New in the Food Industry World

I hope everyone had a nice weekend! Was it sunny where you were? The sun was out both days here in Ohio, which has been a rare occurrence these past several weeks. Last night Nick and I began manicuring our vegetable garden (finally) and I will be posting the beauty soon :)

Until then, check out some of the latest news in the food industry. This information is provided by the American Dietetic Association's Times Magazine.


- Do you have an Einstein Brother's Bagels in your area? Apparently they will soon be launching a fruit and yogurt parfait made with Dannon Activia yogurt! This is the first time any restaurant chain has used a probiotic yogurt in their recipe/on their menu. Are you a fan of Activia?? I think it tastes really good, but I don't think it's any more special than other yogurts, really. Their marketing strategy has worked quite well, however.



- Panera bread will soon be posting the calorie information on their menu boards. I think this is very interesting, and I'm wondering if they will also start reducing their servings. Why? I think many people have this false inclination that Panera is "all healthy". In truth, it's not. They do provide several healthy options, but many of their items are packed with a lot of fat, calories, and sodium. I'm curious to see the public's reaction to this.


- Have you ever tried Sargento cheese? It's amazing, and this may be due in part to their high amounts of sodium (also true for many cheese on the market today). Sargento will soon be launching cheese with 25% reduced sodium, compared to their original cheese. I bet it will still taste delicious.

- Hellmann's Light Mayo will soon be made with only cage-free eggs (Note: This is better than "free range" because free range can mean the chicken were only give some time out in the open). Clearly this initiative was done in light of the expanding interest in cage-free eggs among Americans. Not a bad idea. Apparently they will also stretch this to their other products once they obtain a consistent supply.



- Trader Joes' seafood will be completely sustainable by the end of 2012. Sustainable practices are important for helping conserve America's, and our Earth's, natural resources and quickly disappearing animal species. Apparently Trader Joe's has failed Greenpeace's past reports on sustainable fish. Hopefully this will change.


- Wonder Bread is going to start promoting their fortified white bread, which they will be calling "Smartwhite". This is yet another marketing ploy to get people to think something is healthier (or "smarter") than it really is. While this may be a healthier choice than plain old white bread, the real the smart choice is the whole grain.