Rollout: June 2004

Eating applesauce is a whole lot of fun now that Stamford, Conn.-based Mott's, a brand of Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, has rolled out Magic Mix-Ins Apple Sauce With Pop Rocks. A combination of Mott's apple sauce and a separate package of Pop Rocks flavored popping candy and vitamin C crystals, Magic Mix-Ins is a treat for the senses. Kids can see the applesauce change color, feel different textures, hear the popping sound and taste the goodness of applesauce with a magic crunch.

A good source of vitamin C and fiber, Magic Mix-Ins are sold in two separate packages of four servings: Wizards Watermelon (green) and Poppin' Berry (deep red), as well as Mystery Fruit (blue) and Strawberry Kiwi Ka-Pow (pink).

"What could be more fun for both kids and adults?" asks Vice President of Marketing John Haydock. "We've attached a Magic Packette , with a special mix of Pop Rocks and vitamin C Flavor Crystals , to each cup of our apple sauce, giving kids (and their parents) the chance to experience the magic of Pop Rocks."  Suggested retail price is $2.39.

For the first time in 80 years, Cheez-It crackers have changed shape with the introduction of Cheez-It Twisterz from Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich. Cheez-It Twisterz are baked cheese crackers with two flavors twisted together along with a bold crunch. Available in two varieties, Cheddar & More Cheddar and Hot Wings & Cheesy Blue, Twisterz are packaged in a unique cube-shaped box to differentiate them.

"Building on the success of Cheese-It crackers, Kellogg is pleased to bring consumers Cheez-It Twisterz crackers to meet their desire for delicious, baked cheese snacks," says Jenny Enochson, director of marketing communications. Suggested retail price for a 13-oz. box is $3.49.

Artisanal cheese producer Fiscalini Farms, Modesto, Cal., has added three new cheddars to its award-winning line of San Joaquin Cheddar cheese. San Joaquin Gold is a natural rind cheddar for snacking and hors d'oeuvres. Purple Moon cheddar is soaked for 24 hours in cabernet sauvignon and served warm on crackers for a unique appetizer. A spreadable cheddar dubbed Horsefeathers is a balanced blend of San Joaquin cheddar, sour cream and horseradish, which creates terrific canapos and perks up baked potatoes, vegetables or prime rib.

Made from fresh, raw milk from Fiscalini's own herd of Holstein cows, the cheeses are antibiotic- and bovine growth hormone-free. They are made by hand in small batches , labor-intensive but critical to ensure optimum taste and texture, the company says. Suggested retail price is $15 per pound for San Joaquin Gold, $12 for Purple Moon and $6 for a half-pound container of Horsefeathers.

"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.

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.

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.