Banana Twinkies Return

This is the real deal, the original Twinkie as it was first introduced has returned: Banana Twinkies.

The banana flavor, which was replaced with vanilla creme following a banana shortage in the 1940s, had only been available during special limited time offers. Overwhelming consumer demand during a recent promotion, however, prompted Twinkies' bakers to bring it back for good.

500,000 Twinkies are sold each year, so Hostess has no intention of messing with the Vanilla that has been available for generations. Hostess notes that it's an urban legend that Twinkies last forever, they really only have a shelf life of about 25 days (so don't go eating any of the original Banana Creme Twinkies).

Twinkies are made by Hostess Cakes. (Press release from PRWire.)

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Redux Un-Names its Cocaine Energy Drink

Redux Beverages introduced Cocaine, an energy drink that by their own admission had nothing more notable about it than its name last September. The FDA eventually ruled that they could not continue to sell the drink.

Today they announced they've pulled not the drink, just the name of the drink from the market.

As of now the drink is known on as "Insert Name Here", allowing consumers to give it their own name. (No word if cans come with complementary Sharpie markers.)

Redux made the announcement in a press release that also heralded the new companion website, www.drinknoname.com. Upon checking the site today I found a "parked at GoDaddy" page, but perhaps that's all part of the allure of this drink.

Original review on Energy Drink Ratings.

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Coca-Cola to Expand Soda Fountain Offerings

According to an article in Bloomberg News today, Coca-Cola is looking to secure a greater margin of the soda fountain market with a new fountain dispenser for fast food restaurants.

The "Bev-olution" dispenser may arrive in U.S. restaurants in October, said Chris Lowe, president of Coca- Cola's North America foodservice unit. Consumers will be able to make their own drink combinations by, for example, mixing Sprite with a shot of cherry flavor.

The unit will allow up to fifty flavor combinations including non-carbonated drinks such as PowerAde and an added flavor shot module. Look for them to appear in McDonald's and Wendy's first. Fountain drinks have a staggering 80% profit margin compared to 65% for bottled drinks.

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Elvis Cups Now Available

The new Elvis Reese's Peanut Butter and Banana Creme Cups aren't slated to hit shelves until July 7th but you can buy them online at Hershey's Gift in a tin of 16 packages of the King Size. $25 plus shipping.

Each package features two Reese's Big Cups, each weighing 1.3 ounces (2.6 ounes total weight).

See review of new Elvis Cups at Candy Blog.

See original announcement of Elvis commemorative cups here.

Upon release in early July the banana and peanut butter cups will be available in the traditional two cup pack (1.4 oz), the King Size Big Cups and bagged miniatures.

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Caramel Apple Sugar Babies

Tootsie, who now owns the old Nabisco Sugar Daddy/Sugar Babies line is introducing a new product to their happy family.

Caramel Apple Sugar Babies will come out this fall. They feature the traditional Sugar Babies' milk caramel center with an apple flavored candy coating.

They should be hitting the shelves this fall just in time for county fairs and of course Halloween. Look for them in the 5 ounce movie boxes at first.

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Reese's Whipps

Reese's, part of the Hershey's candy empire, is expanding further after the success of the Crispy Crunchy Bar introduction.

The new bar is called Reese's Whipps Candy Bar and will feature a light and fluffy peanut butter nougat. This nougat will give the Whipps Candy Bar a peanut butter taste but have 40% less fat. If the improved nutritional profile isn't a selling point for the 1.9 ounce bar, it will also be available in King Size.

According to JM Hirsch (AP), "The effect is a pleasing cross between a Milky Way and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups."

Reese's Whipps Candy Bar are slated to hit the shelves in the fourth quarter of 2007.

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Caramel Giant King Cone

Good Humor is introducing a new single-serve cone in 7-11 stores around the country. Called the Caramel Giant King Cone, it features caramel and vanilla ice cream with a caramel core and topped with caramel and peanuts all in a crispy cone.

Also available in the longer-named Triple Chocolate Brownie Giant King Cone which has "epic proportions" of creamy white and dark chocolate ice cream with a milk chocolate sauce core, topped off with chocolate sauce and brownie pieces.

The cone is 4 fluid ounces and features 420 calories and 410 calories respectively. No word on what the size of the non-king cone would be.

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Strawberry Milkshake Creme Oreos

Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies have been introduced in the USA in a "Limited Edition" Strawberry Milkshake Creme.

Ice cream parlors have been making Strawberry Milkshakes with Oreos for years, so it'll be nice to get the full experience in a room-temperature cookie.

Other versions of Oreos currently on the market include Golden (a vanilla cookie with cream), Double Stuf, Reduced Fat, Chocolate Creme and Fudge Covered.

The limited edition 12 oz.(340g) resealable laminate package have been spotted already in Wal-Mart and Publix.

Kosher, made in Canada. Retail price is $3.29.

Anyone else spot them? Taste them?

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360s - Cheddar Covered Pretzels

C.P. Twist recently introduced a new line of cheesy pretzels snacks called 360's. Why 360's? Because they're 360 degrees of cheese-covered pretzel action. (Never mind that 360 degrees only applies when you're talking two dimensions.)

The pretzel treats come in a variety of formats, from the pretzel spheres there to the right to mini loop pretzels called Cheezels.

Two ounce bags should retail for around $1 and 10 ounce tubs will make snacking more economical. See website for more tantalizing flavors like Jalapeno, Pizza and Tomato Basil.

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Chewing Gum that Washes Off with Soap

Revolymer Ltd., a Wales-based company, claims to have developed a new chemical base for chewing gum that allows it to removed from pavements and surfaces with soap and water.

According to Professor Terence Cosgrove, the company's chief scientific officer...

"We have managed to change the surface characteristics of the gum base which will allow a stream of water or a mild soap solution to break the adhesion between chewing gum residues and surfaces such as paving stones, furniture, hair, etc.,"

The company now wants to create its own chewing gum and put it to the real test. If this takes off, we may end up with a new problem of chewing gum gobbing up our sewer systems.

Click here to read the full article.

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Reese's Elvis Cups Not Yet in the Market

Last month I reported that the new Reese's Elvis Cups are available in stores now. But we stand corrected, after having read an article in Advertising Age today:

http://adage.com/article?article_id=113437

The new limited edition cups will be selling next summer, to mark the 30th Anniversary of the King's death.

We rely on a variety of sources for our information. In this case, we received information from a marketing intelligence firm, that told us these had been introduced into the USA. I called them about this. They said they saw this product at the last NACS show (National Association of Convenience Stores). They didn't originally explain this in their report, they only said that they've been introduced into the USA.

So, it looks like my bad for not pressing for clarification. But it's definitely a real product!

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Rudolph's Cinnamon Churros

New from Rudolph Foods Co. of Lima, OH are these Cinnamon Churros.

Churros are absolutely "dee-lish" when served up hot from the fryer (just like doughnuts). But I'm not sure if this bagged variety can mimic the same goodness. I imagine they'll have a pretty good snackability factor, though part of what makes a churro so good is not just taste, but the "crunchy-outer-soft-warm-inner" that you can't get from a bag.

These are billed as trans-fat free.

Rudolph Foods is known for making pork rinds, and this may be their first snack food that doesn't contain pig skin.

Visit Rudolph Foods online at: http://www.rudolphfoods.com/

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Dora the Explorer Ice Cream

New from Breyers Ice Cream is their Dora the Explorer variety.

It's a combination of strawberry sherbet swirled with low-fat banana ice cream, with Dora the Explorer graphics. The package claims that it's an excellent source of vitamin C.

A 1.75 quart carton retails for $5.29.

Visit Breyers online at: http://www.icecreamusa.com

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iDeserv Energy Pretzels

iDeserv Energy Pretzels are a new product from Benzel's Bakery, Inc. of Altoona, PA.

From what I can tell, they don't really contain any of the energy-boosting ingredients you might expect to find in energy drinks. They are, however, fortified with niacin, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, and folic acid.

In addition, the package text claims that they contain, "More protein and fiber than regular pretzels!".

They might make great companions with the recently launched "Vitamin Beer".

Visit Benzel's Bakery at: http://www.benzels.com/

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Cookies that Smile In Your Favorite Colors

Now you can customize your own batch of Smiley Cookies online.

Eat'n Park announced today it's world-famous signature treat can created in any combination of 9 background colors and 9 face colors, to come up with 81 different color combinations.

The cookies can then be bought online and shipped to you, at a price of $6.99 per dozen, plus shipping.

You can do red & green for Christmas, or your team's colors for football parties, etc.

Eat'n Park is a chain of family restaurants with 77 locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Their Smiley Cookies is a signature treat they offer to their guests. Last year, they began selling Smiley Cookies online so that folks all over the USA can enjoy them.

Buy Smiley Cookies online: http://www.eatnpark.com/

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