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. (10 points) Preparation: When applicable, how accurate or good are the directions?
6. (5 points) Appearance: Is it appetizing and does it resemble its photo or description?
7. (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.”

Amano Artisan Chocolate Madagascar Premium Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao
This is what chocolate is supposed to taste like! The heady aroma, beautiful, shiny finish and melt-in-your-mouth texture all create a winning combination. We love that each package shares the heritage and origin of each particular cacao bean, and we love the package design that makes each bar seem like a treasure from another time. At $6.95 for a 2-oz. bar, this luxury product is for chocolate connoisseurs who will revel in tasting the differences between each bean, developing their chocolate palate. If you have ever considered a wine and chocolate pairing tasting, we would recommend this excellently executed product. Retails for $6.95/2 oz.


Wish-Bone Bountifuls Dressing Berry Delight Flavor
Not being huge fans of raspberry vinaigrette, we must confess we approached this tasting crinkling our noses — only to be happily surprised by Wish-Bone. Unlike the typical sickeningly sweet raspberry dressings, Berry Delight strikes a good balance between all the raspberries, blueberries, cranberries and cherries (that you can actually see), and this new product might even get some people eating more salads! There’s no fat and while we wish they would reformulate and get rid of the gum in the ingredients, overall this dressing looks, smells and tastes much better than most of those on the market. Retails for $3.43/9.5 fl. oz.




Yog Active Crunchy Wheat Flakes With Probiotic Yogurt and Real Raspberries and Strawberries
This new cereal has a nice appearance and once I got past the thought of eating a breakfast cereal that was made in Germany, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and real pieces of fruit. Unlike so many other cereals on the shelves today that contain unappetizing dehydrated fruit, these pieces actually look and taste like the real thing, even before being reconstituted with milk. This is a cereal that both kids and adults will enjoy, and with the high fiber content and lower-than-usual sodium and sugar content, it seems that the journey from Europe was worth it after all! One last note on the packaging — the aluminum interior bag will really keep the cereal fresher and is much better for the environment. Retails for $4.99/350 g.




Bissinger’s Naturals Pomegranate White Tea Gummy Pandas
These gummy pandas are nicely formed and even have eyes — very nicely designed with a very good flavor. I love that they’re organic, not overly sweet and colored with black carrot juice. They have a good mouth-feel and no aftertaste, unlike most gummy candy. The package states that the ingredients of pomegranate and white tea are sources of natural antioxidants — I’d love to see the actual amounts of antioxidants per serving included on the package. Besides that one criticism, this great product is the kind of candy a mother could give to her child (and herself) without feeling too guilty! Retails for $13.50/1 lb.




Snikiddy Snacks Organic Mac n’ Cheese Puffs
I love companies that have a social responsibility and back that up with good health and good ingredients. This company donates a portion of its profits to Vitamin Angels Operation 20/20, and the ingredient list on this package is short, sweet and organic! The only complaint I have is that the flavor name “Mac & Cheese” is somewhat misleading. I get the “Cheese” part, but where’s the “Mac?” It’s not in the shape of the corn puffs either, if you’re wondering. Having said that, this product has a great, fresh cheese flavor and a crunch that kids will love. Retails for $2.99/4 oz.




Pepperidge Farm Baked Naturals Pretzel Thins Savory Cheddar
This new snack looked tasty to me, but after one bite, I was examining the ingredients list because this “Savory Cheddar Pretzel Thin – baked with real cheddar cheese” had no cheddar cheese flavor whatsoever! Had I read the ingredients list first, I wouldn’t have been so surprised — lo and behold, this product contains less than 2 percent of “Sharp Cheddar Cheese Powder.” I do like the idea of a flat pretzel cracker/chip, but let’s not forget the reason people snack is to satisfy their taste buds; and the bland, unexciting flavor of these Pretzel Thins didn’t leave me reaching for more. Retails for $3.49/6 oz.




Kenny’s Cajun Gourmet Microwave Popcorn
A lot of inspiration comes from small entrepreneurial food companies like Kenny’s. In this case, Kenny’s is creative enough to teach me that I should be pre-heating the microwave, and how to do it (by heating a glass of water for one minute before cooking the popcorn), but sadly not creative enough to make a product that delivers on the Cajun flavor. With twice as much sodium as Newman’s microwave popcorn. I wish Kenny would let us in on the specific herbs and spices used ... my taste buds love New Orleans Cajun, but Kenny’s Kentucky Cajun is missing some kick. Retails for $3.75–$4.50/3 x 3.5-oz. bags.




Wholly Guacamole 100 Calorie Snack Pack
This new product has me a little confused — the package proudly proclaims it to be “America’s #1 Guacamole,” but when I flip the pack over, I see “Product of Mexico” in tiny letters. Then I start to wonder what the criteria are to achieve this “America’s #1” status — is it the number of sales, the taste? Well, it seems the product has won media accolades, for example, “Best snack of 2008” from Shape Magazine; so that’s where the label’s proclamation originates. I do love the individual packages inside the box, especially the easy-opening and it does have a nice aroma. The only thing I was a little disappointed by was the consistency and the use of dehydrated onion and granulated garlic. You would think that the “fresherized high pressure process” that allows the avocados to stay fresh for longer would also allow for the inclusion of fresh onions and garlic and maybe some cilantro? Retails for $2.19–$2.49/3 x 2-oz. packages.




Anisi Wafer Thins Honey Wafers
If you are looking for the perfect accompaniment to a dessert wine or just ice cream, Mama Anisi’s honey wafers fit the bill. While I’d like the diameter of the wafer to be smaller — that’s just my own personal quest for perfection — at just 90 calories per wafer, there’s no doubt these are perfection dessert-wise. However, the packaging leaves something to be desired as most people will find themselves eating just one of these, and with three in a package, the others quickly absorb moisture from the air, compromising their crispiness. Think “zip-lock!” But nevertheless a hit and delicious! Retails for $1.89/3 oz.




La Famiglia Del Grosso Uncle Jim’s Late Night Puttanesca
This pasta sauce is on the watery side, but it has a nice, fresh-tasting flavor and we like it. Oddly, we didn’t get a strong input flavor-wise from the olives, capers, mushrooms or artichoke hearts; although we can clearly see them and they give the sauce a nice texture. The flavor leans more toward a simple, but good, marinara. We suspect the ingredients must have been cooked separately and added later. We love that this company is family-owned and that the personality that radiates through each different sauce makes us wish we were a close cousin of the Del Grossos who gets invited to all the family meals! Retails for $7.99/26 oz.



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.