Do-it-yourself

Anyone who has watched television or visited websites like Pinterest knows the do-it-yourself or DIY trend is here to stay. With DIY, consumers get a personalized product, the pride of making it and the convenience of creating it how and where they want. And while consumers may want to do it themselves, they also want to get it done in a reasonable amount of time with a minimal amount of effort. That might explain why DIY is often accompanied by “life hacks” to solve everyday problems and make life easier. Dairy packagers have taken note and started packing up a selection of DIY products that are also making life easier.

Following in the footsteps of prepackaged spice combinations and single serve sauce boosters, Land O’Lakes is packaging up Sauté Express Sauté Starters. Each single flavor package contains six 1-ounce squares of seasoned butter and olive oil sauté starter to help flavor meat, poultry, seafood and veggies. The squares allow consumers to control and customize the flavoring of their meal while also making it quick and convenient. The refrigerated packs can be found in the dairy aisle, and the product requires no prep time, thawing time or mixing time. It is ready to add to the meal whenever the cook is ready to fire up the sauté pan.

Jumping in on the DIY trend and the ever growing market for be-your-own-instant-barista products such as single-serve coffee cup packages for single cup brewers and carry-along instant coffee packs like Starbucks Via, Seattle’s Best Coffee has introduced Frozen Coffee Blends. The 8-ounce pouches, stocked in the freezer section, contain frozen coffee bits made of coffee, sugar, milk, flavorings and other ingredients to give the blendable beverages that authentic coffee-shop experience. Consumers simply need to tear open the pouch, place the frozen coffee pieces in a blender with a cup of milk and blend to create two 8-ounce servings.

“This represents the first time a premium coffee brand has crossed over into the frozen section of the grocery store,” says Steve Sklar, senior vice president of market for Inventure Foods, Inc, the manufacturer of the coffee blends. “This is great news for consumers who love frozen coffee drinks but have previously had no way to recreate that café experience from the comfort of home.”

Consumers also have the option to use their favorite type of milk and add other ingredients to the mix for a truly customizable DIY experience in one easy-to-use package.

Go for it

With consumers taking on more active and busy lifestyles, shelf-stable products have become the ultimate choice for grab and go. Because of innovation in shelf-stable milk packaging, dairy can now be just as handy for a quick drink as soft drinks, bottled water and other ready to drink beverages. Milk Unleashed, an educational campaign from Tetra Pak (tratepkusa.com), is aimed at letting consumers know that shelf safe milk is an option. Milk is packaged in Tetra Pak cartons similar to juice or soup cartons and doesn’t require refrigeration until it is opened. Shelf-stable cartons of milk continue to gain popularity and, according to the Carton Council of North America (cartonopportunities.org), 45% of U.S. households have access to carton recycling so the shelf-stable packs are also sustainable.

Jay Street Coffee is bringing grab and go and shelf-stable together for a burst of ready-to-drink energy. The 100% Arabica coffee drinks blended with rBST-free milk come in a convenient 16.9-ounce recyclable PETE bottle. The single-serve bottle pours out only 180 calories, and the ingredients aren’t the only things that are lightweight. Jay Street Coffee has reduced their bottles to 18.7 grams, which is less than the industry standard of 24 grams.

Size it up

Consumers focused on customization and convenience want products that fit their needs, regardless of how specific those needs might be. Yogurt packaging continues to expand to offer a variety of options to every consumer, especially when it comes to portion sizes.

Chobani, make of Greek yogurt, has released a new 100-calorie pack of natural Greek yogurt for calorie conscious consumers looking for a convenient and healthy option. Peter McGuinness, chief marketing and brand officer at Chobabi, says “The light yogurt segment represents roughly 20% of the overall category, and Greek light is the fastest-growing segment at more than 300% in the last 24 weeks year over year according to Nielsen.”  The 100-calorie packs, called Chobani Simply 100 Greek Yogurt, are available in 5.3-ounce single-serve packages or four-count multipacks.

To serve the calorie conscious consumer on the opposite end of the spectrum, Powerful Yogurt, which launched in March of last year, recently expanded its product line of all-natural, high-protein yogurts. The marketing and packaging of the yogurt targets male customers with active lifestyles. The high-protein content is design for athletes, and the 8-ounce cups are 50% larger than most individual-serving Greek yogurts. In addition to standing taller than the average Greek yogurt container, the Powerful Yogurt container features ab-like contours on the side, which goes with the company tag line “find your inner abs.”