NEWS ROUNDUP 1995-05-15 (1)

Riser's Label Ice Cream to Debut

er Foods here plans to introduce its first premium private-label product, a line of ice cream, in supermarkets this month.

Called Stop-n-Shop Premier, the all-natural, flavored ice cream is scheduled to be available in stores today, according to Tony Zimbicki, director of grocery merchandising for the wholesaler and retailer. The ice cream, which will be made by Eagle Ice Cream, Bedford, Ohio, will come in half-gallons only, Zimbicki said. He declined to give the price range. "There will be 12 [flavors] to start with, then we will rotate out and grow to 16," he said. The additional flavors will be added in six months.

Riser's standard private-label ice cream line, Stop-n-Shop, has nine flavors. Asked why the company was adding a premium variety, Zimbicki said, "We think we need it for our total line."

Promotion of the new line will include ice cream sampling in all stores, he said. "We will have [product] demos and a full-page ad."

Zimbicki said Riser currently has no plans to roll out other items under the new label.

Ford to Address Frozens Convention

SAN FRANCISCO -- Former President Gerald R. Ford is the scheduled featured speaker for the 1995 National Frozen Food Convention, set to be held here Oct. 8 to 11.

Ford, president from 1974 to 1977, will address convention delegates Monday, Oct. 9, during a breakfast gathering.

Tuesday's breakfast speaker will be Jim Tunney, who served as a National Football League referee for 31 years. Tunney is a motivational speaker who was worked with many Fortune 500 companies.

Other activities include seminars and the annual awards banquet, during which longtime industry leaders will be inducted into the Frozen Food Hall of Fame.

The convention is co-sponsored by the National Frozen Food Association, Harrisburg, Pa., and the American Frozen Food Institute, McLean, Va. Both organizations will conduct their annual meetings during the convention.

For more information, call NFFA at (717) 657-8601 or AFFI at (703) 821-0770.