Stouffer Corp

Judge Rules Lean Cuisine Ads Deceptive: An administrative law judge in Washington found that Stouffer Food Corp. made deceptive health claims for its Lean Cuisine line of frozen meals, the Federal Trade Commission said.

Nestle SA, the Swiss food giant, plans to sell its U.S.-based hotel unit, Stouffer Hotel Holdings Inc., to a company owned by the family of Hong Kong property developer Cheng Yu-Tung. The price was not disclosed. Nestle's U.S. operations are mainly based in Glendale, although Stouffer Hotel is based in Solon, Ohio. The unit owns or operates 40 hotels and resorts in North America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The hotel group was acquired by Nestle in 1973 when it bought Stouffer Corp.

Louis Szathmary, chef and cookbook author, died Friday in Chicago after a brief illness. He was 77. Szathmary, who learned to cook in the Hungarian army, held a doctorate in psychology and a master's in literature. He developed the first frozen dinners for Stouffer Food Corp. and was the chef-owner of the Bakery, a restaurant that was a Chicago favorite for years. At the Bakery, he dominated the dining room with his commanding presence.

Low-fat Haagen-Dazs? In several instances, it really was too good to be true, the Federal Trade Commission says. Haagen-Dazs Co., which built its reputation on rich, creamy frozen desserts, agreed Monday to settle FTC charges that it made false and misleading statements about its frozen yogurt products. The company, based in Teaneck, N.J., advertised its frozen yogurt products last year as "low fat" and "98 percent fat free."

Mt. Palomar Winery in Temecula harvested a small quantity of Sangiovese grapes in September, and will make a red wine out of the grape of the Chianti region of Italy. Peter Poole, general manager of the winery in southern Riverside County, said the winery crushed 1.5 tons of the variety, yielding just more than four barrels of wine. Mt. Palomar grafted somewhat over an acre of vines to Sangiovese in 1989 and got a small crop in 1990. Very little Sangiovese is planted in California.