As summer winds down and football season fast approaches, grilling season is in full throttle, and for hot dog lovers of all types, Sara Lee offers more beef and flavor for their hot dogs. Ball Park Top It! hearty beef chili toppings make every hot dog a “big taste” experience and are available in classic beef chili with beans, classic beef chili without beans, and spicy beef chili without beans. Top It! chili toppings are made with fresh ingredients, including beef, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, pinto beans, onions and a blend of spices, and they come in easy-to-open, microwave-ready pouches. Each pouch can be ready in 60 seconds and contains enough chili to spice up four hot dogs.

American Foods Group LLC announces a full line of case ready Halal beef and lamb, branded Laham Laziz™ (Meat Delicious) with bilingual labeling. Halal meat animals are slaughtered in accordance with Islamic tradition. Halal means “legal and allowed.” With the increase in population of the Muslim community, the demand for Halal meat is increasing rapidly. We have developed a complete line of items to fulfill those needs. Packaging options for beef and lamb cuts are Lo-ox, Dar-Fresh, beef roasts vacuum packaged in white or black bottom bags, and variety meats multi-vacuumed. Ground beef available in one-pound bricks and patties in a 10.66-ounce brick. All are exact weight scanable packages. Point-of-sale kits are available, which include case dividers (long and short), and rail strips.

Quaker Maid Meats announces its release of Philly-Gourmet Sirloin Tip Beef Patties, featuring all the convenience of frozen beef burgers with less fat content. Quaker Maid Meats has met consumer demand for less fat in frozen beef patties by using premium sirloin tip meat to trim the fat to a bare minimum. Philly-Gourmet Sirloin Tip Beef Patties are 96-percent lean patties with only 170 calories and all the benefits of frozen, ready-to-cook protein. Each 4-oz. patty can go straight from the freezer into the frying pan, broiler, microwave or grill and are packaged eight to a two-pound box. Patties are separated by paper for easy handling and have been infused with a natural solution of flavoring and water to maintain moisture, taste and texture when cooked.

Farmland Foods’ new boneless, 3.1-ounce Fully Cooked Boneless Rib Patty can help foodservice operators put a little barbecue punch onto their menus. The patty has smoked flavor added for that enticing barbecue appeal, is Child Nutrition-labeled and meets school foodservice guidelines, making this heat-and-eat option appealing for hungry students of any age. The consistent patty size allows operators to control portions and costs easily. In addition, preparation versatility is a key benefit, as operators can prepare the patties on the charbroiler or flat-top grill, or in the deep fryer, convection oven or microwave. Farmland Fully Cooked Boneless Rib Patties are shipped frozen and fully cooked with 52 pieces in a 10-pound case.

Pilgrim’s Pride Foodservice introduces new Pierce Chicken Master Pieces, the foodservice industry’s first line of fully cooked and seasoned, diced chicken breast meat. Foodservice operators can choose from the following four flavors — Regal Italian, Smokey Chipotle, Maximo Chicrizo, and Roasted Savory. Operators can use the diced chicken pieces to add flavor to a variety of dishes, from salads and appetizers, to pasta, pizza, soup and chili. Master Pieces diced chicken comes precooked, pre-diced and pre-flavored, thus reducing foodservice labor costs and eliminate waste.

Uncle Charley’s Sausage Co., a Western Pennsylvania producer of retail and private-label pork sausage products, is rolling out fresh ‘sausage burgers’ to local supermarkets and other grocery retailers. According to Chas Armitage, vice president of operations for the company, a recent capital investment of $250,000 in the latest fresh-formed patty technology, led to the ability to produce perfectly formed sausage burgers. The sausage burgers are produced with the texture, appearance and taste of a handmade burger one would pat together in the kitchen. Uncle Charley’s sausage products contain no more than one gram (and zero, in some cases) of carbohydrates and 12 grams of total fat per 2 ounce serving, 33 to 45 percent less fat than government standards. Uncle Charley’s link sausage products use natural casings, a unique blend of quality spices and lower fat pork to create a distinctive taste.

American Foods Group LLC announces a very unique item that fits perfectly in a market where consumer demands for high-quality steaks and proportioned cuts have increased. While consumer appetite for new steaks has been somewhat filled by the chuck muscle cuts like the Flat Iron and shoulder filet, American Foods Group has developed a bone-in tenderloin using modern technology and Old World meat knowledge, thereby fulfilling the need for new steak cuts from the loin section. This unique item has increased yields from traditional methods of fabrication, therefore making it more economical. With chefs striving to make plate presentations higher, this steak fits that niche as it is served standing upright, not laying flat, which will leave the customer with a lasting impression of fine dining. The bone-in tenderloin may be purchased from American Foods Group whole, weighing 7 to 10 pounds, or as a portioned steak cut to the customer’s specification.

Willow Brook Foods’ line of All Natural Lifestyle Premium Deli meats answers the call of health-conscious consumers clamoring for natural, good-for-you deli meats. Customers can choose from Oven Roasted, Herb Seasoned, Kettle Fried or Smoked Breast of Turkey to give consumers the flavor they want. The company’s All Natural whole breast turkey pieces are skinless and flexible enough to serve delis, fast-food operations, cafes and other foodservice institutions and operations.