The Eastern Frosted Foods Association will hold its Fall Dinner on September 9, 2008 at 6:00 pm at the Marriott Glenpointe in Teaneck, NJ. For more information: 973-835-1710.

F.A.B., Inc. (Frosty Acres Brands) announced the appointment of William (Bill) F. Lewis II to the position of Senior Vice President of Sales. In this role, Bill will be responsible for sales operations of the company and the continued development of growth in the F.A.B. membership and family of brands. Bill’s food distribution career spans more than 18 years. He has worked with Sysco, Alliant, and US Foodservice. 

Lakeside Foods announced Pete Simon has been promoted to Director, Eastern Region Operations. In this capacity, he will be responsible for all activities for plants in the following locations:  Seymour, Manitowoc, Belgium, Random Lake, Eden, and Reedsburg. Pete joined Lakeside in 1978 as a mechanic and has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility.

Lakeside Foods’ Board of Directors elected Denise Kitzerow as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Administration. In this capacity, she will direct the Accounting, Cost Accounting, Invoicing, Office Services, Payroll, Accounts Receivable, and Payable departments as well as being responsible for banking relationships. She replaces Russell Schmidt, who retired after 28 years with Lakeside.

Alexia Foods introduces Alexia Tuscan Style Panini available nationwide summer 2008 in the freezer section of grocery stores and natural food stores. Featuring specialty cheeses, select premium vegetables and the finest Italian herbs and extra virgin olive oil, Alexia Tuscan Style Panini are crafted with only all-natural ingredients to deliver a sophisticated taste and gourmet flavor. They are available in four varieties including: Smoked Chicken with Fire Roasted Vegetables & Parmesan on Tomato Herb Bread; Grilled Steak with Mushrooms & Onions on Italian Herb Bread; Grilled Chicken Pesto with Mozzarella on Italian Herb Bread; Four Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes & Basil on Tomato Herb Bread. For more information: www.alexiafoods.com

Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is offering new promotional materials to licensed retailers free online. The “Take Your Child to the Supermarket” event guide and the “Supermarket School Tour Kit” offer retailers great, kid-centric events that will pull customers through the door while advocating increased fruit and vegetable consumption in support of National Fruits & Veggies-More Matters® Month. These new promotional tools and other PBH retailer advertising, marketing, and communications materials, are available to Fruits & Veggies-More Matters licensed retailers at the foundation's website, www.pbhfoundation.org.

Turtle Mountain, makers of dairy-free ice creams and frozen desserts, introduces its new line of Purely Decadent® Ice Cream made with coconut milk. It features five flavors including classic favorites Vanilla Bean and Chocolate and truly decadent Cookie Dough, Mint Chocolate Chip and Coconut. All are made with organic coconut milk instead of dairy or soy milk and contain fewer calories, less sugar and less fat than most super-premium ice creams. All five flavors are also 100% gluten-free. Sweetened with natural agave syrup, one serving of Vanilla Bean contains 150 calories, 12 grams of sugar and 8 grams of fat. For more information: www.turtlemountain.com

Turtle Mountain launches this summer So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt. The new yogurt is made by adding beneficial bacteria cultures to organic coconut milk. Six live and active cultures turn the naturally sweet coconut milk into a thick and creamy yogurt. The new yogurt is 100% soy and dairy free and fortified to be an excellent source of calcium, magnesium and vitamin B12, an essential vitamin many vegetarians have trouble getting enough of. Since it’s made with coconut milk, the yogurt contains medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) such as lauric acid which are known to boost the immune system and thyroid function. So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt is available in six flavors: Plain, Blueberry, Raspberry, Vanilla, Strawberry Banana and Passionate Mango. For more information: www.turtlemountain.com

United States Cold Storage is underway with plans for a major new facility Turlock, CA within one mile of Highway 99, a major north-south transportation route. Phase 1 ground breaking is scheduled for August and completion of the distribution center is planned for July of 2009. Initial plans include three convertible storage rooms consisting of over 5 million cubic feet of frozen and refrigerated storage space serviced by fully enclosed, temperature controlled shipping and receiving docks. A state-of-the-art Cascade CO2/NH3 refrigeration system will maintain +35º to -5º F temperatures. The facility will provide a full range of services for food producers and distributors including blast freezing, order selection, specialized packaging, labeling and other customized services. For more information: www.uscoldstorage.com.

Keep the industry updated about news and staff promotions at your company. NFRA will publish your company highlights monthly in the NFRA Update. Send your company news to us at info@nfraweb.org; via fax to 717-657-9862; or via mail to NFRA, 4755 Linglestown Rd., Suite 300, Harrisburg, PA 17112.

Highlight the quality and convenience of frozen foods for busy families this October during the Cool Food for Kids promotion!