Morinaga America, Inc. Promotes Current CEO & President Teruhiro Kawabe

Morinaga America, Inc. Promotes Current CEO & President Teruhiro Kawabe

Pockets full of fruity flavor unveil the juiciest chew ever for HI-CHEW™

IRVINE, Calif., May 18, 2022 — HI-CHEW™, the immensely fruity, intensely chewy candy is elevating its beloved chewlets with HI-CHEW™ Infrusions Orchard Mix, a new premium delicious experience infused with pockets of flavor, featuring three fruity offerings: Juicy Blood Orange, Juicy Peach and Juicy Strawberry.

HI-CHEW™ is bringing innovation to the forefront yet again with Infrusions, redefining their chewlets to create the juiciest chews yet. While maintaining HI-CHEW’s signature texture, Infrusions adds more juiciness with infused concentrated apple puree and pieces of pectin jelly to mimic adored, true-to-life, fruity flavors. The signature double layer is double packed with pockets of HI-CHEW™ goodness that fans can’t get enough of. Each chewlet in the Infrusions Orchard Mix provides a vibrant explosion with each bite, leaving consumers craving the juicy new taste. This fresh, more intense flavor journey features three enhanced fruit offerings. These new additions to HI-CHEW’s tasty portfolio add a mouthwatering experience for every palate to enjoy.

  • Juicy Blood Orange balances the subtly sweet and tangy flavors of the beloved fruit with the vibrant burst of color
  • Juicy Peach mimics the experience of biting into a fresh peach straight off the tree: juicy and delicious
  • Juicy Strawberry transports you into a strawberry field through the taste and texture of this true-to-fruit chewlet

“We’re eager to introduce a new texture experience to HI-CHEW™ brand fans with our Infrusions Orchard Mix,” said Teruhiro Kawabe (Terry), President and Chief Executive Officer of Morinaga America, Inc. “While staying true to our fruit-forward affinity and adding in the bursts of flavor, Infrusions provides the perfect blend of chewiness and juiciness we’ve been aiming to achieve through our continued innovation.”

Since launching in 1975, Morinaga America Inc. has been dedicated to bringing authentic fruity confections to fans across the country. Now with Infrusions, the chewlets become a new experience that reimagines how HI-CHEW™ is enjoyed. Infrusions was rated as a Superstar Innovation in Nielsen research, where it showed strong trial interest, relevance, and uniqueness, proving its potential to disrupt the category. According to Nielsen, only 5% of tested products rate as a Superstar Innovation, truly making Infrusions a standout product.

HI-CHEW™ contains no colors from synthetic sources and is gluten-free. The HI-CHEW™ Infrusions Orchard Mix is offered in a 4-ounce stand up pouch for a suggested retail price of $4.29 (varies per market). HI-CHEW™ Infrusions Orchard Mix is rolling out at select retailers nationwide. To learn more about HI-CHEW™, please like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram (@HICHEWUSA) and Twitter (@HICHEW).

About Morinaga America, Inc.:
Established in 2008, Morinaga America, Inc. is the official distributor of HI-CHEW™ in the United States. With over 200 flavors of HI-CHEW™ having debuted in Japan, Morinaga America, Inc. has introduced the United States market to the best of Japanese confectionery. Morinaga America, Inc. (marketing and sales) and Morinaga America Foods, Inc. (manufacturing) are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Morinaga & Co., Ltd., which began in 1899 as the first, modern candy maker and producer of chocolates in Japan. In 2015, Morinaga America, Inc. opened its first United States manufacturing facility in North Carolina.

About HI-CHEW™:
The history of Morinaga stretches back over a century when company founder Taichiro Morinaga brought his candy-making skills to Japan from America in the 1800s. HI-CHEW™ has long been the best-selling soft candy in Japan and continues to see year-over-year growth throughout other parts of Asia and in the United States. In the United States, HI-CHEW™ is currently offered in sticks, peg bags, and stand-up pouches. The HI-CHEW™ sticks come in a variety of flavors including Strawberry, Green Apple, Mango, Grape, Banana, Kiwi, Açaí, and Sweet & Sour Watermelon. HI-CHEW™ also offers peg bags in the following flavors: Original Mix, Tropical Mix, Superfruit Mix, Sweet & Sour Mix, Soda Pop Mix, Berry Mix, Plus Fruit, and the new Fantasy Mix. The Stand-Up Pouches are available in Original Mix, Tropical Mix, Sweet and Sour Mix, Fruit Combos and Infrusions. HI-CHEW™ is made with concentrated fruit juices and is free of gluten, with no colors from synthetic sources. HI-CHEW™ continues to expand fruity, chewy flavor offerings annually. In 2020, HI-CHEW™ won a Nielsen Design Impact Award for its new Original Mix packaging update that hit shelves in 2019. For more information, visit HI-CHEW.com

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