-By Phil Lempert

Editor's Note: With over 40,000 products in the average supermarket, people don't have the time (or the money) to test every product on the shelves. So Phil Lempert does it for you. His consumer panel taste-tests and judges each product based on seven criteria. Products that receive an 85 or above will be considered a hit, and those that receive 95 and above will be "rising stars."


Bertolli Premium Champignon & Portobello Mushroom Pasta Sauce
Here's a new product that is just phenomenal ... and we realize it's a shock, but this sauce contains mushroom pieces that are actually identifiable as mushrooms! The aroma, the taste: fresh and flavorful; and unlike a lot of ready-made pasta sauces, there is no sugar added. The consistency is thick and inviting, not watery at all. The pouch cooks in the microwave with a warning on the package about the crackling sound it makes -- it is disconcerting as you expect to open the door of the oven to find a tomato-splattered cleaning nightmare, but in fact the sauce has cooked perfectly in the pouch in just 90 seconds! Available in other flavors. Retails for $2.89/13.5 oz.




Vignon
We love that this product was created by a chef, but we wish that the package told us how and why it "balances flavor" as it says on the label. The overpowering flavor when you taste it is salt --¬ no surprise there as the first ingredient is sea salt. There's an interesting cheesy aroma to the product and while some may find it "wine friendly," others may find it interferes with the flavor of a great cabernet or syrah. Retails for $4.99–$5.99/2.75-oz. jar.




Baji's Indian Lentil Biryani Authentic Basmati Rice
Typically, basmati rice has a unique, aromatic quality; however, in this Lentil Biryani product from Baji's, the spice actually overwhelms the delicate taste, resulting in a fiery, spicy heat rather than a well-balanced Indian flavor. For those of you who like your food extra hot, you'll probably enjoy this as a side dish for two or a vegetarian entrée for one. The package proclaims that this is a 90-second meal, but when cooked for this amount of time, the dish was still clumpy. Available in other flavors. Retails for $2.41–$3.09/9 oz.




Brothers-All-Natural Potato Crisps With a Hint of Fresh Onion and Garlic
We love this new trend of crisps that started with fruit, but sadly when it comes to potatoes, this process just doesn't succeed. The taste, the crunch -- both are disappointing even if you have never tasted a conventional chip to compare it to. We applaud the idea of a chip that is better for you than its baked or fried rivals, but we question this product being manufactured in China. This is a case where good health is not going to be enough to sell a product that doesn't deliver ... there is no satiety whatsoever. Available in other flavors and in fruit varieties. Retails for $0.75–$1.19 /0.42 oz.




Phil's Fresh Foods Shredded Beef New Mexico Style Burrito
Now you might think the name of this new product would make us biased, but we're not; and no, we didn't start a burrito company! Having said that, Phil's Shredded Beef Burrito is pretty tasty, not bad at all ... our only criticism is that the tortilla is very chewy and doughy, but that might have something to do with the cooking time. We cooked this burrito for two minutes in the microwave as per instructions, but thought it could do with more cooking. We noticed from the Web site that the cooking time has now been upped to four minutes, so maybe that would have helped -- wish they'd told us! Available in other flavors. Retails for $2.79–$2.99/8 oz.




Think 5 Red Berry Flavor
On the plus side, this nutrition bar is rich in fiber, dense and, therefore, filling, but unfortunately, the taste leaves a lot to be desired. We find a few things about this product confusing: the illustration on the front depicts three veggies and two fruits, and suggests to us that is what is contained in the bar. But the ingredient list is much more complicated and we have to wonder about the relevance and/or implication of the description of the founder of the company ... (CEO, mother of two, former model). Available in other flavors. Retails for $2.79–$3.29/72 g.




Kraft Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade
This new product from Kraft doubles as both a dressing and marinade. While we can't comment on how it functions as a marinade, it is a very nicely flavored dressing, and as it is lower in fat and sugar than other similar dressings, we're all for it! In fact, we were quite surprised to find a brand-name dressing that we liked. We love how well-thought-out the design of the bottle is -- even going as far as adding some textured detail on the sides of the bottle that prevents oily hands from losing their grasp. Available in other flavors. Retails for $2.99/16 fl. oz.




Vida Tea Desert Pear Green Tea
There's a little sparkle and a lot of pear aroma to this convenient green tea in a can, which is just right. The pear and tea flavors complement each other well. For anyone looking for the health benefits of green tea, but not ready to embrace the acquired green tea taste, this product is a great alternative. It does contain a LOT of sugar, but at least it comes from organic agave, so it's a very healthy alternative to soda or juice. We love the explanation of the benefits of antioxidants and we love the aluminum can, which is easily recyclable. Available in other flavors. Retails for $1.99/12 fl. oz.




USA-Fish California Wasabi Ginger Salmon
We found this product at the National Grocers Association annual convention when we were blown away by the aroma of sauces as we walked by. Clearly, this company is "on trend" by using the microwave steaming technology to ensure the fish and rice are properly cooked. Our complaint is that they are so on trend that the label is far too busy with eight different logos -- each with a different proponent. We love that this product has all these attributes: "Wild Caught Certified," "Proudly Made in the USA," "Low Carbon Footprint" and more, we just wonder if the label is saying so much that it's hard to actually see what it is saying. We found the plastic seal on the packaging hard to remove after cooking, but appreciate the benefits of a strong seal -- no freezer burn, no leakage and perfect cooking. Available in other flavors. Retails for $7.99/12 oz.




Zenergize Fizzing Beverage Tablets Hydrate Lemon and Lime Flavor
One of the aspects of hydration that companies like Propel are well aware of is the fact that, for many people, drinking plain water is just plain boring. Studies have shown that adding a little flavor increases consumption significantly. This product from Zenergize is addressing this trend and combining it with a selection of supplements tailored to modern life: for example, "Thrive" women's multivitamin boost, "Empower" men's multivitamin boost, "Chill" natural relaxation blend, and the flavor we tasted -- "Hydrate" natural electrolyte replenishment. Each different flavor contains a specific blend of herbs, vitamins and minerals. We love that they used Stevia to sweeten this product and that there is 600 mg of vitamin C in this flavor. However, we do wish the flavor was a little better, the tablets dissolved more easily and, lastly, we'd like more fizz. Available in other flavors. Retails for $6.99/10-tablet tube.


Philip Lempert has gained wide acclaim for his marketing savvy and broad experience. A distinguished speaker, exclusively represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau, he has addressed over 600,000 people over the past 10 years, and is a respected analyst with an uncanny ability to identify and explain trends to both industry and consumers in a thought-provoking and entertaining manner. You can contact him directly at plempert@supermarketguru.com.