Honors for the most innovative ice cream flavor went to Carrot Cake Ice Cream entered by Perry’s Ice Cream, Akron, N.Y. Sensient Flavors, an ingredients company serving the ice cream industry, won most innovative prototype flavor for its Pistachio Brittle – Bourbon Caramel Ice Cream. Perry’s Ice Cream also took home the most innovative novelty award for its Pink Grapefruit Sorbet Bars.
A line of premium yogurt-based salad dressings from Bakersfield, Calif.-based Wm. Bolthouse Farms contains at least 55% fewer calories and 75% less fat than the leading brand.
A trip through a grocer’s dairy case finds Greek yogurt introductions and product extensions. The food is dipped, crunched and frozen. In other cultured dairy product categories, processors either simplify the foods or make them more decadent. No matter the direction, the category is booming.
Kozy Shack, Hicksville, N.Y., offers Lactose Free Dairy Pudding made with milk. The line consists of rice pudding, tapioca pudding and chocolate pudding.
Sales in the natural cheese category were up 7% last year, with shredded cheese outpacing the industry. But overall, unit sales were weak.
April 10, 2012
For the 52 weeks ended Jan. 22, the natural cheese category saw increases in dollar sales (7%), unit sales (0.6%) and an average price increase of 20 cents according to Chicago-based SymphonyIRI Group.
Cocoa Metro Dark Drinking Chocolate, a gourmet chocolate milk produced by Trickling Springs Creamery, Chambersburg, Pa., has been available in Whole Foods Market stores and specialty retailers in major Eastern cities since late 2010.