Food and Functionality
From Berner Foods: coffee energy drinks; Woeber introduced gourmet flavored mayonnaise in several varieties; Acetificio Acetum created its own molds for squeezable balsamic glazes.
It’s the product. It’s the packaging. It’s both.
New products for private label have traditionally been about what’s in the package. But new products and new packaging are increasingly going hand-in-hand, to judge from a number of innovations at the PLMA trade show.
Some of those innovations are almost invisible, like the equivalent of a valve pack closure for canned coffee from Mother Parker’s Tea & Coffee, Northbrook, IL. Others really jump out at you, like stand-up aluminum pouches for soups, sauces and gravies from Mondiv, Boisbriand, QC now a division of Lassonde Specialties.
Allens, Siloam Springs, AR, came out with Steam Supreme™, a line of 10 frozen vegetable products using a novel steam and sauce technology. Varieties in a three-cheese sauce are Broccoli-Cauliflower, Broccoli, Carrots, Broccoli-Rice and Cauliflower. Varieties with butter sauce include: Super Sweet Corn and Sweet Garden Peas. All-Natural Sweet Corn on the Cob, Creamed Spinach and Spinach Dip are also available with Steam Supreme technology.
Meanwhile, Allens has also debuted a Southern Style line of canned vegetables that introduces a new flavor profile for favorite vegetables, including Hoppin John, Seasoned Black Beans, Seasoned Blackeye Peas, Seasoned Butter Beans, Seasoned Cabbage and ten additional varieties. The line is available in 14 oz, 27 oz. and 28 oz. cans.
Steamable meals in stand-up pouches are among the new products offered by White Toque, Secaucus, NJ, through a turnkey program for first-to-market imported frozen specialty/niche products for the retail as well as the foodservice trade. Also new at the show were its French crepes, delicate cocktail bites, mini-scallops in the shell, IQF vegetables.
Contessa Premium Foods, San Pedro, CA, introduced a line of steam-in-bag entrees such as Chicken Florentine, Burgundy Beef Stew and Italian Sausage Rigatoni. Steamazing paper pouches are a new concept from Amazing Food Creations, Schaumburg, IL, for custom-designed menus with creative and contemporary flavors. Hormel Foods, Austin, MN, came out with steam bag vegetables as well as big bowl fruits.
Mondiv’s stand-up pouch soup line includes French onion, Tomato, Carrot & Zucchini, Potato Chowder & Grilled Corn, Butternut Squash & Grilled Onions, White Mushrooms & Grilled Onions and Tomato & Pesto. Other items in the same packaging include sauces for vegetables and fish, and browm turkey, roast beef, chicken & poultry, roast & mixed grills, and 5 peppercorn. Mondiv also came out with imported olive oil from Spain in aseptic packs, apparently a first for that category. In a similar vein, Karlin Foods, Northfield, IL, introduced rice dishes in pouches to complement its skillet dinners and steak sauces.
Harmony lemon is just one of the new beverages from Cliffstar in Chadwick Bay line.
Sopakco Packaging, Mullins, SC, too, has gotten into retort pouches for rice and side dishes, plus thermoformed bowls and trays for entrees and side dishes, and meal kit trays for microwave meals – all available in custom recipes and formulations. Mario Camacho Foods, Plant City, FL, debuted snack packet olives in pouches, flavored with thyme, pitted green, pitted green with chili, pitted green with garlic, 1.75 and 2.75 sizes.
John B. Sanfillippo & Son, Elgin, IL, came out with Crunchy Baked Nuts and Pearlescent Nuts. Crunchy Baked Nuts are almonds, peanuts, cashews and pistachios coated with honey wheat flour and various seasonings – rosemary garlic, jalapeño cheddar. Cuban and caramel pecan. Pearlescent nuts are coated with chocolate and customized glazes.
Savory Creations International, San Mateo, CA, introduced two new items: beef demi glace, and broth concentrates. The demi glace allows home chefs to whip up restaurant-quality meals in short order, because they’d otherwise have to do like restaurant chefs: create the traditional reduction sauce by simmering stock, vegetables, wine and spices for 24 hours. The broth concentrates come in four varieties, and are also low in sodium.
Century Foods Intl., Sparta, WI, debuted a Fiber Basics supplement, and also Essence C, a fizzing drink powder with vitamin C for immune system support that comes in tangerine, raspberry and lemon-lime flavors. Other items from the company include APC (Active Protein Complex) supplements in cinnamon swirl and chocolate fudgesicle flavors for teens, APC whey supplement for adults and Torrent viramin-fortified low sodium sports drinks.
Water Lilies Food, Astoria, NY, is finding a market for potstickers, BBQ buns, wontons, spring and egg rolls, lo mein noodles and pork fried rice, plus entrees like beef & broccoli and sweet & sour chicken. It is automating its egg roll line to produce 100 a minute instead of 65.
Molinaro’s Fine Italian Foods, Mississauga, ON, is forging ahead with stone-baked thin-crust pizzas (4 Italian Cheese, Margherita, Calabrese, Mushroom), gourmet pizza crusts, pizza kits (traditional, whole wheat, thin, multigrain), cold press dough balls, frozen pasta (tortellini with cheese, ravioli with meat, gnocchi), and calzones (six cheese, chicken & bacon, meat lovers), pepperoni & sausage, deluxe).
Eat Better SRL, Modena Italy, is mainly in the woodfired pizza business, but also offers ready meals and frozen desserts and is getting into specialty foods. Its pizza line includes all natural Parma ham, 3 cheese & onions, basil pesto & mozzarella, cappricciosa, margherita and vegetable; plus organic fire-roasted vegetable, 4 Cheese, margherita, spinach & basil pesto, and spinach & cheese.
Great American Appetizers, Nampa, ID, introduced buffalo tenders and steak tenders (top sirloin) to complement a line that already included standard and innovative (twice baked potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes) potato products, cheese bites, corn dogs and other products.
Acetificio Acetum, Modena, Italy, offered squeezable glazes, original, raspberry, hot red pepper, also balsamic glazes in tall bottles. “We own the molds,” a spokesman beamed. The company is best known for its four leaves vinegar system: One Leaf (red strip) category is marked by moderate density, and is used for salads. Two Leaves (silver strip) has a higher syrupiness, and it is recommended for salads, BBQs and marinading. Three Leaves (gold strip) is distinguished for its sweetness, with scents of wood and spices, especially suggested for cheese and strawberries.
Four Leaves (black strip) is an exceptionally thick Balsamic, suitable for all the culinary usages.
Mother Parker’s valve closure for canned coffee allows it to pack the ground coffee fresh, with the gas being released through a valve just like bagged fresh coffee. An innovative dispenser cap for salad dressings was new from Parnassia Food, Jersey City, NJ, which is better known for bruschetta, hummus, olives, tapenades, sandwich spreads, antipasti and slow-roasted tomatoes – plus foodservice sandwiches, pizzas and salada.
Dumplings are just one of the Chinese specialties from Water Lilies Foods.
Frozen Specialties, Holland, OH, rolled out personal and artisan personal pizzas, breadsticks, pizza bites. Pizza-topped toast was new from Joseph Campione, Oak Creek, WI. Tastemorr Snacks, Coldwater, OH, debuted corn cakes, apple-cinnamon crisps and sea salt pita chips. California Cereal Products, Oakland, CA, made its debut with RTE cereals and announced opening of a new plant in Macon, GAS, to expand production.
Cliffstar, Dunkirk, NY, came out with Exact, a line of energy drinks, including coffee energy (caramel, raspberry mocha and Sumatra flavors) with “The exact blend of energy and taste.” The line includes coffee energy drinks, standard energy drinks with vitamin and other enhancements (caffeine, taurine, inositol, gluconoolactone and ribose) in regular and reduced calorie blue raspberry, orange and fruit punch flavors), plus isotonic drinks with similar enhancements. Also new are enhanced water beverages, vegetable juice with Omega 3 and Morning Citrus, plus Chadwick Bay naturally sweetened juices. The company has introduced shrink sleeve packaging for its juice lines, including single serve.
For its Chadwick Bay line, as for previous private label lines, Cliffstar has adopted PowerFlex lightweight PET bottles from Amcor PET Packa-ging, Ann Arbor, MI. The domed and long-neck bottles deliver significant performance and cost advantages including portability (no breakage), light weight, recyclability, and reduced transportation costs.
LNK International, Hauppauge, NY, in cooperation with Disc Graphics, has developed eco-friendly packaging for cough and cold products. This was accomplished by minimizing use of paperboard, switching to 15 instead of 16 point SBS.
Innovative Beverage Products, Las Vegas, NV, added Immunity to its HealthShot line. The four-ounce, ready-to-drink beverage touts a patented, proprietary blend called MaxImmune that is said to reduce symptoms of the common cold and flu, according. It is available in blackberry flavor and has no artificial colors or flavors. Boreal Water Collection, Montreal, QC, debuted its private label water in the ENSO biodegradable plastic bottles.
Juanita’s Foods, Wilmington, CA, offers custom blend soups, including authentic Mexican recipes like Menudo, Pozole and Albondigas. It also produces hominy and other ethnic vegetable products, and gives retailers the option of a wide range of can sizes.
Pyure Brands, Naples, FL, debuted the latest sugar substitute, a sweetner called stevia that is also calorie-free and low in carbohydrates – thus suitable for diabetics – but without any bitter after-taste. In comes in packets, 40 or 80 to a box.
The Winery Exchange, Novato, CA, isn’t just for wine any more, although it has a track record with exclusive brands for Kroger and other major chains. Retailers looking for private label beer, ale, scotch, vodka and whiskey can do one-stop shopping.
Transnational Foods, Miami, FL, covers a lot of ground in private label. From coffee, granola bars, fruit juices, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, preserves, pasta and rice, salad dressings, oils, canned tomato products, canned meats, olives, peppers, soups and bouillon cubes, and beverages, to canned sardines, oysters and mackerel.
Clement Pappas, Carneys Point, NJ, is building “momentum,” as it says, with a number of lines, such as Water Works (fiber-enhanced waters that help with hunger management and digestive health), Boomer Basics (juices with nutrients that help boost immunity, build bone strength, improve vision and enhance mental acuity), CPC Kids (healthy drinks for children), lite juices with stevia, V-8 Fusions equivalents, 46-oz aseptics, zero calorie vitamin waters and organic juices. Full-sleeve shrink labels have also been introduced.
Hoppe Food Group, Tilburg, the Netherlands, came to Rosemont with a new line of all-natural rye sourdough flatbread crackers, including rosemary, cereals & cheese and seeds & cheese. Also available from the company are natural fiber laxative cookies (chocolate, apple & cinnamon and cinnamon), and premium European cookies, from Dutch speculaas biscuits to Scottish-style shortbread.
Golden Beach, Torrance, CA, introduced fruit in 24.5 oz plastic jars to complement its 12 oz hexagon glass and 4 oz plastic cup lines. Winona Foods, Green Bay, WI, offered spicy bean deep, nacho cheese dip, guacamole, vitamin-enhanced water, sharp cheddar cheese, and taco sauce in upside-down squeeze bottles.
Soups and sauces in stand-up pouches are new from Mondiv, now part of Lassonde Specialties. Below Right: Snack olives in resealable packets were introduced by Mario Camacho
Bay Valley Foods, Pittsburgh, PA, brought out a line of Petites pickles in Chili Pepper, Honey Ginger and Garlic, Onion & Dill varieties. Also new were 98% fat-free cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups, jalapeno relish with cream cheese, cherries & berries with pomegranate fruit spread, acai fruit spread. red cream BBQ sauce, MSG-free soup, and flavor-enhancing alternatives.
Oat Wise, a cereal positioned against Quaker Life, is the newest thing from the Ralston cereal unit of Ralcorp Holdings, St. Louis, MO, It is available in regular and cinnamon versions. Recent introductions or featured products from other units include RyKrysp crackers from Bremner Food Group, chocolate covered nuts from Nutcracker/Flavor House; toaster biscuits (in buttermilk, sweet cinnamon and cheddar varieties) from Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products; and cocktail mixes from Beverage Specialties, a division of Carriage Houser, which produces a broad range of syrups, sauces, salad dressings and peanut butters. Its products from all units are tested on an on-going basis, utilizing internal and independent external sensory testing to insure branded attributes.
LiDestri Foods, Fairport, NY, has brought a new 650,000-square foot plant on line in Rochester, NY, with a state-of-the-art hot fill line that can service large and small customers alike – and package new products like alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, mixes, coffee drinks and cream-based beverages, specialty and boutique brands are seen as a new opportunity, and the company is also stressing sustainability. In its more traditional categories, LiDestri is finding smaller size spices popular, and marketing flavored vinegars like red pepper, garlic, rosemary and lemon.
Icco Cheese, Orangeburg, NY, has developed a quality reclosable stand-up plastic bag for deli and dairy department cheeses. The products stay fresher compared to those in conventional deli cups. The company offers an imported parmesan, a pecorino romano and a new flavorful 3-cheese blend (parmesan/romano/asiago). It can also provide domestic cheese such as parmesan and romano.
Chef Woo, Baie D’Urfé, QC, which grew out of the consolidation of four companies in the United States, Canada, Australia and Korea, offers an Asian range of fried, baked (Thai, hot & spicy, chicken and beef varieties), fresh and frozen noodles, and stir-fry kits (Szechwan, Thai, Singapore).
Red Gold, Orestes, IN, has taken on the fast-growing pizza sauce category with the introduction of a 15 oz can and a 14 oz jar, and debuted hot new variations on diced tomatoes and green chilies, with Original, Mild and Lime Juice & Cilantro varieties. It has developed a 40 oz fridge-friendly ketchup for families that want to trade up from the 32 oz size without sacrificing the convenience of being able to keep it in the refrigerator door, and also taken high fructose corn syrup out of pasta sauce – introducing a line of sugar-based in bottles and cans positioned against Prego, Ragu and Hunts.
Palermo Villa, Milwaukee, WI, which is building a new plant to expand production, announced a three-tier strategy of NBE (national brand equivalent), CVE (consumer validated equivalent) and VPO (value-priced option) pizzas. NBE pizzas match the brands ingredient to ingredient, total weight to weight, ingredient weight to weight, and visual appearance, flavor and texture. CVE versions skip ingredient weight to weight, and VPOs skip that and ingredient to ingredient matches. But the company isn’t mincing words: its brick oven pizza, for example, is really baked in brick ovens – it isn’t just “brick oven style.” Thin-crust pepperoni is the most popular.
Wizard’s Cauldron, Yanceyville, NC, came with hot wing sauces (medium, hot, spicy garlic, Asian, sweet molasses) and wing dippers (blue cheese, chipotle ranch, wasabi ranch), plus Smokehouse Style BBQ sauces (Rich & Smoky and Sweet & Smoky). Pacific Coast Producers, Lodi, CA, showed off value-added tomato products, fire-roasted salsas, diced tomatoes with chiles, onions, garlic, oil; organic pears and tomatoes, and organic fruit bowl items.
Request Foods, Holland, MI, is into frozen entrees – cheesy chicken, enchilada chicken, Asian style chicken noodles, sesame chicken, and Mexican-style lasagna. For its 20th anniversary, the company has expanded its plant by 90,000 square feet, in part to meet a growing demand for Indian specialties in Canada. Malt-o-Meal, Minneapolis, MN, is getting ahead in the dry cereal game with Chocolate Frosted Flakes – “there isn’t even a national brand yet,” the company says – while also bringing out family-size (23 and 29 oz, respectively) cinnamon-almond crunch and frosted shredded wheat.
At JTM Foods, Erie, PA, the big news is single-serve pies – lemon, cherry, peach, apple, berry and chocolate, plus crispy marshmallow treats (zero trans-fats) and rainbow sparkler chocolate chips. Windsor Foods, Houston, TX, is into mozzarella sticks, battered green beans with toasted onion, taquitos, Thai-style chicken spring rolls, and several kinds of ravioli, including square sausage, toasted portabello mushroom ravioli, and asparagus.
Concord Premium Meats, St. Eustache, QC, presented chipotle and smoky BBQ flavored chicken breast kabobs, plus smoky BBQ flavored pork kebabs. Skoulakis Foods, St. Eustache, QC, is into kabobs, brochettes and satays in chicken, pork, beef, lamb and turkey varieties, plus Greek-style pita wraps and tzatziki dips.
Leonetti’s Stromboli, Philadel-phia, PA, specializes in hand-made stromboli; its line includes steak & cheese, pepperoni & cheese, spinach & cheese, broccoli & cheese, chicken & cheese, ham & cheese, sausage & cheese, pepperoni & cheese and Buffalo-style chicken & cheese in various sizes, plus a few deluxe combinations and, only in three-pound sizes, Italian-style cold cuts & cheese and Bar-be-que style chicken & cheese.
Berner Foods, Roscoe, IL, has changed its name to Berner Food & Beverage, after going far beyond its traditional cheese offerings to get into coffee-based products – the latest being canned coffee energy drinks, positioned against Starbucks Doubleshot and Java Monster. These are available in 6.6. 8, and 11 oz slim-line containers and 12 oz and 15 oz cans in singles or 4-packs with overwrap packaging. It was already into bottled lattes, another category pioneered by Starbucks. Other recent introductions include alfredo sauce, and assorted dips like French onion, spinach, ranch and cheddar.
Imbibe, Wilmette, IL, has also gotten into coffee energy game with e2, an espresso energy drink that delivers on our “high value” proposition while utilizing a strategic partner’s retort capabilities in a marketplace where production facilities are at a minimum. It has also developed a line of Stevia-based carbonated drinks that mask the off notes currently associated with that sweetener. Imbibe is always exploring new packaging options, and is currently working with the 2.5oz hot fill bottles and their potential throughout all beverage categories, which include soft drinks, energy drinks and tea-based drinks.
Solae, St. Louis, MO, is all over the healthy food and beverage map with everything from beef shreds with structured vegetable protein added to a hunger block mini-shot beverage, smart bars with protein and Omega 3, dipped crispy cookie wafers, and a slew of soy-based nutritional drinks.
American Italian Pasta Co. (AIPC), Kansas City, MO, pursued the latest frontier in its category with a line of gluten-free, wheat-free and dairy-free pasta that uses a blend of corn and rice to simulate wheat-based pasta in color, flavor, texture and performance. Spaghetti, penne and fusilli are the three initial shapes available in 12 oz window boxes.
Day-Lee Foods, Santa Fe Springs, CA, specializes in Crazy Cuisine homestyle Asian foods, including not only potstickers but potsticker soup, plus such other standards as teriyaki chicken, mandarin orange chicken, soy ginger chicken, and beef and broccoli.
Woeber Mustard, Springfield, OH, introduced gourmet flavored mayonnaise: Smoky Bacon, Kickin’ Buffalo, Cool Dill, Roasted Chipotle and Toasted Garlic. From Food Service Specialties, Red Wing, MN, came specialty dips, including Sun Dried Tomato & Herb and Cheddar & Bacon.
Fleischer’s Bagels, Macedon, NY, debuted its Blue Rooster line of individually-wapped bagel sandwiches. Varieties include ham, egg & cheese; sausage, egg & cheese; and plain egg & cheese, all on plain bagels; and sausage and sausage, egg & cheese on French toast bagels.
Base Cook, Antioquila, Colombia, showed off exotic sauces and salad dressings, mango, passion fruit, pineapple, physallis.
The LiquiFlapper closure from Weatherchem, Twinsburg, OH, won the 2009 Package of the Year award from the Association of Dressing and Sauces as incorporated into the design of Del Sol Foods’ Brianna salad dressing line. Weatherchem’s LiquiFlapper, which allows for controlled directional flow of liquids, has also been used for maple syrup and other products. A larger version of its Nutra Gen II closure has been introduced for vitamin products.
Liquid Container, West Chicago, IL, has come out with a new generation of hot-fill, wide mouth PET containers under the ThermaSet brand. Based on a proprietary process, the containers remain stable at up to 205° F, with only one percent shrinkage, making it especially suitable for products like pasta sauces, jams, jellies, apple sauce and tomato-based products that fill at higher temperatures.
