Frozen Food Guy Available For Marketing, Editorial Consumer and B2B Support

The Frozen Food Guy is no longer actively posting news to this blog, The Frozen Food Guy. He (Alan Robinson) is, however, available to companies in the frozen food industry as a consultant for media management, marketing, public relations, and a wide range of writing support (press releases, white papers, speeches, blogs, social media posts and more).

All archival content on The Frozen Food Guy is still available to search. Just use the search function at the top of the page. Contact The Frozen Food Guy at: TheFrozenFoodGuy@gmail.com

The Frozen Food Guy’s resume:

ALAN E. ROBINSON

Grand Junction, Iowa 50107

eyeongj@gmail.com

SUMMARY

Experienced journalist with successful track record in writing, editing, and publication/website management. Print and online development proficiencies: InDesign, Photoshop, MS Word, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Content Management System (CMS), Blogspot, Twitter, BASE, Question Pro, ReachMail, Microsoft Office, Excel.

PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE

Content Unlimited, New York, NY, and Grand Junction, IA, 2009-Present
Owner/Developer
Launched start-up company to serve as umbrella for freelance writing and research work in media, cultural arts, fitness/sports, and food/health/nutrition. Projects/assignments include:
• Developed blog covering Grand Junction, Iowa: www.eyeongrandjunction.blogspot.com (2009-12)
• Launched blog serving frozen foods, TheFrozenFoodGuy.blogspot.com (2009-12)
• Wrote three-part sports feature on West Central Conference for Ogden Reporter (2011)
• Editing, research support to Vice President of Extension, Iowa State University (2011)
• Contributing writer to eHow.com, Demand Media Studios (2011)
• Provide research and administrative support to Regina Resnik Presents and Remi Arts, a cultural arts educational and performance group in New York (2010-11)
• Wrote about food and beverages for dealnews.com (2010)
• Contributed features and columns for Grocery Headquarters Magazine (2009)

Frozen Food Age, Melville, NY, and New York, NY, 2005-2008
Editor
Editor of monthly business magazine targeted to buyers and merchandisers in the $75 billion frozen and refrigerated food industries. Work with staff writers and freelancers to conceive and originate editorial copy for monthly publication of 20,000 readers; handle all editorial duties of www.frozenfoodage.com website.
• Developed and presented industry’s first webinar with Kraft and Birds Eye sponsorships
• Worked on launch team to redesign www.frozenfooodage.com
• Launched industry’s first e-newsletter

Weight Watchers, New York, NY, 2002-2005
Leader and Center Coordinator
Mid-level management position with one of the world’s leading consumer-based service companies. Conducted on-site meetings for Weight Watchers members at high-volume centers in Manhattan and at leading corporations such as Time Warner, Gruner + Jahr, Lehman Brothers, U.S. Trust, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley.

Food Logistics Magazine, New York, NY, 1998-2001 1998 - 2001
News/Online Editor
Report, write and edit for monthly business magazine, website and email newsletter targeted to logistics professionals in the $600 billion food industry. Covered trends and developments in warehousing, transportation, information technology and third-party logistics (3PLs). Helped launch Food Logistics eNews, a weekly email newsletter, and Food Logistics website.

Frozen Food Age, Stamford, CT, 1996-1997 1996 - 1997
Senior Editor
News and feature writer for monthly retail food industry magazine; direct editorial content, art, copy flow and production for quarterly Seafood Marketing supplement.

Travel Agent Magazine, New York, NY, 1990-1995 1990 - 1995
Senior Editor
Edited two sections of weekly retail travel magazine. Wrote and reported on travel industry issues with particular emphasis on airlines, car rentals, cruises, technology and Alaska tourism.

Coastal Observer, Pawleys Island, SC, 1988-1990
Staff Writer
Wrote, reported and handled photography assignments for weekly newspaper in fast-growing South Carolina resort area. Beat areas included high school sports, education, area history and local real estate development/public utilities commission.

North Myrtle Beach Times, North Myrtle Beach, SC, 1987-1988
News Editor
Managed news staff; wrote editorials, columns, sports/recreation, news stories and feature articles for tri-weekly resort area newspaper.

Methodist College, Fayetteville, NC, 1985-1987
Director of Public Information and Publications
Handled media relations and external publications for regional liberal arts college; served as student newspaper and yearbook advisor.

Buena Vista College, Storm Lake, IA, 1983-1985
Assistant Director of Public Relations
Developed news and press release content; coordinated production of admissions and development materials for regional liberal arts college.

Pilot-Tribune and Register, Storm Lake, IA, 1983-1984
Staff Writer

N’West Iowa Review, Sheldon, IA, 1981-1983
Staff Writer

EDUCATION

New York University, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, 2006
Drake University, School of Journalism, Magazine Major

Jolly Llama Squeezups Add New Flavors

‘O’ MAGAZINE GIVES THUMBS UP TO PEACH, COCONUT

Jolly Llama Sorbet Squeezups are now available in two new flavors—Peach and Coconut Banana. The new flavors join the existing lineup of Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry and Mango.

Jolly Llama’s Sorbet Squeezups are packaged in easy-to-use individual “squeeze up” paper containers. They are made from whole fruit and then pureed and processed into a whole fruit sorbet. Squeezups are sold four to a package with a suggested retail price of $4.99 per package.

Officials with Santa Monica, Calif.-based Jolly Llama say Squeezups are “a good source of fiber—10% recommended daily intake (RDI) or greater—and contain 50% RDI of vitamins A and C. They’re all dairy-free, fat-free, gluten-free and a great, portion-controlled 70 or 80 calories, except Banana Coconut which has 100 calories and 3 grams of fat.”

Squeezups are available at natural grocery stores nationwide; Whole Foods in the West, North Atlantic and Southern regions; and online at foodzie.com.

The editors of O, The Oprah Magazine gave Squeezups a try and wrote, “replacing fruit puree concentrates with real whole fruit is what makes these sorbet push-ups taste like actual fresh fruit—only so much cooler.”

Jolly Llama founder Scott Jacobson parlayed his training and experience as a chef to fill a void he saw for restaurant-quality frozen treats. With friend Rich Ellefson, an ice cream industry veteran, he set up a test lab in a corner of his parent’s sugar cone manufacturing company. Three months later, Squeezups were born.

Jacobson takes the name of the company from his childhood in Wisconsin where he grew up around llama farms. He was always amused by their funny appearance, but found something peaceful about the way they quietly munched their vegetables and softly brushed against each other. One day when the Dalai Lama was visiting California, Jacobson says the image of a happy, smiling llama popped into his head and became the name of his new company.

Weight Watchers Helps Beat the Heat

FOUR NEW PRODUCTS IN FUDGE, FRUIT & OTHER FLAVORS

Has the heat wave got you down? Creating havoc with your pledge to eat healthy and exercise in the summer months?

Fear not, Weight Watchers has rolled out four new products to help beat the summer heat. New this “ice cream season” are Weight Watchers Dessert Bars in three flavors; Weight Watchers Strawberry Fruit Bar; Weight Watchers Snack Size Chocolate Fudge Bar; and Weight Watchers Snack Size Variety Pack Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Weight Watchers and Wells’ Dairy, the Iowa-based ice cream company that makes the products for the popular weight management program, say the Dessert Bars are “a highly indulgent ice cream bar” available in three “decadent” flavors. The flavors are Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Bar, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bar, and Dark Chocolate Dulcé de Leché Bar.

Each bar is 3 “points plus” in the Weight Watchers PointsPlus system and they retail from a suggested $4.69 to $5.49 for a box of six bars.

Strawberry Fruit Bar is made with real fruit and has vitamin C, making it a healthier snack option for adults and kids. It has 15% fewer calories and 30% less sugar than other national leading brands of fruit bars. Suggested retail price is $4.69 to $5.49. Each fruit bar has a value of 2 on the PointsPlus system.

Snack Size Chocolate Fudge Bar is just that—a “delightful chocolate-y snack-sized treat” that Weight Watchers and Wells’ point out is “just a dream with only 45 calories per bar and less than 1 gram of fat.” PointsPlus value is 1 per bar and the suggested price for a box of 12 is $4.69 to $5.49.

Snack Size Variety Pack Ice Cream Sandwiches feature a pack of four sandwiches with two flavors, Vanilla Bean and Dutch Chocolate. Each sandwich has a PointsPlus value of 2. Each box of four sandwiches retails for a suggested $4.69 to $5.49.

TFFG SAYS: The Frozen Food Guy has gone right to the source (almost) as he has relocated to central Iowa this spring, which is not all that far away from northwest Iowa, where the Weight Watchers ice cream goodies are made at the HQ and main plant of Wells’ Dairy in Le Mars. TFFT is greatly enjoying his return to his hometown of Grand Junction, Iowa, and is enjoying the magnificently verdant green Iowa landscape this summer. He is also enjoying the open spaces, deep horizon and incredible views (7 miles from his back yard on the edge of town and up to 10 miles or more in some places just a few blocks away) and all the wonderful wildlife of his backyard (a quarter size city block) which goes from small town lawn-to-rural Iowa, and features an array of squirrels, rabbits, a variety of birds, and last week a big ‘ole possum perched on an old piece of wood in the neighbor’s back yard. (Stay over there, Mr. Possum!) Life is “grand” in the country! Who knew corn and soybean fields could look so beautiful!

Check out TFFG’s other online endeavor Eye on Grand Junction which covers what’s happening at “the junction,”--no! not Petticoat Junction, but GRAND JUNCTION. Go to: Eye on Grand Junction, URL is www.eyeongrandjunction.blogspot.com.

Drop him a line if you get a free moment at eyeongj@gmail.com or TheFrozenFoodGuy@gmail.com.

Saffron Road Introduces Halal Indian Meals

FOUR FLAVORS FEATURE LAMB AND CHICKEN

A new “entry” in the entrees (and dinners) section of the freezer case is Saffron Road with four all-natural Halal certified Indian meals.

The company says Halal “is a tradition that has nourished billions of people over the last 1,400 years. Halal promotes the sacred practices of respect for the land, fair treatment for farmers, humane treatment of livestock and clean, wholesome food to eat.”

Saffron Road says its Halal Indian meals feature antibiotic-free lamb and chicken in authentic recipes. Ingredients in the four flavors are all-natural. The meat is pasture-raised and 100% vegetarian fed.

The flavors are Chicken Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice, Lamb Saag with Basmati Rice, Chicken Biryani, and Lamb Vindaloo with Basmati Rice.

Jack Acree, who was previously in charge of marketing for Alexia Foods and its upscale frozen potatoes line, heads up marketing efforts for Saffron Road, which is based on Connecticut. For more information, go to www.saffronroadfood.com.

TFFG Says: Lamb is one of the most unheralded proteins but certainly as flavorful as the big three of “beef, pork and poultry.” These recipes do a wonderful job of blending the flavors of lamb and chicken with just the right touch of spices to remain authentic to Halal cuisine but not too overpowering to the American palate.

Blue Bunny Partners With Chef Goldman

PART OF NEW PRODUCT ROLLOUTS FOR SUMMER

Summer is just around the corner and Blue Bunny Ice Cream is ready with a variety of new products and flavors for ice cream season. Among the new products are Naturally Bars and Sandwiches, Chef Duff Goldman ice cream flavors, and Sweet Freedom snack products.

Blue Bunny’s Naturally Bars and Sandwiches are made of 100% natural ingredients. The bars are available in Vanilla Bean and Strawberry flavors and the sandwiches are available in Vanilla Bean and Chocolate. Each package of six bars or sandwiches sells for a suggested retail price of $3.69.
Blue Bunny has also added two new All Natural Frozen Yogurt flavors—Chocolate Vanilla Swirl and Vanilla Bean. Suggested retail price for each is $4.99.

Celebrity Chef Duff Goldman has partnered with Blue Bunny to create four ice cream-and-cake combinations. “The new flavors channel creativity into ice cream like never before,” says Goldman. “Much like my cakes, every last detail has been carefully crafted to create four ice cream flavor masterpieces.”

The four flavors are Red Carpet Velvet Cake—red velvet cake flavored ice cream with cream cheese frosting flavored ice cream and red velvet cake pieces; Chocolate Lovers Triple Chocolate Cake—chocolate ice cream with fudgy chocolate cake pieces; I Do! I Do! Wedding Cake—sweet buttercream frosting ice cream and white cake pieces wrapped in ribbons of raspberry sauce; and Strawberries Are Forever Shortcake—strawberry ice cream and strawberries mixed with pound cake pieces and whipped cream frosting.

SRP for each carton of Chef Goldman Ice Cream is $4.99.

New Personals single-serve ice cream flavors are Chocolate & Salted Caramel, Cocoa Pistachio, and Birthday Party. Each 5.5-ounce single-serve sells for 99 cents.

Blue Bunny has also added three new flavors to its Champs! Mini Swirls line—Birthday Party, Vanilla, and Chocolate—and a new Ice Cream Sandwich Mini Variety Pack with 16 mini sandwiches per carton—eight vanilla minis and eight chocolate minis. A box of 10 Champs! Mini Swirls cones sells for $4.99 and box of 16 mini ice cream sandwiches is $4.79.

New in the Sweet Freedom snack size line are Vanilla and a Variety Pack (Vanilla and Chocolate). SRP for each is $3.69

Blue Bunny has not overlook its premium ice cream customers, introducing two new flavors: Sweet & Salty Pretzel—vanilla ice cream with chocolate-coated pretzels and a salty caramel ribbon; and Dulce de Leche—caramel ice cream with a buttery caramel ribbon. Premium flavors sell for $4.99.

Food Producers' Prices Highest Since 1974

WHOLESALE FOOD PRICES SURGE IN FEBRUARY

February 2011 marked the largest one-month increase in 37 years for wholesale food prices, climbing by 3.9%.

An analysis of the latest Producer Price Index Report by The Food Institute, Upper Saddle River, N.J., indicates that wholesale prices have not experienced an increase this great in many years. This number was only exceeded in November 1974 when spiraling oil prices resulted in sharp food price increases amounting to 4.2%.

"Food retailers in the U.S. have been very adept at holding price increases at a minimum for the past 18 months but the February surge will make that task more difficult in future months," says Brain Todd, President and CEO of the non-profit trade association that has been providing information about the food industry since 1928.

This latest increase in the Producer Price Index for finished consumer foods is driven by a 49% jump in fresh vegetable prices due to freezes and other crop issues in many farming areas. Price increases of 4% or more during the month for beef and pork also added to the surge in the overall index.

Of the 17 categories the Food Institute tracks on a regular basis, 13 posted increases during February, led by fresh vegetables, and followed by a nearly 10% jump in shortening and cooking oil, a 7.6% jump in egg prices, a 4.1% gain in dairy prices and a 3.2% jump in coffee prices.

A Vegetarian ‘Balancing’ Act

TANDOOR CHEF DEBUTS LINE OF INDIAN ENTREES

Balanced Vegetarian is a new line of vegetarian Indian entrees from Tandoor Chef now available in supermarket freezer cases.

The vegetarian Indian meals were created “to provide vegetarian consumers with smarter and healthier at-home dining options,” say officials with Tandoor Chef, a brand manufactured and marketed by Deep Foods, Union, N.J.



Palak Paneer is one of five varieties in the

Tandoor Chef Balanced Vegetarian line.

 Balanced Vegetarian offers complete Indian meals with lower sodium, higher protein and fiber, and no trans fats, says the company. All five of the Balanced Vegetarian Meals are made with olive oil and select dishes are also vegan and gluten-free. Each item sells for $3.99.

The five Balanced Vegetarian meals are: Kofta Curry with Channa Masala & Spinach Basmati Pilaf, Mutter Paneer with Dal Palak & Cumin-Infused Basmati Rice, Palak Paneer with Dal Makhani & Tumeric-Infused Basmati Rice, Paneer Tikka Musala with Rajma Dal & Onion Basmati Rice, and Vegetable Korma with Dal Rajasthani & Cumin-Infused Basmati Rice.
Each dish offers multiple nutrients that are particularly beneficial for those following a meatless diet.
“Vegetarian consumers make up a large percentage of both the Indian and American population, yet truly healthy vegetarian dining options remain limited—especially when it comes to eating at home,” says Mike Ryan, vice president of sales and marketing, Tandoor Chef.

“That’s why we we’ve introduced Balanced Vegeterian, a better-for-you initiative and an industry first,” says Ryan. “We’re proud to share this with the vegetarian community as a way of letting them know that we have their best health and interests at heart.”

TFFG SAYS: Tandoor Chef has indeed struck a balance here, as these Indian entrees are flavorful—encapsulating the spices of Indian that identify a dish as “Indian”—but not overly spicy or pungent, which could easily put off the less “spice aware” American consumer.