Starkist launches five new flavors
Convenient pouches also add appeal
For a growing number of Americans, it’s just a lot quicker to grab a granola bar for breakfast in the car than to make an omelet before heading off to work.
It’s that trend that Starkist is keeping in mind as it launches five new flavors of its tuna in a pouch, rather than opting for a less travelfriendly can.
Three of the new flavors are on grocery shelves now: Thai Chili Style, Jalapeno and Hot Buffalo Style. Two more — Sriracha and Tapatio — will come to stores in September.
Since the pouches were introduced, Andrew Choe, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh-based company, said sales have increased about 10 percent per year.
“With the cans, people think of it as more of an ingredient,” Mr. Choe said. “The pouch is more of a convenience. You just tear, eat and go.”
Starkist, owned by Dongwon of South Korea, was the first packaged seafood company to use pouches, according to Mr. Choe.
Starkist ranks among Oscar Mayer, Tyson and Hormel in the top 10 brands among packaged food companies, with about a 1.9 percent market share in 2016 in the U.S., according to Bloomberg data.
The company has about 4,000 employees globally. About 100 of those are on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.
Health consciousness, more solo households and convenience are among the reasons more U.S. consumers, particularly young adults, are eating snack foods as part of their main meals, according to a March study by the NPD Group, a global information company based in Port Washington, N.Y.
“Snack foods eaten at main meals now represent 24 percent of all snack food eatings, which is up from 21 percent five years ago,” the firm said.
Starkist’s new flavors also reflect a couple of other trends. One,
the company is chasing flavors that are popular on the West Coast, where Starkist is looking to gain more ground.
“We’re a developed brand here and in the Midwest and South, but not as much on the West Coast,” said Andy Mecs, director of marketing and innovation.
“American palettes are really changing,” he said.
The flavors and packaging are aimed at millennials (those born between 1981 and 2002), Mr. Mecs said. “The pouches are convenient, and there’s no draining, so you can throw it into a briefcase or backpack. They’re versatile, and that appeals to a more youthful mindset.”
Appealing to evolving eating habits is making a lot of food companies shift their plans. In February, Bloomberg Intelligence said that millennials’ “insatiable craving for snacks to satisfy their nutritional needs is likely to exert significant influence on the types and quality of product launches in upcoming years.”
Bloomberg noted that companies such as PepsiCo are dedicating a “bigger portion of their snack portfiolios to products that highlight nutrients such as grains, fruits, vegetables and protein.” Starkist plans to expand its offerings. “One of our goals is to go from a tuna company to producing meals,” Mr. Choe said. “We want to expand into salmon, sardines and other items. We’re continuing to evolve and I think most of that will be in the form of a pouch versus a can.”