What's New in Review
New meat products have made their way onto store shelves and restaurant menus in recent months. Meat Marketing & Technology, with the aid of Marketing Intelligence Service of Naples, N.Y., reviews what's new in the market.
-- Oscar Mayer Foods Corp., Madison, Wis., will roll out its Oscar Mayer Free line-featuring a fat-free hot dog and four fat-free luncheon meats-by April.
The hot dogs come eight to a pack and have 40 calories apiece. Retail price should be between $2.99 to $3.29. Sliced bologna, oven-roasted chicken breast, smoked turkey breast and oven-roasted turkey breast complete the line.
Sliced bologna has 35 calories per slice. The eight-slice, 8-ounce package will retail between $1.79 to 1.99.
-- Uncle Buck's Venison, Henniker, N.J., is expanding its broker and wholesale marketing of venison jerky to all areas in the United States and international markets. The venison, sold under the Uncle Buck's label, comes from two breeds of New Zealand farm-raised, free-range animals: Fallow Deer and European Red Stag. There are no hormone or antibiotic additives in the animals, and no preservatives used in jerky processing.
-- Pocino Foods Co., City of Industry, Calif., offers a full lifter-off Real Oven Roasted Beef that is 97 percent fat-free and ready to use in foodservice applications. The product contains no MSG or artificial flavors.
-- Tanimura & Antle, Salinas, Calif., has added Bacon Spinach Salad to its line of Salad Time prepared salads. The refrigerated product is available in a plastic bag that states, "Complete salad, triple-washed, no preservatives on spinach, complete with croutons and real bacon spinach." The packet of dressing is microwaveable.
-- Bee Lor Inc., Oskaloosa, Iowa, offers Brato Dogs Pork And Tofu Frankfurters. The product contains 50 percent less fat than the average hot dog, the company claims.
-- Gallo Salame, San Francisco, a division of Sara Lee Corp., introduces Super Premium Flavored Salame under the Robusto name. The product is a blend of traditional Italian dry salame ingredients with gourmet flavors, the company says. Varieties include sun-dried tomato and basil, roasted garlic, and Italian cheese. Each variety is available in regular-size vacuum packs and in family-size pillow packs.
-- Johnsonville Foods Co., Sheboygan, Wis., has launched Simply Italian Pre-Cooked Italian Sausage. Mild links, crumbles and Italian-style meatballs are available in trays with window displays. Full-page ads with four-cent coupon offers are used for promotion.
-- Prince Meat Co., Lockport, Ill., introduces its Teriyaki Filet Mignon. The frozen beef, which is served in any size portion and trimmed to one-eighth inch fat, is marinated in teriyaki sauce and sold hand-wrapped or vacuum-packed in black boxes. The boxes are placed in insulated polystyrene, recyclable containers that are packed with dry ice for shipping.
ConAgra, Omaha, Neb., has reinvented its line of Kid Cuisine frozen meals as an eating adventure designed to compete with the fast-food dining experience, according to the company. The revamped product line, targeted to 3- to 8-year olds, includes larger portions. One new variety is offered: Rip-Roaring Macaroni and Beef.
In revamping the product line, ConAgra paired each meal with its own adventure featuring Super Fun KC, a new penguin character. Other Kid Cuisine offerings include Buckaroo Beef Patty Sandwich, Raptor Ravioli and Big League Hamburger Pizza.