-By Phil Lempert

Editor’s Note: With over 40,000 products in the average supermarket, people don’t have the time (or the money) to test every product on the shelves. So Phil Lempert does it for you. His consumer panel taste-tests and judges each product based on the following criteria:
1. (30 points) Taste: The most important attribute of any food.
2. (20 points) Value: Is it worth it?
3. (15 points) Health: Based on the nutritional information, is it nutritionally balanced?
4. (15 points) Ingredients: What’s in it, how natural is it?
5. (5 points) Preparation: When applicable, how accurate or good are the directions?
6. (5 Points) Sustainability: Is the packaging biodegradable, is it wasteful, is the company endeavoring to offset its carbon footprint?
7. (5 points) Appearance: Is it appetizing and does it resemble its photo or description?
8. (5 points) Packaging: Is it appropriate for the product and does it have any benefits such as resealability, added freshness, better storage, etc.?

Products that receive an 85 or above will be considered a hit, and those that receive 95 and above will be “rising stars.”


Living Harvest Tempt Vanilla Bean Flavor
Do not be afraid of hemp! Hemp is one of the most misunderstood crops on the planet — it is not marijuana and actually contains one of the most complete sources of protein, with all 10 of the essential amino acids, as well as a balanced ratio of omega-3s and -6s. I tried the Vanilla Bean flavor of Tempt, which is a non-dairy frozen dessert made with hemp milk, because it is really hard to mask flavors with vanilla … and I must say I’m impressed: a good, clean vanilla flavor and a great mouth-feel. I can’t wait to taste the coconut lime flavor! This is gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free. Retails for $4.99.



Navitas Naturals Cacao Power
One taste of this cacao and you will understand why for centuries cacao was used as currency and made certain tribes very wealthy. This organic power food is perfect to add to yogurts, beverages and even in cooking. Naturally rich in antioxidants, cacao is also one of the richest sources of magnesium. Retails for $6.99.



Wild Smart Salmon Kenyan Coffee BBQ Sauce
About 10 years ago, I was one of the judges in the Alaska Symphony of Salmon and I got to learn all about salmon and taste some of the world’s best salmon. This salmon would win this year’s competition hands down! Not only is it wild salmon, packaged for the new microwave steaming technology, which cooks in under three minutes, but the Kenyan Coffee BBQ Sauce gives it a special flavor that is extraordinary. Now, be sure to let the product thaw properly, in the fridge, to allow the marinade to do its thing and be fully absorbed by the fish. I love the package, not only because of the cooking method, but also because it shows you right upfront the amount of omega-3, vitamin D and antioxidants you are getting. You can cook this in the microwave or even boil it. Just one taste of Alaskan Sockeye and you’ll never eat another kind of salmon! Retails for $6.99 to $8.99.



Teeccino Maya Herbal Coffee Caffé Organic Flavor
As you know, I just love coffee. So, when Teeccino sent me their Maya herbal coffee, without caffeine, I was worried. This imitation coffee is all organic, made from carob, barley, chicory, ramon nuts and organic coffee flavor. If you are looking for a coffee alternative, check this out — it has an excellent aroma, color and flavor. My only complaint is that it is not as full-bodied as a black coffee drinker would like. This beverage also contains inulin from chicory root, which can help balance the good and bad bacteria in your intestine. Retails for $8.99 to $9.99.




Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna
My mom used to make the best tuna sandwiches ever; if she had used Wild Planet’s Wild Albacore Tuna, they would have been even better! If you love tuna, you are gonna love this product. It has one of the best tuna flavors imaginable, and I love the fact that it has less mercury than traditional canned tuna, which is because they only use smaller fish. By the way, the next time you buy canned tuna, look to see what country it comes from — you will probably be surprised. This one is caught in the United States. I also love the fact that this product contains 3,460 mg of omega-3s — which is three times the amount in salmon. Could this be the perfect tuna? It might be, but it is also $3.99 a tin!



Apple & Eve Fruitables Tropical Orange Flavor
Apple & Eve made their mark by teaching us that cloudy apple juice was a good and tasty thing. They also stressed 100 percent juice content, as their competitors’ products — especially those in the cran/apple category — contained far less juice. Now comes Fruitables, which are fruit and vegetable juice with one-third less sugar. The one-third less sugar is simple math: this beverage contains only 66 percent juice. It does taste good, but I still feel that calling the product Tropical Orange — when it contains apple, pear, orange, carrot, sweet potato, pineapple, passion fruit, butternut squash and tomato — is a little misleading. And here is another example of a product that states on the front “good source of antioxidants,” but does not say which antioxidants, or what percentage of our daily requirement is contained. Retails for $7.76 for nine 6.7-ounce boxes.


Philip Lempert has gained wide acclaim for his marketing savvy and broad experience. A distinguished speaker, exclusively represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau, he has addressed over 600,000 people over the past 10 years, and is a respected analyst with an uncanny ability to identify and explain trends to both industry and consumers in a thought-provoking and entertaining manner. You can contact him directly at plempert@supermarketguru.com.

For submissions, send three product samples to:
Phil Lempert
SupermarketGuru.com
3015 Main Street, Suite 320
Santa Monica, CA 90405