August 23/Cos Cob, Conn. -- Chicken Soup for the Soul, the famous book publisher and world leader in life improvement, inspiration and wellness, has created a line of foods that will soon be available in supermarkets and food retailers across the country.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Foods will launch its national line of comfort foods in early 2013, beginning with soups. Inspired by real people and their stories about food, family, and feelings, the line will expand quickly in 2013 and 2014 to include a full range of more than 100 comfort food products in a variety of different categories.  Many items will promise to offer convenient ways to shorten meal prep time and serve delicious meals in minutes, such as gravies, broths and meal starters that can be used to start a variety of different meals, including pot pies, casseroles and stews.  All items in the food line will also be designed with health-conscious consumers in mind.

"With hundreds of millions of books in print, which have been sold in more than 100 countries, our worldwide group of readers and fans know that the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' name represents a trusted and familiar source for stories and products that resonate and inspire," said Bill Rouhana, chief executive officer of Chicken Soup for the Soul. "Meal times play such an important role in living a well-balanced life that our readers and fans have asked us for years to launch a food line.  By creating a line of delicious comfort foods that warm the heart and nourish the soul, we are providing yet another way that we can always be there to care for and support our community." 

Launching the line will be seven soups, led by iconic Chicken Noodle, made with tender chunks of chicken, egg noodles and vegetables in a signature broth. Other varieties will include traditional favorites such as Chicken and Rice, Creamy Tomato, and Mushroom Barley, as well as unique blends including Country Style Squash, Sweet Corn and Chipotle, and Hearty Black Bean.  The initial soups will be available in 15oz. and 24oz. reusable and recyclable traditional glass mason jars.

"To achieve our goal of creating a new kind of comfort food that is both delicious and nutritious, we followed our usual practice of seeking a world class partner that has deep knowledge of all aspects of its industry. Daymon's extensive network of supplier partners and understanding of the needs of grocery retailers made it the perfect partner for us on this mission," said Rouhana.

"Bringing specialty brands to market is part of Daymon's commitment to helping our suppliers and retailers grow," said Carla Cooper, chief executive officer of Daymon Worldwide.  "One of our goals is to generate new opportunities for suppliers across a wide variety of categories, and innovative products and brands will do just that.  For retailers, adding these brands to the assortment enhances key categories and can help drive store traffic.  With strong consumer awareness and established brand loyalty, specialty brands, like Chicken Soup for the Soul, are poised for immediate success."