On the Shelf!

Lighter soups
Campbell Company of Canada has launched Light Soups, a line of soups containing 25 per cent less calories than Campbell’s regular varieties, and no artificial colours or flavours. With 480-mg of sodium per 250-mL serving the soups are also among the lowest-sodium varieties of Campbell’s soups. The new line is available in four Ready to Enjoy varieties – Chicken Noodle, Vegetable Beef, Garden Minestrone and Cream of Mushroom – and three Condensed varieties: Homestyle Chicken Noodle, Vegetable and Tomato. Six of the seven varieties also carry the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s Health Check symbol.

Winter ale
Amsterdam Brewing Company’s current winter seasonal beer is Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, formerly known as Tilted Kilt. The beer is a traditional Scotch Ale, with a sweet, full-bodied flavour, a deep copper-brown colour, roasted malt and caramel aromas, and 6.2-per-cent alcohol by volume. The beer, part of Amsterdam’s collection of seasonal brews, is available in 500-mL bottles at the Toronto, Ont. brewery and on tap at a select number of bars and restaurants. Because it is brewed in small batches, the winter beer is available only while supplies last.

Chocolate drops
Hershey Canada Inc. has launched Hershey’s Drops, bite-size versions of two of its most popular candy bars, Hershey’s Creamy Milk Chocolate and Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Crème. The chocolate drops have no candy shell, just smooth chocolate, and are made from recipes developed specifically for the Canadian market. Both varieties are sold in resealable 200-g pouches, retailing for a suggested price of $4.19. The Cookies ‘n’ Crème variety will also be available in 120-g bags, with a suggested retail price of $2.99.

Gourmet seafood
Montreal, Que.-based Marina Del Rey’s convenient new line of frozen seafood products are designed to help families include more fish into their diets. The gourmet dinners feature a six-ounce portion of fish in sauce packaged individually and already seasoned and marinated. There are currently four varieties available: Mediterranean Salmon, Teriyaki Salmon, Orange and Mango Tilapia, and Tilapia à la Provençale.

Organic chicken
Peterborough, Ont.-based Yorkshire Valley Farms now offers fresh organic chicken to Greater Toronto Area consumers. According to Yorkshire Valley, all of its chickens are raised on organic farms, with access to fresh air and natural sunlight, and are fed 100-per-cent certified organic grain, free from pesticides, animal by-products, chemicals, antibiotics or growth stimulants. The result, says the company, is tastier, healthier meat.

Biodegradable bottle
In January 2011, Chilliwack, B.C.-based Redleaf Water will introduce Bio Bottles, the industry’s first biodegradable and recyclable water bottle. Redleaf, which provides ultra-premium bottled water from a naturally renewable source in the Canadian Rockies, will offer one-litre Bio Bottles, along with existing 500-mL bottles, at retailers in Canada and the Mountain West region of the U.S. According to the company, third-party research shows that the Bio Bottles will set the industry standard for eco-friendly bottle manufactures.

Whole wheat perogies
Edmonton, Alta.’s Heritage Frozen Foods Ltd. has launched Canada’s first 100-per-cent whole wheat perogies under its Cheemo brand. The new perogies feature a potato and three-cheese filling, wrapped in tender dough made of stone-ground whole grain wheat flour. The perogies are available in a 907-g package, and retail across the country.

Thin tarts
France’s HCL Maitre Pierre is expanding its line of thin tarts (Flammekueche) available in Canada. Flammekueche is a regional specialty from Alsace-Lorraine, traditionally made of thin crust, cream, onions and bacon. The company produces four savoury varieties and one sweet variety for the Quebec market – Traditional Flammekueche, Ham Tomato Mozzarella Thin Tart, Courgette and Goat’s Cheese Thin Tart, Four-Cheeses Thin Tart, and Apple Flammekueche.