Chicago - According to focus groups conducted by the Grocery Manufacturers Association in Chicago, supermarket consumers are most dissatisfied with the shortage of food products available that are endorsed by celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Gordon Ramsey and others.
Consumers indicated that they don't mind paying 10-20% more for canned soups, frozen entrees, spices and bottled sauces that "have the name and picture of their favorite cooking channel chef on the label", and believe that "really cool celebrity chefs must be out there developing recipes and supervising the actual preparation of the foods."
"Whenever I see a bag of flour with Emeril Lagasse's picture on it next to a cheaper bag without, I'm like "Bam! I got to have the Lagasse flour!" said one panelist.
"We can't buy enough of these products", said another. "You just can't find them anymore. They disappear off the shelves immediately."
