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Progresso soups up offerings

MINNEAPOLIS — General Mills, Inc. is beefing up its Progresso portfolio of soups with hearty and heart-healthy varieties.

New to the Rich & Hearty line of soups are tomato Florentine with Italian sausage, lentil with Andouille sausage and creamy Alfredo with penne and chicken.

With less than 100 calories per serving, new Progresso Light flavors include chicken corn chowder and chicken and cheese enchilada.

A new Heart Healthy line with 120 calories or less and 480 mg of sodium or less per serving includes Southwest style black bean and vegetable, creamy tomato with basil, home-style vegetable beef, savory garden vegetable, Italian-style wedding with meatballs, hearty minestrone, savory chicken and wild rice, creole-style chicken gumbo, roasted chicken noodle and tomato with Parmesan.

The soups are available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $2.69.

Alexia adds low-fat fries

EAGLE, IDAHO — Better-for-you frozen french fry products debut from Alexia Foods, a division of ConAgra Foods, Inc.

Made with lightly seasoned Yukon Select potatoes, Alexia Smart Classics are 98% fat-free with 100 calories per serving. Varieties include crinkle-cut fries, straight-cut fries and tri-cut potatoes. The products are available for a suggested retail price of $3.29 per 32-oz package.

Armour introduces breakfast items

LISLE, ILL. — The John Morrell Food Group, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, is expanding its Armour brand with BreakfastMakers, a line of portable breakfast kits. Six varieties include a cinnamon roll, ham breakfast croissant sandwich, mini pancakes, french toast sticks, bagel with cream cheese and sausage breakfast wraps.

The products are available in the refrigerated section of grocery stores nationwide.

Nonni’s expands almond thins

OAKBROOK TERRACE, ILL. — Nonni’s Foods, L.L.C. is expanding its THINaddictivies line of baked almond thin cookies with banana dark chocolate and blueberry oat varieties.

Made with such ingredients as California almonds, whole blueberries, crunchy banana chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips, the cookies are light and crunchy with 100 calories per serving. Other varieties include cranberry, pistachio and cinnamon raisin.

The new flavors are available at select grocery stores and club retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $3.29.

Jack Link’s unveils Wild Side

MINONG, WIS. — Sriracha beef jerky and burrito beef jerky join Jack Link’s line of meat snacks as part of its Wild Side limited-edition flavors. Inspired by the popular hot sauce, the Sriracha variety contains a kick of hot chili peppers with garlic. The burrito flavor blends spicy chili peppers, onions and garlic.

Each 3.25-oz bag is 97% fat-free with 15 grams of protein. Both varieties are available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $6.99.

Sunbelt spices up granola bars

COLLEGEDALE, TENN. — New seasonal flavors of chewy granola bars from McKee Foods Corp.’s Sunbelt Bakery brand include harvest spice and pumpkin spice.

Made with whole grains and no preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup, the bars contain 110 calories and are available for a limited time nationwide beginning in October.

Low-calorie dressings debut

NEW YORK — SkinnyEats, a line of 15-calorie whipped salad dressings and dips, is rolling out in select stores nationwide and on-line at www.eatskinnyeats.com.

Flavors include blue cheese, honey French, Caesar, ranch, creamy Italian and thousand island. The dressings are available for a suggested retail price of $4.49.

Asian-inspired ice cream rolls out

LOS ANGELES — Mikawaya, a producer of Japanese pastries and desserts, is launching premium ice cream inspired by Asian cuisine and fruits.

Available in pints, ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches and 3.6-oz cups, Mikawaya Exottics Ice Cream features 14 flavors, including black sesame, green tea matcha, lychee, taro and yuzu sorbet. The products are available at select retailers and on-line at www.exottics.com.

Marie Callender’s launches breakfast sandwiches

OMAHA — Marie Callender’s, a ConAgra Foods Inc. brand, is introducing frozen breakfast sandwiches in six varieties: cheddar biscuit with sausage, egg and cheddar; flaky croissant with sausage, egg and Monterey Jack cheese; cheddar biscuit with bacon, egg and cheddar; country roll with ham, egg and Monterey Jack Cheese, flaky croissant with ham and Swiss cheese; and cheddar biscuit with sausage and cheddar.

The sandwiches are available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $4.99 for three sandwiches.

New baking mixes in Krusteaz line

SEATTLE — Continental Mills has added new products to its Krusteaz line of baking mixes. 

“Krusteaz takes pride in continually offering new and innovative baking mix products that enable bakers at all levels to create something amazing for their friends and family,” said Andy Heily, senior vice-president of sales and marketing at Continental Mills, parent company of Krusteaz. “Baking is an expression of love, and it’s also a tremendous outlet for creativity. As a family-owned business, we never lose sight of the honor and responsibility of providing products that bring friends, families, and communities together.”

Krusteaz’s line of Molten Deep Dish Cookie Mix is something “truly unique in the cookie category,” according to Continental Mills. Inspired by decadent restaurant desserts, the cookie mix combines the texture of a chewy cookie paired with a rich molten center. Each box comes with two packets — a cookie mix and a molten filling — and both are made with a creamy chocolate or caramel center. The line is offered in three flavors: classic cookie with a chocolate center, chocolate cookie with a caramel center, and sugar cookie with a chocolate center. Each 19-oz box retails for about $2.79.

Krusteaz also has launched two new flavors that will join its cinnamon swirl crumb cake and muffin mix variety. The new blueberry swirl crumb cake and muffin mix has a vanilla-flavored cake base and features blueberries and a brown sugar topping. The chocolate swirl crumb cake and muffin mix has a vanilla-flavored cake base with chocolate chunks, along with a chocolate crumb mix that bakes into the center layer and offers a chocolate crunch on the top. Each 19-oz box bakes 1 cake or 12 muffins and retails for about $2.79.

Krusteaz has introduced a natural southern cornbread and muffin mix. The mix bakes up a “little less sweet with a denser consistency and slightly crunchy texture,” according to Continental Mills.  A 19-oz box retails for about $2.49.

Finally, Krusteaz is expanding its artisan bread mix line with the launch of a beer bread mix. A standard 1-lb box makes one loaf of bread and retails for about $2.60.

Church’s debuts Big Tex Club

ATLANTA — Church’s Chicken is offering a new take on its Big Tex sandwich for a limited time.

The Big Tex Club debuts on the chicken chain’s menus Sept. 30. The new sandwich includes two Tender Strips, bacon, American cheese, lettuce, pickles and mayonnaise served on Texas Toast.

“The Big Tex Club is a natural extension of the Big Tex sandwich that we introduced last year,” said Rob Crews, Church’s chief marketing officer. “With the addition of bacon and cheese to an already great selling sandwich, the new Big Tex Club is sure to be another fan favorite. Big Tex delivers on its name — it’s a big sandwich with an even bigger value. There are endless opportunities to take the Big Tex sandwich and add new ingredients and flavors that will no doubt continue to engage our fans with new versions of their favorite sandwich.”

Prices for the Big Tex Club start at $2.99 and $4.99 for a combo meal with small fries and small drink, the company said. The Big Tex Club is available through Nov. 3, 2013.

Wendy’s plumps pretzel platform

DUBLIN, OHIO — Following the success of the Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger launched this summer, the Wendy’s Corp. is adding a Pretzel Pub Chicken Sandwich. The sandwich features a breaded all-white chicken breast fillet, tomatoes, honey mustard, Muenster cheese, cheese sauce and a spring mix on a soft pretzel bun. Customers may choose from three chicken fillets: lightly breaded homestyle, spicy or grilled chicken. The sandwich will be available for a limited time for $4.79.

Whoopie pies come to Baskin-Robbins

CANTON, MASS. — Ice cream whoopie pies are rolling out at Baskin-Robbins, a division of Dunkin’ Brands. The customizable treats include a scoop of ice cream between two chocolate cake rounds.

The ice cream chain also is introducing a pumpkin pie milk shake, pumpkin pie ice cream and a pumpkin pie cappuccino drink for a limited time.