Gourmet News • November 2022

Straight to the Source: GoodSam Cultivates Relationship With Colombian Farmers

BY A J FLICK

Colombia has a reputation for its soil, considered some of the most fertile in the world Straddling the equator on its southern tip, Colombia’s temperatures remain steady throughout the seasons, the only difference being the amount of rain

The abundance of rainfall and sunshine allows farmers to grow diverse crops all year long, a nat ural form of regenerative agricul ture that appealed to Heather K Terr y when she co founded the healthy snack food brand Good Sam Foods with Sam Stroot

Terr y can’t stress the impor tance of sustainability enough

“Literally, the future of human ity depends on it,” she said “I see a lot of food entrepre neurs who, all they are doing is greenwashing,” said Terry, Good Sam’s CEO “Why are you starting a food business if you ’ re just pil laging the land? At a certain point, there will be nothing left ”

Starting out, Terry wouldn’t set tle for anything less than traveling to Colombia to meet the indige nous people who work the small farms to source the company ’ s in gredients

She headed for rural regions, where the crops she wanted to see grew and where white women are not a common sight

Sustainability Survey Shows

There’s a big gap between con sumers knowing common sus tainability concepts and understanding them, according to

a new report by Morning Consult, “What Sustainability Means to Consumers ”

The report also found that con sumers grade them selves higher than others in their com munity, corpora tions and the governments when it comes to sustain ability

The report, au thored by Joanna Piacenza, Amy He and Nicki Zink, set

“I was an odd bird,” she said, drawing the attention of the skep tical locals

“There I was, in the middle of Colombia for the first time,” Terry recalled “The first time I showed up it was, ‘OK, we’ll see what she does ’ But then I kept showing up and those farmers are my family They’re more than people who grow our crops They fuel the heart and soul of our brand ”

It’s All Good GoodSam was founded on the principles of making foods that are “good for you, good for farmers

out to learn what consumers know about what it means to be sustainable, how consumers adopt sustainability in their lives and what consumers know about the sustainable initiatives and claims that corporations make

“U S adults are broadly famil iar with common sustainability concepts like ‘energy conser va tion’ and ‘renewable resources, ’ but a gap exists between familiar ity and being able to demonstrate understanding of certain topics,

Or

Inspires Gourmet Desert Salt

BY A.J. FLICK

Oryx Desert Salt, an organic, nat ural gourmet salt ethically and sustainably har vested from the Kalahari Desert, arose out of its founder’s desire to create an earth friendly product that rewards the people who work the hardest col lecting it Samantha Skyring, based in Cape Town, South Africa, was working in production manage ment in the fashion industr y when two things happened

On a seven day walk in 2000 through the Namib Desert to the Skeleton Coast, “I had a close en counter with an Or yx gazella,” she said, an endangered member of the antelope family also known as gemsbok Later research showed that or yxes can go their entire lives without water, but must lick salt every two months or so to survive desert conditions

Then, on a photo shoot in the desert, “I had an epiphany The model had the most perfect, drop dead perfect body, but we had pins in the back of the shirt so it fell perfectly in the photo It was for a catalog that some woman in the Netherlands would look at it and say, ‘Ooh, I would look good in that ’ No, no you wouldn’t It’s

Drake's Organic Spirits Has a Lot of Good News to Toast About

BY A.J. FLICK

What do you get when you take two North Dakota natives living in Minnesota and add the Cauca Valley of Colombia? In addition to a lot of air miles, a first of its kind product: organic spirits

Mark and Kristen Anderson, co founders of Drake’s Organic Spirits, started off with the idea of producing non GMO sugar cane, Mark Anderson said De mand from large ingredients companies was surging by 2008 Several years later, flavor extract companies began asking for or ganic, non GMO alcohol

“We decided to start producing

organic alcohol when we discov ered nobody else was doing it,” Mark said “There was obviously a large demand for it ”

By 2016, they were producing organic, non GMO vegan alcohol Two years later, the couple launched Drake’s Organic Spirits, the only organic and sustainable spirit producer on the market that is certified USDA Organic, gluten free, Non GMO Project Verified, vegan, keto and kosher

This summer, Drake’s made its first appearance on the presti gious Inc 5000 ranking for the nation’s fastest growing private companies, landing within the

top 10 percent of all companies, as the eighth largest ranked com pany in Minnesota and the 13th in food & beverage

“ I t h a s b e e n a b i g y e a r f o r u s a l re a d y a s w e ’ v e b o t h b e n e f i t e d f ro m a n d m a d e s i g n i f i c a n t i n v e s t m e n t s , ” K r i s t e n A n d e r s o n s a i d a t t h e t i m e , “ a s w e l l a s b e g a n B 2 B s a l e s o f o u r o rg a n i c c a n e a l c o h o l We a re t h e o n l y p ro d u c e r t o b e c e r t i f i e d U S D A O rg a n i c , n o n G M O p ro j e c t v e r i f i e d , k o s h e r, v e g a n , g l u t e n f re e , a n d k e t o Wi t h a n a n n u a l c a p a c i t y o f 1 2 m i l l i o n p ro o f g a l l o n s , w e a re p o s i t i o n e d t o b e c o m e t h e l e a d i n g g l o b a l s u p p l i e r o f s u s

t a i n a b l e a l c o h o l ”

Drake’s also earned its first Growth Brand award this year, for rapid acceleration Kristen said they “ are gratified that our mission to create bever age alcohol that is ‘better for you, better for the planet’ is such a strong business proposition We look forward to the partnerships this year will bring ”

The Colombian sugar cane ap pealed to the Andersons for sourcing because the crop grows so well in the Andes Mountains producing two crops a year before

Even when I’m not traveling to trade shows all over the country, sometimes with the articles we run here, I feel like I’m traveling with a pass port! In recent issues, we ’ ve covered companies with roots in Africa, which required research on what it’s like over there, growing crops and the people who grow them In this month’s issue, by coincidence, two of the companies in our cover stories source crops from Colombia Rather than scour travel guides for things to do, as most travelers would, I searched for in formation on the country’s bountiful crops, thanks to its fertile soil and plentiful rains It almost felt like being in the tropics again without having to bear the high humidity of the tropics!

Samantha Skyring, founder of Oryx Desert Salt, and I talked on Zoom for about an hour She told me about life in South Africa, even walking her laptop over to her porch window to show me the spectacular sunset She has such empathy for the indigenous peo ple of South Africa and what they have to endure from the harsh elements there and from the residual effects of apartheid She rec ommended and sent me a book, “The Bushman Winter Has Come: The True Story of the Last Band of /Gwikwe Bushmen on the Great Sand Face” by anthropologist Paul John Myburgh Anthropology was one of my favorite classes in college It’s next on my to read book stack

Samantha scared me a little, talking about other salts I’ve cut drastically down on my salt intake to the point where I don’t often eat processed foods and taste something before deciding whether it needs salt often, it doesn’t When Samantha talked about plastic ocean waste that sea salt is subject to (I recently talked to someone else about microplastics in kelp), how Himalayan salt is blasted by dynomite, the way table salt is processed and how many salt mills have plastic grinders that wear down and guess where that plastic goes? I was ready to shuck salt altogether She sent me a cute shaker of Oryx Desert Salt and when I tasted it next to the table salt and sea salt I have in my kitchen wow! What a difference! It has so much flavor, you wouldn’t have to use much on food

Likewise with Drake’s Organic Spirits, which sources its organic sugar cane from Colombia You really can taste the difference be tween the organic rum and vodka with brand names I had in my dry bar (well, I keep the vodka in the freezer) It’s more subtle with mixed drinks and the Boxtail ready to drink cocktails, but you can tell a difference

We hope you enjoy all the articles in this month’s issue Next month, we’ll have our yearly Buyers Guide to look for ward to! Until then, take care and stay safe GN

AJ Flick • Senior Editor aj f@oser com

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Functionally Charged Proteins Clean Up Labels in Meat Alternatives

Israeli start up Meala FoodTech Ltd is breaking new ground in cleaning up labels in meat analogs using veggie protein Meala’s proprietary platform creates func tionally activated proteins designed to be a 1:1 replacement for methylcellulose and other hydrocolloid and gums widely used in meat alternatives as binding and gelling agents Meala’s multi functional proteins vastly improve the texture of meat alterna tives to more compellingly mimic the organoleptic qualities of real meat

While the plant based category contin ues to gain momentum, alt protein food formulators still struggle to raise the clean label and mouthfeel of their products up to par with traditional animal based counter parts, according to Meala Currently, pop ular meat alternatives such as veggie burgers and sausages typically contain a long list of ingredients, some with complex chemical names unfamiliar to consumers This renders them as “ultra processed” products and risk rejection, with one of the more popular of these being methylcellu lose

Methylcellulose (food additive E461) is a water soluble polymer that has been

chemically modified from natural cellulose It appears in a broad scope of meat, dairy, and egg analogs as a thickener, emulsifier, binder, stabilizer and gelling agent It gels when exposed to heat, giving a more meat like sensation, but returns to its viscous state when cooled As plant based proteins have low water retention capacity and can’t bind, a hydrocolloid such as methylcellu lose is essential

Most meat alternatives on the market contain veggie protein usually soy com bined with water, methylcellulose, addi tional stabilizers, flavors, colors and fat and at large fail to meet the clean label stan dards that consumers demand But more than that, they still don’t quite hit the de sired meat like sensation

“If you break down the ingredients list of a real meat burger, its composition will be meat, fat, some carbohydrates, spices, salt and pepper, ” said Hadar Razmovich, CEO and co founder of Meala “Our vision is for plant based alternatives to sport a similar short list of simple, recognizable ‘home kitchen’ ingredients while delivering the same full bodied flavor and texture of real meat ”

Meala’s solution is produced using natu rally occurring biocatalysts, enabling it to function as an exceptional methylcellulose replacer Its platform works with a versatile range of plant proteins, creating from them a stable hydro gel when heated, but with out changing its behavior when cooled Meala’s platform can be easily integrated into CPG products through existing man ufacturing lines

“In lab trials, our product demonstrated superior water retention capabilities and gelation properties,” asserts Liran Gruda, CIO, chef and co founder “It exhibits a more fat like quality when infused into meat analogs, tendering a juicier and more succulent bite

“Meala is an all encompassing solution that can replace not only methylcellulose but a whole system of stabilizers that are commonly used It significantly improves texture in meat analogs, with no aftertaste yet with a nicely ‘polished’ label ”

Meala’s products will appear on an ingre dient panel simply as a protein, such as pea or soy, and make up roughly 4 percent of the end product The company reveals that its protein has already passed proof of con

cept trials in plant based burgers, kebabs, dumplings and similar meat analogs man ufactured for alternative meat producers and foodser vice Meala will focus on this sector before expanding to dairy, fish and egg alternative products

“Some of the leading plant based meat brands sparked a true revolution with products that much more closely imitate ‘meaty’ textures and flavors,” said Amir Zaidman, chief business officer of The Kitchen FoodTech Hub “Unfortunately, it is challenging to replace additives con sumers do not want in their foods

“We believe this can be a giant step in making plant based foods the standard ”

Meala was founded in 2020 by product innovation specialist Razmovich; Dr Tali Feldman Sivan, a serial entrepreneur and business strategist; and Gruda, an expert in culinar y arts and molecular cuisine The trio joined forces on a mission to bridge the gap between heavily processed vegan prod ucts and the perception that plant based products are “better for you ” and break down the last barriers between meat and meat analogs The start up is backed by The Kitchen FoodTech Hub GN

a t l a s t

J U S T I C E T E A

s t a r t s h i t t i n g s h e l v e s

Seth Goldman and Barr y Nalebuff, co founders of Honest Tea, have returned to the bottled tea business alongside celebrity Chef Spike Mendelsohn with the launch of Just Ice Tea, a ready to drink organic iced tea brand focused on sourcing simple in gredients and Fair Trade Certified teas and sweeteners The organic tea line hit shelves nationwide in September and is the latest addition to Eat the Change, the planet friendly snack (and now beverage) com pany founded by Goldman and Mendelsohn in 2020

The news for Eat the Change’s expansion into the bottle tea space follows Coca Cola’s May 2022 announcement that it would discontinue Honest Tea this fall, as previously reported in Gourmet News Goldman and Nalebuff founded Honest Tea in Bethesda, Md , in 1998

“Just Ice Tea is picking up where Honest Tea left off, but we are tripling down on our commitments to our core values Fair Trade Certified, organic and just sweet enough,” said Goldman “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to once again serve,

and hopefully expand, the community of tea growers and retailers we assembled who were abandoned by the discontinuation of Honest Tea ”

The brand is named Just Ice Tea because “Just Ice” refers to the set of working stan dards and environmental principles the team aims to support through Fair Trade premiums and working standards The brand is also committed to supporting our planet through organic certification, which uses a third party verified approach to avoid the use of synthetic pesticides, her bicides, insecticides and fertilizers Honest Tea was the first bottled tea brand to offer organic (1999) and Fair Trade certified va rieties (2003)

“We didn’t want to leave our loyal cus tomers high and dry, either,” Nalebuff said “Challenging the line from F Scott Fitzger ald, he predicted, ‘We think act two will be even better’ ”

Honest Tea fans will recognize new ren ditions of crowd favorites with Just Ice Tea While similar, some key differentiators to note are: no cane sugar (Fair Trade Certi

fied Organic agave and/or honey are used for sweeteners), glass bottles only, a bit less sweet and chef crafted by Mendelsohn, who leads innovation at Eat the Change

freshing taste with a hint of honey at only 35 calories for the whole bottle

• Original Green Tea: Smooth, unsweet ened green tea is as simple as it gets No fla voring (except from real brewed tea leaves) and no sweetener just the clean taste of real brewed green tea

• Peach Oolong Tea: Real brewed oolong and black tea leaves blend with the flavor of fragrant sweet peaches at just 60 calories per bottle

”

“Teaming up with mission driven leaders and innovators, like Seth and Barr y, to launch the next generation of bottled tea is truly a milestone moment for me, ” Mendel sohn said ”Innovation is my favorite part of being a chef, and we ’ re excited to introduce this new line of chef crafted teas made with responsibly sourced ingredients from our trusted partners

Just Ice Tea launches with six SKUs with an SRP of $2 69 to $2 89 Flavor names and varieties include:

• Berr y Hibiscus Herbal Tea: Organic herbal hibiscus and blackberr y leaves are brewed and blended with blackberry juice for a fruity caffeine free blend

• Honey Green Tea: Real brewed green tea leaves and a “just sweet enough” taste of agave and honey offers a classic taste of this popular blend

• Moroccan Mint Tea: Blend of real brewed green tea and mint makes for a re

• ½ Tea ½ Lemonade: Real brewed black tea leaves blend with the sweet, citrus taste of classic lemonade Two favorites, one bottle

Just Ice Tea is being distributed nation wide and is available first at Sprouts Farm ers Market nationally and PLNT Burger locations in New York City Other retailers set to carr y Just Ice Tea include Whole Foods Markets, Hy vee, Town & Country, Central Market, New Seasons Market, Erewhon, MOM’s, Roots, Yes! Natural Mar kets, Giant Foods, PCC, Dawson’s, Market of Choice, ION Group, Oliver’s, Rainbow Grocer y, The Food Bin, Ellwood Thomp

and

Schuman Racks Up Wins at 2022 Cheese Competitions

Fourth generation cheesemaker Schuman Cheese, the largest U S importer of Italian cheeses, earned 26 wins across five cheese industry competitions in 2022

The company received recognition at the World Championship Cheese Contest, World Dairy Expo, American Cheese Soci ety Competition, Wisconsin State Fair and International Cheese Awards

For 75 years, Schuman Cheese has been recognized at the most prestigious global cheese competitions, winning a slew of awards for producing exceptional cheeses Most notably this year, Schuman swept the 2022 World Championship Cheese Con test, taking home first, second and third

place honors in the Parmesan category

In addition, Schuman’s Cello Mascar pone was named the grand champion at the 2022 World Dairy Expo Other 2022 first place awards include: Cello Copper Kettle Parmesan, 2022 World Dairy Expo; Cello Mascarpone, 2022 Wisconsin State Fair; Cello Smoky Pepper Rubbed Fontal, 2022 World Dair y Expo; Cello Fontal, 2022 American Cheese Society Competition; and Cello Sweet Garden Tomato Rubbed Fontal, 2022 Wisconsin State Fair

“We are honored to be recognized as a premier maker of cheese across so many categories this year, ” said Christophe Megevand, master cheesemaker “At Schu

man, we strive to bring the highest quality cheese products to consumers ’ kitchens that goal is at the heart of everything we do To be awarded for our craftsmanship within the industr y makes us extremely proud It pushes us to continue to innovate and build on our already strong line up of cheeses ”

Looking beyond, Schuman Cheese has a pipeline of branded cheese innovations planned Under the Cello and Bella Rosa brands, the company aims to continue leading the industry with classic offerings including Cello Copper Kettle Parmesan, while pushing the boundaries for great cheese products Schuman is expanding

into growing food categories with innova tive brands including Vevan and Delve chocolate mascarpone truffles GN

Sur vey Shows Food Retailers Should Unify Shopping Experience Across Channels

As shopper habits return somewhat to pre pandemic patterns, several behaviors learned over the last two and a half years leave grocers looking to offer a more cohe sive shopping experience, according to a survey by Incisiv and Toshiba Global Com merce Solutions

While this is evidenced by the priority they are placing on providing a more con solidated online and in store experience, a majority of grocers (77 percent) still do not have a unified commerce platform in place and remain dissatisfied with their current ability to quickly deploy new experiences such as curbside returns and online chat In addition, most grocers feel current sys tems lack the ability to offer shoppers a seamless omnichannel experience

“These findings show that the industry is ready to deliver experiences that truly unify the physical and digital, meeting cus tomers where they are so they can drive their own journey to create memorable ex periences for shoppers across channels,” said Fredrik Carlegren, vice president of

marketing & communications at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions

The ability to experiment quickly/test and learn came up as the most important capability (82 percent) when building a unified commerce platform, followed by the ability for high performance in any con ditions (73 percent) and flexibility to re spond to new market dynamics (71 percent)

Inventory visibility remains a top priority to enhance the digital experience, with only 42 percent of grocers saying they can access accurate online inventories, 52 per cent are in the pilot phase or have it on their roadmap to add this capability

As online ordering becomes table stakes, retailers will have to do more than just ex pose available inventor y online Only 18 percent show product availability by fulfill ment type on their digital channels, 7 per cent allow items to be added to digital cart via voice and 3 percent show expected availability of out of stock items

Nearly half (47 percent) of grocers noted

they either already have shopper messaging enabled or are piloting it, indicating more effort is being put into empowering store associates to better assist shoppers

Despite the hype around micro fulfill ment and dark stores, 41 percent and 56 percent of grocers, respectively, said they have no plans to implement this

Unified shopper profiles are growing in popularity, according to the report While only 21 percent of grocers currently enable store associates to access such data, 42 per cent are in pilot or have this capability on their roadmap

“As visits to brick and mortar stores be come increasingly pre planned (e g , in crease in click & collect), it will be critical for retailers to convert fleeting physical transactions into long lasting relation ships,” said Giri Agarwal, chief strategy of ficer at Incisiv “A disappointed shopper is one click or swipe away from abandoning engagement with a retailer

“Retailers cannot afford to have channel locked experiences and capabilities any

more That’s why they must embrace a ‘Unified Commerce’ approach to succeed in this new era ” Incisiv and Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions conducted an executive sur vey with retailers across retail segments such as national grocer y, specialized grocer y, re gional grocery, wholesale clubs, and super centers Sixty one percent of respondents were vice president level or above, includ ing 29 percent of those in senior vice pres ident or C suite roles Executives from large retailers (annual revenue above $1 billion) made up 48 percent of those inter viewed, with respondents from retailers of revenue ranging from $100 million to $1 billion, rounding out the remaining 42 per cent

Retail executives were asked to evaluate their level of satisfaction with their current commerce platforms and rank the impor tance of various features Respondents also had the opportunity to rate the importance of certain requirements from their next uni fied commerce platform GN

Plenty, Bristol Farms Partner for California Expansion

to innovation and freshness

On the cusp of opening its Compton, Calif , farm, Plenty Unlimited Inc is begin ning its expansion to Southern California in partnership with Bristol Farms, the lead ing specialty gourmet grocer Outside of local markets in the Compton community, Plenty leafy greens will be available in Southern California exclusively at Bristol Farms for the remainder of the year This marks the first time Bristol Farms has carried indoor, vertically grown pro duce, furthering the grocer’s commitments

“At Bristol Farms, we pride ourselves on being the go to shop for the best tasting, freshest produce items on the market,” said Scott Wiggans, produce director “Plenty is a great example of a mission driven brand that is focused on unique agricultural innovation

“This makes them a great fit for Bristol Farms For the last 40 years, we have been leading the industry in providing our cus tomers with the highest quality and most flavorful products available and we look for ward to bringing local indoor vertical

farming to our customers ”

Bristol Farms is carrying Plenty’s pesti cide free leafy greens, including Baby Arugula, Baby Kale, Crispy Lettuce and Mizuna Mix, a blend of baby bok choy and Japanese mustard greens Plenty greens will be available at all Bristol Farms locations throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County and Santa Barbara County, includ ing the new, 34,000 square foot Bristol Farms Newfound Market in Ir vine Spec trum Center Shoppers can find Plenty greens in the packaged greens area of each store’s produce department starting today

Plenty is the world’s most technologically advanced indoor farm, according to the company Its patented and patent pending platform uses a fraction of the land and water to produce up to 350 times more pro duce per acre than conventional farms

Plenty grows produce with peak season flavor year round by using its proprietary technology to create the ideal environment for each individual plant to thrive Plenty greens sold at Bristol Farms will initially come from its South San Francisco farm, but shift to local greens from Compton after its launch

Drink Up ⬆

TAKING A LOOK AT NEW BEVERAGES

Has iced coffee replaced hot coffee? That question blew up social media recently, with Starbucks announcing it is selling more iced coffee these days

But when you look at the hot drinks market, it shows no signs of cooling down Statista set the market, which includes coffee, tea and cocoa, at $672 40 bil lion in 2022 and expects it to grow annu ally by 7 34 per cent

“Rising em ployment levels have driven up caffeination de mand across the board,” according to Statista “At the same time, increasing discretionar y spending power has fueled the appetite for indul gence among consumers as well as a desire for novel experiences, which in turn has driven premiumization and sophistication

“The out of home market has especially benefited from this trend as increasingly time strapped consumers opt for the con venience of a quick boost on the go Among younger demographics still living in shared or temporary accommodations, coffee shops have become something of a living room and office space away from home, the rent for which is paid one Americano at a time ”

The pandemic brought coffee lovers the opportunity to mix their own concoctions at home, which brought manufacturers the chance to market prod ucts such as Oddlygood Global’s new All In Barista Oat Drink in the U S market as part of the Finland company ’ s plant based dair y alter

natives

Oddlygood consulted baristas to create creamy drink froths for hot and cold bev erages All In Barista Oat Drink is free from dairy, gluten, artificial flavors and sweeten ers

tomized beverages at their local café or enjoy whipping one up at home as part of their morning ritual or afternoon break,” said Caitlin Mahler, head of business devel opment for Oddlygood USA

All In Barista Oat Drink is available in 1 liter, shelf stable cartons for a sug gested retail price is $4 99 per carton

It has 3 grams of protein per 1 cup serving, 290mg of calcium, 7g of total fat and zero added sugar A one cup ser ving has 150 calories Now manu factured in the United Kingdom, plans call to shift production to the United States when sales warrant, Mahler said

Let’s Get Functional

Splash Beverage Group Inc has been widening the market for its TapouT per formance drink This fall, just in time for football season, Splash announced that it is partnering with former NFL quarterback Drew Brees

Brees will work with the TapouT team on innovative formula developments for ath letes, according to the company, participat ing in key retail meetings to strategize on how best to advance the brand within TapouT’s youth sports initiatives, as well as becoming an ambassador for TapouT to his followers, fans and friends across all his media platforms

Brees opted to take an equity stake in Splash Beverage in lieu of a typical cash

Made with non GMO oats, Oddlygood goes “All In” by using the entire oat, so there’s no food waste, according to the company

The U S division of Oddlygood, based in Parsippany, N J , featured the drink at Nat ural Products Expo East in Philadelphia and Coffee Fest Pacific Northwest in Seat tle It was introduced in Finland in 2019 and is available at cafés and retailers in Sweden, the Baltics, Poland, Malta and Ire land

“We see a strong market in the U S for coffee lovers who treat themselves to cus

While some coffee lovers might argue that it is a functional bev erage because they don’t function without it, the real market con tinues to boom InsightAce Analytic estimates the functional beverage market at $265 9 billion by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate of 9 38 percent

“The significance of foods and bev erages in disease prevention and treat ment has been increasingly recognized in recent years, ” according to the report “Thus, functional bev erages have gained acceptance among conscientious consumers due to their perceived health benefits “The growth of the market is expected to be driven by the number of fitness en thusiasts and growing consumer in clination from sugary soft beverages to healthier alternatives Moreover, increasing disposable incomes and rising health awareness are also driv ing the demand for functional bever ages ”

The last few years have seen the intro duction of a better for you drink using 100 percent cacao fruit from Barr y Callebaut, Coca Cola’s sports drinks Powerade Ultra and Powerade Power Water, Fruitlove sin gle serve smoothies from Kraft Heinz and Revive Kombucha’s Revive Sparkling Kom bucha

compensation package

“I am very excited about my latest ven ture and involvement with Splash Beverage on their TapouT Performance Drink,” Brees said “From a clean ingredient and efficacy perspective, this is a brand I want to help build and get into the hands of athletes and fitness enthusiasts everywhere

“Youth football is a passion of mine and

I believe the all natural hydration and recovery blend in the TapouT drink is a significantly better alternative to some of the leading hydration bever ages for young athletes as well as adults ”

“Drew is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to nutrition adding even more credibility,” CEO Robert Nistico said “Someone of Drew’s stature re ceives many offers from a variety of dif ferent companies

“He learned of TapouT through friends in the athletic community and subsequently connected with the com pany He came to believe strongly in the benefits of TapouT and his decision to ultimately become an equity holder of Splash Beverage is a testament to his enthusiasm for the product, and his confidence in its future value proposi tion ”

Pomegranate Pomp

POM Wonderful continues to innovate healthy products made with Califor nia grown pomegranates, now in col laboration with Williams Sonoma The two have created a product line launched in time to celebrate POM’s 20th anniversary this fall

“We’re passionate about teaching people how to cook, entertain and host and the products we ’ ve made with POM are perfect for the home cook, the master chef, or the aspiring mixol ogist,” said Williams Sonoma President Felix Carbuillido

The premium Williams Sonoma x POM Wonderful lineup showcases the bright, sweet yet tart flavor and festive color of pomegranates, perfect for hol iday entertaining and beyond In par ticular, the Pomegranate Martini Mix has that festive ruby red cocktail look with a blend of tangy pomegranate with citrus notes

In addition to the Martini Mix, the line includes Pomegranate Cranberry Relish, Pomegranate Chicken Simmer Sauce, Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar and Pomegranate Glaze

Speaking of Cocktails

According to Park Street analysts, the volume of the U S alcoholic beverage market size is estimated at 202 billion liters of liquid Alcohol comprises 16 5 percent of total beverage volume, with malt beverages accounting for 80 per cent of the market, followed by wine and spirits splitting the remaining 20 percent

Distilled spirits make up around 7 percent of alcoholic beverage sales, with vodka topping the subcategory of spirits with 34 percent of cases sold, followed by whiskey with 24 percent and miscellaneous specialty spirits at 12 percent Wines make up around 11 percent of the alcoholic beverage mar ket, according to Park Street

“The wine and spirits industr y has experienced steady growth over the last 10 years, ” according to the report “Smaller brands within the alcoholic beverage industr y taking share of larger brands is a phenomenon across many FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) categories Factors often cited

as reasons include: shortening life cycles of brands in general, entrepreneurial in novation wave, liberalization and de con centration of marketing avenues (e g , Internet), premiumization, desire of con sumers to differentiate themselves,” the report states

Cask for Bourbon

This fall, Company Distilling launched its first limited release: Cask Strength Bour bon, which follows the successful release of its Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Maple Wood in November 2021

Cask Strength Bourbon, made with an original wheated bourbon recipe uncut for maximum flavor with a bold maple finish, is bottled at 121 proof or 60 5 per cent ABV

Within the first 36 hours of the pre sale, all 350 commemorative gift packages sold out The commemorative package in cluded a Company Distilling Cask Strength Bourbon bottle signed by Master Distiller Jeff Arnett and two rocks glasses

“We’ve been waiting for the right mo ment to release the cask strength version of our flagship bourbon and leading into the holidays seemed like the perfect op portunity,” Arnett said “We’re on the heels of opening both of our distilleries in Thompson’s Station and Townsend, Tenn , and now we ’ re able to add an ad ditional product to our portfolio lineup ”

Visitors to the Townsend distillery may fill their own bottle with Cask Strength Bourbon

“We really want our guests to feel like they’re a part of the process and pride ourselves on transparency,” said Kris Tatum, president “This will be a great way for guests to learn more about the distilling process and take home a bottle and a memory with your best company ”

Hi/Lo Blend of Tequila

Tequila has been around for centuries, but Florida based Costa Tequila put a new twist on the spirit with its Hi/Lo blends The company recently launched its Hi/Lo Añejo, aged for 16 months in American Oak barrels with notes of roasted hazelnut, caramel, vanilla and brown sugar and the aroma of pure agave Costa Tequila’s products intentionally bring together flavor profiles from 100 per cent blue Weber agave sourced in two tra ditionally separate tequila regions in Jalisco, Mexico: “Los Altos” (the highlands) and “Valle de Tequila” (the lowlands)

Tequila from the highlands’ mountain ous region comes from higher altitude plants and produces fruitier, sweeter, and softer notes and characteristics, while tequila from the lowlands is produced at relatively lower elevations and delivers distinct peppery, earthy, spicy notes and characteristics, according to the company

“We’re blending two very distinct flavor profiles with our Añejo,” said founder Stephen Gavula III “While highlands añe jos are known for having more barrel notes than agave, añejos made in the low lands typically feature more agave flavors ”

Costa, which launched in 2019, is dis tributed in nine states and has seen sales increases year over year with continuous investments in distribution and brand de velopment In 2022, the company ’ s sales are on track to approach 20,000

Market Basket Ranked 1st in Retailer Index; Cost Over Convenience Causes Amazon Slip

Customer data science analysts at dunnhumby ranks Market Basket at the top grocer in its Retailer Preference Index, beat ing out Aldi, Winco, Grocer y Outlet and Save A Lot in the top five

Rounding out the top 10 grocers are Lidl, Dollar General, Food4LessFoodsCo, Fam ily Dollar and military commissaries

Other notable findings in the report in clude Amazon falling out of the top 10 as consumers value cost savings over e com merce convenience, nearly 70 percent of consumers feeling intense budget pressures and the quickest way for consumers to cut costs is changing the amount they spend on groceries

While Amazon is better positioned than any retailer for long term success in grocery, its value proposition for inflationary times is no better than the average grocer, accord ing to the report Amazon dropped out of the first quartile as its web traffic declined 6 5 percent so far this year H E B, the top ranked e commerce retailer in the dunnhumby eCommerce RPI, finished 12th “Market Basket has shown itself to be the best performing retailer in these times of economic uncertainty, by being the best in the countr y at saving customers money while simultaneously building stronger emotional connections with their shoppers and thereby increasing their shopper visits faster than most other retailers,” said Grant Steadman, president of North America for dunnhumby “Retailers who are focusing

their customer value proposition on saving customers money are best positioned to meet the challenges of this prolonged pe riod of inflation and economic uncer tainty ”

Market Basket topped all 69 retailers in the Inflation RPI rankings, even ahead of household discounter names such as Aldi, Dollar General and Walmart, by ranking first in the United States in the “ save me money ” pillar Market Basket is the only U S retailer that is in the top five in both base price perception and mass promotions perceptions Aldi, meanwhile, is in the top five in base price perception

The “ save me money ” customer driver is five times more important than the next most important drivers, “ save me time” and “make it better ” However, for driving long term results, saving customers’ money is only one and a half times more important than delivering high quality

The last two preference drivers “make it seamless” and “make it dependable” have virtually no association with retailer outcomes, according to the report The “make it seamless” preference driver refers to the customer’s need delivered by e com merce and digital capabilities while the “make it dependable” preference driver refers to out of stock rates for a retailer Base price followers have no room for error, dunnhumby said But these retailers can minimize the damage and potentially even strengthen emotional bonds with cus

tomers by keeping base price gaps close while using best practices in orchestrating execution of mass promotions, communi cations, personalization, and private brand

Kroger, Food Lion, BJs Wholesale and ShopRite are examples of retailers who have customer value propositions that stand up best to base price leaders during inflationary times

Inflationary times are a big headwind for premium specialty retailers such as Sprouts, Wegmans and The Fresh Market and for regional grocers with a quality first position such as Publix and Harris Teeter

“These retailers are not well positioned for inflationary times since they currently are too far behind most of the market in save me money perceptions,” the report states “These retailers are also behind the market in year over year visit growth dur ing 2022 ”

Inflationary times are a big tailwind for discounters such as Dollar General, Family Dollar, Grocery Outlet, Lidl and Save A Lot Conversely, during periods of economic stability, these stores have a highly vulner able proposition for the long term due to quality weaknesses, according to the re port They are also vulnerable due to much higher cross shop with each other and other inflation ready retailers such as Wal mart For example, 81 percent of Dollar General shoppers cross shop Walmart and 38 percent cross shop Family Dollar

Inflationary winds have also taken some

of the wind out of club channel sales Club channel retailers such as Costco, Sam’s Club and BJs Wholesale are underperform ing the market in year over year visit growth in 2022 According to Placer ai, the club channel grew at 1 9 percent in the first half of 2022 compared to the first half of 2021, slower than any other channel

“This is notable because the club channel tends to be the channel that is best posi tioned for success over the long term,” the dunnhumby report states “The current club channel difficulties reflect misalign ment with shoppers’ behavior shifting to ward spreading their spending out over more visits with smaller baskets Addition ally, lower income shoppers are more likely to shift toward smaller pack sizes during inflationary times ”

As part of this study, two online surveys, one in October 2021, just as inflation was be ginning to heat up, and a second survey in May June of 2022, were conducted survey ing 18,000 grocery shoppers dunnhumby then modeled how differences in shoppers’ perceptions impacted foot traffic and web traffic growth during 2022, as well as emo tional connections with shoppers

Foot traffic data was sourced from Placer ai and web traffic was sourced from global digital analytics provider, Similar web Sixty nine of the largest U S grocery retailers in conventional, mass, club, spe cialty, discounter, drug, and dollar channels were included in the RPI GN

No Oven, No Problem: Cooking Potatoes Just Got Easier

For dorm dwellers, tiny apartment resi dents or anyone who’s just over their oven, Potatoes USA has healthy, affordable potato recipes that don’t require a kitchen, just an air fryer, microwave or toaster

“Everyone’s looking for nutritious, easy and affordable food,” said Chef R J Harvey, director of culinary at Potatoes USA and a registered dietitian “Potatoes to the rescue! They’re a nutrient dense vegetable at a

great value, and you can cook them just about any way imaginable ”

Nutritionally, a medium (5 3 ounce) skin on potato has more vitamin C than a tomato (30 percent of daily value) and more potassium than a banana (15 percent DV) Potatoes are also naturally fat , cho lesterol and sodium free, with fiber to help feel full longer

Air fryers heat up fast for a crispy potato The humble microwave can r e v o l u t i o n i z e the way pota toes are cooked Choosing the right potato is critical For classic baked potatoes, which are light and fluffy on the in side, a Russet potato is perfect for the job When mi crowaving more than one potato, select potatoes of the same size

so they cook evenly Pierce the potatoes lightly across the sur face with a fork or the tip of a knife

Potatoes cooked in the mi crowave should have some space between them to ensure even cooking Start potatoes in the microwave for 5 minutes If the potatoes are not fork tender, cook in additional one minute increments until a fork or knife has little to no resistance when inserted

Once tender, lightly oil the skin with a neutral oil (vegetable, canola, avocado oil, etc )

The skin can be crisped up in a toaster oven or air fryer set to 450°F for 3 to 5 min utes

Place cheese on top Slice potatoes into a microwave safe dish and cover with a solid layer of cheese, including low fat va rieties, to upgrade microwave potatoes into a classic gratin

Add to potatoes’ 3 grams of plant based protein by including a protein such as ro tisserie chicken to make a complete meal

For the toaster oven, preheat to 400°F Wash potatoes and coat them with a bit of

oil Once preheated, place the potatoes di rectly on the center rack One medium po tato will take about 45 minutes to cook

“Potatoes are the perfect vehicle to de liver flavor, and anybody can cook them with just a few simple tools,” said Harvey “If your access to kitchen facilities is lim ited and you want a nutritious, plant based meal, you really can’t beat the potato in your air fryer, microwave or toaster oven ”

Potatoes USA was established in 1971 by a group of potato farmers to promote the benefits of eating potatoes and is the largest vegetable commodity board and the mar keting organization for the 2,000 potato farming families operating in the United States

Taylor Farms Takes Fresh Vegetable Production Facility in California Off the Energy Grid

Taylor Farms, North America’s largest pro ducer of healthy fresh foods, has partnered with Bloom Energy, Ameresco, Inc and Concept Clean Energy to install a micro grid capable of taking one of its California food processing facilities completely off the traditional energy grid The energy leaders plan to combine six megawatts of Bloom fuel cells, two megawatts of solar power from Concept Clean Energy and a two megawatt/four megawatt batter y into a microgrid that is de signed to power the entire 450,000 square foot facility in San Juan Bautista

This collaboration combines the strength of each technology fuel cells’ ability to generate resilient, al ways on power, daytime power generation from solar and energy storage benefits from batteries to fulfill the facility’s 24/7 power needs completely, independently and cost effectively

While microgrids are often implemented only to provide power to critical loads in

the event of outages, Taylor Farms wanted to prove that companies can with part ners such as Bloom Energy, Ameresco and Concept Clean Energy take control of all energy needs and establish price and power predictability

“We are looking for ward to the energy

Per the California Independent System Operator, it is estimated that the state faces an energy capacity shortfall of 1,700 megawatts, which could be as high as 5,000 megawatts if California is hit with multiple extreme events at the same time, such as wildfires and heat waves With the flexibil ity to leverage the right technology for the right application, companies can avoid relying on strained power grids

and reliability challenges

“Ameresco is excited to partner with Bloom and Taylor Farms on a truly transfor mative project that demonstrates innovation in advanced energy technologies,” said Ameresco EVP Michael Bakas “We look for ward to this project serving as a blueprint for others as the role for baseload, dispatch able alternative energy sources serve as the cornerstone for resiliency in microgrids ”

stability this will provide our San Juan Bautista, California facility,” said Bruce Tay lor, chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms “Fresh food reliability is essential for our customers and it’s more critical than ever to provide quality, fresh foods to North Americans ”

“Our partnership with Taylor Farms and Ameresco is a landmark demonstration of the capabilities that innovative, clean energy com panies have to provide uninter rupted low carbon power to large scale facilities,” said Sharelynn Moore, EVP, chief business develop ment and marketing officer with Bloom Energy “Our decade long re lationship with Taylor Farms is cul minating in this leading application of what a microgrid can do en abling America’s largest producer of packaged produce to maintain and improve the reliability of their power ”

This journey builds on Taylor Farms’ re lationship with Bloom Energy and is in tended to allow the produce distributor to explore disconnecting from the regional power grid amid energy price escalations

“Working with Taylor Farms’ leadership has inspired Concept Clean Energy to de velop highly innovative and versatile solu tions for solar canopies, rooftops and ground mounted applications,” said Elliot Jaramillo, CEO, Clean Concept Energy

“We’re enabling Taylor Farms to achieve energy independence and realize unprece dented economic returns ”

Energy solutions, including fuel cells and solar, can be integrated at scale, to provide low carbon energy, reliability, resiliency and immunity to challenges facing current grid operations

A t Ta y l o r F a r m s , B l o o m a n d i t s p a r t ners are paving the way for decarbonizing p ro d u c t i o n , w h i l e s h o w i n g h o w i n d u s t r i e s i n c l u d i n g a g r i c u l t u re a n i m p

PackIt EcoFreeze Totes, Kroger Expand E-Commerce Program to New Stores, Regions

PackIt, a Tenth Avenue Holdings brand, has expanded its collaboration with The Kroger Co to new store fronts and new regions of the United States

“After successful pilot programs at multi ple storefronts in the Midwest and western United States, the PackIt Fresh Mobile Re frigeration Solution is now being imple mented at Kroger stores across Atlanta and Nashville for the first time,” said PackIt founder Melissa Kieling “We’re also seeing our solution entering additional stores in

California and Arizona Kroger clearly recog nizes the improvement to product freshness and efficiencies gained by deploying our EcoFreeze totes into their retail operations ”

The Kroger banner, Ralph’s, recently launched an initiative allowing customers to pick up orders in as little as an hour From a functional perspective, PackIt Fresh totes are now being utilized within stores as a single staging vehicle to collect ambi ent, refrigerated and frozen items

PackIt Fresh keeps product fresh, allows

product to be collected in a single location and offers efficient processes to support customer needs

The collapsible, freezable, reusable PackIt Fresh EcoFreeze Totes represent a seamless plug in for retailers to meet grow ing storage, pickup and delivery demands Each tote features PackIt’s patented EcoFreeze Technology: freezable gel built into the walls, which keeps perishables cold and food safe for 15 hours

PackIt, a Tenth Avenue Holdings, LLC

brand, was established more than a decade ago with a mission to keep food safe and eliminate waste The company ’ s break through innovations in lunch bag cooling technology rapidly expanded into every vi able consumer lifestyle segment PackIt Fresh represents PackIt’s commercial divi sion with traction among grocers around the globe The PackIt Fresh line of EcoFreeze Totes was designed to meet growing online grocery order and meal kit delivery service needs GN

Sprouts Shows Commitment to Women’s Athletics

Sprouts Farmers Market has reached indi vidual sponsorship agreements with the athletics departments for Arizona State University; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Southern California and University of Texas Sprouts will spon sor season long activity and entitlement games across the four schools, as well as sponsor one female student athlete from each institution

“Through these partnerships, and after celebrating the anniversary of Title IX, we pledge to continue to empower and edu cate women ’ s health and performance, bringing fresh and nutritional food options to them on and off the playing field,” said

Jack Sinclair, chief executive officer “We’re also proud to align our brand with talented, hard working female student athletes at these four outstanding universities ”

Phoenix based Sprouts Farmers Market previously announced its long term com mitment to and investment in women ’ s ath letics through partnerships with the Big 12 and Pac 12 Conferences, along with sup porting 50 individual Name, Image and Likeness deals with female athletes from multiple schools from both conferences

Sprouts, the first grocery retailer to make this commitment, is doing so alongside softball icon Jennie Finch

“ S p ro u t s i s t h e p l a c e w h e re g o o d n e s

g ro w s , o ff e r i n g d e l i c i o u s f o o d s t h a t n o u r i s h b o t h f a m i l i e s a n d a t h l e t e s , ” S i n c l a i r s a i d “ T h ro u g h t h e p a rt n e r s h i p s w i t h t h e P a c 1 2 a n d B i g 1 2 C o n f e re n c e s a n d t h e i r m e m b e r u n i v e r s i t i e s , a n d a l o n g s i d e J e n n i e F i n c h , w e p l e d g e t o c o n t i n u e t o e m p o w e r a n d e d u c a t e w o m e n ’ s h e a l t h a n d p e r f o r m a n c e , b r i n g i n g f re s h a n d n u t r i tional food options to them on and off the f i e l d We ’ re p ro u d t o s p o n s o r t h e s e g re a t f e m a l e a t h l e t e s ”

This summer marked the 50th anniver sary of Title IX, which prohibits sex based discrimination in schools and educational programs

“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of

Title IX, we are reminded of the progress that has been made in women ’ s sports over the past five decades,” said Timmi Zala toris, senior vice president of human re sources “When we think about the next 50 years of gender equality, Sprouts is commit ted to building on this momentum and re mains invested in growing and changing the landscape of women ’ s sports for years to come ”

Sprouts also partners with Los Angeles’s newest women ’ s professional soccer team, Angel City FC Sprouts and ACFC support local causes that address and provide chil dren’s nutrition education and fresh food access throughout LA

Do Good Chicken Saves 10M Pounds of Healthy, Surplus Food From Landfills

Do Good Chicken, the first chicken brand that fights food waste and combats climate change, reports it has diverted more than 10 million pounds of healthy surplus gro cery food from landfills, after community donations are made, to upcycle into nutri tious chicken feed

The milestone came just six months after Do Good Chicken’s spring 2022 retail launch and equates to saving surplus gro cer y food weighing approximately three times the weight of the Statue of Liberty, preventing an estimated 950 metric tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmos phere, according to the company

Americans want to be more climate friendly and nearly half are more concerned about food waste than they were a year ago, the company said, citing research from Prodege However, lack of resources and not knowing where to begin were barriers noted by 69 percent of respondents

Do Good Chicken is the first national chicken brand that upcycles healthy food surplus that would other wise go to land fills While upcycling is still relatively un known to consumers, 71 percent of respondents said they are likely to purchase

upcycled foods once they learn about the process and its benefits

“We believe upcycling is the food system of the future, and we launched Do Good Chicken to be a part of the solution to gro cery store food waste and make a positive impact on the planet, right now, ” said Justin Kamine, co founder and co CEO of Do Good Foods, parent company of Do Good Chicken

Grocer y stores, restaurants and food service companies account for 40% of U S food waste, according to Feed America, and wasted food from the retail sector is valued at about twice the amount of profit from food sales, according to the U S Depart ment of Agriculture

Do Good Chicken employs a closed loop system, working with grocers to upcycle their surplus food (after community dona tions) into nutritious animal feed The ele gantly simple yet highly impactful system presents a win, win, win grocers waste less, the chickens get a nutritious input to their diet and consumers can be a part of the solution just by doing what they would normally do eating chicken

“What is so revolutionary is that each Do

Good Chicken saves four pounds of surplus grocery food thus reducing three pounds of greenhouse gases so it is an easy and imme diate solution to help consumers tackle the dual environmental concerns of food waste and climate change just by doing what they do normally eating chicken, the most con sumed protein in the U S If just one in five chickens sold was a Do Good Chicken, we could solve grocery store food waste in five years, ” Kamine said

A Do Good Chicken sur vey also found that 85 percent of Americans would be more likely to buy from a grocer y store working to reduce its food waste Since launching in April, Do Good Chicken has rapidly grown distribution and is now available throughout major grocery chains from the Northeast to Mid Atlantic as well as major markets like Dallas and Denver in more than 550 stores

Food waste is a significant contributor to climate change in fact, if food waste were its own countr y, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, behind the U S and China, the com pany said, citing the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Each Do

Good Chicken saves approximately four pounds of surplus food from being thrown away, preventing the release of approxi mately three pounds of greenhouse gases

“The good news is that people want to help find solutions to the climate crisis we are facing and are motivated to act Per sonal actions to reduce food waste like composting, mindful food planning and eating leftovers are all excellent behaviors consumers can be taking, but fighting food waste shouldn’t have to fall solely on their shoulders,” Kamine said “We started this brand to evolve the current food system from food production to retailers to start implementing solutions into products be fore they even get to a family’s home ”

Do Good Chicken displays its climate impact with the industr y ’ s first verified USDA approved carbon reduced equation on its packaging, helping consumers make informed decisions about the impact of their everyday purchases Fed a diet that in cludes nutritious surplus grocery food, all Do Good Chicken is U S farm raised, cage free and 100 percent all natural, raised without artificial ingredients, antibiotics, hormones or steroids ever GN

Investindustrial Invests €200M in Eataly to Strengthen International Expansion

Investment company Investindustrial VII L P and Eataly S p A have signed an agree ment to support the international growth of Eataly, the ambassador of “Made in Italy” food, which for almost 20 years has been promoting the sale of high quality Italian food products and restaurant concepts in prestigious locations globally

The transaction provides for an invest ment of €200 million and a concurrent purchase by Investindustrial of a part of the shares held by existing shareholders, which

Drake’s

replanting with nothing added to make it grow but the tropical country’s rains near the equator The sugar cane is not subject to fertilizers or pesticides and doesn't need added flavors and colors, they said

Drake’s Organic produces spirits, mixers, SpikedIce adult popsicles and Boxtails ready to drink cocktails in a box Five years after launch, the company saw sales of 90,000 for 9 liter cases in 2021, with dis tribution in 46 states and five countries, Kristen said

The Andersons maintain that the purity and simplicity of the sugar cane makes Drake’s products taste better than other spirits

“Take our vodka or rum and put it up against the top selling brands on the mar ket in a blind taste test,” Kristen said “Ours have a smooth, clean aftertaste with

will lead to Investindustrial becoming the majority shareholder The transaction pro vides that, at closing, Investindustrial will hold 52 percent of the company, with the existing shareholders Eatinvest (Farinetti family), the Baffigo/Miroglio family and Clubitaly (Tamburi Investment Partners) owning the remaining 48 percent of the Company

The investment will allow Eataly to retire net financial debt and maximize financial flexibility for the group ’ s global expansion

no burn from grain alcohol We come out the winner each time ”

Drake’s is positioned to begin making available a large volume of organic cane al cohol to the industry, Mark said, as well as adding more flavors to the ready to drink organic box cocktails, Boxtails

He noted that the Boxtails eliminate five seltzer drink cans from landfills

“When you think that only 30 percent of cans are recycled,” he said, “and you look at the volume of White Claw cans it’s in the billions, 70 percent volume into the landfills So we ’ ve created a better way to drink cocktails and made it more efficient ”

The Andersons also make sure to give back to causes they believe in, donating some of Drake’s proceeds to The Galapagos Collective and Long Lake Animal Shelter

“Kristen and I set up the animal rescue to help animals from kittens up to horses,” Mark said “There are not a lot of places where you can rescue 1,200 pound ani mals

plans

E a t a l y r u n s i t s b u s i n e s s a c c o rd i n g t o a s u s t a i n a b i l i t y p h i l o s o p h y t h a t a i m s t o provide continuous support for local agri f o o d s u p p l y c h a i n s a n d t h e e x p o rt o f e x c e l l e n t f o o d p ro d u c t s T h e c a p i t a l i n j e c t i o n re i n f o rc e s t h e c o m p a n y ’ s ro l e a s t h e g l o b a l a m b a s s a d o r o f “ M a d e i n I t a l y ” food through both the opening of flagship s t o re s a n d t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f n e w f o r m a t s , a s w e l l a s e n a b l i n g t h e a c q u i s i t i o n o f a l l t h e m i n o r i t y s h a re s i n E a t a l y ’ s e x i s t

i n g U S b u s i n e s s

CEO Nicola Farinetti will assume the po sition of chairman of the company A new CEO will be announced shortly

Investindustrial, the Farinetti family, the Baffigo/Miroglio family and Clubitaly in tend to continue to support the develop ment of the business, both through opening new flagship stores and new for mats in large cities, as well as continuing along the path of sustainability that has characterized Eataly since its inception GN

Sustainability

such as identifying a renewable resource or knowing what ESG stands for,” the report states

Likewise, when it comes to the issue of climate change, consumers recognize it, but don’t think it will affect them person ally, according to the report

“There are a few ways to read this analy sis,” the report states “One way is more optimistic: Concern is high even though perception of personal harm is low The other way is more pessimistic: The discon nect between concern and perceived per sonal impact could lead to symbolic actions as opposed to more impactful sustainable behaviors ”

Some good news: Brand marketing ef forts have built awareness among the gen eral public, consistent across demographic groups that are familiar with sustainability concepts But then there’s the bad news that actual knowledge of sustainability is low

“It’s one thing to claim familiarity with a sustainability phrase; it’s another to demonstrate knowledge,” the report states “And that gap provides brands with an op portunity to further build consumer edu cation around sustainability ”

While 8 in 10 U S adults said they were familiar with the term “renewable re sources, ” only 58 percent could accurately identify a renewable resource from a list of renewable and nonrenewable ones, accord ing to the report Less mainstream concepts were “dramatically” lower in understand ing

“Through an open end analysis, we found that a vast majority of respondents do not know what ESG (environmental, so cial and governance) stands for,” the au thors wrote, “with many misidentifying the S as representing ‘sustainability’ instead

“A roughly similar share of respondents didn’t know the definition of ‘greenwash ing’ either the idea of marketing environ mental friendliness despite not making notable efforts to actually be sustainable,” they wrote

Sustainability at Home

Consumers are most satisfied with their own sustainability actions than others, in cluding companies and governments

Eighty seven American adults gave them selves at least a C, 74 percent gave the av erage person in their community at least a C and 69 percent others in the country

Fifty seven percent gave U S corpora tions at least a C, which drops to 50 per cent for younger consumers

Fifty two percent gave the U S govern ment a D or F on its sustainability efforts, according to the report

Recycling is the most common sustain able action, with half of those responding who gave themselves a failing grade re ported recycling at least three times a month

“It’s important for corporations to under stand consumers ’ perceived impact of sus tainability efforts: If people don’t think their actions have much of an impact, they’re unlikely to regularly do them,” the report states

Fifty seven percent of consumers believe

they are making a minor impact, according to the report, with the rest more likely to say they aren’t having any impact than to say they have made a major impact

“What this means: Many of the con sumers who think their own efforts have minimal impact are looking to larger insti tutions, such as corporations and the gov ernment, to have a larger positive impact on sustainability likely because they view their current impact to be a net negative,” the authors wrote

‘Greenwashing’

Consumers are used to seeing brands tout sustainability efforts, especially in grocery stores and online marketplaces, though they may not know what “carbon neutral” really means, according to the report

“There is a concern here regarding ‘greenwashing,’ where brands tout an un substantiated claim to appear more envi ronmentally friendly,” the report states “And while the phrase is becoming more known as a form of marketing spin, as the figure earlier in this report shows, it has not entered the lexicon of most Americans ”

Nearly half of consumers blame the auto industry for the most climate change dam age while tech has done the most good, ac cording to the report

Consumers say food and beverage is the second most industry where sustainability is most important

“Food & beverage companies have the most to gain in the eyes of consumers if they prioritize sustainability,” the report states

Younger con sumers show more concern about sus tainability and cli mate change and are more likely to buy products that align with their ideals, the report states However, other customers may refrain from buying products with sustainability branding

“The main mes sage here: Know your consumer base,” the report states “Broadcasting your sustainability efforts will have different ROIs depending on the demographic makeup of your audience ”

While most consumers say all industries should be sustainable, they rank the ones that they have the most contact with with food and beverage at the top being most important

Eight in 10 consumers reported they be lieve it’s at least somewhat important for the food and beverage industry to be sus tainable

“Interacting with single use packaging and food waste on a daily basis likely means consumers are more sensitive to the environmental impact of this category,” the report states “Industries where consumers are mostly interacting with services, as op posed to products, generally ranked lower in importance ”

Younger consumers are more focused on

sustainability than older generations Mil lennials prioritize sustainability across in dustries more than Gen Zers, though, according to the report, with 50 percent of millennials saying it’s important for food and beverage to be sustainable, which is 5 points higher than Gen Zers, 4 points higher than Gen Xers and 10 points higher than baby boomers

Sustainability Initiatives

“From food waste to packaging to farming and factory emissions, there are numerous ways food & beverage companies can en gage around sustainability initiatives,” the report states “The nature of the packaged goods categor y, and the relationship be tween food and farming, means food & beverage sustainability is highly visible and, as such, highly important to con sumers ”

However, companies must overcome the obstacles of trust only 19 percent of con sumers have “ a lot” of trust in the industry to do what’s right and lack of knowledge just over a quarter don’t know what makes a product sustainable “Companies have an opportunity to ad dress these gaps with action and educa tion,” the authors write “Making a commitment to reducing water and food waste tops the list of actions consumers want brands to take A majority of Gen Z and millennial consumers research the sourcing and production practices of prod

awareness about sustainability,” the report states “Most consumers in the United States are far removed from the origin and processing of the foods they eat Thus, many people are not familiar enough with every step of the process to have an opinion on what companies can do to make more sustainable products ”

Packaging Counts

But consumers get packaging, citing it as something that makes a brand sustainable Consumers are looking for ways to dispose of packaging in an environmentally friendly way or reduce packaging, the re port states

“When it comes to environmental im pact, U S adults are more concerned about what companies are doing than what they themselves are doing Food waste created by grocery stores, restaurants, and food and beverage manufacturers tops the list as most concerning,” the report states

Luckily for companies, reducing waste also saves money, the authors wrote

“Companies can benefit by finding ways to communicate and educate consumers around waste reduction efforts,” they wrote

“In contrast, consumers aren’t as con cerned about their own behaviors, though roughly half say they are concerned about food waste in their household and the en vironmental impact of their overall diet ”

Consumers are willing to not only shoul der some of the burden for sus tainability, but share some of the costs, according to the study

Consumers rec ognize the impor tance of reducing food waste, recy cling and reusing grocery bags, with Gen Zers and mil lennials leading the way and look ing for companies to join them

ucts they purchase They expect brands to be walking the walk

“Sustainability is a complex topic Many companies are engaging in innovative so lutions, but there’s opportunity to tell con sumers exactly what actions they’re taking and how those initiatives can help This ed ucation, backed with concrete action, will help to build trust ”

While 60 percent of U S adults have at least some trust in the industry to do what’s right for the environment, only 19 percent have “ a lot” of trust, which the report sug gests creates opportunity for the industry

Notably, 7 in 10 U S adults would con sider purchasing from a food & beverage brand that prioritizes sustainability, which is the highest share across industries the Morning Consult report studied

“A general lack of knowledge around where our food comes from and how it gets to our tables contributes to this lack of

Younger gener ations are more likely to say cli mate change has an impact on their daily eating and drinking behaviors,” according to the re port

“People weigh dozens of factors in every food and drink decision they make, includ ing taste, cost, health and wellness, satiety and convenience, just to name a few,” the authors wrote “The impact of diet on cli mate change is one consideration among many Still, roughly 1 in 5 consumers say it has a major impact on their everyday food and beverage behaviors

“Reaching these consumers is key for food & beverage companies, as these de mographics are most likely to engage in sustainability focused behaviors and with brands’ sustainability initiatives,” the report states

With nearly 8 in 10 consumers focused on reducing food waste, which also reduces costs and trips to the grocer y store, con sumers recycle packaging and use reusable grocery bags primarily for sustainability

Other consumer behaviors that aid sus tainability eating produce in season, eat ing locally sourced food and buying groceries in bulk a quarter of consumers said the goal wasn’t sustainability Gen Zers and millennials, though, aim for sustain ability, the report states

“Gen Zers and millennials are walking the walk As the generations most likely to indi cate that climate change impacts their every day eating and drinking behaviors, they are also much more likely to say they are engag ing in a variety of core sustainability actions: composting, researching sourcing and pro duction practices, and purchasing imperfect produce,” the authors wrote

“Brands should especially take note of the researching behavior, as these genera tions are looking for companies that will take action and walk hand in hand with them Coming of age alongside the tangible impacts of climate change from increased droughts and floods to wildfires and hurri canes Gen Z consumers have established a pattern of behaviors that will last the rest of their lives ”

Theory of Planned Behavior

The authors of the Morning Consult report agree it’s difficult to predict consumer be havior, especially when it comes to sustain able attitudes

“That’s why we used the Theor y of Planned Behavior, a psychological theor y that links beliefs to behavior and is consid ered one of the most influential theories for understanding consumer behavior,” they wrote

“The theory explains that the more peo ple intend to engage in a behavior, the more likely it will be that they actually enact the behavior For example, the more one in tends to recycle, the more likely it is that one will recycle ”

Past behavior was the biggest predictor of a consumer ’ s intention to buy sustain able food and beverage products, according to the report

“Thus, targeting current sustainability fo cused buyers is a strong strategy for brands playing in this space, ” the authors wrote

“To grow beyond current purchasers, brands can focus messages and brand po sitioning on subjective norms, another sig nificant predictor of intentions The stronger the perception of social pressures to buy sustainable food and beverage prod ucts, the stronger the intentions to pur chase these products ”

Consumers want companies to address waste, use recyclable packaging and offer locally sourced products, according to the report

“With industrial food waste a top con cern, it makes sense that making a commit ment to reducing water and food waste tops the list of actions consumers want brands to take,” the report states

The Fairtrade label appeals most to mil lennials, urbanites and those following a meatless or reduced meat diet

Consumer Perception

Food & beverage companies not only can get a tangible market share by promoting sustainability, they could also see intangible benefits such as trust, the report states

Consumers were shown an image of a honey jar with a “sustainably sourced” claim on the label or one without the claim

Consumers trusted the “sustainably sourced” jar 9 points higher than con sumers who saw the label without the claim

“The increase in trust came primarily from Gen Xers and baby boomers, who were 11 and 15 points more likely to ex press trust,” the report states “In contrast, trust was flat among millennials, perhaps related to the group’s desire to do their own research on the products they buy ”

Both groups were equally likely to buy the honey, even though those who saw the “sustainably sourced” claim thought the product cost more, suggesting consumers might pay more for sustainably sourced products, the report states

“Food & beverage and sustainability are closely linked,” the authors wrote “Given consumers ’ daily interactions with prod ucts in the category, they are understand ably concerned about the environmental impact of this large industr y The good news is that consumers are willing to share the responsibility for sustainability efforts and maybe even the costs with food & beverage companies ”

Consumers are expected to increase their efforts toward sustainability, according to the report, including younger consumers who will adopt such practices as compost ing and buying imperfect produce, behav ior that will last throughout their lives

“But companies in this industr y have work to do to meet consumers on this jour ney, ” the authors wrote “More consumers expressed concern about the environmen tal impact of industry practices than their own habits Reducing water and food waste in the production process, using recyclable packaging, and offering locally sourced products are the actions consumers are most interested in seeing companies pur sue Brands can focus their actions on these areas to address consumers ’ concerns and build trust ”

To drive sustainable practices for ward, brands should define the target audience (Gen Z and millennials), determine cate gor y specific parameters for innovation and tailor communications to meet infor mation needs, the authors suggest

“And when it comes time to set goals for sustainability initiatives, brands need to in clude metrics tied to intangible consumer sentiment like trust Consumers’ percep tions that companies are placing people and the planet over profits will influence more than just purchase consideration,” they wrote

Get Ready

Though today’s consumers might not un derstand sustainability as much as they are aware of it, that will change over time, ac cording to the report

Consumers “will expect even more when it comes to the ever yday brands from which they shop,” the authors wrote

“Brands without a public facing sustain ability plan aimed at reducing their carbon footprint or energy consumption or cutting back on excessive waste will likely face in creased criticism from their customer base,” the authors wrote

Research for this report was gathered July 5 7, 2022, among a representative sample of 2,210 U S adults, with an un weighted margin of error of +/ 2 percentage points

GoodSam

and good for the planet ” It produces choco late (from chocolate chips to candy bars), nuts (salted/unsalted macadamia nuts, candy or chocolate covered nuts), coffee (from Northern Colombia grown by the in digenous tribe Arhuaco, grown by a farmer in the Central Andes foothills) and baking mixes (Fudgy Brownie, Chocolate Cake, Cacao Pancake)

What GoodSam did was cut the middle man out of the supply chain equation Rather than pocket the savings, the com pany then pays the farmers more

“The top line is when you eliminate bro kers, you can pay farmers two times more than they would make,” Terry said “Every body is transparent in the supply chain Everybody is working together It’s a most unique business model ”

Or yx

Continued from PAGE 1

not even fitting a perfect body ”

Skyring assessed her life

“I’m not spending time and energy sup porting an industry that’s a farce,” she de cided

As production manager, Skyring would organize everything for a photo shoot that would make her a fraction of what the model who was hired, all to make con sumers think they’d look as good in the garment as the model

She planned to go to London, but before she left, she went to a transformation work shop for personal development There, she learned about workshops in a rural town ship to help residents, most of whom lived in shanties

“In the middle of nowhere, I had another epiphany,” Skyring said

While climate change is affecting agricul ture worldwide, it’s not the only challenge facing the industry

“The median age of farmers is 57 years old,” Terry said “You just don’t see a lot of young people go into the farming system ”

GoodSam recently partnered with Colombian chocolate manufacturer Luker Chocolate to create give back initiatives they call Building Networks The program strives to give Colombian youths educa tional resources and teach them how to use social media for good

By the end of this year, Building Net works will have made significant updates to three Colombian schools that will teach students more about farming, the environ ment, English and digital versatility

“Everything we do at GoodSam is in the spirit of giving back to people and helping the community Building Networks was cre ated as a means to help create digital and ed ucational equity in real communities where

cure funding for their efforts and network ing as much as she could

Skyring saw the results of South Africa’s generational apartheid, segregating races and allowing discrimination against blacks She saw villagers who went unpaid for work they helped her with and set about changing that

“I left there bawling my eyes out,” Skyring said

She went on a two week juice fast and prayed, realizing that there needed to be some deep, emotional healing between cul tures

‘How Do We Heal?’

“There’s no longer apartheid, but there’s still a deep hurt and feelings of abandon ment

“I had so much anger,” she said “How do we heal and what difference can I make?”

In a lucid dream, she saw the front yard township’s school filled with people drumming, children drawn by the drumming and breaking out in joyful dance Skyring knew what she had to do: “Get funding for 500 children to bring together into a stadium, all drumming together, to give them an ex perience to elevate them out of poverty ”

She did more than that Fifty thousand drums went to 50,000 children across South Africa Skyring drove hundreds of miles to barren lands that black South Africans were given to live on The drumming program brought joy to townships and comfort to Skyring

our farmers live and work,” Terry said “Our mission has always been the growth of com munities and helping them flourish

“The deep relationships we foster with our farmers empower us to give back di rectly to communities and create farmer driven initiatives with full visibility of where our resources are going We are pas sionate about our work in continuing to decolonize the system and Building Net works is another step toward our end goal,” Terry said

“Starting the Building Networks program with GoodSam has further cemented our joint partnership and alliance,” said Julia Ocampo, director of sustainability for Luker Chocolate “The GoodSam team has an abundance of international experience in social networks to leverage in order to help these rural communities

“We are optimistic this partnership will help communities connect with the world, share their daily lives, promote entrepre

Africa more determined than ever to de velop a brand of desert salt, which she named Or yx and crafted a logo of an antlered oryx

neurship and continue building our ‘Chocolate Dream’ together ”

Innovating Snacks

GoodSam is working on making peanut butter and almond butter cups sweetened naturally with low calorie allulose, along with low calorie chocolate chips Brazil nuts, pecans and mangoes are in the works along with avocado oils

Some of the same small farms that supply GoodSam with coffee also cultivate honey, so that’s another possibility, she said

Terry has one word for others in the food industr y wanting to learn more about GoodSam’s business model: Call

“I invite anyone from any other com pany, if this is something you ’ re interested in, expanding the supply chain this way, call me, ” she said “It’s ver y much about bringing new partners in, creating new re lationships

“It’s all about community relationships ” GN

sets up taste tests with Or yx versus the other salts

“Oryx Desert Salt is a flavor enhancer,” she said “It has a salty, full, very round fla vor like a fine wine

A childhood friend was in the township, running a shop that employed female AIDS patients

“She’s a particularly incredible human being,” Skyring said “That’s it,” Skyring said “I’m sold I quit my job ”

Before long, Skyring was organizing food gardens, getting bucha to give AIDS pa tients strength, writing documents to se

In 2007, Skyring experi enced a financial crisis Feel good projects only went so far, she realized Her son ’ s fa ther introduced her to a colleague selling salt from the Kalahari Desert to Germany, but didn’t want to invest that much in a South African venture

“Well, I’ll sell the salt,” Skyring told him, remembering her oryx encounter

After a failed attempt in Denmark to save her marriage, Skr ying returned to South

Desert Salt She began by packing salt grinders one by one for restaurants, airlines and African and European countries Last year, Oryx Desert Salt broke into the U S market

The COVID 19 pandemic dragged sales down as the tourism industry and restau rants that Oryx relied on closed Oryx’s re tail sales sustained the small company and, Skyring said, sales are back to their pre COVID levels She is expecting a good sea son as South Africa gears up for its tourist season at the end of the year

‘Ancient Pristine Source’

fed by subterranean rivers It isn’t refined, mined or subject to ocean waste as other salts are

“When rivers flow over ancient rocks, they pick up minerals and trace elements, all that come from the earth,” Skyring said “The salt converges in the lake and is drawn up into the salt pan that hasn’t been touched by human hands ”

The salt cr ystallizes in four weeks, six weeks in colder months, she said

Himalayan salt is dynamited to be mined, she said Sea salt has been found to have microplastics and are subject to what ever chemicals are dumped in the oceans Table salt can contain chemicals

“Table salt is not salt,” she said “It’s highly refined and processed ”

When Skyring goes to trade shows, she

“It’s guilt free salt ”

Just as important to Skyring as the natu ral process of collecting the salt is the grinder it goes through, which is why Oryx makes its own grinders

“Our grinders are different from others on the shelf because they have polycarbonate plastic grinders, whose teeth can grind down into the salt that is consumed In addition, the grinders are thrown away when they’re empty, which Skyring noted is wasteful

Or yx grinders have a ceramic mecha nism that stands up to multiple uses, she said The grinders can be refilled 20 times or more, which saves the consumer money, not to mention restaurants and other hos pitality companies

In the beginning, Skyring sourced Fair Trade salt from a salt pen owner who, un fortunately, died She hopes someday to use Fair Trade salt again

Chefs around the world use Oryx Desert Salt, which is found in many delis, shops and restaurants across South Africa Oryx Desert Salt is exported to the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Germany, Nigeria, Namibia, Qatar, Taiwan and the Czech Republic It’s available online through Amazon

T h e O r y x l i n e h a s g ro w n t o i n c l u d e black pepper, smoked salt, wine salt and b r a a i s a l t ( s i m i l a r t o b a r b e c u e ) , w i t h a c c o m p a n y i n g g r i n d e r s a n d re f i l l s O t h e r p ro d u c t s i n c l u d e g i f t i n g s e t s , t r a v e l s e t s a n d a c e r a m i c s a l t p o t w i t h h a n d c

spoon

There was an immediate market for Oryx

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars’ Matterhorn Alpine Cheddar Cheese

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars, Inc Matterhor n Alpine Cheddar Cheese is a homestead cheddar with a blend of se lect Alpine cultures added for the most unique tasting Cheddar on the market It’s aged for a minimum of eight months

The Widmer family has been handcrafting Cheddar since 1922 in small batches using original family recipes In recent years, Widmer Cheddars have more age to satisfy the palate of the dis tinctive, artisan style cheese lover Original family recipes and select cultures (with no shortcuts) gives the Cheddars a more so phisticated and complex flavor profile Widmer still washes the Cheddar curds before salting and placing in forms to

Glass Refrigerator Jars

Ardagh Glass Packaging North America offers 9 ounce glass Refrigerator Jars that are perfect for craft food producers Proudly made in the United States, using high quality flint (clear) glass, these 9 ounce Refrigerator Jars have a top seal vacuum lug closure that will keep condi ments, spreads and toppings fresh These glass jars are 100 percent and endlessly recyclable and boast an excellent shelf life

The 9 ounce Refrigerator Jars are of fered in 12 pack cases available for pur chase on Ardagh’s BOB[™] site (Food BuyOurBottles com) with conven ient online ordering and payment via credit card or PayPal

Ardagh is dedicated to the craft food market with capabilities and resources to grow with you every stage of the way By

lower the amount of lactose, which re duces bitter ness in the final product The super aged Cheddars have an intense flavor with hints of caramel and are known for being very smooth without the bitter ness associated with some aged Ched dars They are also available with jalapeño peppers

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars Cheddar can be purchased in 8 ounce pieces, 1 pound pieces, 5 pound pieces, and 40 pound blocks

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars 888 878 1107 www widmerscheese com

Vermont Coffee Comp any Organic Holiday Blend Whole Bean Coffee

Over 20 years ago, Vermont Coffee Com pany began with an antique slotted drum roaster and a simple desire to share great coffee with the best of friends Today, as a n e x c e p t i o n a l m e m b e r o f S t o n e w a l l Kitchen’s family of brands, it brings big, b o

a i n a b l y s

Try Ariston’s newest arrivals from Greece These gorgeous infused salts come with their own adjustable stainless steel mill They are both a gourmet food item and a little kitchen tool all in one A must in every kitchen and store counter

They come in the following flavors:

• Plain Sea Salt from Greece

• Greek Salad Infused Sea Salt (beautiful blend of rosemary, oregano and sundried tomato) pairs well with Ariston Select EVOO & Med Herb infused olive oil)

• Garlic & Basil infused sea salt Excellent with Ariston traditional balsamic, caprese salads, cheeses; great with pasta and Ital ian meat, too; beautiful color as well

• Lemon & Turmeric infused sea salt Ex cellent with chicken, seafood, rice, pota toes, eggs and anywhere that needs the brightness of lemon flavor and the healthy and earth flavor of turmeric

• Black Sea Salt (sea salt with all natural cuttlefish black ink) Keep your guests guessing what’s your secret ingredient Tastes like sea salt with a subtle hint of seafood Also works excellent as a salt rim for a cocktail and bloody Mary drink

• Smoked Sea Salt Excellent with all meats and seafood It tastes like you have

been smoking your food for hours without all the work Excellent and bold flavor a little goes a long way

• Plain Pink Himalayan (from the Hi malayan Mountains) Try them all!

Ariston Specialties 860.263.8498 www.aristonspecialties.com

o

sip!

a b

a b

a n s P l u s , e a c h blend is USDA organic certified and non G M

For a special seasonal offering, Vermont Coffee Company is excited to share its Or ganic Holiday Blend Whole Bean Coffee, a festive French roast featuring notes of caramel and cocoa Packaged in an

8 ounce bag that retails great as a s t o c k i n g stuffer, it makes for a very merry cup alongside cin namon spiced breakfast pas tries, ginger bread cookies and other delights

Stonewall Kitchen www.stonewallkitchen.com

STAR Double Stuffed Jalap eño and Garlic Olives

A great product for your category!

Both garlic stuffed and jalapeño stuffed varieties are growing faster than the cate gory and STAR has combined the two popular flavors into its new, colossal sized, flavor packed olives

Introducing STAR Double Stuffed Jalapeño and Garlic Olives Harvested while still young, these large sized olives pack a whole lot of flavor

Featuring artisanal quality, these are the perfect balance of flavors, not too spicy and not too salty Enjoy straight out of the

Fall River Wild Rice

Interest in plants and grains is soaring, as shoppers look for new ways to eat healthy High in protein and fiber, nutty and with a striking visual appeal, wild rice is one of the healthiest grains avail able It was a staple food of several Native Ameri can tribes, who called it “manoomin,” or “pre cious grain ”

Fall River Wild Rice brings this culinary gem to your store shelf This naturally cultivated wild rice is great in salads, soups and stir fries However, it also works well in mixes for pancakes and muffins and even in chocolate and desserts Fall River’s Fully Cooked Wild Rice is high protein good

jar, in charcu terie platters or use as a spicy gar nish to your fa vorite drinks Contact us for more product infor mation

Borges USA www.borgesusa.com

ness in seconds

The only cereal grain native to North America, wild rice is not even a rice at all It is the seed of Zizania palus tris, a tall, blooming water grass that prospers in the Great Lakes region, as well as in the fruitful valley in the shadows of the Sierra Nevadas and the Rockies Fall River Wild Rice is a small grower owned cooperative in the Fall River Valley, a rural mountain valley nestled between the Cas cade and Sierra Nevada ranges

Fall River Wild Rice 800 626 4366

www.fallriverwildrice.com

Halladay’s Har vest Barn The Dude Box

Halladay’s Harvest Bar n would like to in troduce you to its wildly popular gift boxes With catchy names and fun graphics, these boxes are the perfect grab and go gift for the holiday season

Food is such a fun practical indulgence for holiday gifting Gift boxes such as The Happy Camper, Winner Winner Chicken Dinner and You had me at Bacon, are a few of the company’s fourth quarter fa vorites

The Dude Box has been the best selling

holiday gift for the guy in everyone’s life because no one knows what to get for their dude A man party in a box, this gift is per fect for game night or any event Included are five mixes guys will dig: Garlic Chipotle Dip Mix, Cheddar Ale Dip Mix, BBQ Rub for Chicken and Ribs, Classic Vermont Beer Bread Mix and Steakhouse Burger Season ing

Halladay’s Har vest Barn 802.463.3471

www.halladays.com

the pallet or truckload, BOB and Ardagh have the ideal shapes and styles for you View our entire stock portfolio at ardagh group com/food2022

Ardagh Glass Packaging North America

Gold’s

auce

Variety is the spice of life! Gold’s has a rep utation to live up to as it has been grating fresh horseradish on site since the 1930s Gold’s takes great pride in mixing its famous, fresh grated horseradish into a rich, sweet tomato base, giving Gold’s Cocktail Sauces their signature bite

For taste and conven ience, there are two vari eties to choose from: Gold’s Lively Cocktail Sauce and for those who want that extra kick, Gold’s Extra Spicy Cock tail Sauce Both are fat free and gluten free

So, what makes them different besides the level of kick? Size and storage! The 11 ounce Lively Cocktail Sauce is a con

Darrell Lea Brands’ Premium Licorice

Darrell Lea Brands remains the home of Premium Licorice and the only authenti cally Australian licorice in the United States In the United States, Darrell Lea’s heritage has been built on licorice; in Aus tralia, it is a market leader across the wider candy category including Chocolate Tablet, Chocolate Panning, Sugar Pan ning, Starch Mould, Sours and Seasonal The company is excited to introduce a wider candy offer to the U S market start ing with its unique, high inclusion, Choco late Tablets (available now) and then expanding into Sours and Chocolate Pan ning in 2023 All are proven and market leading SKUs back in the Australian mar ket

Darrell Lea is a go to brand when seek ing premiumization that provides unique differentiation The brand is built on quality and authenticity with best in market claims as well as ingredients Darrell Lea is proud to use natural colors and flavors, no preservatives, non GMO ingredients

Jake’s Nut Ro asters New Brine & Dill Almonds

Jake, a fourth generation member of the Jasper family, is proud to continue the farming traditions of his great grandfather that have been passed down for over 70 years Jake’s Nut Roasters is pleased to announce his newest flavor to the Jake’s can lineup: Brine & Dill Almonds

Jake’s Brine & Dill Almonds are bursting with the bold flavors of vinegar and dill They provide a little tanginess with just the right amount of dill pickle flavor, the per fect addition to your snacking routine

These almonds are “Straight from Jake’s Orchard,” showcasing the com pany’s vertical integration and commit ment to sustainable growing practices Jake’s almonds provide the quintessential plant based protein and make eating this healthy snack both fun and satisfying!

Produced in a dedicated peanut free fa cility, these premium Califor nia almonds are dry roasted and seasoned in small batches to deliver exceptional quality

venient shelf stable variety, which is also available Kosher for Passover as certified by The Orthodox Union

The Extra Spicy Cocktail Sauce is the refrigerated option Because it is so popular, Gold’s Extra Spicy Cocktail Sauce is available in 9 ounce, 19 ounce, 34 ounce (club size) and 1 gal lon jugs for foodservice

To lear n more about Gold’s Cocktail Sauce, con tact L&S Packing Company Don’t forget to ask about other condiments, sauces and soups for your deli, restaurant or market!

L&S Packing Company 631 845 1717

paesana com

(many certi fied Non GMO Project), S u s t a i n a b l e Cocoa (Cocoa Horizons) as well as being 100 percent palm oil free

L i v e t h e s w e e t l i f e w i t h t h e n e w D a r re l l L e a F a b u l i c i o u s S o u r C a n d y S t i x R a n g e ! Av a i l a b l e i n t h re e e x c i t i n g f l a v o r s R a s p b e r r y, A p p l e a n d M i x e d F l a v o r t h e y a re launching in November 2022 These soft, t a n g y t u b e s f i l l e d w i t h a s o u r s h e r b e r t c e n t e r a re g u a r a n t e e d t o m a k e t a s t e b u d s t i n g l e D a r re l l L e a F a b u l i c i o u s s o u r c a n d y s t i x a re p a l m o i l f re e a n d h a v e n o a r t i f i c i a l c o l o r s o r f l a v o r s a n d n o p re s e r v a t i v e s

OMG! Pretzels

OMG! Pretzels uses wholesome ingredi ents and carefully crafted family recipes to make delicious, bite sized, sourdough pretzel nuggets that are perfect for every occasion The variety of bold, gourmet fla vors and crave worthy crunch combine to create the transcendent first bite experi ence that every pretzel lover dreams of It’s the premium quality and unforgettable taste that make OMG! Pretzels the obvi ous choice for customers in search of a superior snack A women and family owned business, OMG! Pretzels are rec ognized as an award winning product with strong consumer satisfaction

There are no gourmet pretzel nuggets on the market quite like OMG! Pretzels; each pretzel is positively poppable and mouth wateringly delicious One of the fla vors that shines as a versatile snack, ele gant appetizer or flavorful recipe addition is Chesapeake Spice Vegetarian friendly with no added sugars, the bold blend of

spices complements chowders and crab cakes, making these gourmet pretzel nuggets a great addition to seafood and deli counter offerings A must have in every single home and retail location, OMG! Pretzels provide a love at first bite experience Once you pop one in your mouth, OMG! comes popping out!

OMG! Pretzels www.omgpretzels.com

Stonewall Kitchen Holiday Jam

menu for family celebrations with a collection of specialty seasonal products

best seller year over year, the decadent Holiday Jam is always a great pick: non GMO and full of festive flavor, it is a must

Spiced pears, cranberries and raspber ries come together with a splash of orange liqueur and a sprinkling of sugar to create one very merry spread The beautiful color, incredible taste and rustic texture make

Perkins Branded Pro ducts for White Coffee

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery has joined with White Coffee Corp , renowned roaster and blender of fine coffees, to develop Perkins branded ground coffee bags, sin gle serve pods and ready to drink coffee

Selections will include Perkins’ House Blend and Chocolate Pecan Pie, which will be avail able year round Perkins’ Pumpkin Pie will be of fered during the harvest season to coincide with the Perkins menu

this jam a won derful addition to customer fa vorites It can be used to add bright holiday flavors to sweet goodies such as sugar dusted cookies, deli cious pies, flaky pastries and more

Stonewall Kitchen www.stonewallkitchen.com

Jake’s Nut Roasters 7 ounce cans have a cool, classic appearance that look great on store shelves, kitchen counters and table centerpieces They also make the perfect gift!

Since 1948, a commitment to quality and innovation has propelled many fine Jasper Specialty Foods products into the hands of health conscious almond lovers around the world Jake’s Nut Roasters can also be found on Amazon!

Jasper Specialty Food 800 255 1641

www jasperspecialtyfoods com www.jakesnutroasters.com

The Perkins coffees are inspired by Perkins Restaurant & Bakery freshly brewed trademarked Bottomless Pot of Coffee and their beloved fresh baked pies and Mammoth Muffins Perkins coffee is made with 100 percent premium Arabica beans, medium bodied roast with intense,

Energy Bars

Trivia: What’s the hottest new woman owned, plant based product launched by Stacy of Stacy’s Pita Chips? Refrigerated BeBOLD energy bars! Not only delish and created with the same integrity as the pita chips, but they’re gluten and dairy free, plant based and a simple combination of nuts, nut butters, oats, chia, wildflower honey and maple Soooo good! They come

rich notes, flavorful taste and strong aroma

White Coffee will introduce the eagerly anticipated coffee line for the first quarter of 2023, through various retailers across food and mass markets For the first time, consumers can enjoy the delicious taste of Perkins trade marked Bottomless Pot of Coffee in the comfort of their own homes, of fices and on the go

Beanstalk, Perkins global brand exten sion licensing agency, brokered this part nership

White Coffee 800.221.0140 • 718.204.7900

www whitecoffee com

in two flavors: Chocolate Chip Al mond Butter and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter

BeBOLD 855 623 2653 www.beboldbars.com

Darrell Lea Brands www darrelllea com

TRADESHOWCALENDAR

(dates subject to change)

March 5 7

November 8 9

Kosherfest Secaucus, New Jersey www kosherfest com

January 15 18

Winter Fancy Food Show Las Vegas, Nevada www specialtyfood com

February 1 3

North American Association of Food Equipment Mfg. Orlando, Florida www nafem org

February 26 28

National Grocers Association Las Vegas, Nevada www nationalgrocers org

March 2 3

Tastemaker Conference Chicago, Illinois www tastemakerconference com

March 5 7

International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York New York City, New York www internationalrestaurantny com

Coffee Fest New York City, New York www coffeefest com/new york

March 5 7

Healthy Food Expo New York City, New York www internationalrestaurantny com

March 7 11

Natural Products Expo West Anaheim, California www expowest com

March 28 30

International Pizza Expo Las Vegas, Nevada www pizzaexpo pizzatoday com

April 18 19

Ingredient Marketplace, SupplySide East Secaucus, New Jersey east supplysideshow com

May 7 10

Craft Brewers & Brew Expo America Nashville, Tennessee www brewersassociation org

ADVERTISER INDEX

Organic Grower Summit to Discuss Reports, Challenges

A two part educational intensive featuring the results of two recently released reports on organic farming and an in depth work shop discussing how organic farmers can address current challenges has been an nounced as part of the 2022 Organic Grower Summit presented by Western Growers and OPN, slated for Nov 30 to Dec 1 in Monterey, Calif

The 90 minute ed session, “Exploring Organic Research: A Discussion of Organic Grower Challenges and Solutions,” will be hosted by the Organic Farming Research Foundation and moderated by Brise Tencer, executive director, and Haley Baron, part nership and development director

OFRF will present information from its recently released 2022 National Organic Research Agenda and California Organic Research Agenda Based on national sur veys and 16 regional listening sessions, these reports highlight the challenges fac ing organic farmers as well as recommen dations on ways to address these needs

After a short presentation on the data,

session attendees will hear from a pair of organic farmers and agency representatives about current resources, solutions and re search that can help address the top chal lenges presented

The fifth annual OGS is designed to pro vide information vital to organic growers and producers, including an over view of the opportunities and challenges in the production of organic fresh food The newly announced session is part of an ex tensive educational program designed to inform and engage organic producers, serv ice providers and supply chain partners

Panelists for the session include Javier Zamora, owner of JSM Organics; Asia Hamp ton, business skills advisor at California FarmLink; Ariel De Lara, district conserva tionist for USDA NRCS; and Steven Cardoza, owner of Cardoza & Cardoza Farming Co

“Organic farming is a bright spot in the California economy, and we are excited for this opportunity to talk about information and resources to support the continued success of producers,” said Tencer GN

Researchers Create Butter-Like Spreads Without Saturated Fats

A dollop of margarine or spread can go a long way to livening up a slice of toast, a piping hot ear of corn or other food But that enhanced flavor can also come with a side helping of worry over consuming sat urated fats, which are used as solidifying agents in some margarines and spreads and give them their butter like properties

When mixed with water, salt and other ingredients, the oleogel mimics the role of saturated fat in producing a margarine, spread or shortening that has the desired firmness, mouthfeel, melting point, shelf life and other properties, including when used in baked goods

Howard Products Inc

Jasper Specialty Foods

STAR Fine Foods

Kitchen

Jill Moser and Hong Sik Hwang, research chemists in the Functional Foods Research Unit with the Agricultural Research Service in Peoria, Ill , want to create a healthier product by replacing those fats with plant based and other natural waxes sunflower, rice bran, candelilla and beeswax, among them They do this by melting the waxes in hot vegetable oil and letting it cool to room temperature, resulting in a semi solid sub stance called an oleogel

Artificial trans fats those not naturally present in meat and dairy products but cre ated in a chemical process called partial hy drogenation were once the popular choice for making margarines, spreads and shortening However, artificial trans fats were phased out in 2021 over concerns their consumption can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke

Saturated fats without a trans structure, such as from palm oil and fully hydro genated vegetable oil, are among the re placements now used to make margarine, spreads and shortening Consumers, though, are advised to limit their intake of saturated fats from foods or beverages that contain them

Using wax based oleogels, “ we think 100 percent of the saturated fats can be re placed, including saturated fat in palm oil and fully hydrogenated vegetable oil,” Hwang said

The wax based oleogels are made of a network of plate like crystals that immobi lize molecules of oil in a gel state that mim ics the function of solid saturated fat in margarines and spreads minus the asso ciated human health concerns

To date, the researchers have created oleogel formulations from four natural waxes and 12 kinds of vegetable oils, in cluding soy, and most recently, hemp seed oil, which is rich in beneficial polyunsatu rated fats and antioxidants, including Vita min

PRIVATE 2022

Elevate

with Seviroli

GN:

C B : F o r m o r e t h a n 3 0 y e a r s , L a k e v i e w F a r m s , L L C h a s b e e n a l e a d i n g m a n u f a c t u r e r o f f r e s h a n d c o n v e n i e n t s a l s a s , d i p s , h u m m u s a n d s p e c i a l t y p r o d u c t s T h e c o m p a n y b r i n g s t r u e i n n o v a t i o n t o t h e r e f r i g e r a t e d c a t e g o r i e s i n w h i c h i t c o m p e t e s , o f f e r i n g a w i d e r a n g i n g s e l e c t i o n o f d e l i c i o u s a n d u n i q u e p r o d u c t s t o i t s c u s t o m e r s a n d c o n s u m e r s . W e t h i n k o f o u r s e l v e s a s C r e a t i n g a W o r l d o f F r e s h , D e l i g h t f u l F o o d s

New Hazelnut Oils and Oregon Orchard Snack & Candy Items

To the delight of chefs and bakers everywhere, hazelnut oils are now becoming more available on U S grocery store shelves Hazelnut Growers of Oregon (HGO) is releasing two versions of its hazelnut oil: an Extra Virgin Hazelnut Oil (EVHO) and a high heat Refined Hazelnut Oil

The Extra Virgin Hazelnut Oil (250 ml) is an excellent alternative to olive oil when m a k i n g s a l a d d r e s s i n g s , s a u c e s , b a k i n g goods, or as a substitute for clarified butter It also imparts a “nutty” flavor and aroma. For roasting, frying and grilling, it is best to use the odorless Refined Hazelnut Oil (500 ml), which has a higher smoke point of 470 degrees Additionally, as a product 100%

Seviroli Foods is your source for chef inspired, artisan filled pastas and sauces Family owned and operated since 1960, Seviroli offers a full line of authentic and innovative filled pastas, including many shapes of ravioli, tortellini (meat, cheese and tri color cheese), ricotta cavatelli, stuffed shells, mani cotti (both crepe and pasta dough), potato gnocchi, pasta sheets and more Seviroli uses only the finest semolina and searches the world for the best spices, herbs and other premium ingredients that go into creating its delicious filled pastas.

Planet Superfood’s outlook is as simple as it gets the company creates products that it loves to consume and share This is the meaning of its daily work and creativity

T h e P l a n e t S u p e r f o o d s t o r y s t a r t e d w i t h a s u r p r i s e w h a t a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y p l a n t i n d u s t r i a l h e m p i s ! A t i n y s e e d a c c o m m o d a t e s a v a s t n u t r i t i o n a l v a l u e , t h e w h o l e p l a n t c a n b e u s e d i n p r o d u c t i o n , a n d l e f t o v e r p a r t s c a n b e u s e d a s a n a t u r a l f e r t i l i z e r . I t a l l b e g a n w i t h h e m p P l a n e t S u p e r f o o d s t a r t e d p r o d u c i n g o i l , s e e d s a n d p r o t e i n p o w d e r . I t s p r o d u c t i o n c a p a c i t y e x p a n d e d f r o m E u r o p e t o C a n a d a a n d s o d i d i t s a p p r o a c h t o h e a l t h y a n d h o l i s t i c n u t r i t i o n P l a n e t S u p e r f o o d s t a r t e d c r e a t i n g m o d e r n a n d e a s y t o c o n s u m e p r o d u c t s p r o t e i n b a r s , c o c k t a i l s a n d

All-Natural Seasoning Blends and Packaging From The Spice Lab

The Spice Lab is introducing new sea soning blends and packaging options f o r p r i v a t e l a b e l F r o m S h r i m p a n d C r a b B o i l s e a s o n i n g a n d a n I t a l i a n Collection gift set, to a selection of N o r t h A f r i c a n , M i d d l e E a s t e r n a n d Asian spice mixes, all of the company’s p r o d u c t s a r e a l l n a t u r a l a n d O U Kosher. Small, round glass jars with c e r a m i c g r i n d e r t o p s a n d r e s e a l i n g p o u c h e s p r o v i d e n e w p a c k a g i n g options to serve the company’s numer ous private label customers

A woman owned, family run busi ness, The Spice Lab specializes in creat ing exclusive, custom seasoning blends, offering numerous packaging options and low minimums Its innovative pack aging designs offer maximum flexibility from small bags and stand up pouch es to glass jars, tins, plastic containers, g o u r m e t g i f t s e t s a n d f r e e s t a n d i n g store displays

The company’s extensive selection o f p r e m i u m s e a s o n i n g b l e n d s a n d organic spices gives customers a con venient, one stop resource to enhance their spice aisle offerings Adding inter national blends that capture the flavors of the regions give consumers a con v e n i e n t w a y t o e x p e r i e n c e n e w cuisines, without the need to create their own complex spice mixes

Founded in 2009, The Spice Lab has been recognized for the eighth consec

utive year as one of the 2021 Top 75 Women Owned Businesses in Florida (ranked #18) and named to the 2022 Inc 5000 list of America’s fastest growing private companies for a very rare sixth time Other accolades include being n a m e d t o t h e E n t r e p r e n e u r 3 6 0 l i s t , Florida Companies to Watch by GrowFL and a finalist in the 2022 South Florida Manufacturers Association’s Company of the Year Awards for 41 85 employees.

In 2021, the company expanded its S Q F c e r t i f i e d p r o d u c t i o n f a c i l i t y i n Pompano Beach, Fla , adding 50,000 square feet to now total 125,000 square feet Four high speed production lines are being added to their eight current l i n e s , i n c r e a s i n g p r o d u c t i o n f r o m 40,000 to 100,000 units per day

The Spice Lab’s extensive product line includes top quality salts, award winning seasonings and rubs, premium o r g a n i c s p i c e s , p e p p e r c o r n s , n a t u r a l s u g a r s , H i m a l a y a n s a l t s h o t g l a s s e s , cocktail mixers and drink rimmers and a wide variety of corporate gifts sold in g r o c e r y , g o u r m e t a n d s p e c i a l t y g i f t shops, foodservice, club, major retailers, on Amazon and the company website at www.spices.com.

For more information, visit booth #F1040, go to www spices com, or contact Gary O l i v e r , n a t i o n a l s a l e s m a n a g e r , a t sales@thespicelab com

Mexican Food Brand Finds Its Edge with Eye-Catching Cartons

For more than 70 years, La Preferida has been known as “The Preferred” name for authentic Mexican ingredients, and for good reason A customer first phi l o s o p h y a n d d r i v e t o i n n o v a t e h a s h e l p e d t h e f a m i l y b r a n d c o m p e t e against corporate giants for decades

In the midst of the eco friendly movement, the company has taken a turn from traditional aluminum cans to a package typically reserved for soups and broths Tetra Recart®

The initial launch will include red and green enchilada sauce, both USDA

certified organic and gluten free

Crafted by a corporate chef, these enchilada sauces highlight fresh and i n v i t i n g i n g r e d i e n t s l i k e o r g a n i c tomatillos, green chiles, jalapeños and roasted peppers. Both varieties are mild in flavor and infused with an array of spices like cumin and garlic In place of traditional flour, organic ground yellow corn masa flour is used as a gluten free alternative

W i t h s h e l f s p a c e a t a p r e m i u m , Tetra Recart serves as a multi function r e t a i l s o l u t i o n D u e t o t h e c o m p a c t

Very Vanilla Coconut Bites from Jennies

J e n n i e s i s e x c i t e d t o i n t r o d u c e i t s newest product to the marketplace and believes it will be one of its top sellers by the end of 2023

J e n n i e s ’ V e r y V a n i l l a C o c o n u t B i t e s a r e f o r v a n i l l a l o v e r s J e n n i e s s t a r t s w i t h o r g a n i c , s u l f i t e f r e e c o c o n u t , a d d s a l i t t l e s w e e t n e s s t o k e e p i t m o i s t a n d d e l i c i o u s , t h r o w s i n l o t s o f v e g a n m a r s h m a l l o w s a n d v a n i l l a c h i p s a n d f i n i s h e s i t o f f w i t h o r g a n i c n a t u r a l v a n i l l a t o c r e a t e t h i s d e c a d e n t a n d d e l i c i o u s v a n i l l a b a s e d t r e a t E a c h p i e c e i s i n d i v i d u a l l y w r a p p e d , m a k i n g t h e m p e r f e c t f o r g r a b a n d g o a n d l u n c h b o x e s T h e p a c k a g i n g i s v i b r a n t a n d e a s y f o r t h e c o n s u m e r t o u n d e r s t a n d w h a t i s i n s i d e T h e p o u c h b a g h a s a p u n c h h o l e , m a k i n g i t a g r e a t c h o i c e f o r c l i p s t r i p s .

J e n n i e s i s a f a m i l y o w n e d a n d o p e r a t e d b u s i n e s s b a s e d i n n o r t h e a s t P e n n s y l v a n i a J e n n i e s h a s f e m a l e e x e c u t i v e s w h o h e a d p r o d u c t i o n , i n v e n t o r y , s a l e s , m a r k e t i n g a n d o p e r a t i o n s S e v e r a l k e y e m p l o y e e s h a v e

b e e n w i t h t h e c o m p a n y f o r m o r e t h a n 3 0 y e a r s , a n d o t h e r s a r e r e a c h i n g m o r e t h a n 2 0

J e n n i e s u t i l i z e s i t s o w n a r t e s i a n wells for all its factory water needs, has i n s u l a t e d i t s p l a n t t o r e d u c e t h e amount of electricity used, changed all lighting to LED and fully recycles all cor rugated in house

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , e m a i l laurenash@jenniesmacaroons.com.

n a t u r e a n d “ a l w a y s f o r w a r d f a c i n g ” p a c k a g i n g , r e t a i l e r s c a n e x p e c t a n improvement in restock time by up to 30% Cartons can hold up to 42% more product compared to other containers. It also has the lowest package weight (at 56 g), which can minimize environmen tal taxes and fees during transportation

Tetra Recart has been a mainstay o n r e t a i l s h e l v e s a c r o s s E u r o p e a n d Latin America, but has yet to reach its full potential in the United States That’s why La Preferida is excited to launch t h i s f i r s t o f i t s k i n d o r g a n i c p r o d u c t

here in the United States with plans to expand into other product categories

Additionally, La Preferida will also be introducing an organic version of their top selling boxed Spanish Rice. Ready in less than 20 minutes, the rice will feature traditional Latin flavors like c i l a n t r o , a n n a t t o , c u m i n , t o m a t o e s , a n d b e l l p e p p e r s M a d e w i t h 1 0 0 % long grain rice and vegan/vegetarian friendly!

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o

lapreferida com

Coconut Ingredients From Franklin Baker

Franklin Baker, Inc. is the largest proces sor in the Philippines and premier sup plier of coconut ingredients to the glob al food and beverage market It has been in business for more than 125 years and takes pride in long standing customer relationships, many of which exceed 60 years

Franklin Baker’s products are pro duced in the Philippines from the fresh est nuts available, at one of the compa n y ’ s t h r e e m a n u f a c t u r i n g f a c i l i t i e s , where proprietary processing is utilized to ensure freshness and long shelf sta b i l i t y F r a n k l i n B a k e r c o n t r o l s t h e process from tree through shipment, allowing customers to have the highest level of confidence and safety in the product supply chain

Franklin Baker offers:

• Wet steam pasteurization of all the coconut No other competitor pasteur izes their product

• BAX testing for salmonella, which is 10,000 times more sensitive than the competition’s BAM method

• Reliable and proven service levels for all products, including specialty items

• R&D and technical support direct from the Philippines.

• Franklin Baker guarantee of satisfac tion

• Two U S warehouse locations

Franklin Baker offers an extensive port

i n c l u d i n g d e s i c c a t e d c o c o n u t ( s w e e t e n e d a n d toasted), coconut water single strength

other coconut products, both

and non organic

Franklin Baker is proud of its extensive third party certifications and accredita tions, including USDA Organic, Non GMO Project Verified, Fair Trade USA, BRC, Control Union, ISO 9001:2000, ISO 22000:2005, HACCP, FDA Philippines, GMA SAFE, AB PAO Accredited Testing Laboratory, SEDEX, Kosher, Halal certi fied, and Award of Excellence, 2016 2022 American Master of Taste & Gold Medal Endorsement for Superior Taste and 2018 2022 Beverage Champion by Chefs In America

Franklin Baker’s levels of product certification are unrivaled and provide customers with confidence in the quali ty, safety and sources of what they are buying Franklin Baker holds itself to the highest product standards, which makes Franklin Baker, A Cut Above the Rest

Franklin Baker offers bulk, foodser vice and retail packaging options to meet your business needs to forge a trusted coconut supply chain partner ship.

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , e m a i l i n f o u s @franklinbaker com

t r u l y h e a l t h f u l p r o d u c t , F o o d F o r L i f e s t r o n g l y b e l i e v e s i n p r o t e c t i n g t h e p H l e v e l o f i t s s p r o u t e d g r a i n b r e a d , t a r g e t i n g a b a l a n c e d p H

Nature’s Earthly Choice: Nutrition & Quality

W i t h a f a r m t o t a b l e m e n t a l i t y , Nature’s Earthly Choice® provides nutri tious and quality foods to consumers Deeply rooted in the belief that healthy food is simple to prepare and tastes g r e a t , t h e c o m p a n y c o n t i n u e s t o s o u r c e a n d p r o v i d e u n i q u e f o o d options. The core items, conventional a n d o r g a n i c q u i n o a , c h i a a n d f a r r o , remain strong, along with flax, hemp, l e n t i l s , w h e a t b e r r i e s , b l a c k r i c e , microwaveables, bean pouches, super food powders and more

A health journey is never ending, always evolving, just as Nature’s Earthly Choice strives to be All while keeping it simple, healthy and delicious!

Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread from Food For Life Baking Co.

Food For Life Baking Co., makers of the incredibly delicious and nutritious Ezekiel 4:9® Sprouted Grain Bread, has been com mitted to the health of its customers since its inception over 50 years ago

Among the many natural sprouted g r a i n b r e a d s a r e i t s w i d e l y p o p u l a r Ezekiel 4:9 and Genesis 1:29® breads, English muffins, tortillas, buns and cere a l S p r o u t i n g m a x i m i z e s d i g e s t i b i l i t y a n d n u t r i t i o n w h i l e l o w e r i n g t h e glycemic index in its flourless bakery products.

Beyond the commitment to supe rior nutrition, there’s also a commit ment to a balanced and protected pH in every loaf Why is a balanced pH so important? Because Food For Life rec ognizes that a balanced pH is absolute ly essential for optimum health This is why Food For Life meticulously choos es its ingredients, and refuses to use a c i d i f y i n g a g e n t s s u c h a s c u l t u r e d

wheat starch, vinegar, calcium propi onate and ascorbic acid all preserva tives

As an amazing benefit of sprouting, grains actually become more alkaline as water and oxygen support the growth of the new plant and naturally balances the pH While a balanced pH is great for health reasons, a higher pH does tend to shorten shelf life This is why the company primarily sells Food For Life breads frozen.

S i n c e i t s E z e k i e l b r e a d s h a v e b e c o m e s o p o p u l a r , F o o d F o r L i f e i s s e e i n g m o r e c o m p e t i t o r s n o w r e l e a s i n g s p r o u t e d g r a i n b r e a d s , t h o u g h u s i n g a c i d i f y i n g a g e n t s l i k e v i n e g a r a n d c u l t u r e d w h e a t s t a r c h t o e x t e n d t h e i r s h e l f l i f e U n f o r t u n a t e l y , t h e s e i n g r e d i e n t s l o w e r t h e p H b y i n c r e a s i n g t h e a c i d i t y , w h i c h F o o d F o r L i f e f e e l s o f t e n d e f e a t s t h e p u r p o s e o f s p r o u t i n g i n t h e f i r s t p l a c e . T o b e a

Because of the company’s com mitment to health, you can be assured that Ezekiel 4:9 Bread is the pinnacle of nutrition By adding pure filtered water t o c e r t i f i e d o r g a n i c g r a i n s , l e g u m e s and seeds, Food For Life is able to max i m i z e n u t r i t i o n a n d d i g e s t i b i l i t y Enzymes, like amylase and protease, are released naturally, helping to break down carbohydrates and protein, mak ing them easier to digest while maxi m i z i n g n u t r i t i o n a n d l o w e r i n g t h e glycemic index.

Food For Life’s slow baking tech nique means that every sprouted grain loaf is baked at lower temperatures to help preserve important natural vita m i n s a n d m i n e r a l s n e v e r “ f l a s h browned,” which can often trap active yeast

Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Bread is loaded with both important natural sol uble and insoluble fiber to help your body function at its peak.

A r e n ’ t a l l b r e a d s j u s t c a r b s ?

Amazingly, Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 breads often contain just as much pro tein as the stuff you put on your sand wich, from all plant based sources

Ezekiel 4:9 Bread, made with 100 percent organic ingredients Your body and taste buds will know the difference! Check with your food distributor for the best options.

call 951 279 5090

Ariston Infused Sea Salts & Himalayan Rock Salt

Ariston infused Sea Salts & Himalayan Rock Salt are just one of the newest product lines at Ariston Specialties in 2022 They are not only a gourmet food, but also have their own adjustable mill, making it a nice kitchen tool. These seven delicious items are a must for every kitchen in the United States!

Ariston Specialties looks forward to servicing your store

more information, call 860 263 8498 or go to www

n d c o n c e n t r a t e , c o c o n u t m i l k a n d c r e a m , c o c o n u t c o n c e n t r a t e , v i r g i n c o c o n u t o i l , c o c o n u t f l

Bubbies Means Better

For more than 30 years, Bubbies has been crafting high quality fermented and pickled products and remains a cat egory leader in fermented foods Now a household name, the Bubbies brand has a devoted and growing fanbase that prefers and advocates for products a n d m e t h o d s t h a t a r e n a t u r a l a n d authentic.

Fermentation, like Bubbie herself, is old school It all starts with harnessing the bacteria that naturally grows on cucumbers and cabbage Varietals, soil, and growing region all contribute to delivering the freshest crop with a most robust bacterial bouquet

Lakeview Farms (Cont’d from p 1)

GN: Where is Lakeview Farms head q u a r t e r e d a n d w h e r e a r e i t s p l a n t s located?

CB: We call the prairie land of Delphos, Ohio, home, but also have manufactur ing facilities scattered all over the U S to serve the needs of our customers You’ll find other Lakeview Farms plants in Taunton, Mass.; Buena Park, Calif.; and Riviera Beach, Fla., allowing us to assure delivery of products to retailers across the country through our national distribution network

Seviroli Foods (Cont’d. from p. 1)

I t s f i l l i n g s a r e u n u s u a l l y g e n e r o u s i n r a t i o t o t h e p a s t a a n d S e v i r o l i u s e s o n l y a u t h e n t i c i n g r e d i e n t s S e v i r o l i f r e s h l y g r a t e s i t s h a r d c h e e s e s f o r f i l l i n g s a n d m a k e s i t s o w n m o r t a d e l l a

A salt brine is an anaerobic (no oxy gen) environment in which certain bac teria (mold/yeast) can’t grow, while the right bacteria can In the absence of competing bacteria and in the presence of food (starches in the cucumbers and cabbage), this “good” bacteria propa gates, starting the magic of fermenta tion. As the bacteria digests the starches it creates lactic acid, which breaks down the cellular structure of the cucumbers and cabbage, turning them into pickles and kraut There’s no need for other acids like vinegar As long as there’s food to eat, the bacteria will do its thing But that’s also when Bubbie does hers

GN: Where can consumers find prod ucts made by Lakeview Farms?

CB: Our salsas, dips, hummus and spe cialty items are found in the perimeter departments of grocery and club stores nationwide You’ll find them in the pro d u c e , d e l i a n d r e f r i g e r a t e d s e c t i o n s because we feel fresh is best, and we want our customers to enjoy great tast ing food

GN: What is Lakeview Farms bringing to PLMA this year?

CB: While we make successful branded

f o r m e a t t o r t e l l i n i f i l l i n g S e v i r o l i a l s o h a s m a n y v a r i e t i e s o f f i l l i n g s , i n c l u d i n g c h e e s e , t h r e e c h e e s e , s p i n a c h , p o r t a b e l l a m u s h r o o m , b e e f a n d s a u s a g e S e v i r o l i ’ s p r o d u c t i o n f a c i l i t y i s S Q F L e v e l 3 c e r t i f i e d , s o i t t a k e s f o o d

For her Kosher Dill

P i c k l e s , s h e a d d s h e r s e c r e t s p i c e b l e n d t o t h e f e r mentation mix that p e r f e c t l y c o m p l i ments the sourness of the ferment

T u r n i n g h i g h q u a l i t y i n g r e d i e n t s i n t o h i g h q u a l i t y p r o d u c t s r e q u i r e s experience and talent. Fermentation is tricky business, because the product is quite simply, alive! This type of crafts manship (and these types of results) can only happen with more than 30 years of experience

O n c e f e r m e n t e d t o h e r l i k i n g , Bubbie packs her pickles and sauerkraut in the same brine she used to ferment

products, we are always happy to partner with stores to help elevate their store brand offerings. This year we’ll be focus ing on a variety of hummus flavors from traditional to spicy to sweet and we’ll be featuring our on trend refrigerated dips which customers are raving about, especially our Mexicali and Street Corn Dips You won’t want to miss them! We also have our fresh, authentic salsas which come in a wide variety, from expected to completely unexpected fla vors and styles. Lakeview Farms has the capacity and capability to produce prod ucts in larger sizes for club stores or small er sizes for individual servings talk to us!

s a f e t y v e r y s e r i o u s l y S e v i r o l i c a n c u s t o m i z e i t s f o r m u l a s t o m e e t t h e n e e d s o f y o u r b r a n d , f r o m h i g h e n d a r t i s a n p a s t a s t o e v e r y d a y v a l u e i t e m s S e v i r o l i F o o d s s t a r t e d t h i s b u s i n e s s i n 1 9 6 0 w i t h o n e s m a l l s t o r e f r o n t S i n c e t h e n , i t h a s b e c o m e t h e w o r l d ’ s

She packs them in g l a s s j a r s , n o t p l a s t i c B e c a u s e her products are n a t u r a l a n d f r e e of artificial preser v a t i v e s , B u b b i e r e f r i g e r a t e s h e r jars until they reach the store, which keeps the bacteria dormant and the product fresh.

I n g r e d i e n t s m a t t e r P r o c e s s a n d experience matter That’s why Bubbies means better

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o w w w bubbies com and follow @bubbiespickles on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter

GN: What’s coming up for Lakeview Farms?

C B : S t a y i n g o n t o p o f t h e l a t e s t t r e n d s i n t h e m a r k e t i s i m p o r t a n t t o u s , s o t h e c o m p a n y i s c o n s t a n t l y w o r k i n g t o d e v e l o p n e w p r o d u c t s t h a t w i l l a p p e a l t o t h e f o o d i e s i n a l l o f u s , w i t h o n t r e n d a n d t i m e l y i n n o v a t i o n a c r o s s o u r p o r t f o l i o o f b r a n d s a n d p r o d u c t l i n e s

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t b o o t h #F3926, go to www.lakeviewfarms.com, c a l l 4 1 9 6 9 5 9 9 2 5 o r e m a i l c b o y d @lakeviewfarms com

l a r g e s t f r o z e n t o r t e l l i n i m a n u f a c t u r e r S e v i r o l i F o o d s c r e a t e s s u p e r b p a s t a s t h a t y o u c a n s e r v e w i t h p r i d e a n d c o n f i d e n c e

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o w w w seviroli com or call 516 222 6220

made in the USA, these oils are easily ordered by grocery stores and are not impacted by the supply chain disrup tions that have been afflicting imported cooking oil products

Along with the hazelnut oil launch, HGO is proud to improve and expand its popular snack and candy line This summer, Oregon Orchard® introduced c o n v e n i e n t 4 o z . p a c k a g i n g f o r i t s chocolate and seasoned hazelnut flavor (nine items), along with the debut of seven exciting new chocolate covered

Planet Superfood (Cont’d from p 1)

a v a r i e t y o f s n a c k s . T h e p r o c e s s o f d i s c o v e r i n g s u r p r i s i n g n a t u r a l i n g r e d i e n t s i n t e n s i f i e d

P l a n e t S u p e r f o o d f o l l o w s s t r i c t r u l e s w h i l e c o m b i n i n g v a r i o u s f r u i t s and plants that are considered super foods:

• All products are 100 % plant based

• Planet Superfood does not use gluten and added sugar

• Planet Superfood does not use artifi cial flavorings, preservatives and genet

hazelnuts The new flavors will encour age and inspire pairing ideas with other products in the grocery store, such as wine, coffee, cheese, meats and fruits The new chocolate flavors are Salted C a r a m e l , B u t t e r s c o t c h , P i n o t N o i r , Maple Bacon, Dark Cherry, Mocha and Blackberry All of these items are gluten free, Kosher certified, and do not con tain any artificial flavors or ingredients, a requirement for most natural grocery sets in specialty and conventional store chains.

The new lineup is shipping now and is available at a suggested retail

ically modified ingredients

• P r o d u c t i o n p r o c e s s e s i n P l a n e t

S u p e r f o o d w o r k s h o p s m e e t r e q u i r e ments for bio and kosher foods it is AA rated by BRC Global food safety certi fication that represents the most impor tant worldwide recognition in the mar ket

• Planet Superfood uses a unique pas teurization method Log5 that is the highest food safety standard

• W h e n c r e a t i n g r e c i p e s , P l a n e t Superfood strives for every ingredient to strengthen the effect of others.

price of $4 99 at Wilco Farm Stores in the Pacific Northwest, www.farmstore .com, www.oregonorchard.com and on Amazon

Hazelnuts are a good source of vita mins B6 and E and are keto friendly All Oregon Orchard snacks are produced with HGO members’ hazelnuts, which are steam pasteurized in small batches at the SQF (Safe Quality Food) Level 3 Certified processing facility in Aurora, Oregon.

Founded in 1984, Hazelnut Growers of Oregon, a business unit of farmer owned cooperative Wilco, has more than

• Planet Superfood never compromises taste healthy can be tasty!

T o d a y o n t h e m a r k e t y o u c a n f i n d

Planet Superfood’s:

• different flavor organic powdered d r i n k m i x e s ( D e t o x , S l i m m i n g , B r a i n Boost, Hunger Control, Immunity Boost)

• keto protein bars (Sports Recovery, Slimming, Hunger Control)

• organic protein powders (Strength & B e a u t y S u p p o r t , D e t o x S u p p o r t , Slimming Support)

• k e t o s n a c k s ( S a l t e d C a r a m e l ,

180 growers who collectively own more than 20,000 acres of prime hazelnut orchards. HGO is the premier hazelnut processor and marketer in the United States, servicing retail, ingredient, and food service channels for confection, snack food and baking manufacturers around the globe The 120,000 square foot processing plant also has 57,000 square feet of refrigerated storage space The Oregon hazelnut industry is expect ed to double in the next five years.

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o www wilco coop/hazelnuts

Strawberry, Barbeque, Vegan Cheese)

• o r g a n i c s u p e r s e e d m i x ( D a r k C h o c o l a t e & “ S u p e r b e r r i e s , ” S a v o u r y O n i o n , E n e r g y B o o s t e r , S t r e n g t h & Beauty)

• organic super oils blend (Avocado & H e m p , P e r f e c t O m e g a R a t i o , H e m p Seed infused with Mint, Hemp Seed infused with Chili, Hemp Seed infused with Garlic)

J o i n P l a n e t S u p e r f o o d ’ s p l a n t b a s e d superfood revolution and make healthy delicious again!

Hazelnut Growers of Oregon (Cont’d from p 1)