The following products provide a sample of new bakery products introduced during the past year. Many of these new products are notable for the added health benefits they deliver, while others provide indulgence in smaller portions.

1. Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee expanded its Soft & Smooth bread line with its new Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Honey made with Whole Grain White Bread. The new bread offers the flavor texture and appearance of white bread; is a good source of whole grain at 10 g per two-slice serving; is made with real honey; is an excellent source of calcium and a good source of vitamin D; contains no artificial colors or flavors; and contains no trans fats.

2. Wonder+^® Headstart 100% Whole Wheat Bread now includes Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd.'s MEG-3^® brand omega-3 DHA and EPA ingredient. “We chose MEG-3 ingredients and have put the distinctive MEG-3 logo on our packaging because we want consumers to know they are getting the best source of omega-3 in Wonder+ Headstart,” said Craig Hutchison, vice president, marketing and sales, Weston Bakeries, Toronto.

3. Vie de France Yamazaki Inc., Vienna, Va., added Individual Desserts to its dessert offerings. These 3-in. round treats are available in four varieties: Caramel Fudge Pecan Cake, Midnight Layer Cake, Peanut Butter Blast and Strawberry Shortcake. Consumers still want indulgent treats, despite these health conscious times. The cakes go directly from the freezer to the refrigerator to the plate.

4. Rudi's Organic Bakery, Boulder, Colo., added new wraps to its family of baked products. The organic wraps are kosher certified and made without preservatives, pesticides, trans fats, highfructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients. Each serving contains 12 g of whole grains and beneficial nutrients, including complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Rudi's Organic Wraps are available in two varieties: 7-Grain with Flax-a combination of flax with whole grains and Multigrain-a blend of organic whole wheat, spelt and millet flour.

5. Uncle Wally's, Paramus, N.J., introduced the newest addition to its product line for health-conscious consumers. Smart Portion Cookies are made with whole grains and come in 100-calorie packs in chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and lemon drop. The cookies are available in Wal-Mart Super Centers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $2.50 to $3.49 per box containing six servings.

6. Canada Bread Co. Ltd., Toronto, launched Dempster's Smart^™ 100% Whole Grain Wheat bread with life'sDHA^™, a patented, vegetarian source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3, produced by Martek Biosciences Corp., Columbia, Md. The bread also provides 13 essential nutrients and 4 g of fiber per two-slice serving. DHA is a long-chain, omega-3 fatty acid that supports brain, eye and cardiovascular development during childhood and throughout life. Dempster's Smart 100% Whole Grain Wheat is sold under the Dempster's brand in Ontario and western Canada, under the POM brand in Quebec and under the Ben's Bakery brand in Atlantic Canada.

7. Main Street Gourmet, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, added Activate raisin bran probiotic fortified muffins to its line of functional muffins. The line includes Optimize, a mountainberry açai pomegranate antioxidant-enriched variety, and Revitalize, a peanut butter chocolate, energy-boosting type. Activate muffins are made with GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086), a highly survivable probiotic that supports digestive health. Activate muffins are available for grocery store distribution in four-pack clamshells under the Isabella Healthy Bakery brand.