Rich's Introduces "Simply" Clean-Label Dessert Line

With consumers growing ever-more mindful about the quantity and types of ingredients in their food, Rich Products Corporation is introducing a lineup of “clean-label” dessert products and components designed to help meet the increasing demand for simpler, more recognizable ingredients.

The entire line of products falls under the label, “Simply,” to reflect the more-minimalist, clean-label concept. The umbrella tagline developed for the new array of Simply products is equally succinct, reading: “Simply made with you in mind.”

The portfolio features fully finished cakes and cheesecakes, which are marketed under Rich’s Our Specialty brand, including: Our Specialty Simply Chocolate Cheesecake, Our Specialty Simply Black & White Cheesecake and Our Specialty Simply New York Style Cheesecake, as well as Our Specialty Simply Vanilla Cake and Our Specialty Simply Chocolate Cake.

Additionally, the line includes Simply Allen Uniced Cakes, available in chocolate and vanilla 5-, 7- and 8-inch cupcakes and half-sheet cakes, as well as Simply Bettercreme Whipped Icing in chocolate and vanilla, and in pre-whipped colors including: pink, yellow, orange, blue and green.

“A large majority of U.S. consumers believe most of the ingredients on a food label should be items they easily recognize and would use at home,” says Rich’s Courtney Erickson, associate marketing manager–shopper marketing in the company’s in-store bakery and deli division.

“People are showing us they have rising expectations about clear labeling for products, as well as about what’s inside the package. Our new Simply desserts are a dramatic move in that direction, while still delivering on superior quality and delicious indulgence," Erickson adds. "We’ve achieved classic cheesecake quality, and indulgent dessert cake excellence, using ingredients shoppers know and trust.”

Rich’s defines clean label products as those void of ingredients that, through the voice of its customers and consumers, the company has deemed to be the “most-sensitive.” As part of a larger health and authenticity strategy, Rich’s has established its own Clean Label Guideline that is aligned with the growing market demand for products that are made with ingredients consumers know and trust.

The Simply portfolio meets Rich’s definition of Clean Label. The items contain no High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), artificial colors or flavors, or bleached flour. The products also use cage-free eggs, which reflects a major, albeit gradual, shift in U.S. food manufacturing.

“The introduction of the Simply line of desserts and dessert components is a logical step toward meeting the new consumer demand for simpler, more recognizable ingredients,” says Erickson. “Research shows that more than 75 percent of shoppers have a more-positive perception of brands that remove artificial flavors, and that three-quarters also tend to read product labels before they make their purchases. That’s potentially a lot of influence in the buying decision.”

In early markets where Simply products have been released, several items, such as the cheesecakes, have rated exceptionally well, Erickson notes. “Our new clean-label portfolio is designed to capture and retain consumers who crave indulgence and simpler, more recognizable ingredients.”