Rollout: Best New Products of March 2008

Suggested retail price is $3.29 for a six-pack.

Whole Grain Pop-Tarts debut
Moms know the drill: Each trip to the grocery store results in a quest for fun foods her kids love, yet foods that she can feel good about serving. How can moms satisfy their kids without compromising her nutritional standards?
Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich., rolls out Pop-Tarts Toaster Pastries with One Serving of Whole Grain.. Available in Strawberry and Brown Sugar Cinnamon, each serving of provides 16g of whole grains, 3g fiber and is fortified with six vitamins and minerals.

"As the original and leading toaster pastry, the Pop-Tarts brand recognizes the need to offer our consumers choices," says Jennifer Garrett, director, nutrition marketing. "Whether that’s no frosting, lower fat or enhancing nutritional value by adding whole grains and fiber, Pop-Tarts Toaster Pastries offer a broad range of flavors and ingredients to personalize for different consumer demands."

Suggested retail price is $1.99 per box.

Water for chocoholics
Metromint, marketed and distributed by San Francisco-based Soma Beverage Company LLC, introduces calorie free Metromint Chocolatemint water, which contains cocoa essence and a natural combination of pure water and real mint, the brand's signature ingredient.

“Innovation isn't new to us, so the idea of combining water with chocolate came easily," says founder and beverage designer Rio Miura.

Launching Chocolatemint around Valentine's Day was no coincidence, either, according to Michele Thorne, Metromint's wellness director. "Consumers have an emotional connection to chocolate. Launching in early spring provided us with the perfect platform to offer a healthier alternative to the traditional box of chocolates given on Valentine's Day and at Easter."

Suggested retail price for a sampler pack of five is $8 at www.metromint.com.

Simplicity is key
According to an online survey of 1,972 women by StrategyOne, 92 percent of women report that they are trying to bring better food choices into their homes, yet two-thirds agree that they sometimes find it difficult to introduce more wholesome foods into their diet and their family's diet. Nearly 90 percent often look for great-tasting, wholesome foods, and 78 percent report that they look for foods with a simple ingredients list. Additionally, the majority of women (88 percent) agree that they wish there were more on-the-go wholesome food options out there.
 
On the heels of these findings, East Hanover, N.J.-based Back to Nature introduces a line of snack bars made from pure, simple ingredients to provide delicious snack offerings with easily identifiable tastes and textures.

Made with organic fruits and grains, almonds, pecans and walnuts, the bars contain no synthetic pesticides, no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils, no artificial preservatives or flavors and have zero trans fat per serving.

Varieties include: Banana Walnut Bakery Squares, Oatmeal Raisin Bakery Squares, Apple Fruit & Grain Bars, Cranberry Almond Chewy Trail Mix Bars and Cherry Pecan Chewy Trail Mix Bars.

Suggested retail price is $3.49.

It’s back
Las Vegas-based Redux Beverages has relaunched its controversially named energy drink Cocaine. Redux Beverages had voluntarily pulled the Cocaine product from shelves and renamed it in June of 2007 due to FDA concerns about the product’s marketing tagline. The ingredients and flavor of relaunched Cocaine remain the same as the original.

The drink comes in a red, 8.4-oz. can and will be available in several markets across the U.S. as well as in Europe. Cocaine is available in three flavors: Original, Cut and Free. The Original version is a red, cinnamon-based energy drink that packs three and a half times the amount of caffeine of its leading competitor (280mg). Other ingredients include: 750mg of taurine, 100mg of inositol, B vitamins, 50mg of L-Carnitine, 250mg of D-Ribose and 25mg of guarana. The Cut version of Cocaine has the cinnamon-flavor removed, while the Free version is sugar-free.

“Retailers and consumers alike were begging us to get the drink back on the shelves,” says Redux founder Jamey Kirby. “Since the FDA warning letter last April we have been working closely with them to adjust the marketing of the drink and now the rebellious and fun Cocaine brand is out of rehab and back on shelves.”

Suggested retail price for a sampler package of two is $4.99 at www.drinkcocaineshop.com.

Nutritious snack for foodservice
Elmhurst, Ill.-based Kellogg’s Food Away From Home offers foodservice operators a nutritious and portable breakfast and snack choice with the new Kashi Granola Snack Pouch.