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Ghirardelli has launched Dubai-style chocolate squares filled with pistachio and crispy kataifi, and PepsiCo is partnering with Pilgrim’s Pride on Flamin’ Hot chicken tenders and bites. The chicken products mark the flavor brand’s first move into the frozen aisle. Separately, California Pizza Kitchen plans to introduce packaged salads with FiveStar Gourmet Foods in 2027.
Ghirardelli has launched Dubai Style Chocolate SQUARES filled with pistachio and crispy kataifi, while PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s Pride are bringing Flamin’ Hot seasoning to frozen chicken in a first for the spicy brand’s presence in the frozen aisle. The product announcements show major food brands extending popular flavors into new formats; California Pizza Kitchen also plans to enter packaged salads with a 2027 launch.
Ghirardelli’s new squares combine chocolate with pistachio filling and crispy kataifi, a shredded pastry dough used in Middle Eastern desserts. The pieces are taller than the company’s traditional squares to accommodate more filling. The company says the product is available at major retailers nationwide and through its website in a 4.4-ounce bag with a suggested retail price of $10.99.
PepsiCo and poultry processor Pilgrim’s Pride are launching Flamin’ Hot Chicken Tenders and Bites. The collaboration takes the flavor into the frozen aisle for the first time, according to the report. PepsiCo’s Flamin’ Hot range already spans products including Doritos, Cheetos and Funyuns, as well as Jack Link’s jerky.
California Pizza Kitchen and FiveStar Gourmet Foods plan to introduce single-serve salads and salad kits in 2027. Planned varieties include BBQ Chicken Chopped and Thai Crunch, inspired by CPK’s restaurant menu. The companies say they intend to expand distribution and explore other prepared-food products through their partnership.
Familiar Brands Enter New Aisles
The launches give established food brands ways to reach consumers outside their best-known products. Ghirardelli is applying the Dubai-style chocolate format to its signature square, while PepsiCo is licensing a recognizable flavor identity for a chicken product made with Pilgrim’s Pride. For shoppers, that means the flavors are appearing in new formats rather than only in their original categories.
The announcements also reflect competition for attention in grocery stores, where a familiar name or a popular flavor can help distinguish a product. The source report cited a survey by NC Solutions in which 62% of respondents said they were more likely to buy a food or beverage item advertised as spicy. That result reflects surveyed consumers’ stated likelihood, not actual purchases or sales of the new chicken products.
CPK’s planned salads would extend the restaurant brand’s retail presence beyond its existing frozen-pizza lineup. The report put the U.S. packaged-salad market at $5.8 billion last year and cited a projection of $7.1 billion by 2033. Those figures describe the category, not expected sales for CPK’s products.
Ghirardelli Dubai-style chocolate squares pistachio
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The Dubai-style chocolate trend became widely known after an influencer promoted the confection on TikTok in 2024, according to the source report. The original product dates to 2021, when a chocolatier in Dubai created it to satisfy a pregnancy craving. Its combination of chocolate, pistachio and crunchy pastry has since inspired products from several food companies.
Lidl, Hershey and Lindt introduced their own Dubai-style offerings in 2025, the report said. Ghirardelli is owned by the same company as Lindt. The new squares come as Ghirardelli expands into other sweet categories: the company made its first move into packaged cookies earlier this month, according to the report.
PepsiCo established Flamin’ Hot as a distinct brand within its portfolio in 2024. The company said at the time that the brand generated more than $3 billion in retail sales and that a separate identity would make its products easier for consumers to recognize. The source report also noted that CPK already sells frozen pizzas and has been pursuing further retail products.
“Consumers continue to be drawn to the rich pistachio filling and crispy kataifi texture that define Dubai-style chocolate.”
— Bobby Oliver, Ghirardelli’s vice president and head of marketing
PepsiCo Flamin’ Hot frozen chicken tenders
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Launch Details Still Pending
The source report does not provide a launch date, price, package size or full retail distribution plan for Flamin’ Hot Chicken Tenders and Bites. It also does not specify how the products are made, their heat level, or whether availability will be nationwide.
For CPK’s salads, the companies have named a 2027 target and two planned varieties, but have not announced exact release timing, pricing or initial retailers. The report does not provide projected sales for either the salads or the chicken. Ghirardelli has shared availability and suggested pricing, but the source does not list every retailer carrying the squares.
Pilgrim’s Pride Flamin’ Hot chicken bites
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Retail Rollouts and 2027 Salads
Shoppers can look for Ghirardelli’s Dubai Style Chocolate SQUARES at major retailers and on the company’s website, according to the report. PepsiCo and Pilgrim’s are expected to bring their chicken products to the frozen category, though the report provides no specific release schedule or retailer list.
CPK and FiveStar are working toward the planned 2027 salad launch. Further details on distribution, pricing and the partnership’s potential expansion into other prepared foods have not been announced in the source material.
California Pizza Kitchen packaged salads 2027
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Key Questions
What is in Ghirardelli’s Dubai-style chocolate squares?
They contain pistachio filling and crispy kataifi, a shredded pastry dough used in Middle Eastern desserts, inside chocolate squares.
How much do the Ghirardelli squares cost?
The reported suggested retail price is $10.99 for a 4.4-ounce bag. The source does not provide prices from individual retailers.
What is new about PepsiCo’s Flamin’ Hot chicken?
Pilgrim’s Pride is making Flamin’ Hot chicken tenders and bites with PepsiCo. The announcement marks the flavor brand’s first move into the frozen aisle, according to the report.
When will California Pizza Kitchen’s packaged salads be available?
CPK and FiveStar Gourmet Foods plan to launch single-serve salads and kits in 2027. Exact release dates, prices and retailers have not been announced in the source report.
Source: rss
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