• USA Today, Wednesday, July 1, 2009 10:39 AM

It's that time of year when the fancies of wannabe specialty food purveyors turn to the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York, where more than 24,000 supermarket representatives, catering companies, gift-bag makers and other gourmet goods buyers cruise the aisles in search of the next big savory treat.

This year, about 25 of the littlest guys and gals have comparable footing with more-established brands at the largest marketplace for specialty foods and beverages in North America, Laura Petrecca reports, thanks to a new program by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, which runs the convention.

Start-ups whose application passed muster are getting free marketing, packaging and flavor tips, as well as legal advice from NASFT members. They also got space to distribute their samples of everything from peanut and satay sauce to salsa to old standbys like cookies and cakes for $1,500. The other 2,300 food firms shell out from $3,300 to $39,000 for their displays.

Retail sales in specialty foods rose 8.4% to $48 billion last year, according to the NASFT, but introductions were down to 2,349 from 3,158 in 2007.

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