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Editor's Note: We taste-test and judge each product based on seven criteria. Products that receive an 85 or above will be considered a hit and those that receive a 95 and above will be "rising stars."


Acai Green Tea
Originating from China, green tea has a wealth of health benefits, which have been noted for many years through studies showing its ability to aid in the prevention of heart disease and certain kinds of cancer. Add to that the powerful nutrients of one of the world's most nutritious fruits, acai berries, and you have the makings for a good source of antioxidants. However, we do wish the packaging gave us some sort of measurement for how potent these antioxidants are. The good news for this product is that data from The Nielsen Company shows antioxidant-enhanced tea bags were up 45 percent in sales in the 52 weeks ending December 1, 2007. A bonus for this product is that those who don't generally enjoy the flavor of green tea, but want the health benefits, may like this product due to the fact that the berry flavor masks the flavor of the green tea. These tea bags are also great as an iced tea. Retails for $9.50/50 bags (2.65 oz.).

The Republic of Tea
Novato, California
800-298-4TEA
www.republicoftea.com

Taste 26
Value 14
Health 12
Ingredients 13
Preparation 9
Appearance 4
Packaging 4
Total 82


Silk Soy Milk for Bone Health
Soy milk has become an excellent alternative for those who choose to eliminate dairy from their diets. In recent years, products like these have grown in sales for their health benefits as well as the improvement on taste. This particular product contains 40 percent of the daily value of calcium in just one cup; that's 30 percent more than dairy milk. You also get the benefit of 30 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin D and a boost of Nutraflora for calcium absorption. Data from The Nielsen Company shows sales of products that claim to be a good source of calcium are up by 12.6 percent this year. This soymilk does taste great and can be used in recipes without sacrificing taste. The only downside to it is the 11g of carbs, 7g of sugar and 95mg of sodium. In comparison to low-fat milk, the sugar and sodium in this product may be a turnoff for some consumers. Retails for $1.99/32 oz.

Silk Soy Milk
Broomfield, Colorado
888-820-9283
www.silksoymilk.com

Taste 25
Value 16
Health 11
Ingredients 11
Preparation 10
Appearance 4
Packaging 4
Total 81


Saphara Tropical Rooibos
This tea combines the sweet herbal blend of rooibos tea, citrus and coconut, which adds up to a wonderful aroma, but the flavor was a little disappointing. We do love the fact that this product is USDA-certified organic, and Fair Trade certified, which makes this product not only environmentally friendly, but also helps support struggling economies where tea is grown. Data from The Nielsen Company shows that herbal tea bags were down in sales this past year by 0.8 percent, while liquid tea is up, so it would be nice to see this product available in liquid as well as tea bags. The price is a little high as to be expected with Fair Trade and organic products. Retails for $6.99/15 bags (1.2 oz.).

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.
Boulder, Colorado
800-351-8175
www.sapharatea.com

Taste 19
Value 14
Health 12
Ingredients 14
Preparation 9
Appearance 4
Packaging 4
Total 76


Twelve Non-alcoholic Beverage
For some party-goers, a non-alcoholic beverage is a nice alternative for the non-drinkers or the designated driver. Data from The Nielsen Company shows dollar sales of non-alcoholic wine in the 52 weeks ending December 1, 2007, only up 1.9 percent in 2007 as opposed to 4.9 percent in 2006. "Twelve" attempts to offer a more sophisticated version of your typical non-alcoholic wine by using a combination of organic black, white and green teas with a citrus essence suggested by its makers to complement food. However, the strong aroma of this beverage seems a bit overwhelming to pair with food. We also wonder why the combination of the three different types of teas, which don't have any major differences, is better than just sticking to one tea. Although the brand name "Twelve" is meant to imply that the non-alcoholic beverage is appropriate for the hours from noon to midnight, it still seems like the company is trying a little too hard to push the product. And as a non-booze cocktail mixer, it's a bit pricey. Retails for $7.50/25.4-oz. bottle.

Dairyland, The Chefs' Warehouse
Bronx, New York
718-842-8700
www.twelvebeverage.com

Taste 15
Value 10
Health 12
Ingredients 12
Preparation 10
Appearance 4
Packaging 4
Total 67


Bot Fortified Grape Water
This beverage for kids was developed by the parents of twin daughters concerned about juices made for children containing unhealthy amounts of sugar. With obesity in youth being a major concern of our times, and with many schools and parents responding by eliminating higher sugar beverages from children's diets, this product follows an important trend. Grape bot has a nice aroma and flavor that we feel children will enjoy with only nine grams of sugar. It is probable that the clear beverage is less appealing to kids than would be a colored beverage. But the flipside of that is that it may very well train children to not expect only colored beverages to taste good. The product also contains 10 percent of the RDA for vitamin B12. This product retails for $1.49/12-fl.-oz. bottle.

Bot Beverage LLC
Princeton, New Jersey
609-882-2806
www.botbeverages.com

Taste 27
Value 17
Health 13
Ingredients 13
Preparation 10
Appearance 4
Packaging 4
Total 88


Funkin White Peach Puree
Here's one product where the package may actually be detracting from the product itself. The flexible pouch is designed to keep the fruit puree fresh for up to one year; however, we had to fuss with it a bit, even following the printed instructions, before getting it open. The benefit of this puree, which can be used to make smoothies, cocktails or added to desserts, is that it is made from 90 percent peach and only 10 percent sugar, using only natural ingredients. The package lists the country of origin as France, in spite of that we find the asking price of $9.99/300g pouch to be entirely too high, even if it is considered a gourmet product.

Funkin
New York, New York
917-254-9752
www.funkin.co.uk

Taste 24
Value 10
Health 12
Ingredients 13
Preparation 10
Appearance 1
Packaging 3
Total 73


Amy's Kids Meals Baked Ziti
Amy's has a long line of natural and healthier foods that we applaud. This microwaveable meal designed for kids includes baked ziti, vegetables and a fruit dessert that all come out of the microwave tasting exceptionally good. The fact that they use some organic ingredients and eliminate preservatives, trans fats, and MSG is another bonus. And all those following dairy-free or gluten-free diets can also enjoy this product. Our complaints are the poor placement of the nutritional information on the tear strip used to open the box and the food compartments trays themselves, sort of a makeshift rather than the multi-compartment trays that kids usually love. Retails for $4.29/8.0 oz.

Amy's Kitchen Inc
Petaluma, California
707-578-7188
www.amys.com

Taste 26
Value 15
Health 12
Ingredients 12
Preparation 8
Appearance 2
Packaging 4
Total 79


Zevia Natural Orange
Many consumers who choose to cut out sugar from their diets also find themselves unable to enjoy the flavor of most diet sodas because of the highly artificial taste from the sweeteners used. This product is an excellent alternative. Data from The Nielsen Company proves that consumers aren't drinking soft drinks like they used to, with declines of dollar sales by 2.4 percent in the last year. Although diet soft drinks showed minimal growth (0.9%), that's a big difference from last year, when sales grew by 7.1 percent. As consumers shift more toward natural ingredients in the foods they buy, Zevia has a great opportunity to attract soda drinkers to their non-artificial tasting soft drinks, sweetened naturally with Stevia. Retails for $1.19/12-fl.-oz. can; $5.99/six pack.

Zevia LLC
Seattle, Washington
800-230-2221
www.zevia.com

Taste 27
Value 17
Health 11
Ingredients 13
Preparation 10
Appearance 4
Packaging 4
Total 86


Wolfgang Puck Organic Creamy Tomato Soup
This new soup comes from celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck's line of products. We love the fact that it's made with all-natural and organic ingredients. And although this soup has a nice flavor (however more on the cream side than tomato), it still has too much sodium and sugar. If you compare this soup to other similar organic creamy tomato soups, you'll find that there are some brands out there with half the sodium. Nielsen data from the 52 weeks ending November 3, 2007, shows that soups have only increased in dollar sales by 1.8 percent whereas the previous year that increase was 6.1 percent. That's a big difference and could be attributed to more educated consumers looking for healthier, lower-sodium soups. Retails for $2.60-$2.99/14.5-oz. can.

Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc.
Beverly Hills, California
866-300-2200
www.wolfgangpucksoup.com

Taste 25
Value 15
Health 9
Ingredients 11
Preparation 9
Appearance 4
Packaging 4
Total 77


Fresh Green Garbanzos
Garbanzos (also called chickpeas) are a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and a good source of protein. Similar to an edamame snack, these are easy to heat up in the microwave for a fresh-tasting, healthy snack. The Nielsen Company shows canned garbanzo beans up in dollar sales last year by 10.2 percent. But we think these bagged garbanzo beans make for a much fresher and more appealing way to enjoy this vegetable. Makes a great snack for kids, too. Retails for $2.29/8-oz. bag.

Califresh of California, LLC
Bakersfield, California
559-875-1602
www.califresh.net

Taste 25
Value 16
Health 14
Ingredients 15
Preparation 8
Appearance 4
Packaging 5
Total 87