Consumers love comfort food and can’t get enough pasta, particularly mac and cheese and instant noodles. The total U.S. boxed mac and cheese market was valued at $1.5 billion for the 52 weeks ending September 22, 2024, per Circana. The World Instant Noodles Association (WINA) reported the U.S. consumed 5.1 billion servings of instant noodles in 2023. Rich, flavorful, and convenient, pasta innovation is driven by new flavors, shelf stable formulas, and better-for-you ingredients.
LIP SMACKIN’ MAC AND CHEESE
Mac and cheese, whether classic or flavored, is a beloved comfort food staple. According to Nestle, shelf-stable mac and cheese is a $2.9 billion category, dominated by Kraft Heinz. The average American consumer eats mac and cheese 22 times a year, and the mac and cheese comes from a box about 70% of the time. According to the Uber Eats 2024 Cravings Report, mac and cheese ranked #7 among the most ordered items. Cheesier formulas, savory flavors, and protein-packed better-for-you versions are leading market activity.
Kraft extended its range with Ranch Flavored Mac and Cheese and Jalapeño Flavored Mac and Cheese. For Kraft’s “Fan Flavorites” program, Kraft launched the winning submission Mac & Cheese Everything Bagel flavor available exclusively at Walmart.com. Annie’s added Now Cheesier to its portfolio available in Shells & White Cheddar and Shells & Real Aged Cheddar options. Nestle debuted Stouffer’s Supreme boxed mac and cheese in two variations: Mac and Cheese (classic cheddar), and a Three-Cheese made with cheddar, gouda, and parmesan. Bob Evans introduced a heat-and-eat Queso Macaroni & Cheese formulated with a queso flavor, hints of spice, and fresh green and red peppers. Domino’s added two macaroni and cheese bowls to its fall menu. The Five-Cheese Mac & Cheese is a baked dish of penne pasta and a blend of five cheeses: cheddar, American, Parmesan-Asiago, mozzarella, and Alfredo sauce. The Spicy Buffalo 5-Cheese Mac & Cheese has the same base with bacon, jalapeños, and spicy buffalo sauce. In select locations in Colorado, Illinois, and Ohio, Noodles & Company is testing three mac & cheese dishes: Buffalo Chicken Ranch Mac & Cheese, Garlic Bacon Crunch Mac & Cheese, and Pulled Pork BBQ Mac & Cheese. Not mac and cheese, but a notable holiday launch is Barilla’s Snowfall pasta, a limited-edition pasta in three shapes: Snowflake, Poinsettia-inspired Snowflakes, and Heart-inspired Snowflakes.
BETTER-FOR-YOU MAC AND CHEESE
On the healthier side, brands are creating better-for-you versions. At the end of last year, Kraft dropped the Kraft NotMac&Cheese, its first non-dairy mac and cheese in the 85 years since the original product was released. It is available in Original and White Cheddar varieties. GOODLES added two new products to its lineup. The Ched Over Heels “tastes like the squeezy-cheese mac you grew up with,” while the Shell We Dance features “a rich and silky aged white cheddar sauce over shell pasta.” Both products have a low glycemic index, 16 grams of protein, and 7 grams of fiber per serving. EQUII is a protein food tech startup that uses fermentation technology to create high protein flour. The brand’s latest launch is pasta in two boxed varieties: Mac & Cheese and Rigatoni. The Mac & Cheese contains 19 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per 3.5 oz serving. Although not mac and cheese, Veggiecraft by Litehouse, Inc. is a better-for-you 3-ingredient pasta brand made in Italy. There are three varieties: Cauliflower, Sweet Potato, and Zucchini offered in various pastas including Elbows, Penne, and Spaghetti and all formulas use peas and lentils.
Watch as more flavored mac and cheese varieties and better-for-you formulas launch.
INSTANT NOODLES REIMAGINED
Instant noodles meet consumer demand for convenience and immediacy. According to WINA, 120.2 billion servings of instant noodles were consumed globally in 2023. Brands are developing innovative ramen flavors and creating plant-based options. In March, Nissin Foods celebrated its transition to microwavable paper cups for its world-famous Cup Noodles with a gigantic 3D billboard in Times Square. The 2024 limited-edition launch of Cup Noodles Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese instant ramen sold exclusively at Walmart followed last year’s Cup Noodles Breakfast instant ramen flavor (maple syrup, pancakes, sausage, and egg). The “Everything” flavor combines caraway seeds, dried onion, garlic, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds with a cream cheese-flavored sauce. This summer Maruchan introduced the Yakisoba range: Chili Cheese and Orange Chicken. The Chili Cheese Yakisoba blends cheddar cheese, sour cream, and beef with Maruchan’s signature yakisoba noodles. The Orange Chicken Yakisoba combines noodles and a medley of vegetables with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and a mild chili sauce. The brand also brought back the Wonton Ramen Noodle Soup in classic Chicken Flavor and Hot & Spicy Chicken Flavor. Doritos After Dark opened inside the Crypto.com Arena in LA and serves Doritos-flavored foods available to ticketholders during scheduled events. The Doritos Spicy Sweet Ramen-Rito features grilled chicken, ramen noodles, crushed Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili tortilla chips, charred corn, fresh scallions, and cilantro rolled in a warm flour tortilla. New York-based Instant Noodle Factory is a self-service, fast-casual instant ramen restaurant that serves 88+ types of packaged noodles with 40+ toppings.
In the UK, Unilever-owned brand Pot Noodle added a few new flavors to its portfolio. The Korean BBQ Beef flavor joined the Fusions range. This summer, the brand launched a Chicken Fajita flavor selected through a consumer vote, competing against Pepperoni Pizza and Full English and sold exclusively at Asda stores. In Japan, Nippon introduced Boost Noodles aimed at gamers. Housed in a squeezable pouch with a 16-millimeter spout, it is easy to eat with one hand and can be stored at room temperature. “To ensure maximum slurpability, the noodles are short-cut and the formula contains roast pork, bamboo shoots, seafood, and pork bone soup.” Each serving of the ramen contains 35 mg of caffeine. Italian brand Pasta Nostra unveiled a line of six instant pasta snack pots: Arrabbiata (vegan-friendly), Bolognese, Carbonara, Cheese & Pepper, Mushroom, and Tomato & Mozzarella. Made from Italian fusilli pasta and natural ingredients, the formulas highlight clean labels, free from artificial preservatives, colorings, and palm oil, and meet non-HFSS standards.
PLANT-BASED INSTANT RAMEN NOODLES
Plant-based foods march on and ramen is no exception. ZENB offers a line of vegan and gluten-free ramen, made from 100% whole yellow peas. Available in three flavors: Shoyu, Spicy Miso, and Vegan Tonkotsu, each pouch contains premium non-fried noodles and a packet of savory, umami-packed soup broth. Japanese ramen chain Ichiran developed a Vegan Ramen Kit certified vegan by the Japanese nonprofit VegeProject after six years of R&D. The liquid broth concentrate features soy, roasted garlic, onion, shiitake, ginger, and vegetables, accompanied by ramen oil, Original Spicy Red Seasoning, and Hakata-style thin noodles. Immi, the low-carb, high protein, plant-based ramen brand, debuted Ramen toppings. The first product is a Veggie Topping Mix featuring seven vegetables: cabbage, carrot, tofu skin, champignon mushroom, chive, corn, and tofu.
Expect to see unexpected instant noodle flavors inspired by meals, similar to savory snacks, and more vegan options.
PASTA INSPIRES SNACKS
Snacks are going strong. The overall salty snacks category posted a healthy 6.9% growth to over $31.1 billion in sales for the 52 weeks ending January 28, 2024, according to SNAC International. Brands are turning to pasta as inspiration for snacks ranging from chips to cookies. S’noods are “chef-driven, globally inspired noodle chips” available in Cavatappi Carbonara, Rigatoni Basil Pomodoro, and Spicy Miso Ramen varieties. The latest launch is the brand’s first sweet-savory flavor, Sweet Kugel, which features a blend of custard, cardamom, cinnamon, and a hint of caramelized vanilla. It is vegan, gluten-free, and kosher. Popcorn Indiana and Netflix added Netflix Now Popping Late Night Ramen to its series. This summer, Insomnia Cookies was inspired by Asian flavors and debuted Matcha Latte and Peanut Miso Ramen Cookies. The Peanut Miso Ramen Cookie was a vegan peanut miso cookie with crunchy pieces of ramen noodles and dark chocolate chips.
Keep your eyes peeled as more brands innovate snacks around pasta.
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