KAREN BANASIAK

Food companies want their packaged products to have shelf life—and not just in terms of freshness; these companies want their products to sell well and remain in the market for the long term. And this is understandable, given the time and money devoted to the product development process.

McDonald’s Corp. offers limited-edition items—or promotional items as the company calls them—to deliver menu variety to its customers. The companysays that the McRib sandwich is one of its most popular items.For a number of reasons, though, some companies are producing limited-edition or limited-time products, which are, quite obviously, available for only a brief time.

A Season of Change
Some limited-edition food and …

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