NEWS WATCH: WEGMANS BRINGS HOME THE (NATURAL) BACON

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Wegmans Food Markets here has launched a line of all-natural, nitrite- and nitrate-free bacon. The company said its new Wegmans' Applewood Smoked Bacon is uncured and contains 38% less sodium than its regular, thick-slice bacon. The bacon was also rendered from antibiotic-free pork, a qualification that typically would have qualified it for the company's "Food You Feel Good About" banner. Many shoppers rely on the high-profile banner to make informed buying decisions regarding nutrition. Although the internal debate over the banner's use was intense, company officials ultimately decided not to use it, since many consumers view bacon as a flavorful fat, wrote Mary Ellen Burris, vice president of consumer affairs at Wegmans, in her online column earlier this month.