After perhaps a rocky start for both companies, Kraft and General Mills both have shown very significant growth in their new product introductions in the last year. Kraft, almost as always, led the list with 228 new products in 2002, up 24% from the prior year (that prior year also included the Nabisco purchase). General Mills had fewer new products (151), but also showed significant growth from the prior year. Those 2002 figures were up 32% from 2001's figure of 114 products. Coca-Cola, Atlanta, doubled its product offerings in 2002, partially because of its Odwalla, Half Moon Bay, Calif., purchase.
However, the news is not always quite so positive. Looking more closely at the Top 20 companies, we see that Tyson, Springdale, Ark., in terms of new product introductions, has not benefited so well with its new acquisitions; its ranking fell substantially. Tyson introduced half the number of products in 2002 (57) that it did in 2001. Less severe is Kellogg, Battle Creek, Mich. While Kellogg (combined with Keebler, Elmhurst, Ill.) did not experience the drop that Tyson did, its introductions were essentially flat in 2002 compared to 2001 (79 compared to 83).