Rollout: June 2004

Danimals for bigger kids

The Dannon Co., Tarrytown, N.Y., has introduced Danimals XL, a drinkable lowfat yogurt in a larger bottle featuring the debut of a cool wildcat character. It's aimed at tweens ages 8 to 12, who are constantly on the go and looking to chill with a cool snack. Danimals XL is 85 percent larger than the current Danimals Drinkable and is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, and a good source of protein.

"Our loyal fans were growing up and growing out of the smaller Danimals, but they still wanted the same great tasting product," says Heidi Krauss, marketing director. "So, we're giving them a larger, cooler bottle that's just right for tweens."

With 2.5 or 3 grams of fat (depending on flavor), 170 calories and 20 percent of the daily value for calcium per 5.75 fl-oz bottle, Danimals XL is available in four varieties. They include: Strawberry Explosion, Orange Strawberry Banana Blowout, Blazin' Berry and Watermelon Slice. Suggested retail price for a four-pack of 5.75-oz. bottles is $3.69.

Trans fat-free Oreo options

In keeping with Kraft's increased focus on health and wellness, Kraft Foods Biscuit Division, East Hanover, N.J., introduced three new varieties of its popular Oreo cookie that contain zero grams of trans fat per serving. The offerings include a New, Improved Reduced Fat Oreo, as well as new Golden Oreo Original and Golden Uh-Oh! Oreo. 

"We took great care in developing these Oreo cookies to ensure we maintained the great taste and high quality consumers expect from Oreo," says Kevin McGahren-Clemens, vice president, cookies. New, Improved Reduced Fat Oreo contains 30 percent less fat than a regular Oreo, and a serving of three cookies contains 150 calories for a total of 4.5 grams of fat and zero grams of trans fat.

Golden Oreo Original and Golden Uh-Oh! Oreo, which flip the conventional Oreo around with white sandwich wafers instead of chocolate, both contain 170 calories and 7 grams of total fat per three-cookie serving, and zero grams of trans fat.

"Kraft has an aggressive plan in place to reduce or eliminate trans fat levels in our cookie and cracker products by 2004-2005," says McGahren-Clemens. "We know this is of interest to many of our customers so we are taking these steps to meet their growing and changing needs." Suggested retail price is $3.79.

Fiesta in a bottle

There are close to 38.6 million Americans of Hispanic descent, a little more than 13 percent of the U.S. population. One of the culinary traditions of Mexico is a traditional sweet rice drink called horchata. Grandmothers and chefs of authentic Mexican restaurants take pride in their top-secret horchata recipes.

Chicago-based Rosa's Horchata has introduced the first delicious, convenient, shelf-stable, single-serve, ready-to-drink version , a blend of water, milk, rice, cinnamon and vanilla. Rosa's Horchata, which proves 100 percent of the RDI of vitamin C and 15 percent of the RDI of calcium in an 8-oz. serving, is packaged in glass bottles with a full-wrap label showing an image of Rosa. It's available in three varieties , Original, Strawberry and Melon , and has earned an Orthodox Union Dairy Kosher certification.

"Because it's rice-based and contains milk, horchata is a natural antidote to the spice of Mexican food," says Marvin Berger, co-owner with Ed Noeh of Rosa's. "It's also a great accompaniment to Indian, Thai and other spicy cuisines." Suggested retail price is $1.69.