Shopping Cart: New food products in stores, restaurants and online

By PAM KRAGEN - Staff Writer | Wednesday, December 10, 2008 11:05 PM PST ∞

New Claim Jumper entrees: Five entrees have been added to Claim Jumper's frozen meals line: Chicken Marsala (two servings in a 14-ounce package); Chicken and Penne a la Vodka (one serving, 14 ounces); Shrimp Scampi (one serving, 12 ounces); Chicken and Shrimp Penne Rustica (one serving, 12 ounces). The entrees, available at most supermarket chains, are priced from $3.99 to $4.49.

Kosher rub: Fire & Flavor, a food products company in Athens, Ga., has introduced Asian Rub, a kosher dried-spice rub mix made from soy, ginger, garlic, and black and white sesame seeds. It's for use on pork, chicken, steak, seafood, tofu and greens. Sold at Whole Foods and online in a 2.5-ounce tin, Asian Rub retails for $6.99.

7-Eleven adds private label line: 7-Eleven Inc. is launching a line of 32 private-label snack foods and treats to be sold in its 7,600 convenience stores nationwide. The 7-Select brand, which previously offered only batteries and paper products, is expected to expand to 180 items by spring.

Chex Mix in a bar: General Mills has broadened its cereal and snack bar line with new Chex Mix Bars. Turtle bars include caramel, chocolate, peanuts, wheat and corn Chex cereal and pretzels. Chocolate Chunk bars have chocolate, wheat and corn Chex cereal and pretzels. Chex Mix Bars are packaged six to a 7.4-ounced box, and priced at $3.19.

Organic vinegars line: Fleischmann's Vinegar Co. has introduced a line of raw, unfiltered and unpasteurized organic vinegars. Sold in 16- and 32-ounce containers, priced from $2.49 to $5.49, varieties include white, apple cider and red wine vinegar. They'll hit health food store shelves on the West Coast this month, including Sprouts in San Marcos.

Fruity bread, bagels: Pepperidge Farm has introduced a line of breads and bagels enhanced with real fruit and whole grains. The Fruit & Grain line has Cranberry Orange, Apple Pomegranate and Blueberry Acai breads, and Cherry Pomegranate and Cranberry Blueberry bagels. A slice of bread has half a serving of whole grain and is 100 calories or less. The bagels have one full serving of whole wheat and are 17 calories or less. Both have 3 grams of fiber per serving. They're priced at $4.29.

Ready-to-work dough: Just in time for holiday baking season, Pillsbury has taken the seams out of its refrigerated crescent rolls so aspiring bakers can work with one uncreased roll of flaky dough in recipes. Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations dough, sold in an 8-ounce can, can be used for making tartlets, wontons, pizza, strudel and other flaky pastries. It sells for $2.39.

Jack goes retro: Jack in the Box has brought back a number of seasonal and popular items. Egg Nog and Pumpkin Pie shakes are available through the holidays ($2.49-$2.99 for a 16- to 24-ounce serving) and the Teriyaki Bowl, removed from the menu in 2003, has returned. Made with steamed white rice, broccoli florets, carrots and choice of chicken or steak, they're priced from $4.29 to $4.79. A menu addition is the Mini Churros, a cinnamon pastry snack. A five-piece serving is $1, or 10 pieces for $1.89.

Lower-fat Cheez-Its: Sunshine Crackers offers a reduced-fat version of its White Cheddar Cheez-It crackers. The new crackers, $3.99 a box, contain 40 percent less fat and just 140 calories per 25-cracker serving.

Have a new food product you'd like featured in the "Shopping Cart" column? E-mail information to the food section at the North County Times, at food@nctimes.com. Or, mail a press kit to: Food Editor, North County Times, 207 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Escondido, 92025.