Center Store

WASHINGTON — A consumer group is urging the Food and Drug Administration to review a proprietary point-of-purchase nutrition rating system that it said is "inconsistent with FDA guidance statements and enforcement correspondence, federal nutrition programs and recommendations from the Institute of Medicine."

For niche brands, getting a foot in the door of mass market retail is no easy feat, and the stakes remain high as retailers have, in recent years, trimmed SKU counts and grown increasingly risk-adverse.

SHELTON, Conn. — Bic Consumer Products USA’s new FlameDisk offers consumers a convenient, portable alternative to charcoal. FlameDisk, which uses ethanol as its main fuel ingredient, heats up quickly and is cleaner than charcoal. The portable disk, which fits most charcoal grills, is ready to use in minutes after lighting and provides a steady flame for between 35 and 45 minutes — about the same rate as charcoal. With no ashes or soot to remove, cleanup is easy. Once FlameDisk is cool, the aluminum container can be thrown away. FlameDisk retails for $4.99 for one disk.

NEW YORK — Anchor Bay Entertainment is bringing more "Chuggington" adventures to DVD this summer.

LOS ANGELES — A leader in mosquito repelling solutions now is selling its products worldwide.

At first blush, there appears to be nothing special about Dollar General’s first Southern California store in the suburb of Montclair. It occupies about 7,500 sq. ft. of space in an aging strip center, and a small banner hung on the exterior beckons to passing motorists and pedestrians, “Now Open.” Inside, more signs explain the bare-bones merchandising of familiar brands to shoppers unfamiliar with the Dollar General value proposition.

MADISON, Wis. — Oscar Mayer has introduced a complete line of meat products that is free of artificial preservatives, flavors and colors.

Oscar Mayer Selects, which includes hot dogs, bacon and cold cuts, builds on the initial rollout of Oscar Mayer Selects hot dogs, which were introduced in 2010. This year, 50% of new Oscar Mayer products will have no artificial preservatives. What's more, the brand is looking to reduce the sodium content in its products by 20% across the entire portfolio by the year's end.

ATLANTA — Coca-Cola reportedly is gearing up to roll out mid-calorie beverages in select markets.

Scott Williamson, a Coca-Cola spokesman, was quoted as saying that the beverages, which will be marketed under the Sprite and Fanta brands, is "a limited test of new formulations to see if they might appeal to consumers."