Food and beverage giant Kraft announced it will update its popular iFood Assistant application for the iPhone with enhanced content and functionality based on consumer feedback and product research. iFood Assistant 2.0, available in the App Store for 99 cents, promises new tools for recipes, meal planning and shopping, highlighted by the new "Holidays & Entertaining" section and expanded "Budget Wise" section. In addition, Kraft Foods announced the launch of iFood Assistant Lite for BlackBerry device users, and said it will offer enhanced mobile access to recipes via any web-enabled phone.

iFood Assistant debuted in Nov. 2008, later topping the App Store's paid apps list--Kraft said that more than 60 percent of users remain engaged with the application six months after download. While most marketers and media firms introducing branded iPhone applications have chosen to offer their apps for free, iFood Assistant remains a notable exception: "We look at iFood Assistant as a natural evolution from product to service," Kraft Foods director of innovation Ed Kaczmarek told AdAge earlier this year. "We look at it as providing the consumer with a service that's of value, and we feel the 99 cent price, which is the same as a song, is a minimal cost, but it also signifies the content is more premium."

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