Kraft Foods Inc. has struck a deal to use the South Beach Diet's trademark, in an effort to cash in on the low-carbohydrate dieting trend. Northfield, Illinois-based Kraft, the largest North American food maker, said it will use the trademark on foods that can eaten by people following the South Beach Diet program.

South Beach, sometimes viewed as a more moderate version of the Atkins Diet, eschews processed foods such as white bread and flour in favor of complex grains, vegetables, low-fat cheeses, lean meats and other lean protein.

Terms of the multiyear agreement with the diet's author, Dr. Arthur Agatston, were not disclosed. Agatston's first book, The South Beach Diet, has been a New York Times bestseller for more than 53 weeks. He recently published a new book, "The South Beach Diet Cookbook."

"We actually approached Dr. Agatston," said Kraft spokeswoman Kathy Knuth. "We're looking for innovative new ways to make weight management easier and more enjoyable."