USA: Tasty Baking Company Launches First Full-Sized Danish Product in Company History

Over the past year, Tasty Baking Company (NYSE: TBC) expanded its traditional snack cake business with the introduction of large cakes and pies. Beginning early June 2000, Tasty will introduce another large variety -- the full-sized Danish -- in raspberry and cheese flavors.These 16-ounce Danishes, retailing for $3.49 apiece, will continue the company's efforts to expand its product line to more eating occasions. Tasty sees the new Danish as a strong breakfast product.The full-sized Danish will, according to Carl S. Watts, president, CEO and chairman of Tasty Baking Company, "Be a great way to get the family going in the morning." Watts continued to say, "As with all of our products, these Danish are filled with the freshest ingredients such as real cream cheese, raspberry jam, cinnamon and streusel crumbs. Our goal is to create a product that will outperform our competitors because no one can match Tasty's quality, freshness or taste." In fact, Watts said, Tasty's pies have been "very popular" with consumers, contributing to the company's strong first quarter results. Tastykake expects to expand its breakfast line with other multi-serve products.In addition to the new Danish, Watts said that the company will also introduce two new large pie varieties -- a traditional eight inch, top-crusted, apple pie and a bottom-crusted lemon meringue pie, which will be topped with Tasty's new meringue. Both are ready-to-serve. With the addition of the new Danish products, Tasty Baking currently offers seven large cakes, pies and Danishes that consumers can enjoy for breakfast, after dinner or for special occasions.Tasty Baking Company is one of the largest independent baking companies in the United States. It is also the leading snack cake, large cake and pie provider in the Mid-Atlantic region, and distributes its products in 47 states under the Tastykake brand name.