Mr. Tidbit is trying something new today. Instead of a detailed rant with every new spinoff grocery product, noting how much he paid per ounce, how much the original product (or a previous spinoff product) costs per ounce, and the percent extra per ounce he paid for the new one, he will simply add this sentence: "X percent more than (that other product)." (Actually that's a sentence fragment; Mr. Tidbit hopes you will forgive him.)
Extra! Extra! Mr. Tidbit is almost finished discussing the huge recent outpouring from Kellogg's. Just one significant item remains: Raisin Bran Extra! (The exclamation point is part of the name, not an indication of the level of Mr. Tidbit's excitement.)
Whereas Kellogg's Raisin Bran is cereal flakes and raisins, and Kellogg's Raisin Bran Crunch is cereal flakes with raisins and "oat and honey clusters," new Raisin Bran Extra! is cereal flakes, raisins, "yogurty clusters," cranberries and almond slices (Mr. Tidbit cautions you not to expect overwhelming numbers of cranberries or almond slices.) 44 percent more than Raisin Bran Crunch.
Keeblers are Keebling Meanwhile, in the cookie/cracker aisle, Keebler is suddenly pouring forth quite a few new and spinoff items. (That's not a big surprise: Kellogg's owns Keebler.)
In the Sandies shortbread cookie line there's a new combination that Mr. Tidbit doesn't believe he's seen before in a cookie: Dark Chocolate and Almond Sandies. 10 percent more than Pecan Sandies (same price; smaller bag).
Similarly, there's a new Chips Deluxe variety with an unusual ingredient: Chocolate Malt Chunks. 14 percent more than Chips Deluxe original (same price; smaller bag).
And there's new Sandwich Bites (frosting-filled bite-size graham-cracker sandwich cookies). No previous version, but 28 percent more than E.L. Fudge sandwich cookies. (Surprised?)
Dear friends: Next Wednesday would have been my son Joe's 38th birthday. He died in a seven-story fall from his college dorm room in Madison, Wis., in 1989. He had taken LSD; he was 18.
Hug your kids.
AL SICHERMAN
