(AURORA, OR) – Hazelnut Growers of Oregon (HGO) is expanding nine products in its Oregon Orchard® snack lineup with single-serve 2.2 oz. packages.
The new chocolate dipped, grab-and-go size hazelnut items are: Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Skinny Milk Chocolate (20% less chocolate) and Marionberry Chocolate. On the savory/seasoned side, Himalayan Salt, Southwest Chili Pepper, Sweet & Spicy Barbecue, Rosemary, and Cinnamon Sugar are now available in the 2.2 oz. pouches. The new lineup will start shipping in early October for a suggested retail price of $2.69-$3.29 at Wilco Farm Stores in the Pacific Northwest, at www.farmstore.com, www.oregonorchard.com and on Amazon.
Greg Thorsgard, HGO’s Chief Operations Officer, said the new single-serve packages meet a growing demand from consumers seeking better-for-you, on-the-go snacks.
“The 2.2 oz. package size is a perfect size to introduce people to a healthy and delightful snack,” Thorsgard said. “It also allows us to enter different trade channels from grocery to C-stores.”
According to The State of the Specialty Food Industry, U.S., June 2020: Chocolate and other confectionery products saw a more than 14% year-over-year growth, even during the coronavirus pandemic. Mintel has reported that specialty foods’ consumers’ “likelihood to purchase index” for the nuts, seeds, and trail mix category has grown to 38% for 2020, up from 23% in 2018 and 26% in 2019.
Hazelnuts are a good source of vitamins B6 and E; and are Keto-friendly. All Oregon Orchard snacks are produced with HGO members’ hazelnuts, which are steam pasteurized in small batches at the SQF (Safe Quality Food) Level 3 Certified processing facility in Aurora.
About Hazelnut Growers of Oregon
Founded in 1984, Hazelnut Growers of Oregon (HGO), a business unit of farmer-owned cooperative Wilco, has more than 180 growers who collectively own more than 20,000 acres of prime hazelnut orchards. HGO is the premier hazelnut processor and marketer in the U.S., servicing retail, ingredient, and food service channels for confection, snack food, and baking manufacturers around the globe. The 120,000-square-foot processing plant also has 57,000 square feet of refrigerated storage space. The Oregon hazelnut industry is expected to double in the next five years. For more information visit https://www.wilco.coop/hazelnuts/.
