It takes a lot for a food product to succeed. In fact, out of more than 30,000 new food items that were introduced in 2003, less than 5 percent were hits. (And less than 10 percent of all new products are still on supermarket shelves three years after they launch.) To help you avoid spending money on the likely failures, here are this week’s Hits and Misses.
HIT
R.W. Knudsen Organic Orange Carrot JuiceAs regular readers of this column will know, we love organic products — and this company has a great line of organic juices. New to their line is this Orange Carrot juice. The juice is naturally sweetened, so you don’t have to worry about ingredients like high fructose corn syrup. Great source of potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C. Suggested retail price is $2.69 to $2.99 for 32 ounces.
CONSUMER-NOMINATED HITTropicana Light 'n HealthyHere’s what Andrea D. from Rogers, Ark., had to say about this product: “This low-carb orange juice tastes almost as good as the full-sugar original Tropicana. My husband and I are working to reduce carbs in our diets (we are both Type II diabetics), and this gives us all the benefits of OJ with only 13 carbs per serving. And it tastes fantastic. It really gives you the full effect of good OJ.” Retails for $2.84. Thanks, Andrea! Your Supermarket Guru tote bag is on the way.
MISSESTastefully Simple Perfectly Potato Cheddar SoupThis soup mix is simple to prepare — although it needs to simmer for 30 minutes, so we wouldn’t say it’s a quick process — and the result is a tasty version of potato soup that beats most prepared soups you find in the supermarket. However, we were disappointed to see hydrogenated canola, cottonseed and soybean oil on the ingredient list, which makes this product hard to love. Make a healthier version, and we’ll call it a hit. Retails for $6.99 for 9.3 ounces (six servings).
YC Dark Chocolate with Orange BitsAlthough the low-carb dieting fad seems to have slowed down quite a bit, some companies are still introducing products that are made for the sugar-free consumer, such as this chocolate. Although products like this are great for diabetics and for people controlling their sugar intake, it’s the bitter taste that is hard to get used to. Keep working on improving the taste, and we’ll give it another try. Retails for $2.99 per bar.
CONSUMER-NOMINATED MISS
GuyLian Twists Dark Chocolate Orange CreamHere’s what Barbara S., from Rockford, Ill., had to say about this product: “I love dark chocolate with orange. This was one of my rare impulse purchases without reading the label; big mistake! The first two ingredients are sugar and vegetable fat (euphemism for hydrogenated oil/shortening/trans fats?). Cocoa mass is the fifth ingredient, just before the minimal amounts of flavorings and lecithin. The candies have a very thin chocolate coating over a filling with the color and texture of shortening. YUCK!!! Five pieces have 9 grams of saturated fat! While I regret having thrown away $2.49, it's better to dump it than to eat such an unappetizing/unhealthy product. There are plenty of alternatives with better texture and flavor and without trans fats.” Thanks, Barbara! Your Supermarket Guru tote bag is on the way.Phil Lempert is food editor of the “Today” show. He welcomes questions and comments — as well as nominations for “hits” and “misses” in this column — which can be sent to . If he selects your nomination for publication, he’ll send you a SupermarketGuru.com Tote Bag! You can also visit his Web site at .