Exotic, tropical flavors are all the rage across the nation today, and including those flavors among your offerings can keep customers coming back for more. That’s why Perdue’s new Coconut Tenders really deliver. Each tender features Perdue® all-white breast chicken meat coated in a light, tasty coconut batter that is both crunchy and sweet. It’s perfect for home meals, appetizers and parties.

According to Perdue, the coconut flavor is especially popular with Hispanic consumers looking for a little taste of home, but consumers of other backgrounds and ethnicity have pulled tropical flavors into their culinary arsenals as well. Coconut, for example, is also a key ingredient in increasingly popular Asian cuisine. When combined with tender chicken, coconut appeals to consumers of all ages.

Perdue is supporting the new flavor launch with posters, easels and other point-of-sale materials to attract consumer attention. Contact a Perdue Deli representative to turn any deli into a tropical destination.

Bar-S Skinless Hot Cajun Sausage has been reformulated and renamed Bar-S Skinless Hot Smoked Sausage, a product that lives up to its name, and then some — it’s hotter than ever! Bar-S Hot Smoked Sausage is made with the highest quality, USDA-inspected meats, blended with the finest spices and smoked to a consistent golden brown color. Available in 12-ounce and three-pound packages, Bar-S Hot Smoked Sausage is expected to appeal to a large consumer base. Bar-S Hot Smoked Sausage Ingredients (according to Bar-S release): Mechanically Separated Chicken, Beef Hearts, Water, Pork, Dextrose, Salt, Corn Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Contains 2% or less of the following: Flavorings, Potassium Lactate, Sodium Diacetate, Sodium Phosphates, Sodium Erythorbate, Paprika, Oleoresin of Paprika, Sodium Nitrite.

Gold Kist Inc., Atlanta, is introducing its new Nature Select™ line of chicken products. The premium chickens are antibiotic-free and raised on an all-vegetable diet. The birds also are processed with air-chilling technology that cools the chickens using fresh, filtered cold air rather than water immersion. The system significantly reduces the water absorption that occurs during the traditional water-cooling process, while retaining the natural flavor, texture and tenderness of the chicken, the company reports.

Farmland Foods’ Heartland Brand Hot Dogs give health-care foodservice operators the opportunity to offer hot dogs while meeting the dietary requirements for protein of many health-care settings. Each hot dog contains 14 grams of protein, meaning it qualifies as an entrée for lunch, dinner or another meal occasion. Only USDA-inspected tender cuts of meat are used to provide a firm bite and better texture, and the hot dogs are offered fully cooked, hickory-smoked and ready to heat and serve. Heartland Brand Hot Dogs contain no MSG, another good-for-you advantage. The hot dogs are 6.4 to 1 and shipped frozen in a 10-pound case. With Heartland Brand Hot Dogs on the menu, patrons of foodservice operators in the health-care segment now can enjoy a luscious, hickory-smoked hot dog.

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. introduces fully cooked, EatWellStayHealthy Kids™ Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets and Breaded Popcorn Chicken. The healthy, baked products contain no trans fats and have half the calories and carbohydrates and 80 percent less fat per serving than the leading national brand. The baked nuggets are the first to feature the USDA-regulated word “healthy” on the packaging, and both products are certified by the American Heart Association with its “heart-check mark” seal of approval. Made from whole-muscle chicken breast meat, EatWellStayHealthy Kids products are approved for Child Nutrition Labeling, a voluntary federal labeling program for the USDA’s Child Nutrition Programs. The products aim to help families make convenient and healthy food choices, particularly for children.