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.
-- Saval Foods, Baltimore, Md., introduces the line Saval Kosher, which features kosher salami, bologna, kishka, frankfurters and knockwurst.
-- Enjoy Foods International, Fontana, Calif., offers Sport Chew, chopped and formed-style beef jerky that is featured in original, hot and teriyaki flavors. Product is encased in a convenient, pocket-size canister.
Sport Chew is packaged in a versatile, clear caddy that may be set on a counter or affixed to a wall.
-- Carando, Springfield, Mo., introduces lower fat Italian deli meats, including Genoa Salami (56 percent less fat), Pepperoni (58 percent less fat), Hard Salami (50 percent less fat) and Natural Casing Genoa Salami (38 percent less fat).
Available in bulk or pre-sliced vacuum packages, the lower fat meats are crafted from the same quality cuts of meat as traditional offerings-hand selected, trimmed and blended with the same imported herbs and spices, the company claims.
Carando also introduces a line of Pre-Sliced Classic Italian Deli Meats. Each package is pre-sliced and pre-stacked, an added convenience for deli operations. There is less waste because each uniform slice can be used.
-- NeWorld Gourmet, Grundy Center, Iowa, introduces M.R. Wright Microwave Steaks, which are five-ounce, pre-cooked, individually wrapped steaks that can be microwaved in their own wrap for 45 seconds.
The steaks are M.R. Wright Cooked Beef Sirloin, which is a sirloin of beef with a dash of barbecue sauce; and M.R. Wright Pineapple Pork, which is sirloin ham with pineapple.
-- Maple Leaf Meats, Burlington, Ontario, introduces Sandwich Thins, available in four varieties including corned beef and ham.
Designed for the peg board in the meat counter, they contain on average 12 slices to the package and are packed 18 packages to the carton. Suggested retail price is 99 cents.
-- Hatfield Quality Meats, Hatfield, Pa., has launched three 100th Anniversary Flavored Ham Steaks to continue the company's "tradition of quality pork products that began in 1895."
The honey, raspberry and maple ham steaks are packaged in vacuum packs. They are being promoted in full-page ads with 25-cent coupon offers.
-- Hygrade Food Products Corp., Detroit, introduces Ball Park Fat Free Classic Franks.
The refrigerated vacuum-packed product is promoted in full-page advertisements with 75-cent coupon offers that feature Michael Jordan eating a frank.
-- Romeo and Sons, Uniontown, Pa., introduces Stefano's Own Hot Italian Sausage with Spaghetti Sauce. The pre-cooked product is packaged in one-half size aluminum steamable pans with an aluminum lid crimped into place for storing in the freezer. Suggested retail price is $14.95.
-- Wholesome Lonesome Inc., Carlstadt, N.J., has available its line of Royal Lonesome Meat Products, including slab bacon, sliced bacon, and bacon ends and pieces.
The slab bacon comes in a pack that weighs 8 pounds to 10 pounds, the sliced bacon comes in a 12-ounce package, and the ends and pieces are 5 pounds to a package.
The company also offers Brown & Serve Sausage in a 6-ounce pack and wieners in a 12-ounce pack.
All of the company's meat products are described as old-fashioned and have no added nitrates or nitrites, the company claims. The products are pit-smoked for 24 hours over an applewood fire and do not need to be frozen.
The meat comes from the company's ranch in South Dakota.
-- On-Cor Frozen Foods Inc., Chicago, now includes rice with its On-Cor Beef Chop Suey. Presented in a 2-pound family pack, the change was made in response to consumer requests, the company states.
-- Luigino's Inc., Duluth, Minn., offers its Meat Ravioli with Vegetable Medley & Risotto as one of the items in its Michelina's line of frozen dinners. Presented in cardboard trays that illustrate and describe the contents, the items retail for $1.50.
The dinners can be heated in the microwave or conventional oven.
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..