Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., the agricultural cooperative owned by roughly 700 farmer families, announced a new partnership with The Hershey Company, an industry-leading snacks company, for a line of sweet treats made from real fruit.
According to a news release, the new snack line features Milk Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Bites and Dark Chocolate Dipped Cherry Infused Cranberry Bites. The products will come in multiserve resealable pouches in both 5 ounces and 8 ounces, suitable for snacking and on-the-go.
“What better way to build our snack portfolio than to partner with Hershey’s, the No. 1 milk chocolate brand in the U.S., offering our consumers the ultimate snack to evolve the dried fruit category,” Monisha Dabek, Ocean Spray chief commercial officer, USA, said in the release. “It’s important for us to create products that are made from real fruit, innovating how we feature the cranberry in a variety of flavor combinations for year-round snacking and sweet treats for the whole family.”
Ocean Spray has continued to expand its foods and snacking portfolio introducing a variety of new products. The cooperative has partnered with Atlantic Sea Farms, a regenerative aquaculture company, to include its cranberry seeds in the Maine-based company’s kelp cubes. It also has debuted the juice drink Frutas Frescas, which has fewer calories and sugar than other similar beverages. And just last week, Ocean Spray announced it was collaborating with Pernod Ricard USA’s Absolut Vodka on a ready-to-drink cocktail.
Their latest partnership with Hershey brings a valuable brand to Ocean Spray that gives the new cranberry bites further recognition in the marketplace.
“When brand alignment and collaboration makes sense, we jump at the chance to partner,” Kelvin Vuong, senior director of brand marketing for foods and snacking at Ocean Spray, said in an email.
Milk Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Bites and Dark Chocolate Dipped Cherry Infused Cranberry Bites join Ocean Spray’s existing snack, Greek Yogurt Dipped Cranberry Bites, and will be available in select stores across the U.S. including Walmart, Publix and regional grocery stores.
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