For more than 30 years, PLMA’s annual trade show has been the industry event of the year, where retailers and wholesalers source for their private label programs.
PLMA 2014: Kid cuisine
Moms want to buy better-for-you foods for their kids, but often struggle to find products that meet their nutrition standards, but also taste good.
Carol Angrisani
Moms want to buy better-for-you foods for their kids, but often struggle to find products that meet their nutritional standards, but also taste good.
Asda, the U.K.-based wholly owned subsidiary of Walmart, eliminates some of the guesswork with its “Chosen by Kids” store brand. Several “Chosen by Kids” products were on display “Idea Supermarket,” a section of the PLMA show that features innovative store brands.
Chosen by Kids is a line of some 200 better-for-you breakfast, lunch, snack and other products tested by kids ages 4 to 8. Selections include veggie chicken nuggets, apple and blackcurrant no-sugar-added fruit drink, carrot and potato waffles and pasta made with animal-shaped pasta.
Packaging reassures moms that products are nutritious by including an “approved by mums” logo.
Chosen by Kids reminds me of a program at PCC Natural Markets, a food cooperative based in Seattle. While it doesn’t have an official kid-tested label, it runs a unique product-sampling program that allows kids to taste-test select PCC foods.
Products that receive approval from at least two-thirds of judges are flagged in stores with a bright orange PCC Kid Picks logo.