Just like an innovative new product formula needs the right ingredients—in exactly the right combination—so too does an organization.

So before you can fully appreciate the innovation of MamaMancini’s On-The-Go Cup line, it’s important to understand the scope of sweeping change involving Mama’s Creations Inc., East Rutherford, N.J. And it’s a story with several important chapters.

Company Co-Founder Daniel Mancini spent nearly 30 years in the garment industry until he left the sector in 2007. A natural at-home cook, it wasn’t long before he put down clothing material and picked up meatballs—starting with his paternal grandmother’s recipes. A near-immediate sale to Whole Foods’ northeast region launched him into commercial meatball manufacturing and in 2010 he even guested on The Martha Stewart Show. In 2013, MamaMancini’s Holdings Inc. went public on NASDAQ.

MamaMancini’s next shift came with the late 2021 purchase two sister companies: T&L Creative Salads, Inc. and Olive Branch, LLC, in Farmingdale, N.Y. T&L specialized in premium chicken meat offerings and salads; while Olive Branch specialized in premium olives, olive mixes and other savory products. The deals effectively tripled MamaMancini’s product line, doubled its operational footprint and extended it into the retail in-store deli segment with fresh, refrigerated products.

Not surprisingly, it was next time to expand MamaMancini’s leadership team and Mancini Mancini’s board brought in Adam Michaels as chairman and CEO. Michaels has 20 years of food and beverage industry experience with stops at Booz Allen Hamilton and more recently, nine years at Mondelēz International (leaving as VP, Head of Commercial and M&A, NA Ventures). Among other notable appointments were Eric Felice, a 31-year R&D/QA veteran, as Mama’s vice president of operations (2022); and Director Culinary, R&D Christopher Posner, CEC, (in 2024) whose culinary career includes roles at Pinnacle Foods and Mitsui Foods.

The company’s most recent step change came in August 2023 when it rebranded as Mama’s Creations and officially planted its flag as a national, one-stop-shop deli solutions provider in retail and in-store deli foodservice.

“This bold new brand embraces our leadership in fresh, clean and easy to prepare meals, while allowing our identity to expand into a broader array of new, in-demand international and differentiated deli foods products for grocers nationwide,” said Michaels. “While the consumer facing Italian foods brand MamaMancini’s will remain unchanged, this wider strategic focus will further enable us to drive incremental SKUs into our grocer customers.”

Speaking of incremental SKUs, Mama’s Creations’ two culinary R&D teams (in in both East Rutherford and Farmingdale) have been busy. The company developed and launched as many as 15 items during 2023 and stands poised to close 2024 with another 20 offerings. It used last year’s International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) expo to introduce a MamaMancini’s On-The-Go Cup line with an initial six varieties including Beef Meatballs; Turkey Meatballs; Chicken Cacciatore; and Sausage, Peppers and Onions. The 10oz quick-meal offerings carry a suggested retail price of $5.99 and each cup comes fully cooked and microwave ready.

“Consumers are increasingly looking for quick and easy meal options that do not compromise on taste or healthfulness,” notes Felice. “Our product directly addresses this need by providing a high quality, ‘heat-and-eat’ solution that is ready in just two minutes.”

He adds, “For operators, our On-the-Go Cups offer a differentiated food solution from their current offerings that require minimal labor. We ship the product frozen with a 21-day shelf life from thaw. This ensures operators can manage inventory efficiently, reduce waste and optimize the freshness and quality.”

Felice shares a few behind-the-scenes product development challenges.

Packaging: “Our original proposition started in a paper cup, which did not provide the shelf life we needed and also was less consumer-friendly because of messiness while heating. Thus our challenge was to develop a user-friendly, resealable, and mess-free cup that could handle microwave heating. Our team conducted multiple rounds of testing with different materials and designs to find a solution that preserved the integrity and flavor of the meals and was convenient for consumers to use.”

Shelf Life: “We needed innovative thinking to provide an extended shelf life for a natural, preservative-free product—without compromising on taste or quality. Our R&D team worked with our packaging engineers to ensure we had a maximum shelf life (21 days thawed) while maintaining optimal product safety and quality from production to consumption. Previously, we only had a five-day shelf life.”

Although Prepared Foods’ Spirit of Innovation awards judges ultimately recognized the On-The-Go Cups, Mama’s Creations has many more creative new offerings. At this years’ IDDBA event, Mama’s introduced four entirely new lines of Mama’s Creations Breakfast Wraps, Mama’s Creations Grilled Chicken Breast in Vacuum Packs, MamaMancini’s Meatball Entertaining Sleeves, and three MamaMancini’s Grab-and-Go Gourmet Paninis.

“Development of new, incremental products is an important component of a growing brand, providing the ability to reach a broader consumer demographic across multiple need states and occasions,” said Mama’s Creations Chief Marketing Officer Lauren Sella. “In addition, the ability to help our retail partners drive incremental trips and increase the average cart size of their shoppers delivers a win-win proposition. Now that we have crafted a strong foundation, we are able to introduce new products at an accelerated rate due to our vertical integration of in-house manufacturing and testing facilities, which allow us to efficiently develop, market test and launch new products nationally.”