Post # 136 - Morningstar Farms Follow-Up - 4/3/2010

I posted a negative letter about the Morningstar Farms vegetarian bacon. A friend suggested that I try the sausage.  In fairness, I really liked it.  So here's my letter, which resulted in more coupons.  And 'round and 'round we go....

Dear Morningstar Farms,

A while back, I complained about your vegetarian bacon. You sent me a coupon to try another Morningstar product. I thought it only fair to try something different, and report back. I’m not a big veggie burger guy—I’d just as soon grill up a portabella mushroom.

I used that coupon to obtain a package of your vegetarian sausage. I must say, as I cooked it, I saw no pool of grease. This made me feel very uncomfortable. However, in that discomfort, I think you probably beat regular sausage in every nutrition category possible.

I must say, I tried your sausage, and….drum roll…I loved it. I couldn’t get enough of it. You added maple syrup flavor, which I love. I thought about your breakfast sausage at various points throughout the day.

I asked my wife to try it. Her review would not be quite as glowing. When you bite in, you have to get used to the less “rubbery” texture of a sausage or burger patty. She had a difficult time with the texture, which I would describe as “veggie-burger-ish”. While I was able to suspend my disbelief (this same skill works well for the Die Hard films), she was not.

So while my review is glowing, I see room for improvement—making the texture more sausage-like would help.

Lastly, I would keep an eye on your pricing point. This was almost $4 for six tiny patties. Why must people always pay more to support their healthy lifestyles? Cut the price by a buck, and I’d probably buy your sausage often. I don’t eat a lot of sausage, but I might start.

Thanks again for the opportunity!

Jerry
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From: kellogg@casupport.com

Subject: Morningstar Farms® Consumer Affairs 020851245A
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 21:31:49 -0500

Jerry,

How thoughtful of you to take the time to let us know you enjoyed the taste of the Morningstar Farms® Veggie Maple Sausage Patties. We are very happy to We are always pleased to hear positive comments from our consumers. Thank you!

Everyone at our company devotes a great deal of effort to developing wholesome, appealing products, and it is good to know you think we have been successful.

We will also pass along your wife’s comments about the texture of the product. I cant promise you anything about having any changes, but we will definitely let our team know! :)

We will also pass along your comments about the final price of the products found in local stores. Please know, it is the grocer who sets the final price of our products. This price is typically based upon our wholesale price and the store's own operating costs. Because of this, prices may vary from store to store and also from state to state. You may be sure that we will continue to do all that is possible to manage the cost to produce our products so that we can provide them at an equitable price to our consumers.

In the meantime, I hope you and your wife continue to enjoy our Morningstar Farms products for years to come! In fact, we will be happy to send you both a coupon for your next time purchase. Allow about 7-10 business days to receive this.

Also, please feel free to visit our website, www.morningstarfarms.com from time to time for coupons.

We appreciate your interest in our company and products.

Sincerely,

Aime
Consumer Affairs Department

TLXACX01/cl

020851245A

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