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.
-- Grand Cypress Ranch, Jacksonville, Ill., offers rhea, ostrich and emu meat as steaks, roasts, stir-fry and ready-to-eat hams with no additives.
The processed meats contain 20 percent lean beef, yet have no more than 8 percent fat, the company claims. Processed meats are available as hamburger, summer sausage, pepperoni, franks, German sausage, bologna and salami.
-- J.T.M., Harrison, Ohio, introduces its Two-To-Go Microwave Sandwiches line, which includes cheeseburgers, beef barbecue, steak hoagies, boneless pork rib and Italian sausage. The sandwiches come two a box.
J.T.M. also introduces microwaveable Cincy Style Chili Family Pak, and Cincy Style Chili and Spaghetti.
-- Iowa Quality Meats, Des Moines, Iowa, is offering its Grill Filets of Pork Loin through retail and club stores. The 7-ounce filets are packaged in a four-piece, 1.75-pound case-ready package. The filets are marinated and wrapped in pepper bacon.
-- Signature Foods, Omaha, Neb., has available its ready-to-bake Homestyle Meat Loaf in 2.5-pound chub packs. The refrigerated product can also be grilled.
-- Johnsonville Sausage, Sheboygan, Wis., introduces Pre-Cooked Italian Sausage Mild Links.
The five fully-cooked, microwaveable links are packaged in an 11.2-ounce overwrapped foam tray with a cardboard sleeve.
-- Nestle Food Co., Glendale, Calif., offers Libby's Morning Classics in original flavor, which combines diced potatoes, corned beef and seasonings. It is packaged in 15-ounce cans that retail for $1.39.
-- Cooks Family Foods, Lincoln, Neb., offers Cook's Spiral Sliced Ham in half or whole portions. The product is easy to serve and has a touch of real honey, the company claims.
The traditional bone-in, skinless, natural juice ham is fully cooked and ready to eat. It is wrapped in plastic and a black net which has a tagged loop handle for easy handling. The product comes with a separate packet of honey and spice glaze.
-- Paisano Food Products, Elk Grove, Ill., introduces its frozen Paisano Italian-Style Meatballs and Island Poppers Meatballs with Chameleon Caribbean-Style Sauce.
The Italian meatballs are sold in 28-ounce and 40-ounce round plastic pails with handles; the poppers are sold in 40-ounce pails. The 40-ounce size has a retail price of $2.98.
-- McCain Ellio's Foods, Lodi, N.J., offers its Sandwich Pockets in ham and cheese, and beef and cheddar varieties. Products feature a light, baked crust and are made with real cheese. The convenient, no-leak snacks are microwave-ready in 90 seconds, the company says. They are sold in four-count boxes carrying a $3.49 retail price.
-- Vienna Sausage Co., Chicago, is introducing three frozen entrees under the Bistro brand name. Two of the items are Bistro Beef Stew and Bistro Italian Beef & Gravy.
-- Porino's Gourmet Foods, West Warwick, R.I., offers Porino's All Natural Gourmet Pasta Sauce. Flavors include beef, and beef and pork. The sauces, "full of basil, choice oils and premium tomatoes," are sold in 15.5-ounce and 26-ounce glass jars. MM&T
-- Needham Inc., Omaha, Neb., introduces Sliced Beef Steak, thin slices of 100 percent beef frozen in controlled portions. The product is designed for the restaurant and foodservice trades where short freezer-to-table times are important.
The product, popular in Philly steak and cheese, French dip and barbecued beef sandwiches, can replace ground beef in many popular dishes, the company claims. Sliced pork steak will soon be available from Needham.
Correction
In the March issue of Meat Marketing & Technology, Uncle Buck's Venison was incorrectly identified as being based in New Jersey. It is in Henniken, N.H.
If your company has launched a new meat product, please mail or fax a news release to Larry Aylward, Meat Marketing & Technology, The Arcade, 401 Euclid Ave., Suite 461, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, phone 216/579-0815 or fax 216/579-0911.