Kraft Natural Cheese shrinks its grated Parmesan shaker into Pocket Parm, a clip-on bag charm for cheese lovers

Key Takeaways

• Kraft Natural Cheese has launched Pocket Parm, a miniature version of its grated cheese bottle that clips onto bags, belt loops and keyrings.

• Each limited-edition bottle comes with a colourful collectible charm and previews Tomato Basil Parmesan, Garlic Herb Parmesan or Grated Cheddar.

• The bottles are handed out from a mobile billboard truck in Los Angeles from 13 October and in Orlando from the week of 26 October.

• Pocket Parm is only available in limited quantities until the end of October, ahead of the full-size flavours arriving nationwide in January 2027.

Anyone who has ever wished they could carry a shaker of Parmesan around with them, JUST in case a bowl of pasta turns up unannounced, now has an accessory for it, because Kraft Natural Cheese has shrunk its familiar grated cheese bottle into a clip-on bag charm called Pocket Parm. The little bottles are designed to hang from a handbag strap in the same way people already dangle plush toys and trinkets from their bags, and each one arrives with a brightly coloured charm of its own.

Pocket Parm previews three new flavours from a billboard truck in Los Angeles and Orlando before January 2027

The brand announced Pocket Parm on 13 October as a pocket-sized version of its Grated Cheese bottle that is ready to clip onto a bag, and it describes the result as something that sits somewhere between a kitchen essential and an accessory. Each bottle holds one of three flavours, which are Tomato Basil Parmesan, Garlic Herb Parmesan and Grated Cheddar, so the charm doubles as a sampler for the full-size versions that launch nationwide in January 2027.

Getting hold of one depends on being in the right place at the right time, because the custom truck is rolling through Los Angeles from 13 October before moving on to Orlando in the week of 26 October. The bottles come out of an oversized, cheese-themed dispenser built into the truck, and fans can choose a flavour and clip it straight onto a bag strap, a belt loop or a set of keys, while the drops continue in limited quantities until the end of October or until supplies run out.

Dhriti Batra, Director of Kraft Natural Cheese at Lactalis Heritage Dairy, framed the launch around giving Parmesan a bigger role in everyday meals, saying "Parmesan has always been a staple for pasta, but we think it deserves a lot more real estate on the plate," and adding that the new Tomato Basil and Garlic Herb Parmesan flavours, alongside Grated Cheddar, open up more uses on pizza, salads, sandwiches and vegetables. She also said "Pocket Parm gives fans the first taste of what's coming next." Her closing line explains why the cheese has been fitted with a clip, "After all, if you can Parm almost anything, why not take the Parm everywhere?"

The timing of the giveaway also gives the brand a reason to remind people about its existing range, as Kraft Natural Cheese traces its history back to 1904 and its Grated Parmesan won a Gold Medal at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest. Turning that award-winning product into a wearable keepsake lets the brand talk about the new flavours months before shoppers can actually buy them, while the limited run and the two-city route give fans a reason to track the truck down instead of waiting for January.

Pocket Parm joins a bag charm craze that took off with Labubu in the latter half of 2024

The bag charm itself is the part of the idea that most people will recognise, because hanging small collectibles from handbags became one of the most visible accessory trends of recent years. Pop Mart's Labubu, the toothy little monster created by artist Kasing Lung, was a big part of that, after the bag charm trend took hold in the latter half of 2024 and the figures were spotted with stars including Rihanna, Dua Lipa and BLACKPINK's Rosé and Lisa. Pocket Parm borrows that habit of decorating a bag with something small, collectable and slightly silly, although in this case the trinket also contains something you can sprinkle on dinner.

Condiments have already crossed over into fashion more than once, and in the summer of 2024 Heinz teamed up with Kate Spade New York on a collection of totes, loafers, tees, keychains and phone cases priced from $45 to $398, which included a wristlet styled as an oversized ketchup packet. Pocket Parm takes a far cheaper and more direct route to a similar idea.