Energy bars are most often associated with top athletes and endurance sports. But as consumers have found themselves pressed for time—and energy—the category has morphed into an array of tasty, low-cost products that provide a quick meal solution across multiple dayparts. More importantly, the category has evolved to include a multitude of variations from healthy…
Salty Foods Under Fire
Public health experts from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday to force food makers to gradually decrease the amount of sodium in products. The 1.5 teaspoons of sodium Americans consumer daily-most of which comes from processed foods-is more than double the amount they require for positive health…
Tools of the Trade
Busy consumers continue watching their wallets, but one thing hasn’t changed. They want great tasting meals and snacks—and they want them fast. In spite of today’s economic angst, opportunities abound for providing time-crunched consumers with foods on the run. According to a survey by the National Restaurant Association (NRA), 69% of adults surveyed said purchasing…
Pemmican To Give Away Free Beef Jerky
Taylor, Mich.-based Marfood USA Inc. plans to launch its new Pemmican Web site on April 1 by giving away a free bag of Pemmican Beef Jerky every minute of the day. Consumers must visit www.pemmican.com on April 1 between 12:01am and 11:59pm to register for a chance to win. “We purposely chose April fool’s to…
Rutter’s Introduces Pigtails, Slice Roast Pork Au Jus
York, Pa.-based Rutter’s Farm Stores, which operates 55 c-stores in Pennsylvania has introduced pigtails in a cup, as well as sliced roast pork au jus and a number of other new items. The new food menu items will be offered at its 38 stores that have touch-screen ordering. An order of pigtails comprises two hot…
Johnsonville Sausage Launches ’Triple Play Challenge’ Baseball Contest
Johnsonville Sausage has kicked off of its “Triple Play Challenge” contest, which allows consumers to use their baseball knowledge and skills to compete for a trip to California to see the best in baseball play this summer. “It’s time to celebrate Opening Day – both for baseball and for your grill,” said Colleen D’Souza, associate…
Jamba Introduces Frozen Fruit Sorbet
Jamba Juice Company and Oregon Ice Cream are debuting a new line of Frozen Fruit Sorbet and Frozen Fruit Sorbet & Yogurt Bars, hitting select retail freezers across the U.S. this week. The frozen novelty bars are available in five delicious flavors, are all natural, made with real fruit, provide a good source of…
Slim Jim To Sponsor Wrestlemania XXVI
Slim Jim, a ConAgra Foods brand, has signed on to be the Official Meat Snack of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and is the presenting sponsor of WWE’s WrestleMania XXVI, in Glendale, Ariz. on March 28 and SummerSlam, in Los Angeles on Aug. 15. As part of the deal, WWE Superstar Edge will serve as a…
Rolling Right Along
Turning a Profit The times have changed. Just as c-store foodservice evolved to meet the needs of fresh, fast and friendly service, so have the items that star on the roller grill. “Gone are the days of the shriveled hot dog, whose origins and expiration date are unknown,” said Tim Powell, the c-store foodservice program…
Raising the Bar on Energy Sales
The first sports and energy bars in the U.S. were marketed primarily to serious athletes, through alternative channels such as health food stores. These bars did not have wide appeal or distribution as recently as 1990, but over the past two decades these products have since gained mass appeal and distribution after greatly improving flavor…