donut, Churro, Birthday Cake and Blueberry Muffin.

Hershey said the limited-time Kit Kat flavors play a valuable role in complementing its classic milk chocolate offering and helping the Pennsylvnaia-based company “continue to grow excitement around the KIT KAT brand.”  

The flavors are created, the company said, using consumer insight, key trends and flavors that are performing well. The information helps Kit Kat determine whether to create limited edition, seasonal or permanent offerings.

— Christopher Doering

Iron Chef competes in frozen breakfast category

A famous chef is hoping to win over consumers with a new line of egg-based offerings.

Iron Chef Ming Tsai created MingBings after his wife had a health scare in 2017. After that, his family transitioned to a plant-based and gluten-free diet with the hope of lowering inflammation.

As a chef, Tsai was disappointed with the better-for-you options in grocery stores that were also convenient, so he created his own. 

Now in the frozen aisle at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Giant, Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market and more, Tsai is expanding his company’s product line with frozen breakfast handhelds. 

The bings are now available in sausage egg and cheese, veggie egg and cheese, and Denver Omelette — which includes a filling of ham, egg, vegetables and cheddar cheeses. 

Bings are a traditional Chinese flatbread that originated during the Ming dynasty of China. Tsai “Americanized” the dish by combining flavors in a crunchy brown rice wrap. 

Though the new breakfast varieties are not plant-based, they still fall under the better-for-you category, according to Tsai. 

The Sausage, Egg, & Cheese is 40% less calories and sodium than leading handheld frozen breakfast sandwiches and the Denver Omelette Bings are less than 50% of the calories and sodium than leading handheld breakfast sandwiches. 

The brown rice papers are also gluten-free and can be ready in 10-12 minutes. 

Tsai was on “Iron Chef” in 2014 and since then has gone on to open several restaurants that boast James Beard awards. All of his culinary concepts focus on East-West fusion cuisine.

Tsai is among other restaurateurs and TV personalities who have gone on to create their own brands.

Chef Gordon Ramsay, known for his quick wit and fiery insults, also launched a line of ready-to-eat frozen meals in September of last year.

— Elizabeth Flood