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Rollout: The best of the month’s new food products

By Diane Toops, News & Trends Editor

FoodProcessing.com

Keywords: Bulls-Eye, Coca-Cola, Vault, Hormel, ConAgra, Ultragrain and Hamburger Helper

Four new Bulls-Eye barbecue sauces; infused skewers flavor from the inside; Coca-Cola’s Vault; Hormel Natural deli slices; ConAgra’s Ultragrain becomes a home flour; Hamburger Helper microwave singles.

Four new flavors for the grill

Kraft Foods Inc., Northfield, Ill., rolls out four new Bulls-Eye Barbecue Sauce flavors in time for the conquerors of the coals, barons of the burners and the sultans of smoke. Backyard barbecuers have four more options as well as the opportunity to win a backyard BBQ ensemble valued at $10,000.

New Bulls-Eye Barbecue Sauce flavors include: Steakhouse BBQ with A.1. (infused with the distinctive flavor of A.1.), Smokin' Chipotle BBQ (spiked with the kick of chipotle peppers), Raging Buffalo BBQ (laced with a fiery twist of wing sauce) and Sweet & Sticky BBQ Rib Sauce (extra-thick sauce charged with a shot of apple cider).

"At Bull's-Eye, we know that serious grillers get serious respect,” says Brendan Honan, senior brand manager. “That's why we're launching four new sauces and a search for America's unsung backyard heroes – the biggest, boldest, best barbecuers around. The 'Can You Go Pro?' contest, ending July 31, will shine the spotlight on America's kings of the grill, and two grand prize winners will receive the ultimate, custom-built barbecue setup." (www.bullseyebbq.com).

Suggested retail price is $2.29.

Skewers flavor from the inside

This one’s an interesting story in a couple of ways. Callisons Inc., Lacy, Wash., primarily takes mint oils and further processes them into flavors for chewing gum and toothpaste. Last summer, company executives asked employees for suggestions for new products. The winner: Seasoned Skewers.

Callisons stuck close to its knowledge base by taking natural oils and herbal extracts and infusing them into barbecue skewers for the company’s first retail product. Seasoned Skewers come in six flavors: Honey Bourbon, Citrus Rosemary, Thai Coconut Lime, Indian Mango Curry, Mexican Fiesta and Garlic Herb. Slide onto them chicken, beef, pork, fish, seafood, even baked potatoes and other vegetables and toss them on a barbecue grill and the powerful flavors enter the cooked food from the inside out.

While launched for summertime grilling, for which they seem to be ideally suited, Seasoned Skewers are not limited to the grill nor to summertime. They can impart their flavor through slow-roasting, oven baking or pan-searing.

So far, they’re available at Target, Williams-Sonoma, Whole Foods and similar stores at $7.99 for a packet of 10 skewers (www.seasonedskewers.com).

Hybrid energy soda from Coca-Cola

Targeted to young adults, Vault and Vault Zero (a no-sugar version) are rolling out nationwide from Atlanta-based Coca-Cola North America. Though not part of that demographic, I returned to Coca-Cola’s booth at FMI every day for a sample. I can attest that its tagline – “The Taste. The Quench. The Kick.” – is right on.

Not a soft drink or an energy drink, Vault is a first-of-its-kind hybrid energy soda that delivers the best attributes both categories have to offer. It features a bold citrus taste with less carbonation than most sodas and the high-octane refreshment of an energy drink – but no taurine, guarana or the other exotic ingredients that are common in them.

Now available in 20-oz. and 1-liter bottles featuring a raised “diamond plate” pattern to provide an easier grip, Vault grows to nationwide distribution also in 2-liter bottles and 12-oz. cans.

“Vault helps take things to the next level by combining attributes from traditional soft drinks and energy drinks to provide young adults with the taste, refreshment and energy boost they’re seeking,” says Stuart Kronauge, director -- flavor brands. “Vault is a groundbreaking hybrid in much the same way sport-utility vehicles combine the most desirable features of cars and trucks. Vault offers the best of both worlds in one appealing package.”

Suggested retail price is 99 cents for the 20-oz. bottles.

Brown bag lunches get a nutritious makeover

Hormel Foods, Austin, Minn., gives brown bag lunches a nutritious makeover with the launch of Hormel Natural Choice Deli Sandwich Meats, 100 percent natural sandwich meats with no preservatives, added nitrites or nitrates, artificial colors or flavors and added MSG. Plus, they are gluten-free and low in sodium.

Available in 9-oz. packages, varieties include: Oven Roasted Deli Turkey, Smoked Deli Turkey, Honey Deli Turkey, Honey Deli Ham, Cooked Deli Ham and Smoked Deli Ham.

How does Hormel protect against harmful bacteria in Natural Choice Deli Sandwich Meats? By using innovative, high-pressure water-based pasteurization called Truetaste technology, a USDA-approved process that doesn’t compromise the meat’s great taste, texture, appearance or nutritional value.

“More than ever, people are very interested in identifying healthful, real food that will promote good nutrition,” says Jackie Newgent, an independent dietitian. “In fact, according to ACNielsen research, 95 percent of all grocery shoppers say they are looking for natural products to improve the health of their families.”