In the bag - perfectly steamed veggies
Thanks to Clarence Birdseye, frozen foods were introduced to retail customers more than 75 years ago. Birds Eye Foods, Rochester, N.Y., rolls out another revolution in frozen food with the nationwide launch of Steamfresh, frozen vegetables that steam perfectly right in the bag.
Birds Eye packages its flash-frozen vegetables in a specially designed bag. While microwaving, the bag puffs up under the pressure of the steam created within it. A patented vent releases the steam after it cooks the veggies, leaving them crisp, colorful and tasty.
"Steaming has long been thought of as the gold standard for vegetable preparation because of its inherent health benefits," says Josh Weinstein, senior product manager of Steamfresh. "With the Steamfresh products, consumers will receive perfectly steamed vegetables with such ease and convenience that we believe the Steamfresh portfolio could quickly become a home meal-time staple."
Each 12-oz. package serves about four people and is available in nine varieties: Broccoli Cuts; Super Sweet Corn; Cut Green Beans; Mixed Vegetables; Sweet Peas; Broccoli and Cauliflower; Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrots; Broccoli, Carrots, Sugar Snap Peas and Water Chestnuts, and Sweet Mini Corn on the Cob (four ears).
Suggested retail price ranges between $1.69 for plain vegetables and $2.29 for mixtures.
Dressing your salad has never been easier or more fashionable. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.-based Unilever introduces a line of Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers salad dressing, the season's must-have salad accessory.
Designed for diet-conscious consumers who wish to regulate the amount of dressing they use, Wishbone Salad Spritzers are packaged in 7-oz. spray bottles with a custom spray nozzle that gives salad lovers more control than ever in adding the finishing touch to their salads. These light-tasting, refreshing vinaigrette dressings are available in three varieties: Italian Vinaigrette Dressing, made with a blend of white wine vinegar, and flavorings; Balsamic Breeze Vinaigrette Dressing, a blend of balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and garlic flavor; and Red Wine Mist Vinaigrette Dressing, blending cabernet sauvignon with red wine vinegar and oil.
"This is a true innovation in dressing salads," says Dana Emery, marketing director. "The dressing is the final touch that makes a salad delicious. Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers dressings give salad lovers a new way to perfectly dress their salad with 1 calorie per spray."
Kellogg makes granola pop-able
Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich., rolls out Kellogg's Granola Munch'ems and Special K Snack Bites, six single-serve pouches of bite-sized morsels perfect for busy, on-the-go consumers.
"People love the great taste and nutrition traditional granola provides, and they want something that is convenient in today's increasingly on-the-go lifestyles," said Cheryl Dolven, nutritionist for Kellogg Snacks. "With new Munch'ems, consumers can enjoy a great-tasting, nutritious snack anywhere, anytime. We think this will change the way people think about granola and snacking."
For those refocusing their commitment to shape management, Kellogg adds Special K Snack Bites to its popular Special K line. Each 90-calorie pack features clusters of lightly textured, multi-grain Special K cereal with a touch of vanilla or strawberry flavors. Snack Bites also can be incorporated as a snack into the Special K Challenge, the two-week plan to help kick-start consumer's diets and their commitment to a long-term healthier lifestyle.
Suggested retail price is $3.39.
Frito-Lay controls its portions
Varieties include: Baked! Cheetos; Doritos Nacho Cheese; Doritos Cool Ranch and Cheetos Asteroids. The Baked! Cheetos snacks also carry the Smart Spot symbol, which identifies those products that meet PepsiCo's nutrition criteria, based upon authoritative statements from the FDA and the Institute of Medicine.
"Consumers want products that fit in a health-conscious lifestyle, and yet they are unwilling to compromise on taste," says Jeff Swearingen, vice president, shopper marketing. "Our 100 Calorie Mini Bites give consumers 'snack balance' - their favorite brands in convenient portion packaging that takes the guess work out of calorie control."
Suggested retail price for a five-pack box is $1.99.
Dr Pepper fans apparently are passionate about the brand - hundreds professed their love recently by puckering up to kiss a giant can of Dr Pepper Berries and Cream, the latest flavor, at the Dr Pepper Ballpark in Texas.
It's the second flavor Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, Plano, Texas, has added to the brand's Soda Fountain Classics line, which was created to meet consumers' desire for nostalgic flavors reminiscent of simpler times. Soda Fountain Classics were launched in 2004 with Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, and it was company's most successful product introduction in more than a decade.
"Consumers like a full-flavor experience in their beverage choice, and our Dr Pepper Soda Fountain Classics have proven to be a tremendous success because they meet that need," says Jim Trebilcock, senior vice president of consumer marketing. "Based on consumer product test results, we expect both Regular and Diet Dr Pepper Berries and Cream will have strong and devoted followings."
Suggested retail price for a 12-pack ranges from $2-4.
McCormick puts sauces in pouches
McCormick and Co. Inc., Sparks, Md., rolls out McCormick's Finishing Sauces, a new line of sauces in microwaveable standup pouches with a 12-month shelf-life.
Each 5-oz. pouch makes two to three servings and can be either microwaved (approximately 45 seconds) or can be poured into a saucepan and heated. Prior to microwaving, the pouch is cut diagonally across a score line printed on the back panel. This enables venting during heating and also facilitates pouring. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated and used for a subsequent meal.
Varieties include: Honey Mustard, Red Burgundy Wine for Beef, Roasted Chicken Gravy with Herbs, Creamy Mushroom and Roasted Beef.
"There are no other wet gravies in flexible pouches in the U.S.," explains Stefanie Woodhouse, product manager, finishing sauce product line. "Typically those types of products are in glass jars."
In order for the standup pouches to be both retortable and microwaveable, Ampac Flexibles Converted Products, a unit of Ampac Packaging LLC, Cincinnati, Ohio, developed a structure without a foil layer that could also withstand the temperature of the retort (250°F). Ampac developed "cool grip" heat seals on either side of the pouch, so consumers can handle the package after microwaving.
Suggested retail price is $1.99 per pouch.
