Food Product Proliferation: Part I'

The astounding growth in the number of grocery items-most of which are touted as novel by their manufacturers-is a main feature of contemporary grocery merchandising. But opinions vary greatly on whether this food product proliferation benefits consumers. Estimates of its extent tend to vary widely because they are based on different concepts of proliferation. Moreover, most positions on the topic appear to use unstated economic rationales with little or no empirical evidence.