Noteworthy introductions

Dairy Foods, Dec, 2002

General Mills Inc., Minneapolis, adds two new flavors to its Yoplait Custard Style yogurts. The flavors, Blackberry Harvest and Creme Caramel, are low in fat and contain live and active cultures, like all Yoplait Custard Style flavors.

Once again, Atlanta-based In Zone Brands introduces a "first" in the beverage category. In 2000, the company turned heads when its unique brand of cartoon character-topped kids beverages began outselling Minute Maid at 7-Eleven stores across the country. In 2001, packaging became even more toy-like with the addition of moveable arms to the Super Heroes and Spider-Man SKUs. And, this year, the company takes stocking stuffers to a whole new level with the introduction of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Jingle Berry Belly Washers, which features a light chip in each bottle top, sparking Rudolph's nose to brighten with every pull on his sports-like spout. Last year's successful holiday BellyWashers--The Grinch Who Stole Christmas--also returned this year. Suggested retail price for all BellyWashers is $2.49-2.69 per bottle.

Football Sunday got a little sweeter for Pittsburgh Steelers fans and their families this fall, with the introduction of Hagan Steelers Sundae Ice Cream. As the official ice cream of the Steelers, the new flavor is a winner with football fans and ice cream fans alike, says Tim Rice, regional sales mgr., Hagan Ice Cream, Uniontown, Pa. Hagan is part of Kern ps Foods, a div. of Crowley Foods LLC, Binghamton, N.Y., which is part of National Dairy Holdings, L.P., Dallas.

Steelers Sundae is a blend of rich chocolate ice cream, fudge swirls and scrumptious peanut-butter-filled chocolate footballs. It comes in half-gallon containers.

It's a Boy! This holiday season, Producers Dairy Foods Inc., Fresno, Calif., adds half-pints of eggnog to its Mr. And Mrs. Nog pint bottle line. This cute little bundle of joy delivers the same great taste of Producers premium old-fashioned eggnog as his parents, yet in half the size, says Michael Faeth, marketing designer.

Perry's Ice Cream Co., Akron, N.Y., celebrates the holiday season with the introduction of a new premium ice cream flavor: Cherry Panda Claus. Sold in half-gallon square cartons, Cherry Panda Claus is mini chocolate cherry cups and swirls of thick, rich fudge in sweet cherry ice cream.