Content about Food and drink

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hostess Brands on Thursday announced that the stalking horse bid submitted by McKee Foods for the Drake's snack cake brand will be presented for approval to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, as no other qualified bids were received for those assets.

McKee has agreed to pay $27.5 million for the Drake's brand and certain equipment. Drake's products include Ring Dings, Yodels, Devil Dogs, Yankee Doodles, Sunny Doodles and Drake's Coffee Cake.

SUNBURY, Pa. — Earlier in the week Weis Markets promoted Mike Mignola to SVP store operations, reporting to Weis president and CEO David Hepfinger. He will continue to manage day-to-day operations for the grocer. 

Mignola had been named VP store operations in 2011. 

FAIRFIELD, Calif. — Jelly Belly Candy Company has introduced new Jelly Belly Tabasco jelly bean bottles to candy shelves, the company announced today.

Jelly Belly Tabasco jelly beans mimic the traditional Tabasco brand bottle and are filled with the newest Jelly Belly jelly beans spiced with genuine Tabasco brand seasonings.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Pinnacle Foods' Duncan Hines has added 15 new springtime recipes for adults and kids, the company said today.

"Duncan Hines strives to provide inspiring, innovative creations for our passionate bakers," said Joe DiPaolo, senior research chef for Duncan Hines. "Our Easter Egg Cupcakes are great for families to bake together. They are easy to make, but they are sure to impress as gifts or to decorate the dinner table for Easter."

The new recipes include:

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Dole announced today the newest variety to its line of fruit smoothie shakes: Peach Mango Fruit Smoothie Shakers.

Made with real, low-fat yogurt and actual pieces of finely cut peach and mango, Dole Peach Mango Fruit Smoothie shakers also offer 100% of the recommended daily value of vitamins B3, B5, B6, B9 and B12.

BETHESDA, Md. — Honest Tea, maker of organic bottled teas, is expanding its line of Honest Fizz naturally sweetened, zero-calorie sodas nationwide after a successful pre-launch, the company announced last week.

Honest Fizz is naturally sweetened with a blend of stevia leaf extract and erythritol, a natural sugar alcohol. None of the ingredients in Honest Fizz contain GMOs. There are four varieties to choose from in the new line of soda drinks: Lemon Limey, Orange Pop, Professor Fizz, and USDA Organic Root Beer.

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — Odwalla this week announced new food bars designed specifically for kids made with whole grains and fruits, the company said.

Odwalla Bars for Kids come in three flavors: Chocolate Chip Kick, Strawberry Score and Banana Dunk. Each flavor contains 11 to 12 g of organic whole-grains, equal to about 25% of the whole grains needs as recommended by the Whole Grains Council. Each bar also contains 130 to 140 calories, and is a good source of fiber and calcium.

PLANO, Texas — SunChips, part of PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, has introduced the company's first barbecue flavored chips into its lineup with new Sweet and Spicy BBQ.

New SunChips Sweet & Spicy BBQ snacks feature molasses, brown sugar and honey flavors blended with hints of spice, like chipotle, for balance. Each 1-oz. serving of SunChips Sweet & Spicy BBQ snacks — approximately 15 chips — is 140 calories and contains 18 g of whole grains. The recommended consumption of whole grains is at least 48 g per day.

CHICAGO — Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. is launching a new chewing gum that comes with a kick.

The chewing gum maker, part of Mars, plans to introduce Alert Energy Caffeine Gum next month, with full distribution expected this summer. The gum, which the company will launch at convenience stores, supermarkets and mass merchandisers, is designed for adults aged 25 to 49 who use caffeine for energy and want a portable product that lets them control caffeine intake, the company said.

CHICAGO — The percentage of adults in the United States who say they want to reduce or eliminate gluten from their diets reached a new high this January, according to a new study.

The NPD Group, a market research firm, has tracked efforts by Americans to reduce gluten intake since 2009, finding that 30% of adults claimed to cut down on gluten or avoid it entirely in January.

MINNEAPOLIS — MOM Brands today announced new additions to its brand portfolio with Spooners ready-to-eat cereals. The cereals come packaged in stand-up gusseted bags, which sit on the shelf like a box, yet contain 75% less consumer packaging waste than comparably sized bag-in-box, ready-to-eat cereals.

SUNBURY, Pa. — Weis Markets on Tuesday reported net income of $82.5 million for the 52-week period ended Dec. 29. Even with one less week of sales, that's up 9.2% versus fiscal 2011, which was a 53-week period, the grocer noted. Sales were down slightly by 1.9% to $2.7 billion compared with the week-longer year-ago period. Comparable sales were down 2%. 

Adjusting for the 52-week to 53-week comparison, the grocer's 2012 net income increased 13.9% while sales and comparable store sales were flat.