HP Hood plans to consolidate its ice cream operations, and the Chelsea, Mass., company has recently entered the market for aseptic, portion pack coffee creamers.

With Hood's recent acquisition of Crowley and Kemps, the company has decided to consolidate its northeast frozen desserts production into one of two facilities-Crowley's Lancaster, Pa. plant, or the Suffield, Conn., HP Hood facility. News reports indicate that the ice cream business at the Suffield plant is likely to be shifted to Lancaster, but at press time no decision had been made, according to Hood spokeswoman, Lynne Bohan.

The Kemp's plant in Rochester, Minn., will continue to operate as a dedicated frozen dessert plant.

Also, since May, HP Hood has been manufacturing half and half under its own brand and the Rolling Hills brand on a new Bosch aseptic filler line at its Oneida, N.Y. fluid milk plant. Hood is in the process of rolling out the products nationwide, and working to develop a new ambient storage

facility in Oneida for the aseptic products.

Hood's chief national rival Dean Foods has been in the aseptic creamer market for years with products produced by what was formerly known as the Morningstar Foods division, now part of the Dean Branded Group.