So, you know how Equal comes in the blue packets, Splenda comes in the yellow packets, and Sweet’n Low comes in pink packets? Well, there a new no-calorie sweetener that’s going to claim orange packets. That’s sweetener my friends is Nectresse.

I know what you’re thinking. It totally sounds like a brand of citrus shampoo, but it’s not. Also, I think Nectresse would make a great stripper name.

This new natural no-calorie sweetener is made by the folks who make Splenda and, according to those folks, a packet of Nectresse provides the same sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar. The sweetener is made with erythritol, sugar, monk fruit extract, and molasses.

Yeah, I don’t know what monk fruit is either, so I AltaVistaed it, after I Googled to see if AltaVista still existed. Google led me to Wikipedia, which said it’s a small gourd-like fruit that’s native to China.

The Wikipedia entry didn’t specifically say why it’s called monk fruit, but after seeing pictures of it, I can only guess it got its name because the fruit looks like the bald head of a monk.

Pictures taken at Target.

Yup, it’s a Canadian version of Spotted on Shelves. Here are some new and limited edition products found on Canadian store shelves by TIB reader Darren. All products were spotted at his local Calgary Co-op.

Holy Canadians! They’re only now getting Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts! If I knew they didn’t have them earlier and lived near the US-Canada border, I would’ve smuggled them into the country and traded them for cheap generic Canadian pharmaceuticals or maple syrup. But now that Canada has them, that plan goes out the window.

I’ve seen these for several years in the US and I imagine they’ve also been in Canada for a while. They keep coming back, so people must like them. But me, I don’t think they’re anything special. Here’s a review from Junk Food Guy. Or if you want a review from a Canadian, here’s one.

Cans are so 2000-and-late. It’s all about boxes, baby. Along with this beef stock, there are also chicken and cream stocks to allow Canadian to use their culinary creativity or follow the recipes on Campbell’s Canadian website. They contain no additional colours or flavours. They also sound better than bouillon cubes.

Along with the Classic Dark Chocolate you see above, these Ahoy! Extras are also available in Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter and Roasted Almond and Chocolate. They appear to be pudgy little cookies with their respective “extras” baked in. I could see myself accidentally eating a bag of these in one sitting. Or “accidentally” stealing it from someone else.

Hey, international TIB readers! If you see a new product on the shelf while you’re out shopping, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next international Spotted on Shelves post.

Here are some new (and some returning) holiday products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. We may or may not review them, but we’d like to let you know what new items are popping up.

WOOOOOO! We’re just colorful ghost-shaped marshmallows, so we’re not at all scary. Although we’re made from sugar and gelatin so we’re scary to dentists and vegans. WOOOOOO! (Spotted at Target. Spotted by Marvo.)

Mmm…store brand holiday dairy beverage However, I’ll probably call them Lucerne Red Velvet Nog and Chocolate Truffle Nog, because my tongue is lazy and it thinks “nog” is an extremely fun word to say. Nog. Nog. Nog. Nog. Nog. Nog. Nog. Nog. Nog. Nog. Nog. (Spotted at Safeway. Spotted by Marvo.)

To get chocolate and peppermint flavor into your coffee you could drop mini Hershey’s bars leftover from Halloween into your coffee and then use a candy cane to stir it. Or I guess you could be lazy and use this Coffee-mate Peppermint Mocha creamer. (Spotted at Target. Spotted by Marvo.)

It’s a wall of randomly stacked Gingerbread and Candy Cane Jello Instant Pudding boxes that I would like to knock down by sliding myself on a freshly waxed floor. (Spotted at Giant. Spotted by Solstice.)

Limited Edition Candy Cane Oreo cookies back! And I hope they’re much easier to find than Limited Edition Candy Corn Oreo cookies, which I’ve never seen at my local Target. We reviewed these cookies two years ago. (Spotted at Target. Spotted by Justine.)

If you’re out shopping and see a new product on the shelf (or really unusual), snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

I’m not going to say much about these Limited Edition Gingerbread Oreo cookies. I’m just going to let you stare at the photo above, sent in by TIB reader Kenneth, and let the excitement build up in you.

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Have you gotten the excitement out of your system? Well, now that you’ve calmed down, I should let you know that according TIB reader, @KingRhino on Twitter, the cookies are a Walmart exclusive:

@junkfoodguy @theimpulsivebuy Golden #Oreo gingerbread cookies coming only to Walmart shelves this November….

— KingRhino (@KingRhino) October 5, 2012

Here are some new products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. We may or may not review them, but we’d like to let you know what new items are popping up. We’ll also occasionally throw in an unusual product.

This Stride Fearless Fruit packaging looks like it would be great as a drunken mistake from a tattoo parlor. (Spotted at a candy booth at a food show)

Oh, Gorton’s! Is there any fish you won’t coat with breading, cook, quick freeze, and then sell in a yellow box? (Spotted at Target)

Less sodium and sugar? Those are the things that make peanut butter awesome. I say more sodium and sugar! And, since it’s a “peanut butter spread,” I say more peanuts! (Spotted at Target)

I’ve played with enough buggy computer software to know I should be cautious about anything labeled “beta.” I wonder if it tastes weird or might delete my entire iTunes library. (Spotted at Target)

I’ve seen “clinical strength” antiperspirants and dandruff shampoos, which I hear do great jobs at keeping your armpits dry and your black shirts flake-free, but I did a double take when I saw this Clinical Strength Ensure. Although, I have to admit, I did the double take because of the price for one bottle and not the fact that it’s a clinical strength Ensure. Holy crap! Ten dollars for one bottle! Oh wait, it’s a 4-pack for ten dollars…I need some clinical strength contact lenses. (Spotted at Target)

If you’re out shopping and see a new product on the shelf (or really unusual), snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.