Gifford’s Ice Cream & Candy Co., Silver Spring, Md., introduces two new pint flavors: Toffee Caramel Swirl and Oatmeal Cookie. Toffee Caramel Swirl takes two classic flavors to hit a decadent balance of creamy caramel and crunchy toffee. Oatmeal Cookie uses chunks of all-natural oatmeal cookie, raisins and a hint of cinnamon to create a unique, creamy, sweet flavor with a hint of spice. These new flavors come at an exciting time, as Gifford’s has been increasing its presence in the grocery and specialty food store category over the past 24 months.
“In these two new flavors, consumers will find the classic taste and high quality they love from Gifford’s. Our chef continues to impress with his ability to tap into our consumers’ desires,” said Megan Molloy, marketing director.
Cheddar It! is a unique new grated Cheddar cheese product developed by Haupert Inc., Corona, Calif. It is made from 100% Cheddar cheese but, since it has been dehydrated, the moisture and salt content no longer fit the standard of identity for “Cheddar.” The key feature is a moisture level of about 17%, which is achieved without the extreme heat that normally breaks down the cheese into an oily, melted state or the use of a spray-drying process to produce a powder. Applications are as an ingredient as well as a topping, similar to grated Parmesan. As a topping it has a mild flavor for those who prefer it over a stronger cheese such as dried Italian cheeses and provides a different color choice. For baking, it can be folded into dough or used as a topping that browns nicely and will become crisp without running or excessive oiling. Its ingredient statement reads: pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes.
Woolwich Dairy of Lancaster, Wis., and Orangeville, Ontario, Canada, with U.S. distribution by Norseland Inc., Stamford, Conn., introduces the Compass range of firm goat cheese medallions infused with indigenous spices, fruits or vegetables from four popular culinary regions. The Mexico variety contains smoky jalapeño and sweet chili peppers, while the Canada offering is made with cranberries. Tuscany relies on garlic, olive oil and parsley with red and green peppers, and Portugal uses paprika blended with piri piri, a chili pepper that is indigenous to South Africa, and one prized by Portuguese traders.
The 6.4-ounce medallions are vacuum-sealed and packed eight per case with a refrigerated shelf life of five months. Bold, colorful labeling clearly defines each region and suggests product usage.
In addition, Woolwich Dairy’s Chevrai line of soft and creamy unripened goat cheese has two new flavors: Honey Vanilla and Wild Blueberry Vanilla. Using real honey, vanilla and wild Canadian blueberries, both are available in 4- and 10.5-ounce logs, packed 12 per case.
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Noteworthy Introductions
DCI Cheese Co., Richfield, Wis., is packaging some of its popular grated Italian cheeses in all-new 5-ounce “squa-round” cups. Made of recyclable polypropylene, the cups feature a rounded square body that offers enhanced product visibility and exceptional real estate for the redesigned label.Rising Sun Farms, Phoenix, Ore., introduces Cheese Party Tortas, which is the same formula for two of the company’s signature 9.5-ounce Cheese Tortas now in a holiday-inspired 20-ounce wreath shape for foodservice. The varieties are: Pesto Dried Tomato and Gorgonzola.
International
Several years ago it would have been challenging to find an authentic caipirinha outside of Brazil. Made with muddled lime, sugar and a sugar cane-derived liquor called cachaça, the caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail. But today caipirinha lovers don’t need to travel to Sao Paolo or Rio de Janeiro for a fix of this strong, tropical drink. They can find their favorite caipirinha flavors in a new ice cream sold in Switzerland. Marketed under the Creme D’or Amazonas brand, this frozen treat includes lime-cachaça-cream glaze ice cream with white rum sauce and lemon pieces.Many parents drink coffee to kick start their days, but wouldn’t dream of giving it to their children. That can be a challenge in today’s Starbucks-laden world where kids are just as likely as adults to clamor for creamy, indulgent coffee drinks. A Japanese company, Pokka, has developed a solution to reconcile those conflicting forces. Kids Café is a caffeine-free café au lait targeted at children and created without using coffee. It is made by caramelizing glucose to create the same color and bitter taste as coffee without the use of any coffee-based ingredients. What Kids Café lacks in real coffee it makes up for in dairy. The drink is milk-based and contains added calcium. It even features a popular Japanese cartoon character to make the coffee drink as appealing as possible to little consumers.
Løgismose’s Organic Barista Milk is sold in Denmark. It is low in fat and high in protein, helping to make the milk creamy and the foam well-formed. This milk is all about creating exceptional, restaurant-quality coffee drinks.
Contributed by Krista Faron, senior analyst, Mintel Custom Solutions, Global New Products Database (GNPD). For more information call 312/932-0400 or visit www.gnpd.com.
Focus on cultured
The cultured dairy category is alive and thriving, with innovators knowing no limits when it comes to developing new products. Kraft Foods Inc., Northfield, Ill., extends its “100 Calorie Pack” franchise to the Breakstone’s Cottage Doubles Brand. New Cottage Doubles with Fiber is 2% cottage cheese with a side of diced peaches, pineapple or strawberries. Inulin is the fiber source, and it increases fiber content of the cottage cheese to 3-grams per serving.Kiwi Probiotics Yogurt Smoothie from Genesis Today is a juice blend of kiwi, strawberry and other fruit juices from concentrate with nonfat yogurt. Front panels make the claim: Promotes Daily Digestive Health. Sold in single 7-ounce bottles, the ingredient statement lists: Proprietary Live Active Cultures (S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis). A single-serving contains 140 calories, and delivers 4-grams fiber (mostly from added inulin) and 7-grams protein.
A low-fat yogurt that tastes like a fresh, peeled vegetable was named the most innovative new dairy product during a recent competition judged by dairy professionals. aMaMa Ltd., Romulus, N.Y., earned the International Dairy Foods Association’s Most Innovative Milk and Cultured Dairy Products award for its carrot-flavored Vege’Yo’ Blended Yogurt, which is a low-fat, 6-ounce yogurt that incorporates the company’s vegetable purees and flavor bases.
“There is a natural synergy between the sweetness of fresh peeled carrots and the tangy richness of yogurt,” says Meenakshi Bove, aMaMa principal and CEO. “Blending vegetable purees with yogurt is proving to be a great success with children, health-conscious consumers and now with our peers in the dairy industry.”
In addition to carrot, the product line includes beet, butternut squash, pumpkin and sweet potato. There’s also a SpicyYo product made using the company’s garlic flavor base, which contains canola oil, garlic, salt, lemon juice, black mustard, dry hot peppers, turmeric and curry leaves. The product was inspired by a traditional recipe from India and can be used by itself, or as a zesty dip or sauce to enhance vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods.
In Southeast Asia, beauty brands have experimented with day and night collections - essentially portfolios of products with specific skin benefits for daytime and night time. Now that concept is being introduced to spoonable yogurts. In Japan, Kirin Plus-i has launched a range of yogurts positioned on a day-part-specific platform. There is a Morning Grapefruit variant for breakfast and Night Vanilla for evening. Although it doesn’t appear that the yogurts provide nutrition specific to their consumption occasions, both varieties claim to alleviate fatigue for busy consumers who may have an “irregular rhythm” of life. The concept of day and night yogurts may seem gimmicky at first pass, but a range like Kirin Plus-i could be viable in other markets including the United States if variants have clear, distinguishable attributes based on time-of-day consumption.
