Frozen Foods

A certain amount of trade-off is expected when we make healthier food choices. A low-fat cereal bar is not the same as a double fudge brownie — no matter how you slice it. But if you are going to sit down to that cereal bar instead of the brownie, you want it to be the best-tasting cereal bar around, right?

Starting today, customers at participating A&P supermarkets in New York and New Jersey will be able to enjoy a sweet treat while they shop -- Le Mars, Iowa-based Blue Bunny is providing free samples of the new Sedona Sandwich, along with coupons for the new product. The giveaway runs until July 25.

Supervalu is rolling out a labeling program for its independent retailers to help their stores identify products that meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines for important health-related attributes such as low-fat, low-cholesterol and low-calorie. Dubbed “Healthy Elements,” the program is piloting in several Supervalu-supplied retail locations this month, with a nationwide launch expected for later this summer.

Bagel-fuls were such a success when they launched last year that Kraft Foods has now come out with Fruit & Cream Cheese varieties of the no-mess frozen breakfast or snack option: Strawberry & Cream Cheese, Apple Cinnamon & Cream Cheese, and Cherry & Cream Cheese.

After a recent Kellogg Co. survey revealed that consumers don’t know where to find fiber, and mistakenly believe that products containing “whole grain” provide it, the Battle Creek, Mich.-based manufacturer decided to take decisive action. Its solution: FIBER-pe-dia.

While retailers continue to adjust the scope, product offerings, design, and merchandising of their store perimeters, center store has remained basically unchanged for decades.

Retail buyers and merchandisers converging in Atlanta for the International Dairy·Deli·Bakery Association’s (IDDBA) ongoing Dairy-Deli-Bake ’09 convention and expo that runs through Wednesday are taking an all-encompassing look at a medley of new product introductions showcased in some 1,500 booths.

The food industry has thrown its considerable weight behind the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 draft legislation, which is currently still in draft form. Among those publicly expressing their support for the legislation -- along with modifications that they maintain will bolster the final law -- are the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the United Fresh Produce Association (United Fresh), the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) and, representing food safety advocates, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).