New Products

A sick child leads to one certainty: parents in search of safe and effective symptom relievers that will allow their child — and subsequently, themselves — to get some rest.

Sore throats and dry coughs are more prevalent symptoms associated with the flu. With the severe 2012-2013 flu season to date, that means a healthy amount of lozenge sales. One of the bigger winners across the top 10 vendors is Reckitt Benckiser, which launched Cepacol Sensations this fall. The product line contains a lower amount of numbing medication than traditional Cepacol products, yet still provides either an instantly cooling, warming or refreshing sensation. Sales of all Reckitt Benckiser lozenges totaled $10.9 million, up 67.6%.

Pet supplies may have had limited growth this past year, but the stars of the segment are healthcare-related products. Pet supplies saw a 2% increase, bringing sales to $11.1 billion, according to Packaged Facts. The market research firm projects that this year, pet supplies will grow 4% over 2012 sales.

ST. LOUIS — Anheuser-Busch's new golden amber lager Budweiser Black Crown debuted on the market in late January. The new beer, a blend of two-row caramel malt and four types of domestic hops, maintains the clean taste and high drinkability of the Budweiser label, but has more body, color and hop character than the flagship lager. It also has a slightly higher alcohol content. The beer will be sold nationwide in 12-oz. glass bottles available in 6- and 12-packs and in 22-oz. single bottles.

MIAMI — Scimera BioScience on Thursday announced the launch of a novel probiotic formulation, Asprega ProPac, to address the gastrointestinal side effects of antibiotic therapy including antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Unique to ProPac, Scimera packages its probiotic in a convenient 10-day course.

NEW YORK — HungerShield on Friday announced the launch of its appetite control product of the same name. The appetite suppressant is formulated with a blend of fiber, protein and probiotics and is designed to be mixed with 12-16 oz. of water to create a lemon-lime flavored drink that can be consumed on-the-go.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mars Petcare will use responsible sourcing of fish for its fish-based Sheba product lines, the company said Monday.

The company said it plans to use only sustainably sourced fish by 2020, offering only fish that are farmed or wild-caught from environmentally sustainable sources. The new sourcing program is based on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program sourcing recommendations.

Homeopathy is hopping. Sales of many of the homeopathy brands represent some of the fastest-growing products across the OTC landscape these days, as evidenced by the number of brands escalating on the top 10 lists across several categories. Overall, sales of homeopathic medicines totaled $1.3 billion for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 22, up 8% according to SPINS, which tracks sales across both the natural channel (excluding Whole Foods) and mass retailers.