General Mills to launch more than 50 new products in US during second half of company's fiscal 2014, which ends in May; products include snack foods, cereal and breakfast foods, convenient meals

Nevin Barich

MINNEAPOLIS , January 30, 2014 (press release) – Company enhances focus on quality product innovation to deliver unwavering consumer demand for taste, health and convenience at a good value

Today General Mills announced an aggressive lineup of new products set to bring more consumers to General Mills' leading brands. More than 50 new items will debut from the company's U.S. Retail business with dozens more rolling out in international markets during the second-half of the company's fiscal 2014, which ends in May.

A slideshow and additional information on the newest General Mills products is available on the General Mills corporate blog, A Taste of General Mills.

This lineup builds on strong introductions during the company's first-half of fiscal 2014, with standouts including Nature Valley Protein Granola, Yoplait Greek blended yogurt, Nature Valley Soft Baked Oatmeal Squares and Old El Paso frozen entrees.

"We are focused on the quality of our new product innovation, and have a strong slate of new products to bring consumers more of what they want," said Peter Erickson, executive vice president of Innovation, Technology and Quality. "Consumers have unwavering high standards for food. They want products that deliver on quality, taste, health, convenience and value, but at the same time they want more. More flavor, more fun, more nutrition. The more we connect with consumers to truly understand their most significant needs, the better we are able to bring remarkable new products to market."

The latest wave of new products from General Mills is poised to meet growing consumer interest in snacks, protein-rich breakfast items, and globally-inspired convenience meals.

Snack Foods on the Rise

Consumers are seeking snack foods more than ever. General Mills continues to lead growth in the grain snacks category in the U.S., adding almost 10 points of market share over the past five years. Through the first-half of fiscal 2014, strong new product innovation from Fiber One and Nature Valley has driven a gain of nearly four more share points and retail sales gains of 11 percent.

In the second-half of the fiscal year, General Mills is launching a diverse lineup of new items across its portfolio geared to meet consumers' increasing appetite for snacks that offer added benefits like protein, fiber, whole grains, or a full serving of a fruit or vegetable.

Most notable:

Nature Valley Breakfast Biscuits – Available in Blueberry and Honey flavors, the new breakfast biscuits provide 26 grams of whole grain, 5 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per serving.

Fiber One Meal Bars – The Fiber One franchise enters the nutrition bar category with new Fiber One Meal Bars touting 10 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber and fortified with 14 vitamins and minerals. Available in Chocolate Peanut Butter, Strawberry Greek Yogurt and Dark Chocolate Almond varieties.

Yoplait Greek 100 – Taste plus protein all in 100 calories. New indulgent flavors of Yoplait Greek 100 include Apple Pie and Strawberry Cheesecake.

Yoplait Light Dessert Mix-Ins – Yoplait Light Dessert Mix-Ins come with a serving of yogurt and a separate pack of toppings. Consumers can mix together flavors like Key Lime Pie with
Graham Cracker Crumbles, Boston Cream Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crumbles, and Coconut Cream Pie with Graham Cracker Crumbles.

Nature Valley Nut Clusters (exclusive to convenience stores) – These bite-sized clusters of nuts, dried fruit and seeds pack in 8 grams of protein per serving. Nature Valley Nut Clusters come in two varieties: Roasted Nut and Seed, and Apple Cinnamon.

Cascadian Farm Protein Bars – For consumers seeking alternative protein, these new bars are made with organic pea protein and are available in Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Honey Roasted Nut.

LARABAR uber bars – These sweet, salty and chewy bars add two new decadent flavors: Dark Chocolate Turtle and Dark Chocolate Peanut.

Green Giant savory snacks – Building on the growing popularity of its veggie snack chips, Green Giant is introducing new Baked Sweet Potato Fries and Baked Veggie Puffs.

Chex Mix Popped – Popped popcorn plus traditional Chex Mix combine for a lighter snack option. Available in Sweet & Salty and White Cheddar flavors.

Chex Chips (exclusive to convenience stores) – A bigger, puffier version of the Chex pieces consumers love, in four bold flavors: Caramelized Onion, Cheddar Jalapeño, Cinnamon & Sugar, and Wasabi.

Food Should Taste Good Pita Puffs – Available in four sophisticated flavors - Pesto, Chive, Cinnamon Sugar, and Multigrain - these pita puffs are big on flavor with a light, crisp texture.

Breakfast Still a Great Start

Ready-to-eat cereal is still the most popular at-home breakfast choice in the U.S., with more than 90 percent of U.S. households purchasing cereal each year. Big G has led category performance for several years and gained share through the first half of fiscal 2014. General Mills plans to drive growth in the second-half by bringing product news and innovation to the cereal aisle with:

Fiber One Protein Cereal – For protein seekers, this sweetened granola cereal offers 10 grams of protein with milk and 20 percent Daily Value of fiber. Available in Maple Brown Sugar and Cranberry Almond varieties.

Nature Valley Protein Granola – Great taste plus 10 grams of protein per serving, the new Cranberry Almond flavor is ideal with milk, on top of yogurt or all on its own.

Multi-Grain Cheerios Dark Chocolate Crunch – Dark chocolate flavored O's and clusters made with real cocoa and five different whole grains, the newest Multi-Grain Cheerios variety provides 15 grams of whole grain, 9 grams of sugar and just 110 calories per serving.

Chocolate Toast Crunch – Consumers who love those irresistible squares will be excited to try this new chocolate variety.

Cascadian Farm Graham Crunch – These delicious organic graham squares are made with wheat, rice, oats and a sprinkle of sugar.

Convenient Meals add Global Flavor

With less time to prepare and cook the evening meal, consumers are seeking quick and convenient choices to solve the nightly dinner dilemma. While consumers' tastes evolve to embrace products with globally-inspired flavors, General Mills is introducing these flavorful varieties from brand favorites:

Helper Bold and Helper Ultimate skillet dinners – Flavor is front and center with adventurous new Helper Bold varieties including Spicy Chipotle Chicken Enchilada, Firehouse Chili Macaroni and Crispy Buffalo Chicken. Helper Ultimate introduces Sweet and Spicy Teriyaki and Orange Chicken.

Progresso and Old El Paso microwave bowls – Easy prep plus taste appeal, Progresso introduces Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta and Rustic Marinara Pasta bowls while Old El Paso debuts Cheesy Nacho and Chipotle Black Bean bowls.

International Products to Launch

Outside of the U.S., General Mills also will launch dozens of new products that will meet consumer demand for taste, health and convenience. Some examples from around the world include:

Haagen-Dazs (Europe) – The super-premium Haagen-Dazs ice cream brand introduces Secret Sensations Tiramisu flavor, reminiscent of the popular Italian dessert.

Yoki snacks (Brazil) – Yoki unveils snacks inspired by the world's top soccer teams including Argentinian Barbecue potato chips, Mexican Pepper peanuts, and German Mustard microwave popcorn, among others.

Yoplait Yopa! Greek yogurt (France and Belgium) – Yopa! in France and Belgium represents the latest in a line of Greek yogurts that General Mills offers around the world. This strained yogurt includes fruit on the bottom in six flavors: Strawberry, Blueberry, Lemon, Mixed Fruit, Peach and Passion Fruit, and Plain.

Bugles Potato Sticks (China) – This crunchy potato stick snack is made with real potatoes and is available in Original and Tomato varieties.

About General Mills

General Mills is one of the world's leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries around the world. Its brands include Cheerios, Fiber One, Haagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., USA, General Mills had fiscal 2013 worldwide sales of US $17.8 billion.

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