From salty snacks and dips to desserts like ice cream, everything bagel seasoning is so versatile it is being added to almost everything you can think of. And now, you can find it in our newest butter spread. Land O’Lakes is launching a limited-time everything-bagel-flavored butter spread called Every Little Thing Seasoned Butter Spread. It will be available nationwide in the Aldi Finds aisle of Aldi stores for just two weeks starting March 15.
Everything bagel seasoning has been around for decades, but it’s become a pantry staple for many in recent years. Product launches of items containing everything bagel seasoning in the U.S. have been growing substantially every year since 2015, according to data from Mintel, a market research firm. In 2022, there were 39 new everything bagel products launched, compared to just five in 2015.
It may be no surprise, but market research shows bread and bread products are the most common to feature everything bagel seasoning. And the product bread is most often used with is butter. That is a big reason the innovation team wanted to develop an everything-bagel-seasoned butter spread.
“It was a natural fit to give consumers the choice when they wanted to season their bread products with everything bagel seasoning,” says Jodie Pett, marketing research manager for the Butter Innovation Team. “Plus, it gives consumers the ability to break out of their routine and enhance the flavor of other items like eggs, vegetables, potatoes, sandwiches, fish, pasta, rice and more.”
Christopher Behr, associate scientist (Research & Product Development) at Land O’Lakes, was part of the team responsible for developing Every Little Thing Seasoned Butter Spread. The team’s main goal was to create a product that delivered on that classic everything bagel flavor consumers know and love.
“When I was growing up, I used to eat everything bagels just toasted with butter all the time,” Christopher says. “I loved that simple flavor packed with all that texture and crunch. So, when we started this project, I knew I wanted to help recreate that traditional everything bagel experience, both flavor-wise and visually.”
Everything bagel seasoning is traditionally a mix of garlic, dried onion, salt, poppy and sesame seeds. The Research and Development (R&D) team was tasked with blending and finding the right ratio of each ingredient to create a happy balance of flavor and texture. However, an unexpected challenge was presented at the beginning stages of development.
Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it was adding sesame as the ninth major food allergen through the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research Act, or FASTER Act. As of Jan. 1, 2023, sesame is required by federal law to be labeled as an allergen on packaged foods and beverages.
“This forced us to decide early on whether to replace sesame seeds in the formula or to keep them and plan for more operational precautions at the manufacturing level to prevent cross-contact,” Christopher says. “The latter is a complicated process. In the end, we decided on swapping sesame seeds for hemp seeds, which will allow consumers with a sesame allergy to still enjoy the great taste and texture of the butter spread.”
Christopher says Every Little Thing Seasoned Butter Spread is perfect for topping and spreading your favorite foods, and his team is excited to see all the creative ways consumers use the product. As a reminder, you will only find the limited-time butter spread in the Aldi Finds aisle for two weeks starting March 15. But plans are already underway to expand more broadly by summer 2024.