Circana’s No. 1 Pacesetter, Similac 360 Total Care infant formula contains five human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) naturally occurring in breast milk. The HMOs act as major prebiotics, and the formulation is designed for nutritional and developmental support, including immune, digestive and brain health.

"While nothing can replace the benefits of breast milk where HMOs are naturally abundant, some parents cannot or choose not to breastfeed, which makes infant formula the only suitable, nutritionally complete alternative for babies," said Rachael Buck, Ph.D., senior research fellow at Abbott. "We are delivering our closest formula to breast milk ever, further working to narrow the gap between breast milk and formula so we can give babies the building blocks they need to learn, grow and thrive."

Prime’s functional sports beverage ranked No. 2 among Pacesetters, garnering attention among younger consumers and across social media. The product features hydration benefits in several flavors, including lemonade, tropical punch, lemon lime, grape, orange, blue raspberry, cherry freeze and more.

PepsiCo, Inc. rolled out its lemon lime soda called Starry in 2023. The No. 3 food and beverage Pacesetter launched in both regular and zero-sugar varieties and was geared toward Gen Z consumers as a competitor to The Coca-Cola Co.’s Sprite.

“At PepsiCo, we are hyper focused on consumer centric innovation, and we know there’s a strong demand for lemon lime flavored soda with the category continuing to accelerate,” said Greg Lyons, chief marketing officer at PepsiCo Beverages North America. “With one product dominating the category, consumers deserve another option … one that hits different. Starry is bright, optimistic and rooted in culture and fun.”

The co-branded Oreo frozen dessert line from Froneri and Mondelez International, Inc. landed in the fourth food and beverage spot for Circana’s Pacesetters. With $126.4 million in sales, the dairy product line includes Oreo bars, cones, sandwiches Oreo ice cream in 14-oz and 48-oz varieties.

"We continually seek ways to playfully reinvent our classic cookie and are excited to bring this new Oreo innovation to the freezer aisle," said Justin Parnell, vice president of Oreo US. "Created for our most loyal fans, we have perfected the Oreo Frozen Treats recipes to deliver the signature Oreo flavor in every bite. We hope this delicious new treat will provide even more opportunities for fans to foster moments of playful connection over a shared love of Oreo."

The branded coffee pod line Starbucks by Nespresso for Nestle’s Vertuo coffee was named Circana’s fifth Pacesetter for 2024. The single-use pods capitalized on the rise in at-home coffee consumption and earned $118.2 million in sales.

“CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies are committed to offering the same trends that QSRs (quick-service restaurants) benefited from in 2023, including convenience, on-the-go, adventurous flavors, healthier options, and notably, specialty coffee,” Circana said. “Starbucks by Nespresso for Vertuo found a way to keep the coffee — or espresso — occasion in the home with coffee pods for Nespresso’s Vertuo countertop machines.”

Sports nutrition supplement brand Ghost broke into the energy drink category with its zero-sugar Ghost Energy product line. Ranking No. 6 among Pacesetters with $116.5 million in sales, the products are formulated with 200 mg of caffeine and nootropics for functional brain benefits, according to the company. Ghost Energy flavors include tropical mango, sour watermelon, sour green apple, cherry limeade and others.

Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, Inc., debuted miniature formats of its Doritos, Cheetos and SunChips products. The reduced-size snacks landed the No. 7 spot in Circana’s Pacesetters at $104.5 million in sales. The products combined convenience with consumers’ increased appetite for snacking in a tall, resealable cannister.

“There aren't many canister options out there, so we're bringing more variety and flavor to the snack aisle with this new product line, helping our fans enjoy their favorite snacks from Doritos, Cheetos and SunChips in a fun and shareable way,” said Stacy Taffet, senior vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America.

Rounding out the sports beverage category is Electrolit from Grupo Pisa. Sitting at No. 9 on Circana’s Pacesetters list, the hydration solution generated $86.0 million in sales. Each 21-oz bottle contains a zero-calorie, zero-sugar formulation designed to rapidly rehydrate consumers. Flavors include grape, orange, fruit punch, pineapple, strawberry kiwi, passion fruit, strawberry and more.

Convenient meal solution maker Kevin’s Natural Foods was named No. 10 for Circana’s food and beverage Pacesetters. The brand’s products, which earned $82.3 million in sales, range from sous-vide meals and sides to sauces.

“We founded Kevin’s with the mission to empower even the busiest people to eat nutritious, great tasting meals in minutes,” said Kevin McCray, president and co-founder of Kevin’s Natural Foods.