Content about Food and drink

ITASCA, Ill. — Fans of "Zombieland" take heart — should the world come to an end, the last Twinkie will be available at a Chicago-area Jewel Osco. 

Jewel-Osco, a Supervalu company, on Monday announced that beginning Tuesday morning the retailer will begin selling what are believed to be the last shipments of Hostess products. More than 20,000 boxes of Twinkies will be sold at regular price through select Chicago-area Jewel-Osco stores, the company stated. "Customers looking for Ding Dongs, Zingers and Orange Cupcakes will also be in luck."

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — More than five-dozen Albertsons stores in the West will start selling gluten-free frozen pizzas this month.

Better4U Foods said Friday that 63 stores in Albertsons' Intermountain West Division — which includes Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming — would stock the pizzas. Pizza varieties will include Gluten-Free Four Cheese, Gluten-Free Uncured Pepperoni and the vegan Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Roasted Vegetable.

VALENCIA, Calif. — Trigg Laboratories on Thursday announced they will help Sonny and Sharie Knight, owners of the Hillbilly Hot Dogs restaurant in West Virginia, celebrate 13 years of wedlock on Dec. 12. 

Featuring their brand Wet Personal Lubricants, Trigg Laboratories competed with many other candidates to host the 30th vow renewal for the couple. "Trigg Laboratories is so excited to host Sonny and Sharie as they renew their vow to love each other," stated Jennifer Martsolf, VP marketing at Trigg Laboratories. 

EAGLE, Idaho — Frozen food maker Alexia Foods has introduced new rolls made with sweet potatoes, the company said Tuesday.

Alexia, which already makes other bread products like Ciabatta Rolls, Ancient Grain Rolls, Classic French Rolls and Focaccia Rolls, said the new Sweet Potato Rolls can be prepared in less than 20 minutes.

NEW YORK — Pfizer on Friday announced that it has completed the sale of its nutrition business to Nestlé for $11.9 billion in cash, following the conclusion of the required regulatory process in most markets. In certain countries where completion will be delayed due to ongoing regulatory review, Pfizer will continue to operate the business on an interim basis.

PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo is planning a controversial line of products under its FritoLay brand. The new line, called Cracker Jack’d, is a caffeinated extension of its Cracker Jack line of popcorn clusters and is expected to hit shelves by the end of the 
fourth quarter.


The line extension is expected to include a caffeinated snack called Power Bites, which will contain approximately 70 mg of caffeine from coffee in each 2-oz. package. Snack mixes and popcorn clusters also will be included in the lineup.

Handheld frozen foods have grown quickly in the last two years, and Mintel expects growth to continue. U.S. retail sales are expected to top $3.8 billion 
by 2016.


WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration will review the safety of energy drinks containing such stimulants as caffeine in response to a letter from two senators.

LANDOVER, Md. — Giant-Landover donated 1,000 turkeys to a nearby food bank last week to help families in need enjoy Thanksgiving, the Ahold-owned chain said.

The chain, officially known as Giant Food and based in Landover, Md., sent President Anthony Hucker and VP Finance Brian Shelton to the Capital Area Food Bank to present 1,000 turkeys on Friday. Shelton is also a board member of the food bank.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Kellogg on Thursday announced a lineup of innovative additions to its most successful brands for 2013, featuring new flavors and healthier options for snacking.

"We are building off these [snack] brands with new products that reflect our deep understanding of people's evolving taste preferences and nutrition needs," said Alan Gravely, SVP marketing and innovation for Kellogg Snacks.

After several lackluster years, cookie sales were up in 2011 and are likely to show slight gains this year. The category was buoyed largely by sales of basic cookies, according to a recent report from Mintel, while premium cookie sales were hurt by a tight economy and increased media attention on America’s obesity epidemic. Mintel forecasts more growth for the premium segment from 2013 to 2016.


SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Red Bull energy drink brand has announced plans to roll out Red Bull Editions — three new flavors in color-coordinated 8.4-ounce cans — this coming March.


New flavors will include cranberry, lime and blueberry, in a red, silver and blue can, respectively. The new products mark the first time Red Bull has added new flavors to its offerings, something competitors have already done. Red Bull is the category dollar volume leader in 2012, according to Nielsen figures, with a 42% dollar share vs. 35% for 
competitor Monster.