REPORTERS Notebook

Supplier News—Abbott has launched PediaSure NutriPals Fruit Bars, meant to help children get their needed serving of real fruit each day. The 150-calorie bars are made with one serving of real fruit in every bar and are a good source of protein, fiber and more than 20 vitamins and minerals. The NutriPals fruit bars are available in the baby/toddler aisle at most major retailers and are available in three flavors—strawberry, mixed berry and blueberry. A box of six bars retails for $5.49.

Quaker is the first cereal company to take the popularity of natural foods mainstream with its new all-natural Quaker Simple Harvest, an instant, multi-grain hot cereal.

Combining Quaker oats with whole-grain wheat and barley, each 1.5-ounce pouch contains a full serving of whole grains. Quaker Simple Harvest can be made either in the microwave or by adding boiling water. Available in three varieties—apples with cinnamon, maple brown sugar with pecans and vanilla, almond and honey—it is available at grocery stores nationwide and retails for $4.39 for a box of eight pouches.

Sun Shower has added two new flavors—nectarine cranberry and nectarine grape orange—to its growing line of 100% Nectarine juices.

The seven varieties of Sun Shower 100% Nectarine juice, which also include nectarine, nectarine berry, nectarine mango, nectarine acai and nectarine pomegranate, are high in potassium, vitamin C, antioxidants and are rich in beta carotene. Currently available in 12-ounce and 28-ounce containers, the juices are available in the produce section of major retailers.

Sumseeds recently added three flavors to its line of caffeinated and energized snack: dill pickle, honey BBQ and salt and pepper. The new flavors for the sunflower seeds, which pack an extra jolt of energy, were created over the summer using the company’s experience with developing flavors. The new flavors are available in a new 1.75-ounce personal-size bag. The original flavor is available in both the 3.5-ounce size and the new personal-size bags.

Hershey Co. unveiled four collector edition chocolate bars, featuring different images of the late Dale Earnhardt, the seven-time NASCAR champion, on its packaging for Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar and Kit Kat bars.

The company will encourage consumers to make a donation to the Dale Earnhardt Foundation through an online charity event. The bars hit the market in January.