Modern Packaging for Soup; Turkey Bacon Lowers Sodium; Steam Packaging for Frozen Rice

Soup in a can with a red-and-white Campbell’s label is certainly iconic and trustworthy to many consumers, but it may be losing its relevance with young folks in an age of iPhones and cloud computing. For that reason and others, Campbell Soup Co., Camden, N.J., has rolled out Campbell’s Go! Soup in a microwavable stand-up pouch. Six varieties lean heavily on ethnic cuisine and include Coconut Curry with Chicken and Shitake Mushrooms, Moroccan Style Chicken with Chickpeas, Golden Lentil with Madras Curry, and Spicy Chorizo & Pulled Chicken with Black Beans. “Consumers today crave novelty, bolder flavors, and foods that help them feel alive, engaged, and connected,” said President and CEO Denise Morrison. The new products are based on consumer insights of the new American family—nontraditional, multigenerational, single-parent, and multi-cultural.

Containing two servings, the 14-oz pouch carries a suggested retail price of $2.99. The soup can be cooked on a stovetop or microwaved in the pouch for 2 to 2½ min.

Turkey Bacon Lowers Sodium
Turkey bacon just got a little healthier thanks to Jennie-O Turkey Store, Willmar, Minn. Part of Hormel Foods, Jennie-O has launched new and improved turkey bacon with less sodium. Per serving, sodium has been reduced from 340 mg to 130 mg. The product contains no MSG, no high-fructose corn syrup, no artificial sweeteners, no trans fats, and no partially hydrogenated fats. It also has 60% less fat than traditional pork bacon. In addition to the new recipe, the fully cooked product comes in new packaging with a reclosable zipper from Zip-Pak, Manteno, Ill., to keep it fresh. The 12-oz package carries a suggested retail price of $2.99.

A recent survey showed that bacon is America’s most popular breakfast protein. Among regular bacon eaters, taste was the No. 1 quality driving consumers to eat bacon. Forty percent of survey respondents also listed high fat content and high levels of sodium as their most important concerns when selecting bacon.

Steam Packaging for Frozen Rice
Riviana Foods Inc., Houston, Texas, has introduced Minute Steamers in the frozen food section of the supermarket. The fully cooked product can go from freezer to plate in four minutes. A convenient self-ventilated bag helps consumers serve perfectly cooked, high-quality rice any day and any time of the week. Six rice varieties include Whole Grain Brown Rice, White Rice, Broccoli and Cheese Rice, Spanish Rice, Fried Rice, and Brown & Wild Rice with Vegetables. A pasta variety features Macaroni and Cheese.

To help make mealtime even easier for cooks, Minute Steamers offers “Four Ingredient Meals with Four-Minute Steamers,” combining the product with common pantry staples such as protein, vegetables, and sauces. The recipes deliver versatile and tasty meals that are doable for novice cooks. Recipes include Southwest Turkey Dinner and Chicken Broccoli and Cheese Dinner. The new products are rolling out nationally in the U.S. with distribution in Walmart stores.