Consumables

CINCINNATI — Kroger announced today the company's committment to sourcing sustainable palm oil by the end of 2015 amid the growing popularity of vegetable oil and deforestation fears.

Kroger issued the following policy statement:

Palm oil has become the world's leading oil crop and today accounts for roughly one-third of the global vegetable oil production. This oil has grown in popularity within the food industry as a cooking oil, shortening, margarine, milk-fat replacer, and as a cocoa-butter substitute.

NEW YORK — DSN has reported for many years on the emergence of dietitians in supermarket pharmacies, and an article that appeared in Advertising Age Sunday confirms how big the trend has become.

The advertising industry publication reported that while traditionally found more often at hospitals, dietitians are appearing at supermarket chains like Hy-Vee, Wegmans and Giant Eagle.

NORTHFIELD, Ill. — Kool-Aid, a Kraft Foods brand, announced today the launch of a new multimedia campaign to reintroduce the company's iconic Kool-Aid Man "spokespitcher" that will coincide with the release of a new liquid drink mix available on store shelves now.

NEW YORK — A majority of surveyed adults in the United States regards organic as an excuse to charge more for food, according to a new study.

The March Harris Poll of 2,276 adults found that those expressing concern for the environment grew from 31% last year to 38% this year, but 59% of respondents saw labeling foods and other products as organic was an excuse to charge more.

MARIETTA, Ga. — Competitive Promotion Report on Monday introduced a new advanced big data analytics tool, Integrated Data Management, that provides insights which syndicated sales data alone cannot.

“IDM will give our clients a competitive advantage with a view of how marketing tactics are impacting sales and profits so they can adjust accordingly," stated Glen Davis, CPR president and CEO. "This knowledge can give manufacturers an edge and solves the widespread challenge of making sense of some of the big data they are amassing.”

WASHINGTON — Nestlé USA today unveiled its new "Balance Your Plate with Nestlé" education campaign to help consumers build nutritious, convenient meals and offer a toolkit to healthcare professionals in guiding their customers to make healthier meals. The announcement was made during a luncheon presentation at the Consumer Federation of America's 36th Annual National Food Policy Conference.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. — Mars Chocolate North America offered Drug Store News a sneak peek at the company's anticipated lineup for Valentine's Day 2014. The company plans a robust line of products with plenty of new items for retail shelves.

Among the new items that will be available at retailers nationwide are:

• Twix Brand Caramel Heart Singles: A Twix candy in the shape of a heart (SRP $.79-$.99)

• Dove Brand Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate Truffle Hearts Tin: (SRP $4.99)

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Snack manufacturer Warrell Corp. is introducing a new line of caramel candies, the company said Thursday.

Warrell announced the launch of the Classic Caramel brand, sold as bagged, individually wrapped caramel squares. The line includes vanilla, chocolate and apple-cinnamon flavors and an assorted bag containing all three flavors.