LOS ANGELES — With the beginning of football season, Wonderful Pistachios has launched a new game day snack, In-Shell Seasoned Salt Pistachios.

Available in 14-ounce and 40-ounce bags, Seasoned Salt is the first new flavor Wonderful has added to its In-Shell line in more than 10 years. The company describes the flavor as savory seasoning with notes of garlic, onion and paprika.

Source: Wonderful Pistachios

According to Wonderful, one in three of the brand’s consumers say they eat pistachios while watching sports, with football as the most popular sport.

The company also reported that in taste tests with nut buyers, the new Seasoned Salt flavor performed higher than current in-market benchmarks on both appeal and intent of purchase.

“Consumer demand dictates the need for flavorful varieties when purchasing snacks,” said Diana Salsa, associate vice president of marketing for Wonderful Pistachios. “With Seasoned Salt, we are excited to spice up the snack aisle and give consumers something new to enjoy during game days. With years of No Shells flavor innovation since our last In-Shell launch, now’s the time to Get Crackin’ with a flavor combo we know you’ll love!”

Another top selling factor is consumers seeing pistachios as a healthier snack option. According to Wonderful, pistachios are among nuts with the highest amounts of protein with 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving.

Wonderful said it will support retailers with the launch of the new flavor through social media, in-store displays, and retail-specific programs to drive trial at the store-level.