Mustang Picks Broker of the Year
here has given Advantage Sales and Marketing, Portland, Ore., its National Broker of the Year award.
Mustang Foods, founded in 1996, is a part of Schwan's Sales Enterprises' grocery-products division. It produces Larry's stuffed potatoes and Pagoda Cafe egg rolls and appetizers. Mustang Foods selected Advantage from a field of 66 national brokers. The award is based on a broker's knowledge of Mustang's products and customers, sales volume and effective promotional techniques.
AFFI Targets the Physically Fit
McLEAN, Va. -- To educate consumers about the high quality, great taste, nutrition and convenience of frozen food, the American Frozen Food Institute here has distributed information to 520 Gold's Gym facilities nationwide about the FDA's ruling that frozen fruits and vegetables may be labeled "healthy." AFFI sent the fitness centers material suitable for member bulletin boards.
Mrs. Smith's Pies Judged 'Best'
ATLANTA -- Mrs. Smith's Bakeries here received four first-place awards for its pies at the American Pie Council's 1999 National Pie Championships, the only national competition for commercial and retail pie bakers.
Mrs. Smith's Special Recipe Deep Dish Apple Pie and Mrs. Smith's Restaurant Classics Authentic Key Lime Pie were crowned "Best Pie in America" for 1999 in separate categories, the company said. Both pies are available nationally in retail grocery stores. Mrs. Smith's other two first-place awards went to its gourmet food-service pies.
Two Blue Bunny Products Bow
LE MARS, Iowa -- Blue Bunny, from Wells' Dairy here, went south of the border for the inspiration to create its newest ice cream. Dulce de Leche, based on a traditional Latin American dessert, is a creamy caramel ice cream laced with ribbons of pure caramel. It is available in the half-gallon size with a suggested retail price of $4.99.
The company also recently introduced a new novelty water-ice, co-branded with Just Born, Bethlehem, Pa., called Hot Tamale. It is a combination of cinnamon water-ice with a chewy, spicy cinnamon core, similar to the Caramel Apple Treats that won Blue Bunny "best novelty of the year" in 1998 from Dairy Foods magazine, said Jim Rossiter, director of marketing. Hot Tamale is sold in a 10-pack at $2.69 suggested retail, he said.
Good Humor-Breyers Adds Products
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Good Humor-Breyers Ice Cream here has added sizes, improvements and varieties to four of its brands.
Klondike bars are now available in a Big Value Variety Pack. A 12-pack with both chocolate and vanilla has a suggested retail price of $5.39.
Klondike's Choco Taco has been improved, with a cone that stays crisp longer and better packaging.
New this year are Popsicle Micro Pops, which contain tiny water-ice beads fused together so that with every bite, hundreds of strawberry, lemon and blue raspberry flavored water-ice beads "explode in your mouth," as the company says. A 6-pack is about $2.99.
Breyers has a follow-up to last year's Smile!, a lemon sherbet pop. Smile! is now available in a two-flavors multipack: lemon and new orange sherbet. A 6-pack has a suggested retail price of $2.29. Also new is Fudgsicle Banana Bananza, a creamy chocolate and banana fudge swirled around a chocolate fudge center. An 8-pack carries a suggested retail price of $2.99.
