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UTRECHT, Netherlands — Sara Lee has acquired an ultra-premium tea business based in Massachusetts.

The company said it acquired Tea Forté, a company founded in 2003 by former Museum of Modern Art designer Peter Hewitt, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition, Sara Lee said, strategically fits the company's strategy to spin off its CoffeeTeaCo business. CoffeeTeaCo will retain the current management team of Tea Forté to run the business independently before integrating it into its international coffee and tea operations, Sara Lee noted.

SAN FRANCISCO — Ghirardelli is boosting its gourmet milk chocolate portfolio with the introduction of three new products.

The lineup now includes gourmet milk Creamy Devotion with 32% cacao chocolate, gourmet nilk Sea Salt Escape with sea salt and roasted almonds and gourmet milk Coconut Rendezvous, which features toasted coconut flakes.

Ghirardelli's gourmet milk line of products now are available in 3.5-oz. bars and 4.5-oz. and 5.25-oz. bags for suggested retail prices of $2.79 and $3.99, respectively.

The drug store channel has had strong sales in the beer category despite lackluster industry performance. Dollar sales for the beer category in drug were up nearly 6% for the year to date ended Oct. 30, 2011, according to SymphonyIRI Group data. Food and convenience store beer sales were up only 0.6% and 2%, respectively.

PURCHASE, N.Y. — SoBe Lifewater has introduced three new beverages to its SoBe Lifewater with Coconut Water line.

The brand said the line now touts such tropical flavors as pacific coconut, pomegranate nectarine and mango mandarin.

MINNEAPOLIS — Cheerios is sweetening up the cereal aisle with its latest flavor.

New Dulce de Leche Cheerios combines the nutrition of Cheerios and a caramel flavor, parent company General Mills said.

NEW YORK — PureBrands has launched a national advertising campaign for its Sheets energy strips brand in an effort to reach Hispanic consumers.

Partnering with recording artist Pitbull, the new Sheets campaign will include broadcast, radio and movie theater commercials that exclusively will be in Spanish. Pitbull and his team are an integral part of the brand's entire Hispanic marketing efforts, creating innovative advertising, marketing and promotional initiatives to reach Latino consumers worldwide, PureBrands said.

Cookies and crackers are a mature category with slow growth. Private label has been strong in the cookie category, a trend Mintel expected to continue for the next few years. Kraft Foods leads the category with its powerhouse Oreo and Chips Ahoy! brands.

Kraft also leads in the branded cracker category with a 37% market share, according to Packaged Facts, despite poor performance from its Ritz and Wheat Thins lines this year. Consumers remain interested in reduced sodium products.

PURCHASE, N.Y. — Brisk is gearing up for the 3-D theatrical release of "Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace" with limited-edition packaging and a campaign.