FMI (Food Marketing Institute), Chicago, Illinois

Interesting highlights taken from the FMI show in Chicago include:

• Disney entered the licensed food categories. Offerings ranged from frozen fish tenders from American Pride Seafood's to Micky Ravioli by Pasta Italiana. Additional products included a line of fresh produce under the Disney Garden trademark with Imagination Farms.
  
• One of the more interesting product samples at the show was an Organic Coffee Soda called Double Bean Elixir™ from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Coke also enters this new beverage category with its debut of Coke Blak.
  

New Products on Show

• Magic Chef, the appliance line formerly manufactured by Maytag, has been reborn through a unique licensing partnership with E-Wave. The Chicago-based company holds the exclusive license to build out an entire line of small appliances, cookware, and accessories.

• Campbell Soup is adding sea salt to a line of lower sodium soups and reformulating several of its top soups and beverages with lower sodium levels as well.

Licensing Trends and Thoughts

• Kemps introduces their new line of LIFE SAVERS Frozen Sherbets alongside their parent companies, HP Hood, Southern Comfort Egg Nog.

• Anheuser-Busch, through a licensing agreement, has put the Budweiser taste into a line of basting, barbecuing and wing sauces.

Other Comments

Some interesting research in the organic food category was debuted in one of the FMI educational sessions. Some of the interesting facts discussed include:

• 30% increase in organic product usage from 2000 to 2005.

• Emerging theme: avoiding hormones

• Gateway to organic products are: 1) perishables – dairy, produce, meat; and 2) kids products

• Experienced double digit growth over past 10 years including 16% in 2005 and the total organics product market is expected to reach $26B by 2010

• Emerging organic categories: 1) natural personal care products; 2) fiber & textile (apparel); 3) pet products; 4) flowers; 5) supplements; and 6) cleaning supplies

So far in 2006, the beverage category continues to lead global new product introductions just as it did in 2004 and 2005. Rounding out the top five are bakery, confectionery, dairy and snacks.