The famous Hispanic Goya brand makes its way into the freezer as a result of a co-branding deal between Unilever Ice Cream, Green Bay, Wis., and Goya Foods Inc., Secaucus, N.J. The new Goya Breyers products come in a variety of authentic flavors and forms. The 56-oz squround line comes in Chocolate, Dulce de Leche and Vanilla-Vanilla. There are also 3.75-oz single-serve stick bars sold individually via impulse venues, as well as six-packs of 3.0-oz individually wrapped bars for retail markets. Bar flavors are Mangos ‘n Cream and Strawberries ‘n Cream.

Unilever Ice Cream is on a roll. Under the company’s Popsicle brand comes new Mighty Moos. Sold in packs of six 2.25-oz stick bars, these frozen novelties border on the line of functional food, as each vanilla- and chocolate-flavored low-fat ice cream bar contains as much calcium as a glass of milk. The bars are also a good source of fiber and formulated to contain 25% less sugar than other ice cream bars.

Sargento Foods Inc., Plymouth, Wis., is on a roll with innovations in the natural cheese category. For kids, there’s new Scooby-Doo Mini String Snacks. This new Sargento snack is the first nationally distributed, co-branded natural cheese snack . . . and the company says there are more similarly licensed character products in the works.

This introduction of an all-natural, low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella string cheese is well timed with the recent publicity surrounding kids’ eating habits. The cheese snacks feature high levels of calcium and protein and support healthy eating. “With string cheese and cheese shapes being such strong kid-oriented products, we’re confident that these new co-branded products will do very well,” says Chip Schuman, Sargento’s senior director of marketing. “With the ongoing concerns about kids’ eating habits, our Sargento all-natural cheese products are excellent snack alternatives for kids and families.”

Indeed, Scooby-Doo has proven to be a strong food license, particularly for snack products such as fruit snacks. “We know that the combination of cheese snacks and the great lover of snacks, Scooby-Doo, will make a terrific duo,” says Dave Hedrick, senior vice president global promotions and branded foods for Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Burbank, Calif. Each 10-oz package includes about 40 cheese pieces and sells for around $3.99.

For adults, Sargento introduces bolder flavors of Cheddar in shreds, slices and snack sticks. New Chipotle Cheddar combines increasingly popular chipotle peppers with all-natural Cheddar cheese, which together has a flavorful, smoky kick in every bite. There’s also a new Sargento Limited Edition flavor: Vermont Sharp White Cheddar. The company’s all-natural Limited Edition cheeses originate from a small batch of unique and flavorful cheese, allowing consumers to enjoy and experiment with one-of-a-kind cheese varieties from around the country. The second Limited Edition variety of 2007 will be Aged Provolone.

North Palm Beach, Fla.-based Bravo! Brands Inc., has launched new Bravo! Dove Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate milks through the Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. (CCE), Atlanta, nationwide distribution network. The milks are being produced under a five-year license agreement with Dove-brand owner Mars, Inc., McLean, Va.

“The introduction of Bravo! Dove Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate milk products is another significant milestone for the company,” says Bravo!’s CEO Roy Warren. “We are extremely pleased with the initial launch of these products, which expands our milk portfolio, so that now we offer milk products for adults as well as kids.”

The milks come in 8-oz shelf-stable plastic bottles. The formulations qualify them as chocolate milks under the federal standards of identity. The milk is Grade A, and states so on full-body, shrink-sleeve labels. The Real seal is also prominently displayed.

Noteworthy Introductions

Created in 1957 by master cheesemaker Francois Boursin, the original soft, spreadable cheese from Normandy, France, now comes in two new flavors:  Fig, Raisin & Nut and Shallot & Chive. The new varieties of Boursin from Unilever, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., are supported by a strong print campaign in leading lifestyle and food magazines, along with a public relations and dedicated in-store program.

Get ready for Klondike to burn rubber as this beloved brand becomes a proud sponsor of Nascar. Poised as the largest activation in the history of the brand, Klondike joins Unilever’s multi-brand sponsorship and becomes one of the official sponsors of the 2007 Busch Series season.

“It’s a natural fit for Klondike to share the stage with Nascar,” says Julio Del Cioppo, director of Popsicle, Klondike and Good Humor at Unilever Ice Cream, Green Bay, Wis. The new 4-oz bars consist of a chocolate wafer topped with caramel ice cream, a rich caramel sauce and covered in milk chocolate and peanuts.

International

Black sesame is a popular ingredient throughout Asia, and has traditionally been used to create black sesame soup, a popular Chinese dessert. Now it can be found in Longdan Black Sesame Milk from China’s Heilongiiang Longdan Dairy. Made with fresh milk and the finest sesame paste, the product is said to provide balance to the body, as it is rich in protein, calcium and vitamin C, as well as free from preservatives.

Pam Panorama Vita Attiva Citrus Fruits Flavored Probiotic Drink is a new probiotic drink with a citrus flavor launched in Italy by Gruppo Pam. Vita Attiva contains two probiotic ferments that are said to help boost the body’s natural defenses. This beverage  that “the whole family can enjoy” comes conveniently packaged in a six-pack of 100g bottles.

In New Zealand, Old Fashioned Foods presents its Alfa One 100% Pure Rice Bran Oil. This spread is a natural alternative to butter and contains no hydrogenated fats, cholesterol, or animal or vegetable fats, just rice bran oil and natural ingredients. It melts, cooks and tastes like butter, so it’s great on toast and can be used for healthy sauté dishes or baking. The pack states that it is the most versatile spread in the kitchen and that it is “good for you and good for your food.” It contains the plant sterol oryzanol to help the body reduce cholesterol absorption, is high in antioxidants such as vitamin E and high in good mono and polyunsaturated fat.

Contributed by Felicia McClain, analyst, Global New Products Database (GNPD) Consulting Services, a division of Mintel International, a global research company. For more information call 312/932-0400, or visit www.gnpd.com.