Stauffer’s offers a sneak peek at its ‘cleaner’ Simply Animals animal crackers

The company will test-market the snacks in stores beginning in January 2024.

Courtesy of Stauffer's

Stauffer's, creator of one of first U.S. animal crackers and subsidiary of Meiji America, is pre-launching a modern spin on its product with a new brand: Stauffer's Simply Animals. The snacks feature vibrant, playful packaging with winsome characters; they also contain no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors or flavors, and are peanut-free.

The market test will take place in-stores at Food City and Weis Markets starting in January.

"Category Managers have responded very favorably when we've presented Simply Animals," says Ken Vlazny, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Stauffer's. "Our consumer research was very positive during the development of the brand. We're now looking forward to observing how the shopper reacts in the market."

Bryson the Bear and Taylor the Tiger, the brand's cartoon mascots, suggest different ways to enjoy Simply Animals and revere friendship and community on the packaging. Stauffer's hopes to expand the Simply Animals' character universe once it nationally launches and has plans to put an emphasis on lively, socially-responsible stories featuring Simply Animals' characters to create a meaningful, interactive experience for children and their parents.

"We are excited to weave Simply Animals into the 150+ year Stauffer's story and cannot wait to reveal more updates with snacking fans across the U.S.," says Geoffrey Guilfoile, brand manager at Stauffer's.

For this market test, the updated ingredient formula will debut in two Stauffer flavor favorites: chocolate and original. The original flavor will be available in a 16oz bag and a 12-bag single-serve multipack. The chocolate will be available in a 14.5oz bag.

With 120-130 calories per serving, a cleaner recipe, and lovable characters, Stauffer's Simply Animals offers a fun and innovative direction for the animal cracker.

Jenni Spinner is the chief editor of Snack Food and Wholesale with more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business communications. She has written extensively about food production, safety and packaging; pharmaceutical drug development; concrete and masonry construction; and more. She holds a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Illinois. Jenni can be reached at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com.

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