NEW SKUs

Soups with ‘Drinkability’
A major brewer in the United States is marketing its light beer with "drinkability." It appears the same holds true for a line of drinkable soups from Go Appetit, Houston, Texas. Cool Soups contain a blend of pureed fruits and vegetables with tangy herbs and spices. The three varieties—Carrot Bisque, Gazpacho, and Mango Mélange—come in an 8-oz portable plastic bottle. All are 100% natural with no preservatives, artificial colors, or artificial flavors. The shelf-stable soups can be served chilled, heated, or at ambient temperature. Each 8-oz serving of Carrot Bisque contains 110 calories with 4.5 g of fat, 6 g of protein, plus 3 g of dietary fiber and 270% of the daily requirement for vitamin A. The three flavors carry a suggested retail price of $2.49–$2.99.

Cereal Packaging Flips its Top
Retailer Target Corp., Minneapolis, Minn., has launched innovative packaging for many varieties of ready-to-eat cereal under its Archer Farms store brand. The Linearpak recycled paperboard container—supplied by Sonoco, Hartsville, S.C.—features a tall and slender shape with rounded side edges and a hinged polypropylene overcap for easy pouring and reclosability. The overcap "hugs" the rim of the carton to keep the cereal fresh after opening. Instead a traditional bag-in-box, the carton uses a tabbed membrane that the consumer can peel away. Flexo-printing provides crisp and colorful graphics.

In 2006, Consumer Reports recognized traditional cereal boxes with an "Oyster Award," a distinction given annually to a handful of hard-to-open packages. Consumers surveyed said they didn’t like opening the bag inside cereal boxes because cereal frequently ended up everywhere but in their bowl. They also didn’t like the fact that the bags couldn’t be securely closed, resulting in stale cereal.

Packaging Steams Veggies in Microwave
Supreme Cuts, Mahwah, N.J., utilizes "steaming bag" packaging for three of its fresh products—Supreme Cuts Snipped Green Beans, Supreme Cuts Wax Beans, and Supreme Cuts Rainbow Medley. The products come in 12-oz bags, with a suggested retail price of $2.49–$2.99. The micro-perforated bag and unique cooking strip within the film, which requires no piercing or tearing of the bag prior to microwaving, locks in the flavor and vitamins of the vegetables to maximize their taste and nutrients.

"We wanted to make it as easy as possible for people to enjoy the taste and added nutritional benefits of fresh steamed vegetables," said Merle Axelrod, President of Supreme Cuts. "Now, in addition to the convenience of pre-cut fresh vegetables that save time in the kitchen, people can experience the health benefits of steam cooking freshly snipped vegetables with the ease of their microwaves and this exciting new cooking technology."