Baking & Snack - December 2004 - 34

MARKET UPDATE

do well," he said.
Rhodes Bake-N-Serv, Salt Lake
City, UT, introduced its first low-carb
frozen dough item in August, when
it launched a line of microwaveable
products, 60 Second Sweet Rolls. The
line, which is the company's first-ever
microwaveable product, features five
varieties that go from frozen dough to
"done" in just one minute. CarbServ
cinnamon rolls contain 7 g of net
carbs per serving, are sugar free and
have a cream cheese frosting.
"We decided to come out with a
low-carb product because a number
of buyers had requested it," said Ken
Farnsworth Jr., c.e.o. of Rhodes. "But
I think we may be at the end of that
particular diet fad." He noted that the
CarbServ rolls are doing quite well in
some markets, and their overall volume has been a pleasant surprise.
The microwaveable rolls are also
available in apple cinnamon, raspberry, strawberry and cinnamon
varieties and retail at $2.29 to $2.69
with six rolls per bag.
At the Food Marketing Institute's
annual Supermarket Convention
and Educational Exposition in Chicago, IL, during May, Minneapolis,
MN-based General Mills, Inc. unveiled an assortment of products
geared toward the low-carb lifestyle.
Among those was a new frozen Carb
Monitor dinner roll, marketed under the Pillsbury brand.
The Carb Monitor dinner roll,
which contains flax seed and millet for
flavor and texture, has 70 Cal, 2 g of
fat, no cholesterol, 11 g of total carbs
and 4 g of fiber for a net-carb count of
7 g. The rolls bake in less than 10 minutes and require no thawing or proofing, according to General Mills.

36 / BAKING & SNACK / December 2004

The Carb Monitor dinner roll is
part of a line of four low-fat, naturally cholesterol-free frozen dinner
rolls from Pillsbury, along with a
new Crusty Wheat dinner roll and
two existing items, Crusty French
and Crusty Sourdough dinner rolls.
COURTING CONVENIENCE. Consumers have several choices when
it comes to frozen bread products.
The frozen fresh baked category is
comprised of fully baked breads,
rolls or biscuits that need to be
thawed and reheated in the oven or
microwave. The most common of
these are frozen garlic breads.
On the other hand, frozen dough
products are available in several varieties. Rhodes, which IRI named the
best-selling frozen dough vendor,
offers four basic types of products,
according to Mr. Farnsworth. Its
competitors have similar offerings
all with different levels of convenience. Rhodes' traditional frozen
dough rolls and breads take approximately 2½ hours to prepare because
they must thaw and rise before baking for nearly a half-hour. Next, the
company's AnyTime! line of rolls
thaws, rises and bakes all in approximately 30 minutes in the oven.
For consumers who have even
less time, the company offers rolls
that take only six minutes to bake.
Rhodes began offering these new
par-baked rolls at the beginning of
this year under its AnyTime! brand.
Crusty Rolls are a European-style
white roll with a crisp, chewy crust
and soft middle. In addition, the
rolls may be baked at temperatures
ranging from 325°F to 475°F, offering consumers "the benefit of being

ᮡ In August, Rhodes Bake-N-Serv introduced
60 Second Sweet Rolls, its most convenient line
of frozen dough products. The microwaveable
products are available in five varieties including
the company's first low-carb product.
RHODES BAKE-N-SERV

able to bake Crusty Rolls at the same
time and same oven temperature as
other baked dishes for the meal."
Finally, the 60 Second Sweet Rolls
are the most convenient. "The product thaws, rises, bakes and browns all
within a minute, and all the consumer needs to do is apply the individual
icing packet that is included for each
roll," Mr. Farnsworth explained.
Rhodes' 60 Second Sweet Rolls are
packaged in laminated resealable bags.
This helps shoppers distinguish between them and the traditional product, which are sold in polyethylene
bags and sealed with a plastic closure.
The microwaveable dough products
are selling well, Mr. Farnsworth
noted. In fact, he said the line has had
enough success that he would expect
the company to introduce some line
extensions next year. "I do think we
will see more microwaveable dough
products," Mr. Farnsworth added.
In September, General Mills
introduced its first line of frozen
bread specifically designed for the
microwave. Pillsbury Microwave
Buttermilk Biscuits, Butter Tastin'
Biscuits and Soft White Dinner Rolls
require no thawing or defrosting and
heat in just 20 to 25 seconds.
"With our new freezer-to-microwave line, biscuits come out warm
and tender, while dinner rolls heat
up soft and tasty," said Melissa Scott,
marketing manager for the Pillsbury
Microwave line. "They're perfect for
busy moms who want to give their

Baking & Snack - December 2004

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