"release" news and stories

Wine sales in France are on the decline, and that has several wineries turning to other ways to use their crops, such as grape-based sodas and beers, according to a recent Times article. The Times' Adam Sage reported on several such products unveiled at last week's International Food Fair in Paris. While one of the new products, Le Soda de la Vigne, is alcohol free, other new grape-based products like Ensô are more akin to beer, and others are simply wines with lower alcohol contents. These are aimed at "drinkers who have grown more health conscious and in some cases more wary of France's tougher drink-driving laws," The Times reported.

All you Kashi fans will be glad to know that Kashi is planning to launch a line of frozen entrees soon. According to a recent press release, the meals will be mostly chicken-based, with a few shrimp- and bean-based entrees as well. As you might expect, there'll be plenty of grains, and multi-grain pastas. The frozen dinners are supposed to hit shelves sometime next month. Now, now, contain your enthusiasm. You can wait a few weeks. There's still no word on whether the new entrees will have the same mug-shot covered boxes and colon-scrubbing properties as the other Kashi products.

[Via Food Business Review Online]