ConAgra unveils new name, new products
At an annual meeting of it's shareholders, ConAgra chairman and CEO Bruce Rohde announced that shareholders have officially changed the company's name to ConAgra Foods. Rohde said, "Adding 'Foods' to the name completes the statement in telling people what we do. It makes it clear that we're focused on the food business." Rohde also set the table for the company's growth with the announcement of 19 new product introductions ranging from snacks to complete meals. The new products include:
• A line of tomato-based meal-starters from Hunt's called Family Favorites. Varieties include tomato sauces for Lasagna, Pasta, Pizza, Tacos, Meatloaf, Chili and Soup & Stew.
• A line of nicely priced casseroles called Home Style Bakes from Banquet. This new box-mix is rolling nationally following very successful regional trials. Each Bake comes complete with all the ingredients necessary for a complete meal. Flavor varieties include: Creamy Chicken and Biscuits, Chili with Corn Bread, Creamy Turkey with Stuffing, and Beef Stew and Biscuits.
• A Reddi-wip "Light" with half the fat.
• A new intensely flavored line of gel-cup Snack Packs called Jolly Rancher Gel Snacks. The product is available in watermelon/green apple, cherry/strawberry, watermelon, strawberry, and sugar-free raspberry.
• A new line of Armour Guaranteed Tender Pork items. Enhanced to make the meat more tender and juicy, the pork line offers many favorite cuts, including boneless pork tenderloin, boneless loin pork chops, spareribs and backribs. The Guaranteed Tender brand already is available in beef.
• A new line of pudding cup Snack Packs featuring Disney's new holiday movie, 102 Dalmatians. The new release is available in vanilla, chocolate fudge and butterscotch.
• New, microwavable Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn in a Corn-on-the-Cob flavor.
• A premium bowl line from Healthy Choice featuring Thai Style Peanut Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, Sweet and Sour Chicken with Rice, and Orange Beef.
• New Healthy Choice cold cuts, including Savory Selections Hearty Deli Sliced Mesquite Smoked Turkey Breast, Southwestern Style Turkey Breast and Roasted Garlic Turkey Breast; and a new line of thin-sliced products, Deli Traditions Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, Smoked Turkey Breast, and Smoked Virginia Brand Ham.
• New ready-to-serve Healthy Choice soups, including Fiesta Chicken, Bean and Pasta, and Vegetable Clam.
• A complete line of Butterball brand turkey gravy, broth and one-step stuffing. The stuffing is available in dry and frozen ready-to-cook varieties.
• A tub barbecue product from Armour called KC Masterpiece that features the famous sauce in beef, pork and chicken varieties gets expanded distribution.
• Capitalizing on consumer interest in meat snacks, ConAgra Foods' Pemmican unit introduces Kippered Beef Steak, a 98% fat-free beef strip marinated in spices and seasonings, smoked and grilled. It is available in Original, Peppered, Teriyaki, Sweet & Hot and Bar-B-Q.
• New hearty and portable Marie Callender's meals in bowls with varieties such as Pasta Alfredo with Grilled Chicken Breast, Chicken and Potato Casserole, Lemon Herb Chicken Bowl, Turkey Breast Medallions and Stuffing, and Country Style Beef Pot Roast.
• Armour Premium Beef Sirloin Roast comes pre-marinated and ready to cook.
• A new chocolate-enrobed popcorn snack called "Chocolate Sensations" from Orville Redenbacher's. The product combines premium popcorn with butter toffee and milk chocolate.
• Trendy Treasure Cave Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles come in a resealable tub, making it easier for consumers to enjoy as little or as much of this aged, sharper-tasting cousin of blue cheese as is desired.
• A new certified organic microwave popcorn from ACT II.
Edited by Scott Hegenbart