• December 20, 2011

With 70 new U.S. product launches scheduled for first-quarter 2012, Kraft Foods will clearly be busy with more than "just" reorganizing its split into North American groceries and international snacks companies next year. Further, rival General Mills has a similarly aggressive plan, with 50 launches being readied for the second half of its fiscal 2012, reports Ad Age. 

Kraft announced that its raft of new-product introductions will include two new "meal solution" lines (Kraft Sizzling Salads Dinner Kits and Kraft Fresh Take and Velveeta Cheesy Skillets Dinner Kits); caffeinated/energy versions of its MiO water enhancers; whole-grain BelVita Breakfast Biscuits (a hit in Europe); and Gevalia Kaffe Coffee now available for purchase at retail (heretofore available only by direct mail/home delivery).

Other offerings will include Oscar Mayer Butcher Thick Cut Bacon; Kraft MilkBite Milk and Granola Bars; new reduced-fat varieties of Philadelphia Cooking Creme and Philadelphia Indulgence spreads; new Lunchables varieties; new SnackWell's varieties; and a new sugar-free Stride gum variety with B vitamins.

General Mills' launches will include Cheerios Peanut Butter Multigrain and Cheerios Dulce de Leche; a frosted variety of its Cinnamon Toast Crunch line; and new flavors of Yoplait Gree yogurt in multipack formats.