New hot dog aims to reduce choking hazard
By Dani Friedland on 6/1/2010
Rastelli Foods Group and Gene Gagliardi, Jr. are bringing a new hot dog to market — one designed to reduce choking.
The Kinder Cut hot dog has eight lengthwise slits that don’t appear until the hot dog is cooked. Once heated, the hot dog expands into a shape similar to an asterisk, which is less likely to clog an airway. The new product will be available “shortly,” Gagliardi said, and follows increased scrutiny of hot dogs as potential choking hazards. (See Pediatricians call for hazard labels on hot dogs, other foods on Meatingplace, February 22, 2010.)
The product’s development began in a children’s hospital when Gagliardi’s grandson was 9. Another patient’s mother reacted badly to the lunch cart serving hot dogs, Gagliardi told Meatingplace, and he later found out that her son had had a tracheotomy after choking on a hot dog the day before. The nurse also told him that hot dogs are the leading cause of fatal choking in children.
After researching the matter, Gagliardi, who is also the inventor of the Steak-Umm and popcorn chicken and worked with the NCBA to create beef value cuts, patented his hot dog design in 1991. With all the increased discussion about choking and hot dogs, he said, “I think this is my opportunity.” An exact release date was not available.
Another product Gagliardi calls “Frank Fries” — battered and fried strips of hot dog created by removing the quarter-inch core that holds the slitted hot dogs together — will debut around the same time as the Kinder Cut dog.
(Update makes clear the name of the product is Kinder Cut.)
McDonald’s chases lower sodium north of the border
By Lisa M. Keefe on 6/1/2010
McDonald’s Canada has announced it has reduced sodium in all of its grilled chicken items by as much as one-third, the company said in a news release.
The change affects McDonald’s Canada’s grilled chicken classic sandwich, the breakfast burrito, all entrée salads with grilled chicken, and the grilled chicken snack wrap.
For example, the Happy Meal grilled chicken snack wrap — a new Happy Meal selection available in Canada — includes a half-portion of grilled chicken, shredded Monterey Jack and light cheddar cheeses, lettuce and ranch sauce in a tortilla, and uses sodium-reduced versions of the tortilla, chicken and ranch sauce.
“Part of the enduring appeal of McDonald’s is that we have continuously evolved our menu to meet the needs of our customers,” said Richard Ellis, senior vice president of communications and public affairs for McDonald’s Canada, in the release.
McDonald’s Canada has more than 1,400 locations nationwide.
Martha doubles down on retail protein market
By Lisa M. Keefe
A line of Martha Stewart-branded natural products, including an extensive selection of beef, pork and poultry easy-to-prepare meals, is being introduced through grocery stores nationwide, beginning with Stop and Shop, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced in a news release.
The beef and pork used in the meals are being produced by Niman Ranch, and are antibiotic- and gluten-free, 100 percent vegetarian-fed and contain no added growth hormones, the release says. The selection of products includes ham steak, bratwurst, spicy chorizo, applewood-smoked bacon, fresh marinated pork chops and roasts, smoked pork shanks, braised beef short ribs, hot dogs and a variety of chicken and pork sausages, as well as holiday hams and turkeys.
They will all be grouped together in a “Martha Stewart gourmet natural meat case,” intended to create a destination for shoppers.
The poultry items include turkey meals with meat provided by Hain Pure Protein, a leading supplier of natural, vegetarian-fed, antibiotic-free poultry products under the Plainville Farms brand. Martha Stewart first began marketing the branded turkey products with Hain last fall. (See Martha Stewart to introduce turkeys with Hain Pure Protein, Meatingplace, Oct. 23, 2009.)
“Niman Ranch is thrilled by the opportunity that the Martha Stewart brand name will provide to our farmers. We hope that this partnership will continue to educate consumers about traditional farming practices, the humane treatment of animals and environmentally responsible agriculture,” said Jeff Swain, CEO of Niman Ranch, in the release.
The assortment of Martha Stewart-branded products was unveiled at the Food Marketing Institute’s trade show earlier this month. The product lines, which besides the proteins include cleaning products and bakery items, are expected to be distributed in supermarkets, mass-market retailers and warehouse clubs nationwide.
Martha Stewart also has previously marketed self-branded hams through Costco. (See Martha Stewart launches hams at Costco, Meatingplace, Dec. 11, 2007.)
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