Healthy Juice?
Not content to rest on the healthy laurels inherent in orange juice, Tropicana, Bradenton, Fla., is fortifying its latest offering and targeting parents concerned about children's health. Tropicana Pure Premium Healthy Kids is fortified with vitamins A and E, plus calcium, adding to vitamin C and the other nutrients already in orange juice.According to Carla McGill, Ph.D., RD, a Tropicana nutrition scientist, “Two-thirds of all 6 to 12 year-olds do not get enough calcium, and we find that their diets are low in antioxidants such as vitamins A and E. Folate (a B vitamin) is another nutrient of which kids are not getting enough and orange juice is a naturally good source of this as well.”
In the product, Tropicana features a unique calcium source—FruitCal, which is claimed to be a highly absorbable calcium.
A Tasty Read
General Mills, Minneapolis, is joining forces with Simon & Schuster Audio, a leading publisher of general interest audiobooks. Together, the two will offer an innovative promotion—a free, on-pack offer for a number-one selling audiobook,The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.The on-pack offer can be found on two General Mills cereals—Oatmeal Crisp Raisin and Basic 4. Several other General Mills cereal brands (including Wheat Chex, Multi-bran Chex, Oatmeal Crisp Almond, Oatmeal Crisp Apple Cinnamon, Raisin Nut Bran, as well as Oatmeal Crisp Raisin and Basic 4) will individually boast a free mail-in offer for a number of Simon & Schuster titles.
The selected audiobook CDs are the same versions of the program available at retail and are valued at up to $30.
Frozen Soup
Birds Eye, the flagship brand of Agrilink Foods, Green Bay, Wisc., has introduced what it claims is the first nationally branded line of frozen soup.The Hearty Spoonfuls line is found in microwaveable bowls, allowing for easy preparation—freezer to the microwave in one step, says the company. As such, Birds Eye is hoping to capture the need for quick and convenient meal options among harried consumers.
The flavor options are traditional: Homestyle Chicken Noodle—seasoned chicken, egg noodles, carrots, green beans, celery and onion in chicken broth.
Cheesy Cream of Broccoli—broccoli florets and stalks, potatoes, carrots, celery and onions in a cheesy cream broth.
Chicken, Rice & Vegetables—seasoned chicken, rice, carrots, cauliflower, corn, celery and onions in a broth.
Italian Minestrone—pasta, pink beans, tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, onions and celery in a tomato broth seasoned with Italian herbs and grated parmesan cheese.
Pudding out of the Fridge
Some of the most popular trends of late have been convenience, portability, indulgence and a focus on kids. ConAgra Foods, Irvine, Calif., is targeting all of those with its latest offering.Squeez 'n Go Portable Pudding is a creamy, ready-to-eat treat that ConAgra promises is wholesome, as well. In addition, the packaging technology used on the product makes Squeez 'n Go a “fridge-free” pudding product.
Requiring no refrigeration or spoon, ConAgra's new pudding product meets a couple of needs discovered in a recent survey of lunch and snack habits and preferences among parents and kids. The survey, performed by Market Analysis Inc., found that most kids do not refrigerate their lunches or snacks. Furthermore, about half of parents forget to pack a spoon with their child's lunch.
Available in four varieties (chocolate, vanilla, chocolate fudge & brownie, and creamy strawberry & banana), the Squeez 'n Go line contains no preservatives and is made with real non-fat milk.
