Nestlé Is Releasing A Sweet New Line Of Smoothie Pouches

Smoothies are a tasty, efficient, and popular way for people to meet nutritional needs. In the United States, the smoothie market was valued at more than $12 billion in 2019, according to Market Data Forecast. Both bottled smoothie brands, like Naked Juice, and chains, such as Jamba, are responsible for a large part of the consumption of these cool, refreshing beverages. Others may feel that homemade smoothies are better than pre-made ones.

If you're not an early riser, however — or if you just like the idea of a portable smoothie that you don't have to wait in line for and needs no refrigeration — Nestlé might just have the right alternative for you. The food manufacturer's Outshine brand, which you may recognize for its frozen fruit bars, is dropping store-bought fruit and yogurt smoothies this month, according to a recent press release. Outshine promises that both kids and adults will like these shelf-stable smoothies, which come in pouches that can be tossed into a bag or backpack. They'll be offered in four varieties, including blueberry pear, peach strawberry, pear vanilla, and strawberry coconut. 

Outshine's announcement says that each new fruit and yogurt smoothie is made without added sugars and contains 10 total grams of sugar per pouch. While not organic, they are free of GMO ingredients and artificial colors and flavors. According to Food Business News, the smoothies represent a new product development model for Nestlé. Its "innovation incubator" is where entrepreneurs can come up with new offerings. What's more, Nestlé has an "open channel internal crowdsourcing initiative," where employees can weigh in on the development of new products. The company thinks this "startup model" approach will lead to snacks that resonate with customers.

Customers can now find the Outshine fruit and yogurt smoothie pouches in bulk on Amazon or in the applesauce aisle of major supermarkets like Kroger, Safeway, and Food Lion. A four-pack of 3.5-ounce pouches has a suggested retail price of $4.49. The smoothies are so new, there are not many social media posts about them, but we'll be keeping an eye on social media for opinions on the drinks.