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Editor's Note: Grab the mini-packs and run

By Joyce Fassl
May 8, 2006
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues in the food and beverage industry for finally bringing to market a group of products I have been requesting for more than a decade: single-serve packs of food & beverage, the latest of which are the popular 100-calorie packs.





About two years ago, Kraft introduced 100-calorie packs of Nabisco Oreo Thin Crisps, Chips Ahoy! Thin Crisps, Wheat Thins Minis, and Cheese Nips Thin. Soon, other food and beverage makers followed the pack.

I am happy to report that in just the past few months, I have purchased small cans of Pepsi, dined on mini snack packs of Pepperidge Farm goldfish and satisfied my sweet tooth with tiny Hershey bars.

I know it costs more per pound for consumers to buy these types of products than the normal-sized packages, but the point for some consumers is to lose unwanted pounds.

As I was driving to work today drinking a diet Cherry Coke (regular size), I heard a radio report declaring that it costs consumers a third more to buy the smaller-sized packs.

I am all for saving money, but if consumers can afford smaller packs and it helps them fight the battle of the bulge, I say grab the mini-packs and run.

"100-calorie packs are a ‘great grab and go' option for people who want to snack and still stay on track with sensible eating habits," says Kraft, and I have to agree. It's all about convenience.

You could buy a big box of Chips Ahoy! and put them in little baggies for a small, now and again snack. If you are like me, it's not going to happen; the bag will be gone in a few days if not hours.

It took a while, but the food industry finally caught on to the dieting secrets of the rich and famous. A few years ago, I happened to be in a very upscale grocery store in Palm Beach. There, in the freezer case, was the most miniscule single-serve pack of Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream known to mankind. Then I realized how the social x-rays kept the weight off. After all, in Palm Beach, you can never be too thin or too rich.

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Joyce Fassl has spent most of her career in magazine management. As the former editor-in-chief of Food Engineering, Fassl has directed the magazine’s editorial staff since 1986, except for a two-year stretch where she oversaw content direction for the debut of Packexpo.com. Her expertise is creating dynamic print and online content, building top-notch editorial teams and managing innovative custom publishing projects and live events. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State University. In addition to supervising all Food Engineering content, Joyce is Program Director for the Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference.

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