Frozen Foods

Nestlé USA, the Glendale, Calif.-division of Switzerland-based Nestlé, is zeroing in on the Hispanic market with the introduction of two new frozen delicacies. Nestlé Delicias is the product line under which the two new items, Paletas and Helados, will bow.

Loblaw Cos., Ltd. has made a commitment to source all seafood sold in its stores from sustainable sources by the end of 2013. The commitment, known as the Loblaw Sustainable Seafood Policy Initiative, includes all canned, frozen, fresh, wild and farmed seafood products, in all categories.

The Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is now offering new marketing materials to licensed retailers online. The materials, meant to promote the “Fruit & Veggie of the Month” campaign, include recipes, consumer columns and ad slicks.

Rising Sun Farms has introduced two new product lines full of items intended to spruce up salads and snacks: Salad Energizers and DipnSpreads. The Salad Energizers line consists of three products containing a group of items that can be tossed into a salad.

Safeway Inc. released its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report yesterday, a comprehensive document designed to provide readers with a clear picture of the company's activities on a wide range of fronts, including community, people, products and planet.

Recognizing recession-weary consumers are buying more shelf-stable products, Del Monte, General Mills, Kraft and others are focusing their marketing and R&D efforts on the formerly unsexy center of the supermarket.

As summer approaches, frozen goodies beckon. Del Monte Foods has a new product called Fruit Chillers Freeze & Eat Tubes that offers a fun, cold treat for kids and adults. The product consists of sorbet packaged in a thin tube that contains no artificial flavors or corn syrup. Flavors include Strawberry Snow Storm and Grape Berry Blizzard.

While big-box retailers BJ’s and Costco had a tough time in April as net and comparable-store sales tumbled during a time of economic recession and plummeting gasoline sales, Target managed to stem its recent sales declines and Wal-Mart actually saw higher sales during the month, driven by increased traffic and a strong showing in seasonal and discretionary items.