BroccoliTime Makes Its Debut
ura & Antle here has introduced a line of refrigerated meals, called BroccoliTime, to be sold in the produce department.
The line includes three pasta dishes with broccoli -- fetuccine Alfredo, pasta salad and stir fry with noodles -- and a cream of broccoli soup. Preparation time for the meals ranges from five to 10 minutes.
David Eldredge, vice president of sales and marketing, T&A, described the BroccoliTime line as a "new category" for the produce department because it offers an alternative for broccoli eaters and a new choice for the convenience food shopper.
The 18-ounce packages have a suggested retail price of $3.99 and will be available nationwide by the end of this month, the company said.
The broccoli and other ingredients are separated in the plastic package to maintain freshness. A case temperature of 34 to 36 degrees is recommended for retail display.
A spokesman for T&A said the company will be sponsor demos in supermarkets to launch the product.
Tanimura & Antle is an international grower and shipper of a wide range of commodity and value-added produce items including SaladTime, its value-added salad line.
Tops Promotes Junior Bananas
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Tops Markets here featured junior-size bananas at four pounds for $1 in a recent full-page color newspaper ad.
A spokesman for Tops said this is the first time the chain has targeted junior bananas in a full-page ad.
The sale, which also included regular-size bananas, offered a $1.36 savings over regular prices, the ad said. The junior bananas, smaller than regular bananas, were touted as a good item for students headed back to school.