Welch’s targets Gen Z with functional snacks
Welch’s Fruit Snacks, a brand that’s been around for 25 years, is pushing further into functional snacks as it tries to hold onto younger buyers who care about gut health. This summer, the company launched Probiotic Yogofruits, a new product that marks its entry into the yogurt snack category and claims to support digestive health. Earlier in the year, the brand also finished removing artificial food dyes from its entire product line.
These moves are part of a broader effort by Welch’s Fruit Snacks to keep its spot as the top-selling fruit snack brand in the country while reaching a wider audience that now includes young Gen Z consumers.
Targeting gut health with a new yogurt snack
The new yogurt snack line is the brand’s clearest bet on the functional food trend. Lisa Eustic, senior vice president of marketing at PIM Brands, which makes Welch’s Snacks, told the outlet that the launch responds to growing consumer demand for snacks that combine taste with functional wellness. “The consumer is at the center of everything we’re doing,” Eustic said. “We never stop listening or innovating in the fruit snacks space.”
She noted that while Welch’s Fruit Snacks have long been a lunchbox staple, the brand wants to bring in a wider demographic by targeting a comparatively older Gen Z. “We increasingly see ourselves as a more functional snack that supports digestive wellness, which is what Yogofruits is all about,” she said.
Each serving contains 2 billion probiotic cultures. Eustic said the product is also non-GMO, free of corn syrup and peanuts, and has three grams of fiber.
It is halal-certified as well.
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“This is a reflection of us listening to consumers about function and delivering something for specific usage and times in their life,” she said. The new line retails for $7.99 per box, similar to the core Welch’s Fruit Snacks multi-packs.
The brand is also adding more zero-sugar and no-sugar-added options. “We have a line called Welch’s Fruitfuls, which is fruit strips, and just this year, we’re relaunching it with a formula that has no sugar added,” Eustic said.
This is happening as more established food companies try to modernize their portfolios to reflect the health goals of millennials and Gen Z.
It’s not just about removing sugar or artificial ingredients — it’s about offering something that feels intentional, like a snack that does more than just taste good. For a brand built on being a kid’s treat, that means walking a fine line between nostalgia and relevance.
New flavors and festival marketing for Gen Z
Welch’s also relaunched its Fusions line in 2025, rebranding what was previously called Juicefuls. The new line focuses on flavor combinations and dual textures.
Available flavors include watermelon lemon, peach green apple, and pink grapefruit tangerine. “They’re combinations that people wouldn’t necessarily expect, but that are really delicious and reflect Gen Z’s sense of adventure and discovery,” said Eustic.
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To promote it specifically to Gen Z, the company is targeting music festival crowds. Earlier this summer, Welch’s had a presence at Gov Ball in New York. Later this month, it will activate at Lollapalooza in Chicago, featuring creator partnerships and nationwide sweepstakes for VIP tickets and a trip to the festival.
John Scheer, co-founder and chief creative director of strategic brand agency Herman Scheer, previously told reporters that much of the change in food categories is being driven by families and kids. “There is also Frito-Lay dipping their toes into the natural space by introducing dye-free Doritos and Cheetos,” Scheer said.
But he noted that by not fully committing to phasing out artificial colors, the company appears to be “hedging their commitment to see if consumers actually care.”
According to Eustic, the recent investments in R&D and marketing appear to be working. “We’ve doubled the Fusions business, and it’s a relatively new line that’s just a few years old,” she said.
She also noted that the brand’s TikTok followers have increased more than 70% over the past year. “That engagement, product modernization and cool content is being reflected in both the numbers and the engagement on social,” she said.
