General Mills Launching 50 New Products in New Year

December 17, 2014, 01:28 pm

MINNEAPOLIS — General Mills Inc. will kick off 2015 with a bang by launching more than 50 new products in January. The company is prioritizing three different segments with the new lineup: cereal, yogurt, and a specific focus on snacks.

"We focus on snacking because Americans are really changing the way they eat. We are doing a lot more snacking and a lot less sitting down to three meals a day. So, it's certainly an area of growth," said Jeff Harmening, executive vice president and chief operating officer of U.S. Retail for General Mills.

"And more importantly, consumers are demanding more from their snacks. We have a whole host of products we're introducing in our better-for-you snacks area," he continued. "The biggest and best of those is going to be Nature Valley Nut Crisps in flavors like salted caramel peanut."

The company's new cereal offerings include line extensions such as Ancient Grains Cheerios and Chex Gluten Free Granola Mix. Research shows that gluten-free is among the top wellness trends and something consumers are looking for, according to Harmening.

In the second half of the year, General Mills will bring French Toast Crunch back to shelves.

General Mills is putting effort into improving existing products as well. "In the first half of the year, our biggest innovation by far has been adding more cinnamon to Cinnamon Toast Crunch and consumers absolutely love it," he said.

In the yogurt segment, the company is working to combine different product trends. "We have a fantastic new product we think consumers are really going to like — Yoplait Greek 100 Whips," noted Harmening. "It offers protein with the lightness of a whipped mousse, and it tastes phenomenal."