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VOLUME 87 • NUMBER 4 APRIL 2022 • $7.00 • Tasting Exotic Gallivant Mawa Ice Creams a Treat of Global Flavors PAGE 5
• Potatoes Good for Cardiovascular Health PAGE 6
• Californian Cell-Cultured Seafood Maker, Japanese Sushi Company Join Forces PAGE 8
• Southeastern Grocers Relaunches Community Bag, Giving Tag Program PAGE 9
• Walmart, Plenty Unlimited Partner to Bring Fresh Produce to Shoppers Year-Round PAGE 10
• France Tops List of Best Wine-Making Countries in the World, Study Shows PAGE 12
• Broad-Spectrum Lighting Strategies Produce Higher Strawberry Yield, Better Plant Quality PAGE 13
• Featured Products PAGE 21
• Advertiser Index PAGE 23
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Who’d Have Thought You Could Get Water From Cactus? Sarita Lopez Did BY A.J. FLICK
By now, nobody bats an eye at the concept of drinking coconut water. Sarita Lopez wants to do the same thing for prickly pear cactus – not from the bright red, juicy fruits prized by jam makers and mixologists as well as desertdwelling javelinas, but the green pads guarded by some of the nastiest needles you’ll find. “In Mexico, they’re used for so many purposes, even prescribed by doctors in powdered capsules,” Lopez said. “Companies are making vegan leather from cactus as well as fencing to keep cattle in. It’s an amazing miracle plant.
“And it doesn’t need water to grow. It grows back quickly,” she added. “It has a lot of uses.” But … as a hydrating beverage? Lopez put her background in the beverage industry and her love for the cactus paddles together, at first bravely removing the spikes and selling the pads that locals used in juices in farmers markets, then eventually floating the idea that they’d make a nutritious, hydrating drink. By 2017, she created a cactus
water drink that she shopped around, collecting feedback. “I was constantly doing in demos stores to get feedback,” she said. Consumers wanted something a little sweeter and wanted to see more nutrition information on the panel, she said. They also wanted a more recyclable packaging than the aseptic packaging she was using.
one of the first grain-free graham crackers on the market. “It’s a natural development, which is what Pamela’s is all about,” said Chris Murphy, vice president of sales and marketing. “Going grain free helps improve digestive health.
Consumers who eliminate grains entirely from their diets are looking to reduce inflammation, improve digestive health or are on a weight-loss program, like the Paleo movement. “Pamela’s has been a pioneer in the gluten-free space since 1988,” Murphy said. “It sprang out of the need and desire to offer more creative solutions to common foods people were eating, especially
What if vegan food ingredients could bypass the use of animals, plants or land – thus sparing limited resources and energy – without the undesired textures of substitute proteins, plant-based milk or artificial ingredients? Kingdom Supercultures has taken the “if” out of the equation using a fermentation method to curate food ingredients in a lab. The company likens the process to using microbes like Lego building blocks. “The original idea was to take natural processes that have worked for thousands of years for beer, wine, cheese and yogurt,” co-founder Kendall Dabaghi said. “We discovered different combinations of natural microbial cultures and transformed them into a different end product. “It’s all about using cuttingedge advances and harnessing them to speed up the process for new combinations of natural cultures,” he said. “We’ve taken what’s been happening over the last hundred years without the artificial ingredients and chemicals but with the flavors, textures and functional health properties instead.”
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Pamela’s Adds Grain-Free Graham Crackers to Its Gluten-Free Line of Products BY A.J. FLICK
Years before most consumers knew what gluten was and what effect it had, Pamela’s offered baking mixes, snack bars, cookies and graham crackers as allergyfree alternatives to popular kitchen staples. Now, Pamela’s is going grain-free, with
Supercultures Deliver Vegan Ingredients Safely BY A.J. FLICK
Americans See ‘Serving Size,’ ‘Portion Size’ as Same, Survey Shows Results of a recent survey paint a picture of consumer confusion about portion and serving sizes. Despite having distinct definitions, many Americans use these terms interchangeably, highlighting an educational opportunity to help consumers better understand food choices. The International Food Information Council recently conducted a survey to gauge how much consumers know – and whether they know the difference between “serving size” and “portion size.” The “Understanding Portion and Serving Sizes” survey of 1,000 U.S. adults first asked
whether they had an understanding of the two terms. Ninety-one percent said they had at least some understanding about “serving size,” while 90 percent said the same of “portion size.” Respondents were then given a list of possible definitions that included the most accurate descriptions for both serving size and portion size and were asked to pick the two descriptions that best align with their understanding. (Serving size is based on a standardized amount of a food or beverage that people typically consume in one sitting, while
portion size is the amount of food or beverage someone chooses to eat in one sitting.) Among those claiming knowledge of serving sizes, about half (48 percent) picked the correct definition (the amount typically consumed) and/or thought it was defined by the company that created the product (46 percent). Fewer (39 percent) believed that the term was defined by dietitians and health professionals, while 33 percent thought it was defined by government agencies such as the FDA and 33 percent believed it was the amount one chooses to consume (portion size).
But out of those claiming at least some understanding of portion sizes, the most popular definition (“a standardized amount typically consumed”) was the same as the serving size – identical at 48 percent – indicating that consumers essentially conflate the two terms. Slightly behind, 45 percent correctly identified it as the amount one chooses to consume, which was followed by “defined by dietitians and health professionals” (44 percent). Respondents were then shown complete definitions of both Continued on PAGE 20
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My dad loved westerns. He watched them all the time, especially if they were John Wayne movies, so we did, by default. When he was growing up, he dreamed of being in the Wild West and he even convinced younger cousins that he was a cowboy. So it was a dream come true for him to take a job in Arizona, where we moved when I was in high school. His first dose of reality was that the picturesque Monument Valley is not on the way from Tucson to Yuma, no matter if you were on the 5:10 train or another. We soon learned that we could safely walk across the desert without worrying that we’d sink in quicksand and tarantulas are really docile creatures that don’t want to crawl up our bodies and do something nefarious with our necks (were they supposed to choke us or something? Why did so many westerns make it seem like they coveted our necks?). One enduring theme of the old westerns was that you could be out in the middle of nowhere, run out of water and easily crack open a cactus and hydrate yourself because everyone knows cactuses store water, right? Well … not exactly. We do see how the cactuses swell up during the summer rainy season to store water for the dry winters – but it isn’t like they have some pocket to store the moisture, like a coconut. What we learned is that there’s a certain kind of cactus, commonly called a prickly pear or nopal, that bears delicious, juicy fruit in the form of bright red buds that spring up on the flat, green pads. Desert critters such as our prickly pig-like (but they’re not pigs) javelina love chewing on the buds. Many restaurants and bars here serve prickly pear-flavored drinks flavored and colored from
the buds (they make great margaritas). But that’s not all. The pads, which are protected by mean spikes, are delicious to eat (once they’ve been de-weaponized). If you see “nopalitos” on a menu, that’s the pads of the prickly pear prepared as a food. There are many recipes online on how to prepare them. You can eat them raw, sauteed, boiled, grilled, fried. To me, when they’re cooked right, they have the texture of still-crispy zucchini and can have a slight citrus taste. So when I saw a press release about ¡Cactus! juice, made with our familiar nopales – not the red buds, but the green pads, I had to look into it. Sarita Lopez is passionate about letting the world know not only that the nopal makes a great drink, but that it’s incredibly sustainable. You don’t have to kill the cactus to harvest its pads, and the pads grow back quickly. Anybody who has prickly pear cactus in their yard knows they love to reproduce. Please check out our cover story on ¡Cactus! Also this month, we’ve got stories about how the industry has innovated to deliver foods that help people with allergies either with grain-free products or supercultures. The companies working on these products proudly note that they have simple, easyto-understand ingredients for the clean labels that consumers are asking for. And after hearing about Gallivant Mawa ice creams for some time, I got to road test them among my friends. I hope you enjoy reading our review as much as we did tasting a bunch of flavors. GN
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Tasting Exotic Gallivant Mawa Ice Creams Becomes a Treat of Global Delights REVIEW BY A.J. FLICK
What do you do when you have eight pints of exotic flavors of ice cream sent to you? You have an ice cream tasting. Well, at least that’s what I did. When the pints of Gallivant Mawa arrived, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to share it with my friends and get their opinions about how they tasted. I explained to my buddies, Robert Ulsrud and Craig Ludwiczak, that Gallivant makes its ice cream Indian-style with milk and mawa (South Asian milk solids). The ice cream is slow cooked to make it “creamier than gelato,” according to the company. The frozen treats are free of eggs, gluten and peanuts. The origin of this style of ice cream dates back to Persian chefs who offered them to royalty more than 700 years ago. Many festivities and cultures of the Persian and South Asian subcontinent enjoy this kind of ice cream on special occasions. I appreciate that Gallivant Mawa Ice Creams are made with ethically sourced, real ingredients from around the world. Its suppliers source ingredients directly and assure that they’re authentic and fresh. Robert and Craig were eager to taste them after I told them the eight flavors we would sample: Indian Mango, Thai Coconut, African Chocolate, Guatemalan Cardamom, Chinese Black Sesame, Madagascar Vanilla, Japanese Matcha and Persian Pistachio. (Gallivant also makes American Red Velvet, Spanish Saffron and Vietnamese Coffee.) Robert looked at me skeptically. “You’re really going to try them all?” he asked, knowing full well that coconut is on my do-not-eat list. “Yes,” I said confidently. I don’t think he believed me. Methodology: Gallivant Mawa comes shipped in plastic-foam containers with ice bricks and frozen solid. After some time acclimating in my freezer, I toted them to our monthly dinner party along with a small cookie scoop and small cupcake cups. I thought we might need some time to let our delicious chicken Parmesan dinner that Craig cooked settle before our taste testing, but the men were too eager to try the ice creams. I delivered the small cups to them, flavor by flavor, with Robert encouraging us to “cleanse our palates” with water in between. Indian Mango It was the first flavor we tried and a unanimous winner. Robert didn’t talk as he savored the orange-colored ice cream until he had finished his whole scoop. “It’s so … creamy,” he cooed. The mango taste was subtle and delicious. And, as he said, the texture was perfectly creamy. Robert was happy to take the rest of the pint home. Thai Coconut “And you’re really going to try this one?” Robert asked again. “Yes!”
One of the reasons I don’t like coconutflavored products is that the flavor is so bold that it tastes like I’m eating or drinking tropical sun tan lotion. This was not the case with Gallivant’s coconut mawa. I actually liked the light coconut flavor. But … What I don’t like about coconut products is flakes. Gallivant’s coconut has tiny flakes, but they’re there. Robert and Craig agreed they weren’t happy with the flakes, but Craig really loved the Thai Coconut and ended up with the rest of the pint. African Chocolate “I didn’t like it,” Robert declared. “Didn’t like it?” Craig said. “What’s not to like? It’s chocolate! What’s not to like about chocolate?” I agreed. While I prefer my chocolate on the darker side – and Gallivant checked the box on that one – it’s hard for me to not like something that’s chocolate. The texture is luxurious and I liked that it wasn’t just some overall brown coloring, but had lighter and darker shades. The flavor had depth and I wanted more than my one scoop, but Craig was delighted to keep the rest of the pint. He praised it many times during and after the tasting. I doubt it lasted long in his freezer. Guatemalan Cardamom Robert was most eager to taste this one. To him, cardamom evokes comfort memories of holiday home cooking, Norwegian style, in which cardamom is a common ingredient. Congratulations, Gallivant. You pleased Robert very much. But … “It’s soap!” Craig declared. “It tastes like soap!” Robert and I looked at him, puzzled. “What?” I, too, loved the cardamom mawa. “Why are you eating soap?” “Haven’t you guys ever gotten a taste of soap?” he said. Robert and I shrugged. Not every flavor can please everyone. Cardamom was one of our favorites. Of course, Robert took the rest of the pint home with him. Chinese Black Sesame Now, this was the ice cream I was most eager to taste. Robert couldn’t believe that I hadn’t opened it when it was in my freezer, for a sneak taste. Nope, I resisted. As you might expect, the Chinese Black Sesame is a dark hue, more like a dark gray than black, looking like putty. I was afraid it might turn the guys off. Nope. The taste is surprising and full of depth. As sesame should, the flavor takes its time making itself
known, as if your tongue needs to melt the ice cream away before it gets to the flavor bomb. It did not disappoint me, though the men were more than happy to let me take it home to devour. Madagascar Vanilla Yes, as any vanilla lover knows, the best vanilla comes from Madagascar with as few stops as possible along the way. After so many exotic flavors already consumed, Robert and Craig weren’t overly impressed with the vanilla. “It’s gritty,” Craig said. “It’s like it has sand in it,” Robert said. I was too busy enjoying the nutty vanilla flavor. Yes, I’ve got it in my freezer now. I just had some while I was writing this. Inspiration, you know. Japanese Matcha “Whatcha?” Robert and Craig were unfamiliar with matcha, which has been a trendy flavor of the last few years. To be honest, my experience with matcha is limited. I explained that it’s a common green tea flavor. I loved the matcha coloring of the ice
cream and appreciated the creamy texture and light flavor. “It’s not bad,” Robert declared, “but it’s not my favorite.” Craig didn’t finish his and wanted the next round to start immediately. I took the Japanese Matcha home. Persian Pistachio I saved this one for last because I was pretty sure that we would all like it. We were expecting the pistachio ice cream to look green, but it isn’t. It looks more like pecan ice cream. We immediately noticed something different about the pistachio. “It has actual nuts!” I said happily. “I don’t normally like nuts in my ice cream, but I like this,” Robert said. We agreed that pistachio was a winner. Robert now has possession of the Persian Pistachio, if it isn’t gone already. To sum up, while there was only one total rejection of a flavor – we’re looking at you, Craig – we agreed that tasting all of the exotic flavors was a fun experience. I was glad I tasted the coconut. Now, excuse me while I finish the Chinese Black Sesame. GN
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U.S. Consumers Expect More of the Brands They Buy, Qualtrics Research Shows U.S. consumers are judging companies based on their health and safety standards and how well they treat their employees and customers, according to research from Qualtrics. Consumers expect brands to go above and beyond recommended safety standards, according to the research. Thirty percent of consumers started buying from new brands over the past 18 months because they liked new safety measures that brands adopted, such as curbside pickup or delivery. Conversely, 22 percent of consumers have stopped shopping with a brand because they felt their health and safety measures were insufficient. The results underscore a trend among U.S. consumers who expect more of the brands they are doing business with, and who will switch brands if they feel they don’t share their ethical and social values. During the pandemic, J. Dawgs, a Utah gourmet hot dog restaurant, began selling do-it-yourself gourmet hot dog kits and launched a number of food trucks to safely reach their customers outdoors. Many customers said this move increased the likeli-
hood they’d continue to purchase from the restaurant and now are making those changes permanent because of continued customer demand. “We found that 72 percent of our customers who purchased DIY hotdog kits said they would not have purchased from the restaurant during the pandemic otherwise and were keen on seeing the kits continue, even after we reopened,” said J. Dawgs founder Jayson Edwards. “We also discovered that our new food trucks were massively popular with customers and that they wanted to see them more often, which completely changed our strategy long term.” Consumers not only care about how they are treated, but also how businesses treat their employees. Nearly half of consumers (47 percent) said they would trust a brand more if they took care of their employees, which was just behind taking care of customers (66 percent). Consumers care about how brands approach societal challenges and whether they fulfill their brand promises More than half of consumers (57 percent) said they are aware of the brand values of
the products and services they purchase or use. A third (36 percent) said they would likely stop purchasing from a brand if they felt disconnected from the company mission, values or stance on societal issues. Only 27 percent of respondents felt that the companies they do business with were doing enough to address environmental and societal challenges. Consumers are also quick to ditch brands that underdeliver on their promises. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of consumers have switched brands because their experiences did not live up to an advertised brand promise (such as “fast delivery” or “great customer service”). When asked what factors would cause them to stop purchasing from a brand, 69 percent said poor customer service – ahead of product quality (50 percent) or price increases (42 percent). “A brand promise needs to be the North Star for every experience an organization delivers,” said Bruce Temkin, head of Qualtrics XM Institute. “Organizations that continuously listen to their customers and employees and find new ways to deliver on their brand promise will create a long-term
competitive advantage.” A majority of consumers (78 percent) look at customer reviews before buying from a new brand. When considering a new brand, 83 percent said they were somewhat likely to purchase a new product if it has good reviews – compared to just 16 percent who said they may still purchase from a brand with poor reviews. In addition to online reviews, consumers were also heavily influenced by their friends, family and colleagues when considering whether to purchase from a new brand. Two-thirds of consumers said they were at least somewhat likely to purchase a new brand if recommended by a friend, family member or colleague. As it turns out, more than two-thirds have purchased from a new brand recommended by someone they know in the last year. This Qualtrics study asked more than 2,000 U.S. consumers what they thought about customer and brand experience. Participants were selected from a randomized panel and considered eligible if they live in the United States and are at least 18 years of age. This study was fielded in Q4 2021. GN
Haddock Shrinking in Global Supply, Sizing Bristol Seafood, top importer and processor of line-caught Norwegian haddock, expects a reduction in the global supply, according to a whitepaper signed by its president and CEO, Peter Handy. “Aside from a quota reduction, we’re seeing a slower catch and smaller sizing,” Handy wrote. “The catch is off to a slower start than in prior years. So far this season, average fish size is down from prior years.” As with all industries, the pandemic has affected the industry negatively. “Logistical challenges persist,” Handy wrote. “Freight rates remain elevated. Capacity remains a challenge. (The) global supply chain remains in flux.” The largest haddock catching region is experiencing reductions, with Norway – the largest catcher in the ICES regulated region – having its quota cut by 23 percent from the previous year.
China is the top producer of frozen fillets and portions, according to the whitepaper. Tariffs remain in place for export to the United States and container rates from China to the United States are among those worst affected by COVID, according to the report. Production capacity was reduced in China due to energy constraints and the ongoing pandemic. Yet demand in the United States for haddock is growing, Wright noted. “Haddock is a regionally consumed species, with the bulk in New England and the Mid Atlantic,” he wrote. The total haddock category was up 6.8 percent in 2021 (3 percent in 2020). Fresh haddock grew 4.8 percent in 2021 (and was flat in 2020). Frozen haddock, which represents 39 percent of the category, grew 10.1 percent (8 percent in 2020). Globally, landings have been down recently, yet above average historically. The
largest source of haddock globally is countries managed by the intergovernmental marine science group International Council for Exploration of the Sea, which includes Europe and Russia. The largest source of haddock from ICES countries is Norway, the principal area in which Bristol Seafood has sourced over the last 30 years. China is the largest source of haddock to the United States and is under pressure, according to the report. Nearly 40 percent of the U.S. supply consists of haddock processed in China and imported. The volume of haddock imported from China is down 57 percent from peak levels as a confluence of tariffs, increased freight rates and reduced production capacity weigh on trade. As inflation looms everywhere, Bristol Seafood expects haddock prices to rise. The average U.S. unit price in 2021 was up 4 percent in 2020, according to the report. “The recent quota reduction, a slow start
to the catch in Norway and continued strength in demand could drive continued upward pressure on boat prices,” according to the report. “Over the last several years, China has had a deflationary impact on haddock prices by offering low-cost processing and low-cost freight. “Volumes are down 57 percent from peak levels and prices are increasing, so there are fewer options for lower cost fish,” according to the report. Bristol was named to the Top 25 Seafood Sustainability & Conservation list, the Top 25 Seafood Product Innovations and is the first seafood company in the United States to earn a Fair-Trade certification. The company partners with foodservice companies nationwide; operates the My Fish Dish, Seafood Singles and Grab & Go retail brands; and provides contract manufacturing services to a select group of strategic partners. GN
Potatoes Good for Cardiovascular Health Research suggests that diets rich in potassium and low in sodium reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that adding 1,600 mg of
potassium a day can lower stroke risk by 21 percent. While those carefully watching carbohydrates have been avoiding potatoes, potatoes are considered good for cardiovascular health. A single serving of potatoes has 620 grams of potassium, which is more than a medium-sized banana. Skinon potatoes rank highest for potassium content among
the top 20 top-selling fruits and vegetables. Accumulating evidence also suggests that increasing dietary potassium can negate some of the adverse effects of dietary sodium on blood pressure. Reducing sodium along with increasing potassium provides greater heart disease protection than intervention alone. For cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association recommends foods that are limited in fats and sodium and a source of naturally occurring nutrients. Potatoes are naturally free of fat, choles-
terol and sodium. A 5.3-ounce serving of potatoes has 15 percent of the daily value of potassium and 30 percent of vitamin C, provides 3 grams of plant-based protein and has 2 grams of dietary fiber. “Being heart-healthy doesn’t necessarily mean having to give up our favorite things,” said RJ Harvey, director of culinary at Potatoes USA and a registered dietitian. “Potatoes are delicious, affordable and a crowd-favorite. They’re the perfect vehicle for people to take care of their hearts while also delivering flavor.” GN
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California Cell-Cultured Seafood Maker, Japanese Sushi Company Join Forces San Diego-based BlueNalu, a leading food company developing a variety of seafood products directly from fish cells, has formed a collaboration with leading multinational sushi restaurant operator Food & Life Companies. As a Japanese foodservice leader, Food & Life Companies operates brands such as Sushiro and Kyotaru and more than 1,000 restaurants across Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Mainland China. The agreement focuses on developing a
supply-chain solution for bluefin tuna and other sushi-grade products for the multinational sushi restaurant operator in the Asia-Pacific region, where seafood consumption is highest. The companies plan to collaborate on product development and marketing as well as supporting a regulatory framework to accelerate BlueNalu’s commercialization in Japan. BlueNalu and F&LC will focus on the belly portion of bluefin tuna, called toro, as an initial commercial product. Bluefin tuna
is a prized species in Japan, where an estimated 80 percent of the global supply is consumed, and commands premium pricing for its delicious flavor and unique sensory characteristics. “Cell-cultured seafood is a supply-chain solution that will have the taste, texture and nutrition that consumers expect,” said Lou Cooperhouse, president and CEO of BlueNalu, “and will not be susceptible to environmental contaminants like mercury and microplastics. “By centering our initial efforts on the high-quality toro portion of bluefin tuna, we aim to demonstrate culinary excellence with the most prized portion of the most sought-after fish in the most iconic marketplace for seafood.” “With the uncertainty of natural marine
resources in the future, it is important that we secure a stable supply of seafood in a more sustainable manner,” said Koichi Mizutome, president and CEO of Food & Life Companies. “We have already been promoting the use of farmed seafood as one of the ways to achieve this, but as seafood demand increases in the future, there will be increasing challenges with our global supply chain.” Global seafood consumption is at an alltime high and continues to increase, particularly in Asia. The United Nations projects global population and consumption growth will require 28 million metric tons of new seafood production by 2030. In addition to wild-caught and farm-raised seafood, cell-cultured seafood is seen as a third production method that can help meet that demand. GN
International Dairy Federation to Recognize Innovation Across Sector With Awards Brussels-based International Dairy Federation has launched the IDF Dairy Innovation Awards, a program designed to encourage and celebrate innovative practices across the dairy sector. “Dairy actors around the world have been actively engaged over the years in improving farming and processing of milk and dairy foods,” said Piercristiano Brazzale, IDF president. “It is important for IDF to stimulate and share light on innovative practices and processes in the global dairy sector.”
The awards will be hosted by the IDF in partnership with world-leading food and drinks consultancy Zenith Global, supported by Headline sponsorship from Tetra Pak, a world-leading food processing and packaging solutions company. “Over the last few decades, we have played a leading role together with our customers, in helping make nutritious dairy products safe and available for consumers everywhere,” said Adolfo Orive, president & CEO, Tetra Pak. “But with the ongoing
Foodie Engineers His Own Career With Smoked Seasonings Getting laid off from his Silicon Valley job might have been the best thing for Kirk Wells. He had followed his father into the world of engineering, but then took the path of his mother, a baker, although along a more savory route. In 2014, Wells decided he needed to create a smoker for seasonings, which he manufactured in his garage. His smoked seasonings were soon in high demand from his circle of friends. Eventually, started selling his seasonings online and in farmers markets and built larger capacity smokers so he could produce his seasonings on a larger level. Whiskey Oak Seasonings are created in small batches with high-quality ingredients, Wells says, which takes meals to the next level. The seasoning blends are slowly smoked using natural hardwoods.
“This process creates a smokiness that will tease your palate and sense of smell,” says Wells, who posts blogs on his website with recipes. “This smokiness is not intended to overwhelm your taste buds, but rather kick the flavors up a notch.” Whiskey Oak Seasonings come in six blends: Smoked Sugar, Smoked Salt, Smoked Steak, Smoked Pork & Poultry, Smoked Sea Salt, and Salty Sweet N’ Smokin’. The Whiskey Oak Sampler allows cooks to try a little bit of each of these distinctive smoked seasonings. Whiskey Oak Seasonings complement savory (steak, roast, burger, chick, ribs, etc.) and sweet dishes and have a long shelf life. Whiskey Oak Seasonings are sold in all Northern California Whole Foods Market stores, select regional stores and online. GN
pandemic, consumer lifestyles, purchase patterns and needs have shifted significantly and the sustainability demands on the industry are higher than ever before.” Entries will be invited in 12 awards categories, focusing on sustainable and community-led initiatives as well as new product development: •Innovation in sustainable farming practices: a) environment, b) animal care, c) socio-economic •Innovation in sustainable processing
•Innovation in research and development: a) farming, b) collecting & processing, c) new product development, d) food safety e) consumer nutrition •Innovation in sustainable packaging •Innovation in school milk programmes •Innovation in Climate Action The IDF World Dairy Innovation Awards 2022 is open for entries from April 1 to July 1. The award winners will be announced Sept. 12 in an awards ceremony at the IDF World Dairy Summit in Delhi, India. GN
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Organic Produce Sales Up 5.5% in 2021, Top $9B Organic produce sales withstood the pandemic in 2021, growing by 5.5 percent, topping $9 billion, according to the Organic Produce Network’s State of Organic Produce 2021. “Throughout 2021, the challenges of the global pandemic continued to be a part of our daily life,” Tonya Antle and Matt Seeley wrote in the report. “And while we hope the ‘new normal’ is finally nearing its end, we never want to forget how our industry has been a guiding light for the country and the world during this difficult time. “Day in and day out, the fresh produce industry has grown, harvested, and delivered some of the best bounty our planet has to offer – healthy, nutritious organic fruits and vegetables. If the past two years have taught us anything, it is the resiliency of the people who grow and pack organic produce and the care and courage of those on the frontlines of grocery store operations across the country.” Organic fresh produce sales outpaced conventionally grown produce in yearover-year gains in both sales and volume, according to the report. Despite the return of foodservice, organic produce sales and volume at retail outlets still showed yearover-year growth in all four quarters. Total organic fresh produce sales for 2021 were $9.2 billion, an increase of $477 million compared to 2020. The largest driver of organic fresh produce dollars in 2021, organic packaged sal-
ads topped $1.5 billion in sales and commanded a sizable 73 percent price premium over their conventional counterparts. Compared to the double-digit year-over-year gains enjoyed by the category in 2020, organic packaged salads slowed considerably in both sales (3.2 percent) and volume (0.9 percent) in 2021, likely due to foodservice coming back online as COVID restrictions eased and lockdowns ended. The No. 2 organic fresh produce category by annual sales dollars, organic berries raked in close to $1.5 billion in 2021, increasing by an impressive 13.9 percent from 2020. With a year-over-year volume gain of 10.2 percent, organic berries (which includes strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) continued to surge in popularity in 2021, commanding a significant price premium of 60 percent over their conventional counterparts. “You don’t need a crystal ball to predict continued growth for organic produce items. Organic strawberries and raspberries are getting stronger demand for organic options, and it’s going to be challenging to find that right mix of organic versus conventionally grown produce that is going to be the correct combination for growers to meet the demand of their customers,” said Jim Grabowski, director of marketing at Well•Pict Berries.
While organic apples didn’t have the double-digit year-over-year gains they logged in 2020, the category still managed to post a 6.3 percent increase in sales in 2021, which was especially impressive given that volume actually decreased year over year (–2.7 percent). As the third-largest driver of 2021 organic fresh produce dollars, organic apples boasted retail sales of more than $663 million and a solid price premium of 41 percent over their conventional counterparts. “Storage of organic apples has always been the biggest challenge,” said Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing at Sage Fruit Company. “As techniques have improved, we have been able to make the crop last later in the season and expect the same in this upcoming year.” In 2021, organic fresh herbs and spices took a breather from the breakneck doubledigit growth spurt they exhibited in 2020. The category’s year over-year sales increased by a moderate 5.4 percent in 2021, while volume showed a small decline of – 2.7 percent, suggesting that the surge in home cooking seen during the first year of COVID may have waned slightly as restaurants started reopening in 2021. “The packaged herb category is roughly 70 percent organic, which is rather unheard (of) in our industry, and we continue to see that shift up each year,” said Steve Wright, chief consumer officer of Soli Organic Herbs & Spices. “Herbs followed up a
record 2020 year with another strong showing in 2021. Driven by the marked shift towards more in-home dining, the category is up over 24 percent vs. 2019. From an operational standpoint, the year was extremely challenging.” “Organic culinary herbs had another great year as consumers continued to drive demand for fresh, quality herbs year-long and during the holidays. We’ve witnessed impressive growth in the herb category during the past couple years for both retail and home-delivery channels and we hope 2022 will be no exception,” said Dani Loustalot, marketing manager at Jacobs Farm Del Cabo. A top contributor to organic fresh produce dollars, organic carrots had retail sales of nearly $430 million in 2021. However, compared to 2020, the root vegetable showed decreases in both sales (–1.3%) and volume (–4.4 percent), likely due to a decline in consumer stockpiling behavior as well as the return of foodservice. With a modest price premium of 31 percent over conventional, organic carrots are one of the more affordable organic options in the produce department. In terms of sales, the rest of the Top 20 organic produce products were lettuce, bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, citrus, grapes, avocados, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, broccoli, celery, cucumbers, squash and kale. GN
Southeastern Grocers Relaunches Community Bag, Giving Tag Program Florida-based Southeastern Grocers, parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, has relaunched its Community Bag and Giving Tag Program with the debut of vibrant reusable bag designs to continue to encourage customers to support local organizations when they buy a reusable bag. The new community bags are now available for $2.99 in all Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie locations for customers who want to make a difference in their communities, while also helping the environment by reducing the use of
paper and plastic bags and their impact on the planet. “We are dedicated to the diverse communities we serve and the causes that our customers and associates care about the most,” said Raymond Rhee, chief people officer. “Through our Community Bag and Giving Tag Program, shoppers are empowered to directly aid thousands of local organizations doing good in our community, while reducing the use of single-use bags and their impact on the environment to nurture a healthier and more sustainable planet.” With each purchase of a reusable community bag featuring an attached giving
tag, customers may direct a $1 donation to the nonprofit of their choice within seven days of purchase by visiting MySEGcause.com and following the instructions on the giving tag to make their selection. If the customer does not choose a nonprofit to receive the $1 donation within seven days, it will automatically be donated to the store’s chosen nonprofit of the month. Each month, the store will select an organization to benefit including education, civic, health and wellness, hunger and disaster relief, veterans and military families as well as belonging, inclusion and diver-
sity organizations. The durable and stylish reusable bags are made from recycled materials. In its third year, the Community Bag and Giving Tag Program has supported nearly 7,000 organizations with more than $350,000 in donations. Additionally, customers can help fight hunger across the Florida communities that Winn-Dixie serves through its Bloomin’ 4 Good program, which provides a way for customers to easily give back to local neighbors in need with every Bloomin’ 4 Good floral bouquet sold at all Florida Winn-Dixie stores. GN
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Walmart, Plenty Unlimited Partner to Bring Fresh Produce to Shoppers Year-Round Walmart has signed an agreement to invest in Plenty Unlimited, an indoor vertical farming company, as part of a $400 million Series E funding round, subject to regulatory approval. Walmart’s plans to use Plenty’s indoor vertical farming technology platform to deliver fresh produce to Walmart retail stores. As part of the investment, at closing, Walmart will also join Plenty’s board of directors. The long-term commercial agreement allows Walmart to source Plenty’s leafy greens for all of its California stores from Plenty’s Compton farm beginning later this year. Walmart is the first large U.S. retailer to significantly invest in vertical farming. “At Walmart, we are focused on identi-
fying and investing in innovative food solutions to bring our customers the freshest, highest-quality foods at the best prices,” said Charles Redfield, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S. “We believe Plenty is a proven leader in a new era of agriculture, one that offers pesticide-free, peakflavor produce to shoppers every day of the year. This partnership not only accelerates agricultural innovation, but reinforces our commitment to sustainability, by delivering a new category of fresh that is good for people and the planet.” Plenty’s farming technology platform delivers pesticide-free produce that tastes like it was picked fresh from the garden, all year long. The company’s indoor farming archi-
tecture differs from greenhouses and other indoor farms, by combining engineering, software and sustainable crop science to grow multiple crops on one platform – at unprecedented speed. Backed by one of the largest U.S. patent portfolios in the industry, Plenty’s proprietary tech meaningfully improves on traditional agriculture’s use of water and land. By building farms closer to consumers, Plenty helps reduce transportation and food waste, keeping items fresher for longer in 100 percent recyclable product packaging. Vertical farming supplements traditional farming practices to help increase food supply and alleviate current challenges on the food system in a sustainable way. Walmart’s investment is the latest step in the retailer’s commitment to increase access to high-quality, fresh produce for its customers. “Plenty’s unique farming system unlocks
industry-leading crop versatility and unit economics by enabling indoor growing
year round,” said Arama Kukutai, Plenty CEO. “Our farms can be sited anywhere, allowing us to put fresh fruits, greens and vegetables on shelf at all times, at speed, for maximum freshness. Walmart is an ideal partner to test and scale access to our quality produce for their customers. This is a game-changer for the agritech industry.” GN
Ole Smoky Distilleries Draw the Most Visitors in the World Whiskey isn’t just a drink in East Tennessee – it’s a destination. Once again, Ole Smoky distilleries are the most visited distilleries in the world for 2021. Despite the pandemic (or maybe because of it), the four Ole Smoky distilleries in Tennessee saw more than 5.7 million visitors last year, up from the previous record of 4.5 million. Ole Smoky distilleries craft moonshine and whiskies, with daily tastings for visitors. Ole Smoky’s The Holler in Gatlinburg welcomed 2.6 million visitors; The Barrelhouse in Gatlinburg 1.1 million; Pigeon Forge’s distillery, The Barn, 1.3 million; and Nashville’s 6th & Peabody 700,000. “We are proud that each year more and more people visit our distilleries to try
our growing variety of quality moonshine and whiskey products,” said Robert Hall, CEO. “We know that part of the increase in visitors came from our regional drive markets, as more people took to the roads last year. “We are also fortunate to be in Gatlinburg, a family-friendly destination that hosted more visitors at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, more than 14 million, as well as other new local attractions. East Tennessee truly became a more desirable travel location for so many this past year.” By comparison, Ole Smoky entertains more than twice as many guests as all of Scotland’s distilleries combined. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, Scotland’s 134 whiskey distilleries saw 2.2
million visitors in 2021. Ole Smoky’s 5.7 million visitors is more than triple the 1.7 million people who visit all of the distilleries combined on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail each year. Each Ole Smoky distillery location includes working stills, fermentation tanks and an expansive visitor experience, including self-guided tours, moonshine and whiskey tastings, live music and large retail shops featuring Ole Smoky moonshine, whiskey, apparel, accessories and food. Ole Smoky Moonshine is also the No. 1
selling moonshine brand in the world. Nielsen indicates that Ole Smoky’s market share is more than four times that of its nearest competitor. In 2021, as the largest craft distiller in the United States, Ole Smoky Distillery introduced its small-batch premium whiskey brand with its first expression honoring family ties, James Ownby Reserve Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey. GN
Salut! Faire La Fête Continues to Expand U.S. Distribution Footprint With Glazer’s Los Angeles-based First Growth Brands’ flagship brand, Faire La Fête, has reached new heights in its national distribution partnership with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Now sold in 22 SGWS markets, Faire La Fête saw sales increase by more than 272 percent in 2021 vs. 2020, according to the company. The French champagne is known for its quality, reduced sugar level and price point. As part of this expansion with SGWS,
Faire La Fête has added Arkansas, Hawaii, Kentucky, Oklahoma and South Carolina to its list of markets. “For years, consumers have loved champagne, but always saw it as a special occasion drink,” said Edward Holl, chairman and CEO of First Growth Brands. “Faire La Fête is changing that, providing amazing quality at an accessible price point – making it the perfect champagne to drink any day and at any time.”
Consumers can find Faire La Fête in 34 markets, including these 22 markets with SGWS: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, South Carolina and South Dakota. Faire La Fête, which is French for “to party with friends,” was introduced in the
United States in 2015. Faire La Fête is France’s answer to making champagne affordable by offering consumers the same traditional quality of $60-plus champagnes at a third of the price. Faire La Fête is produced by First Growth Brands in Limoux, France, the birthplace of champagne in 1531. Faire La Fête is sustainably hand-harvested, bottle aged and has half the sugar of tank-fermented prosecco. GN
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Meat Alternative Atlast Food Rebrands as MyForest Foods to Reflect Mission New York-based Atlast Food Co., creator of whole-cut meat alternatives from gourmet mushroom mycelium, has become MyForest Foods Co. Following its 2020 launch into the altmeat market, the company’s new name aligns with its mission to support a wellfed future through the creation of mycelium-based foods. The forest – mycelium’s natural environment – serves as a reminder of the origin of the ingredient, inspiring all brand material applications moving forward, from the front-and-center name to the small, subtle details. MyForest Foods will continue to use mycelium, the vegetative root structure of mushrooms, to grow and harvest complete proteins that mimic traditional meat cuts
in both texture and flavor. The brand will continue to produce MyBacon Strips, the company’s flagship product and the world’s first whole-cut, plant-based bacon, with additional products in the works. The company’s whole-cut approach to plant-based food comes from a proprietary AirMycelium cultivation method developed by MyForest Foods’ parent company, Ecovative. This method offers control over mycelium’s shape and density as it grows, fine-tuning the same environmental factors present in its natural forest habitat. “Replicating Mother Earth’s magic, we simulate the forest inside our vertical farms – cool rains, evening fog, morning mist and afternoon breezes create just the right environment for our mycelium to grow, weav-
ing into delicate, precise, and tender wholecuts for the world to enjoy,” said CEO Eben Bayer. “The forest, philosophically and physically, is where we hail from, so this felt like a natural move. ‘From the forest. For the future,’ our new company tagline, captures our essence and purpose.” “From our name and visual identity to our company mission and values, we aim to inspire our employees and customers through this deep, literal connection to the forest,” said CMO Sarah-Marie Cole. “Our color palette was developed from real, dyeable mushroom samples. Our illustrative style nods to classic, hand-drawn field guides. Our language reflects the whimsical feeling you get when you wander through the woods. Each choice is meaningful, in-
tentional, and woven together to share our unique and delicious story with the world.” Focused on scaling business growth to provide more commercial product availability in 2022, the company recently announced its partnership with Whitecrest Mushrooms Ltd., which plans to produce nearly three million pounds of MyBacon mycelium each year on less than one acre of land. To prioritize the scalability of the technology used to create mycelium-based food products, MyForest Foods broke ground on 120,000 square feet of infrastructure between a headquarters facility in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and the world’s largest vertical mycelium farm in New York’s Hudson River Valley Region. Both facilities are slated to open this fall. GN
France Tops List of Best Wine-Making Countries in the World, Study Shows France makes the best wine in the world, according to a study by Maxima Kitchen Equipment experts, as judged by the international wine awards the country has earned. Spain is the second best at making wine, followed by Italy in third, according to the survey. The top three countries have won more than 60 percent of the awards over the past three years. The study analyzed multiple wine award ceremonies over the past three years, including International Wine Challenge, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Sommeliers Choice Awards and Decanter Awards, to find out which country produces the best wine.
France earned 851 top awards at the ceremonies, 24 percent of all medals won by countries on the list. France earned 29 percent of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles awards, 692 of the 2,389 given out. French wine comes from all over the country, with the region Bordeaux being famous for red wines such as Merlot, and the region Champagne producing the famous sparkling wine, Champagne. Spain won 22 percent of the top awards. Out of the 794 medals Spain earned, 677 of them are from the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles ceremony, more than 85 percent of their total awards won. Famous wines from Spain include Cava, Rioja and Grenache.
Italy received 512 top medals, 14.5 percent of awards earned by countries on the list. Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is the award that Italy earned most, with 392 coming from the ceremony. Italy is well known for red wines such as Chianti and Barolo and its sparkling wine, Prosecco. At fourth on the list is Portugal, which has won 12.6 percent of the highest awards earned by the countries on the list. Portugal performed well at all the ceremonies, placing in the top five medal earners in three of them. The first non-European country to appear on the list, the United States, comes in at fifth. The country won 352 awards, just below 10 percent of awards given to countries on the list. The United States earned
most awards from the Sommelier’s Choice Awards, with 97 percent coming from the ceremony. The rest of the top 10 is Australia, Chile, South Africa, Greece and Argentina. “Wine is a favorite drink worldwide,” a Maxima Kitchen Equipment spokesperson said, “with 23.4 billion liters being consumed a year, and has been in Europe for thousands of years. It is fascinating to see how well different countries around the world are at making wine. “The data shows that France is the best country for wine, and is one of four Mediterranean countries in the top 10, showing how vital climate is for producing wine.” GN
Green Life Farms Punta Gorda Facility in Full Production With Herbs, Leafy Greens Florida-based Green Life Farms has completed optimizing the former Finn Farms
facility in Punta Gorda, which Green Life Farms acquired in 2021 and incorporated into the Green Life Farms brand. The
250,000-square foot facility is growing 11 herb varieties, butterhead lettuce, microgreens, baby leafy greens and other varieties. Green Life Farms completed its purchase of Finn Farms in September, after which the company immediately began work on more than 24 essential tasks required for commercial operation. Improvements included testing all 12 hydroponic bays for functionality, outfitting the packaging area with new equipment, hiring and training a full complement of staff and buying a refrigerated delivery truck to ensure freshness from farm to table.
The farm is in full production, selling all products under the Green Life Farms brand at more than 300 grocery stores, specialty markets and restaurants across Florida and internationally. Green Life Farms also sells herbs and leafy greens to a major meal-kit delivery service provider under a long-term contract. Green Life Farms product offerings include basil, chives, cilantro, dill, mint, parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme, butterhead lettuce, baby romaine, baby arugula, baby kale, baby spinach and farmer’s blend.
Green Life Farms’ process combines technology with agricultural best practices to grow premium leafy greens with a focus on sustainability, energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. The produce is cultivated in clean, nutrient-rich oxygenated water in state-ofthe-art greenhouses. Greens are harvested and packaged in a controlled environment to create the cleanest produce year-round and delivered locally to ensure premium freshness and a small carbon footprint. GN
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Broad-Spectrum Lighting Strategies Produce Higher Strawberry Yield, Better Plant Quality A year-long collaboration between a Texas company and Dutch institute achieved higher strawberry yields and better plant quality under broad spectrum-lighting strategies. Fluence by OSRAM, a leading global provider of energy-efficient LED lighting solutions for commercial cannabis and food production, and Delphy Improvement Centre, an independent institute and expert in food and flowers in Bleiswijk, the Netherlands, studied how Fluence’s LED lighting solutions impact strawberry production in greenhouses.
As grocers push produce suppliers to deliver fresh, high-quality crops year-round, growers are increasingly exploring how to allocate high-tech greenhouse space to strawberries, which are typically grown outdoors or in hoop houses (small, semiportable structures). Fluence and Delphy examined how to sustainably grow strawberry crops in high-tech greenhouse environments while maximizing yield and fruit quality. “Results from our collaboration with Delphy are showing that strawberries thrive under predominantly white spectra,
creating opportunities for greenhouse growers to introduce new, efficient lighting strategies into their facilities,” said David Hawley, Ph.D, principal scientist for Fluence. “Strawberry cultivars grown under a broad-spectrum with a fraction of far-red saw taller crops, wider canopies, higher overall yields and increased Brix values. As with all crops and individual cultivars, there is no ubiquitous lighting strategy for optimizing plant yield and quality. However, our global research endeavors continue to showcase the power of optimized
lighting solutions for the world’s most popular crops.” “Produce managers at grocers and other retailers seek quality and consistency from their suppliers – consistency that a high-tech greenhouse facility is built to provide,” said David Cohen, CEO of Fluence. “Greenhouses create safe, clean and controlled environments. With an optimized lighting strategy, growers can produce crops with delicious flavors that consumers demand and yields that enable store shelves to remain stocked yearround.” GN
NE Organic Family Farm Partnership Aims to Save Struggling Family Farms After dozens of northeastern organic family farms received the bad news that two brands were canceling purchase contracts, the co-founder and former CEO of Stonyfield Organic has launched Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership, a first-of-its kind partnership created to ease the crisis of disappearing family farms. Last fall, 89 organic family farms across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and eastern New York received the news that Horizon, a brand owned by Danone North America, was terminating their purchase contracts, effective in early 2023. Then, Maple Hill Creamery announced the cancellation of contracts for an additional 46 farms. This news put these farms, many of whom have been in business for generations, at serious risk of closure unless they find alternate outlets. In January, Gary Hirshberg, longtime Stonyfield CEO and a co-founder, announced the launch of the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership, a collaboration of farmers, processors, activists and government agencies. The partnership is inviting consumers to sign a pledge to purchase one-fourth of their weekly dairy purchases from 35
brands. These brands have committed to increase their purchases of northeast organic family farmers’ milk and thus increase demand and market stability to help save the 135 at-risk farms and so that all of the region’s organic family farms can be more secure. The partnership is also inviting grocers, restaurants, cafeterias and any outlets that sell dairy products to also become licensed as partners. Licensed partners who have signed affidavits to grow their organic purchases may display the partnership logo at point of sale and also online to enable easy identification by consumers. The partnership board includes a diverse group of leaders and individuals committed to saving all at-risk organic family farms across the northeast. They include Hirshberg, Peter Allison, Farm to Institution in Vermont; Diane Bothfeld, Agency of Agriculture in Vermont; Leon and Abbie Corse, Vermont Organic Dairy Farmers; Claire Eaton, Maine Dept of Agriculture; Annie Watson, Maine Organic Milk Company and dairy farmer; and Eric Ziehm, New York organic dairy farmer. Advisers include Michael Brown, CROPP Cooperative in Maine; Rose Forrest, Sodexo Sustainability Coordinator in Rhode Island; Ed Maltby,
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Association in Massachusetts; Peter Miller, Miller Family Farm in Vermont; Britt Lundgren, Stonyfield Organic in New Hampshire and Albert Straus, Straus Organic Creamery in California. “The Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership celebrates the fact that when it comes to supporting our region’s organic family farmers, it really does take a village,” said Hirshberg. “Everyone has a stake in the long-term financial health of these farms and farm families. The simple act of pledging to purchase one-quarter of dairy items from the brands, processors and farms who support these family farmers, can help to ensure that these farms will remain healthy, vibrant, financially viable, and environmentally and climate-positive parts of the northeast region for generations to come.”
The United States – especially the northeast – has seen drastic reductions in the number of both farms and acreage over the last decade. From 2012 to 2021, Vermont lost more than 390 individual dairy farms as food production has largely been ceded away from small families and into large, agri-business operations. H o w e v e r, organic family farmers are important contributors to a healthy environment and thriving rural life and are important players in the region’s food system. Organic farms promote sustainability, sequester more soil carbon, decrease harmful environmental impacts and have been shown to be more profitable and produce healthier livestock and higher milk quality, according to the partnership.GN
Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge Draws 900 Applications The first year of the Institute of Food Technologists’ The Future Global Food System Challenge drew nearly 900 applications from more than 60 countries. The challenge seeks to inspire and support innovative, diverse and multidisciplinary teams to create game-changing innovations to transform the food system. Applications from startups, nonprofits, universities, research institutions and multi-organization collaborations sought seed grants, growth grants and grand prizes, totaling more than $1 million.
The challenge focuses on scalable and high impact innovations that reside at the intersection of three domains: safe and nutritious food for a healthy diet; produced sustainably and without waste; and accessible, appealing, affordable, and trusted by consumers. Among the top winning projects are solutions across the food value chain, from natural fertilizer and animal feed to safer, more nutritious grains and protein sources, to off-grid solar dryers and solar powered refrigeration units. Designed to
operate in high temperature, geographic regions that lack infrastructure, the refrigeration units extend shelf life and avoid spoilage of fresh produce. These integrated solutions are promising and sustainable approaches in improving our food supply in the face of health crisis and climate change. “Throughout the selection process, we saw truly inspiring and revolutionary innovations developed by highly motivated teams from all over the world to address the challenges facing our food system on a
regional and global scale,” said Bernhard van Lengerich, founder of Seeding The Future Foundation. The grand prize winners are: • International Rice Research Institute for its arsenic-safe rice project. • Solar Freeze for its project on portable, solar-powered cold storage units for rural smallholder farmers of perishable produce. • WorldFish for its homestead aquaculture project to bring sustainable, nutrientrich small fish production to small-scale actors. GN
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Culinary Institute Creates Gluten-Free Recipes to Promote Japanese Rice Flour In a recent drive to promote the use of Japanese rice flour in the United States, the Culinary Institute of America created two gluten-free recipes, Cheesy Rice
Bread and Apple Fritters, for the Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Cen-
ter. The center will reach out to bakeries to promote the recipes with the goal of popularizing Japanese rice flour in the United States. In recent years, chewy baked goods made with Mochi (Japanese rice balls) have gained popularity in the United States, setting the stage for other innovation in the category. CIA consulting chefs developed recipes that played on familiar foods, such as apple fritters and pao de queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread, using rice flour in place of fermented tapioca flour, substituting rice flour for other types of
flour. In the apple fritters, rice flour replaced wheat flour. “I was honestly surprised to find that the apple fritter tasted good with rice flour, as it was fluffier and softer,” said Chef Dianne Rossomando, CIA baking and pastry associate professor. “After repeated trials, I realized that one of the reasons for the success was that the fine rice flour enhanced the taste of the apple, emphasizing the sweetness and sourness of the apple.” “In selecting recipes to develop,” said David Kamen, assistant director of the consulting chef program, “I was intrigued by the idea of substituting rice
flour for the fermented tapioca flour in pao de quejo. The two products we
worked on are gluten free, but they deserve recognition because they are also delicious.” Recipe videos are available at riceflour-jfoodo.jetro.go.jp. GN
Enhanced ABB Ability Sugar Library Boosts Monitoring, Control Flexibility Global technology company ABB has launched its latest release of ABB Ability Sugar Library, enhanced with functionalities to serve as a control engineering inventory for sugar manufacturers. It will help to reduce engineering costs and development timelines, simplify expansions and eliminate errors in engineering and improve quality and reliability in operational use, according to the company. The release features a range of specifically designed tem-
Supercultures Continued from PAGE 1 Kingdom Supercultures has nearly 20,000 microbial cultures in its biobase and is partnering with CPG companies to produce vegan foods as well as famed New York City Michelin star restaurant 11 Madison Park, said co-founder Ravi Sheth. “We are drawing inspiration from nature,” Dabaghi said. “Basically, we’re combining in a nearly infinite design space, compounds of molecules rearranged to do
and cane sugar industries. It fulfills all
process area requirements, including raw material handling, purification, crystallization and sugar handling, and now evaporation and filtration. Customizable templates will result in engineering efficiencies. For operators, efficient monitoring of process helps to optimize resources and energy usage. A high-performance human-machine interface has been designed for fast detection and resolution of process disturbances, with alarm messages. In maintenance, teams will gain the right information at the right time, with tracking and trends visually available. The auto-reconfigurable dynamic, high-
performance HMI visualizations provided in the library for selected operations will greatly reduce the commissioning time and will also help plant engineers and operators focus on continuous improvement. Among sustainability advantages, ABB Ability Sugar Library features a steam economy mode that ensures no more steam than required is generated during the evaporation phase. It is also collected and reused for the crystallization phase, saving any fuel used to make the steam and therefore reducing production costs. The solution is built from knowledge attained through collaboration with major process and equipment suppliers and sugar manufacturers. This ensures that the latest process control philosophies are incorporated within the library. It comprises components for control and supervision, with each a complete functional unit ready for use and able to be adapted to specific user needs. GN
different work. It’s very much in line with the natural food movement. We can solve challenges in a much more healthy and sustainable way.” The end results create a product that alleviates common food allergies, the men said. “It’s exciting and rewarding,” Dabaghi said. “I’ve had food allergies since I was young and I came to realize that moving toward more natural foods improved a lot of that. It’s like trying to run a really nice car on really bad gasoline. That doesn’t work so well.” To mix a metaphor, you can’t lead con-
sumers to healthier food if it doesn’t taste good. Kingdom Supercultures hasn’t forgotten that, either. “The health aspect is one part of it, but the other part is, improving the tasting and flavor,” Sheth said. “In many cases, with the renaissance of fermentation, we’re able to bring out flavor profiles that are authentic and tasty and bring those to the masses in a safe way.” The simplified, safe microbial process results in a clean-label product that consumers are demanding, Sheth said. “It’s exciting to deliver this to con-
sumers,” Sheth said. In addition, removing dairy milk and plants from the process decreases stress on the environment, the men said. “Ultimately, we see natural supercultures as a new class of ingredients that help transition the food system from artificial chemistry into something much more natural,” Sheth said. Kingdom Supercultures has completed a series of fundraising, garnering $25 million, Sheth said, which will help the company build its infrastructure to keep up with the demand for supercultures. GN
plates for sugar process applications in beet
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A Bevy of Beverages Comes on the Market Spring brings a small flood of new beverages on the market, from a beloved Gothan coffee shop to innovative kombucha and water flavors to cocktails. After 36 years as one of New York City’s favorite coffee shops, Oren’s Coffee is celebrating with a limited-run Oren’s Anniversary Blend 2022. A blend of Ethiopia Sidamo Shantawene, Papua New Guinea Mile High A and French Roasted Colombia beans brings together the three primary coffee-growing regions in one cup. Notes of raspberry jam meet citrus with a caramel and bittersweet chocolate finish to round out the coffee blend. Oren’s Anniversary Blend 2022 is reminiscent of its Mocha Java and French Roast blend, the most requested blend during the company’s first year in business. “I am very proud that we always set and maintained the highest quality standards for our beans,” founder Oren Bloostein said. “We did it in 1986 when we trucked coffee into New York from San Francisco, since that is where the best coffees were being imported at the time, and we do it today, where we are frequently buying directly from farmers worldwide and making sure farmers are being paid a premium for their fine coffee beans.” Oren’s Anniversary Blend 2022 is available for $20.50 a pound at orenscoffee.com. Expect to hear a lot more about Waka Coffee & Tea, an emerging instant coffee and tea company, since the company closed a $725,000 pre-seed round to accelerate its growth and innovation. With strong sales and customer response to date, the brand is launching three products as well as refreshed design and packaging. This first round of outside investment will allow Waka to introduce even more products, build the team and expand into new sales channels. Founded in late 2018 by David Kovalevski, Waka sees its mission as reviving the instant coffee and tea categories through high quality products, eco-friendly packaging and flavors meant to appeal to younger demographics. The products are best sellers on Amazon and recently expanded into physical retail with Central Market in Texas and launched internationally with iHerb. “While instant coffee remains very popular around the world, most consumers in the U.S. have only interacted with legacy brands in the space that often pale in comparison to large specialty and premium coffee retailers,” Kovalevski said. “This presents an incredible opportunity for Waka to create a strong connection with consumers who are looking for a viable option in the instant coffee and tea categories, and we are already seeing massive spikes in interest and adoption for home, office, and on-the-go. “Preferences are shifting as new and younger demographics try instant coffee and tea products for the first time due to viral social media trends like whipped coffee and loaded teas, both of which use either instant coffee or instant tea,” he said. “We are inspired by the potential application of our products and are encouraged by
our consumer survey findings showing a willingness to try Waka instant products vs. more traditional brands.” Waka is releasing three instant coffee roasts and origins: Ethiopian Dark Roast, Ethiopian Light Roast and Papua New Guinean Medium Roast. All products will have single-serve and bulk bag options and are available to order across all of Waka’s online sales channels. Waka is also unveiling brand identity and packaging. “Our new design is playful, simple and approachable – just like the brand we are building,” Kovalevski said. Oregon-based Brew Dr. Kombucha has launched two flavors: Happiness and Citrus Earl Grey, tea-forward flavors inspired by Brew Dr.’s heritage as a tea company. Happiness was one of the company’s original kombucha flavors, now reintroduced with an updated recipe for an even bigger flavor profile. Happiness blends white tea with elderflower, chamomile, hibiscus and rose petals for a soft and floral finish. Citrus Earl Grey boasts a bright, citrus-forward recipe of blood orange, lemon and orange peel and finishes smoothly with the velvety bergamot of Earl Grey tea. The new flavors are starting to appear inmarket at retailers across the country. Meantime, Brew Dr. has launched its first peach-flavored kombucha, Just Peachy, available in limited release at select retailers and online with a custom design. Just Peachy starts with high-quality loose
leaf green tea, then blends in five different varieties of organic peaches. The result is a balance of sweet, ripe and tart flavors, with hints of honey and summer flower.
Seattle-based illustrator Jordan Kay designed the bottle label. Kay’s art draws inspiration from the imperfections and organic quality of flowers, fungi and foliage in the wild, as well as retro 1970s colors, fashion and music. “I love bright juicy color, noisy texture, maximalism and disco vibes,” Kay said. “For Just Peachy, I was imagining a big col-
orful dance party of fruit, since the flavor is wonderfully bright and punchy.” Brew Dr. supports independent artists and develops local relationships to source tea, herbs, bottles and other packaging. Like all Brew Dr. products, Just Peachy is crafted with certified organic ingredients and brewed locally. On Valentine’s Day, LaCroix announced its new Cherry Blossom flavor at major retailers, describing it as “a botanical twist of sweet and just a ‘kiss’ of tart, the dazzling taste of blossoming spring.” “For centuries, the cherry blossom has represented freshness, splendor and delicate beauty,” a company spokesperson said. “The flavor of LaCroix Cherry Blossom uniquely ‘blooms’ with the bliss, fragrance and calming essence of this brilliant flower. We developed the distinctive taste and stunning packaging of Cherry Blossom to convey the Dazzling Taste of Spring!” LaCroix Cherry Blossom became available at select retailers nationwide in March. GURU Organic Energy, Canada’s leading organic energy drink brand, announced that its plant-based energy drinks will be available in more than 1,500 new retail locations, including leading grocery, drug, natural and independent retail chains. These gains are primarily in California, which will have about 3,000 points of sale by late spring. Since entering the U.S. market, GURU’s expansion strategy has been focused on California, the country’s largest consumer of organic products. “As we continue to build our brand awareness in the world’s largest energy drink market, GURU’s priorities are to establish a strong distribution network and to provide retailers with enhanced in-store marketing support to drive sales velocity,” said Carl Goyette, president and CEO. “Thanks to our strong financial position, and the reallocation of a portion of our sales force, we now have the ability to put more effort towards growing our business in the U.S. The work we have done to develop our distributor network is starting to pay off, and we are very optimistic about the future of the GURU nation.” GURU’s four main products, Original, Lite, Matcha and Yerba Mate, will be available in the news points of sale over the coming months. All GURU energy drinks are plant-based, high in natural caffeine, free of artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors, and have no preservatives. All of the drinks are organic, vegan and gluten free. California’s J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
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has unveiled J. Lohr Monterey Roots, a new tier of wines spotlighting J. Lohr’s history in viticulture and winemaking in Monterey County. J. Lohr’s award-winning J. Lohr Bay Mist White Riesling and J. Lohr Valdiguié Wildflower have migrated from the J. Lohr Estates portfolio of wines to J. Lohr Monterey Roots. Packaging for the 2021 vintage releases of J. Lohr Monterey Roots reflects iconic images of Monterey County. The White Riesling label offers an artist’s rendering of Monterey’s dramatic coastline, and the Wildflower Valdiguié label features a multicolor painting of the region’s native wildflowers. Both wines bear the Certified California Sustainable seal, which signifies that at least 85 percent of a given wine was made using grapes from certified
sustainable vineyards, was made in a certified sustainable winery and 100 percent of the grapes are from California vineyards. The wines began to ship to markets across the United States in early February. “As a child, I remember coming to Monterey with my father, Jerry Lohr, in 1972, when we began planting our first estate vineyards, which included our original plantings of Riesling and Valdiguié,” said CEO and second-generation co-owner Steve Lohr. “Today, we farm more than 1,400 acres of vines in Monterey. “We have always taken great pride in our Monterey roots and championing what makes this region so special. Our Riesling and Valdiguié are quintessential Monterey wines. They are also two of the hidden gems in our portfolio. Showcasing them in their own tier will give them the spotlight they deserve,” he said. Both the Bay Mist White Riesling and Wildflower Valdiguié are crafted from J. Lohr’s estate-grown grapes in Monterey’s Arroyo Seco region. The wines are fermented and aged without the use of oak and are bottled with convenient Stelvin
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screwcap closures. The Bay Mist White Riesling offers layers of honeysuckle, ripe pear, Meyer lemon and lychee and is less than 90 calories per 4-ounce serving. One
of the most unique red grapes grown in California, Wildflower Valdiguié is a bright and juicy red with alluring fresh berry flavors. Like the Riesling, it is less than 90 calories per serving and is best served chilled. “With J. Lohr Monterey Roots, we are at-
tracting the next generation of wine consumers by focusing on the fun, adventurous, noattitude spirit of these wines,” said Rhonda Motil, VP of marketing. “The fact that these wines are certified sustainable and under 90 calories a glass appeals both to the values and the lifestyle choices that many new consumers are seeking out and embracing.” Over in Oklahoma, the state’s leading independent craft seltzer, Clubby Seltzer, has closed its Series A round of funding. The funding will help propel the launch of Clubby Seltzers in several states, including Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, Georgia, South Carolina and Colorado. This funding comes after an extremely successful launch with Clubby Seltzers becoming the No. 1 velocity craft beer or seltzer SKU in Oklahoma within months of release of its original Clubby flavor. Since launching the brand in April 2021, Clubby Seltzers has added a grape flavor and will soon be expanding its flavor line-up to a foursome variety pack, including the original lemon-lime, grape, orange and raspberry-lemon flavors. Each Clubby Seltzers flavor contains electrolytes and has 100 calories, 2g sugar and 5 percent ABV. Clubby is distributed across more than 540 locations in Oklahoma, including Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, Target, Quik Trip and Reasor’s, a subsidiary of Brookshire Grocery Co. Molson Coors and The Coca-Cola Com-
pany are working on a brand of full-flavor alcohol beverages inspired by the country’s No. 1 chilled juice brand, Simply. The companies’ previous collaboration, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, enjoyed a successful launch. “Over the past two years, we’ve seen success by shaking up existing categories with new brands that have clear, compelling points of difference, like Coca-Cola’s Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, Vizzy Hard Seltzer and ZOA Energy Drink,” said Michelle St. Jacques, Molson Coors’ chief marketing officer. “Now, we have a huge opportunity to leverage the power of Simply – a brand known for real juice and big flavor – to disrupt the full-flavor alcohol segment in a way that’s never been done before.” This summer, Molson Coors will launch the Simply Spiked Lemonade variety pack, inspired by some of Simply’s best-selling non-alcoholic products, including Strawberry Lemonade, Watermelon Lemonade, Blueberry Lemonade and, of course, Signature Lemonade. As The Coca-Cola Company’s secondlargest U.S. brand in terms of net revenue after Coca-Cola, Simply is a $1 billion-plus and growing brand. Simply can be found in 1 of every 2 American households and is known for its high-quality juices. The Simply brand mixes seamlessly with alcohol for cocktails, which inspired the ready-todrink lineup.
Simply Spiked Lemonade will be sold in slim-can 12-packs as a variety pack, and 24-ounce standalone cans of select flavors. Florida-based Splash Beverage Group has secured distribution through Gulf Distributing of Alabama for the company’s SALT Naturally Flavored Tequila in Alabama and participating military bases. Gulf Distributing of Alabama manages and operates seven beverage distributors that encompass central and southern Alabama and markets in Mississippi GN
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Oregon Farms Form Agricultural Collaboration In January, Frank Foti and Brenda SmolaFoti launched The Ground, an evolving collection of virtual and physical destinations. By nurturing the interconnectedness of nature, people and community, The Ground takes a holistic approach to hospitality with a philosophy of belonging that comes to life through five verticals: accommodations, programs and events, wellness, agroecology and food and beverage. Its agroecology philosophy is rooted in the understanding that humans are a part of nature, which was introduced in 2015 with the founding of Tabula Rasa Farms, a Carlton-Ore.-based regenerative agriculture farm raising heritage animals. The Ground recently expanded its ecosystem with the addition of Source Farms, a new agricultural collaboration between Tabula Rasa Farms and its neighbor to the northwest, Kookoolan Farms. Source Farms will support farmers, animals and
the planet through its commitment to producing, growing and raising the healthiest foods possible. “We have long been inspired by the work of Chrissie and Koorosh at Kookoolan Farms, particularly their dedication to sustainable farming practices,” Frank Foti said. “Through the Source Farms partnership, we are guided by our shared goal of being the producers and purveyors of the best-tasting, most nutritious food available while also providing the best life for the animals, supported by practices that are good for the planet. “Uniting our resources means we have the opportunity to further collaborate with two people we hold in incredibly high esteem, and we’re also able to invest in an infrastructure that allows for our continued mutual growth.” Kookoolan Farms is a diversified farm located in Yamhill, Ore. Established in 2005, Kookoolan Farms connects cus-
tomers to 100 percent grass-fed, grass-finished beef and lamb; sustainably sourced, premium wild-caught seafood; pastureraised organic chicken; eggs and honey. Over the last several years, Kookoolan Farms has undergone incredible growth and its unique partnership with Tabula Rasa Farms represents the opportunity to scale up to meet customer demand while remaining true to its values of regenerative agriculture. “We are humbled by the positive response we’ve received by our customers, who remain dedicated to supporting organizations that are committed to creating incredible opportunities that impact global climate change on a bigger scale,” said Chrissie Zaerpoor, co-founder of Kookoolan Farms. “Brenda and Frank’s commitment to planetary regeneration is aligned with our priorities.” Customers of Kookoolan Farms and Tabula Rasa Farms have access to two local
shopping experiences: Kookoolan Farms Farm Store and the Farm Stand at Tabula Rasa. With the introduction of Source Farms, plans for additional locations, online ordering, credit card purchasing options, direct shipping and local delivery are under way. While Source Farms acquired the Kookoolan Farms brand, the Zaerpoors are the operating leaders of the newly announced collaboration, and the organization will rely on them to build the foundation for growth. Through this partnership, Source Farms will be well positioned to help more small farms develop new ways to connect their customers with good food and the farmers that grow it. In addition to Tabula Rasa Farms and Source Farms, The Ground includes 440 acres of land in outer Carlton and locations in the center of McMinnville and Carlton. GN
Nonprofit initiative Raises Nearly $2.3M for Black- and Hispanic-Owned Small Businesses A nonprofit initiative, Elevate Together, raised nearly $2.3 million in its inaugural year to help accelerate the creation, growth and prosperity of Black- and Hispanicowned small businesses. Elevate Together is powered by Round It Up America, founded by The ODP Corporation. Through partnerships with the National Urban League and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Elevate Together was designed to deliver education, access, and aid to small businesses with five employees or fewer. With an initial investment of $250,000, The ODP Corporation helped launch the program in Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia and West Palm Beach. Throughout the year, local Urban League affiliates and His-
panic Chamber of Commerce chapters in these markets received technical assistance grants to provide eligible small business owners with access to free workshops and bootcamps, professional networks, mentorship services, and more. In 2021, 89 Black- and Hispanic-owned small businesses were awarded cash grants, valued at $5,000 or $10,000, to help them continue to innovate and grow. Selected businesses were chosen based on established criteria created by local selection committees and were evaluated based upon their proposed business plans. Certified mentors from The Venture Mentoring Team were also paired with many of these small businesses to provide advisory support and help guide them on their entrepreneurial journeys.
“Becoming one of the small business grant recipients from the Elevate Together initiative enabled us to hire additional staff, secure a new delivery van and make short-term investments to hopefully expand our product line and open a second location,” said Nadeige Sterlin, co-owner of La Paix Bakery in Miramar, Fla. “I want to continue to pay it forward by sharing our story to help inspire other Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs to keep reaching for their dreams. If we all work together, we can collectively strengthen our community long-term, while saving and creating more local jobs in the short term.” “Elevate Together was created to help address systemic discrimination and historical racial disparities in business
growth and profitability in Black and Hispanic communities,” said Gerry Smith, CEO for The ODP Corporation. “We’re inspired by the success stories from small business owners whose lives we’ve touched through this program so far, and we hope to continue building a coalition of like-minded companies to help advance business creation and growth opportunities for Black and Hispanic businesses for years to come.” With support from community partners and corporate partners like NCR Foundation, plus Office Depot and OfficeMax customers and associates, the program will expand its reach in 2022 to help small businesses grow in Dallas, Detroit, Fort Worth, Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix and beyond. GN
Cactus Water
from Mother Nature, not taking. It grows back. It’s like it just needs a haircut.” Millions of acres in Mexico are dedicated to growing the fast-growing nopales cactus, in addition to farms in Peru and Africa, she noted. In the beginning, Lopez used cactus grown on her parents’ Napa Valley property. “I need so much more than my little farm can grow,” said Lopez, who sources from organic farms for the cactus now. “You can pronounce everything in the ingredients,” she said. Even the pandemic was no match for the hardy desert drink. Before COVID-19 hit U.S. shores, Lopez researched cactus for antioxidants and found that it had value for building immunity. So while her rebranding had the bad timing to fall in March 2020, it was fortunate enough to provide something consumers were looking for. “I really think it helped us survive, that we had vitamin C in our label so when people were on Amazon searching for immu-
nity-boosting beverages, luckily they found us.” Lopez is working on developing new flavors and talking to investors so she can take ¡Cactus! to the next level. “Right now, I’m focused on the West Coast, over to Texas,” she said. Lopez had been living in Texas and moved to California to start her business on her parents’ property. “I moved in with Mom and Dad, classic Millennial move,” she said, laughing. “But it allowed me to put every penny back into the business.” ¡Cactus! is a certified woman-owned, minority-owned business, which Lopez hopes will inspire more women, especially Hispanic women, to follow, even if the pains of growing her own business
sometimes felt as sharp as those cactus spikes. “I’m not going to lie,” she said. “Sometimes, I’d be crying like it was the end of the world. “But don’t be discouraged,” she tells fellow entrepreneurs. “Give it 24 hours and stay with it, if you can. It’s hard, but not impossible. Network as much as possible. Apply for pitch competitions to get money to get you started.” Because of her experience in the beverage industry, Lopez knew it wouldn’t be easy. “Competition is super fierce,” she said. “There are so many amazing brands out there. “But I do get proud when I see my product on shelves and in reorders. I think that’s one of the really cool things about all this.” GN
Continued from PAGE 1 “So I began rebranding and reformulated the cactus water, based on what customers had told me,” she said. The result is ¡Cactus! The Desert Hydrator, organic cactus water in slim, 12-ounce cans in three refreshing flavors: lime, papaya and watermelon. Each serving has 30 calories and is a great source of Vitamin C. Hydrocolloid in the cactus leaf binds to water and acts like a sponge, Lopez said, giving the cactus the ability to absorb and retain water and micronutrients – and survive in the scorching desert heat. ¡Cactus! contains this same hydrocolloid, which boosts hydration, absorption and retention in the human body. “The biggest thing in telling my story is that the cactus is sustainable,” Lopez said. “People are drawn to that, knowing that it’s an ingredient in which we’re borrowing
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Future Crops Startup Creates High-Yield, Sturdier Basil Variety for European Market Agritech start-up Future Crops has created a pure, high-yielding basil variety it successfully adapted for cultivation in the company’s primarily solar powered vertical farm in the Netherlands. The advanced, clean-farming technique for this aromatic basil variety has product with a long shelf life and will secure a steady supply of locally grown, pesticide-free herb to the European market. proprietary The seeds were developed at the Israeli Agricultural Research Organization by Nativ Dudai, professor and head of The Unit of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. Dudai is considered a prominent global figure in the mapping, breeding and development of basil varieties. His research team was the first in the world to sequence the whole sweet basil genome. Designated the “king of herbs,” basil is one of the leading three herbs marketed in Europe, alongside mint and coriander. Its distinct aromatic qualities make it a favorite of the culinary world, yet because of its soft delicate leaves, it is unusually demanding to cultivate. Basil requires a minimum of five hours of sunshine daily and thrives in warm, temperate subtropical climates. It is highly sensitive to cold, making northern Europe a less than ideal spot for
Serving Size Continued from PAGE 1 terms. When asked how their understanding of portion and serving sizes had changed after reading the definitions, about one-third (34 percent) said they understood much more and nearly another third (30 percent) said they understood somewhat more. These results demonstrate a significant knowledge gap in the difference between portion and serving sizes, despite most people believing they have a cursory understanding of the terms. Consumers who were more likely to say that they understood “much more” after
Pamela’s Continued from PAGE 1 when a member of the family had certain allergen issues.” Original products included pancake, cookie and cake mixes. “From there, the business that started slowly in California was on the forefront of diet trends,” Murphy said. “And Pamela’s stays true to its mission to offer more allergen free products for consumers who don’t have alternatives to wheat products,” he said. “Grain free is an evolution of gluten free
been developed to grow in the outdoors in open fields as well as green houses,” explains Dudai. “Our goal was breeding varieties that would best fit the novel vertical farming paradigm. Our breakthrough in sequencing the basil genome gave us the modern molecular tools for developing cultivars imbued with very specific desired genetic characteristics. We in particular searched for such traits as resilience to environmental stressors, yield capabilities, as well as flavor and textural properties.” Basil seeds harboring all the desired traits were selected and brought together via a process of natural breeding in order to create the perfect seed for cultivation in a vertical farm without genetic modification or editing. The team developed a number of
different herb seed varieties via this method. The startup has finalized negotiations with the ARO Institute to buy exclusive licensing rights to these seeds for commercialization worldwide. Future Crops developed ideal climate conditions for its basil, allowing it to thrive year-round even during the cold Dutch winter. Equipped with precision agricultural technology, this signature basil crop is grown on a nutrient-enriched soil-like substrate, with all cultivation parameters – including light, temperature, wind, and humidity – fully controlled. “Plants behave very differently in closed environments versus in an open field,” said Gary Grinspan, CEO and cofounder of Future Crops. “We are constantly observing and tuning into their growth needs to mimic the outdoor field ambience as much as possible.” Future Crops’ vertically farmed basil has almost tripled its yield over the last three years and boasts a shelf life that stretches over two weeks under optimum storage conditions. It also possesses a distinctive, appealing flavor and fragrance that captivates chefs and is completely free of pesticides. “Our basil has re-
ceived excellent feedback from Genoa residents, who claim it to be as good as the globally renowned Genovese basil,” Grinspan adds. Genovese basil is considered to be the gold standard in basil cultivation, unmatched in quality and flavor, and a favorite of pesto producers. Future Crops grows a range of basil varieties, including cinnamon, lemon, lime and Thai basil. With a focus on the retail and foodservice sectors, the company is also targeting food producers, especially makers of pesto. “We have been able to supply a premium pesto brand with basil that was not appropriate for retail but ideal for use as the base for a condiment,” explains Grinspan. “This proved instrumental in reducing waste while enabling us to provide high-quality product at a reasonable cost, thus using 100% of the crop and contributing to sustainable sourcing and farming.” GN
reading the definitions included men (41 percent vs. 27 percent of women), those earning more than $80,000 (47 percent vs. 26 percent earning less than $40,000), those under age 45 (43 percent vs. 26 percent aged 45-64 and 25 percent aged 65 and older) and those with college degrees (40 percent vs. 28 percent no college degree). By definition, serving sizes are not explicit recommendations for how much to eat. Yet, it appears that most people use them for that purpose, regardless of type of food. For example, 57 percent try to eat the designated serving size for dairy products at least sometimes, while 22 percent rarely or never do.
Focusing next on portion sizes, respondents were asked about why they pay attention to them. “Helping to control weight” ranked in the top two reasons for 36 percent, followed by “helping to avoid eating too much of certain foods” (30 percent) and “helping to know how much they should be eating or drinking” (26 percent). The ways people control their portion sizes vary: Similar numbers said they try to eat more slowly (34 percent), stop eating once they feel full, even if there’s still food on their plate (34 percent), use smaller plates/bowls to reduce portion size (32 percent) and choose single-serve portions (31 percent).
In contrast, 1 in 6 (17 percent) say they don’t pay any attention to portion sizes, with people over the age of 45 and those that make less than $40,000 per year are more likely to belong to this group. Of them, the vast majority (71 percent) chose “don’t want to be too restrictive on how much they eat or drink” among their top two reasons. One-third (33 percent) said it is more important not to waste food than to have the right portion size. Results were derived from an online survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, ages 18 and older, by Lincoln Park Strategies. It was conducted from Nov. 4-9 and results were weighted to ensure proportional representation of the population. GN
convey the product’s assets, including taste. Taste is as important to Pamela’s development team as the products’ health benefits, Murphy said. “For years, gluten free had a bad rap with brands who come on the market with products that did not taste great,” he said. “What’s very important to Pamela’s is that the product has to taste great. We go through exhaustive lengths to choose highquality ingredients and don’t compromise on taste.
“That’s why we’re able to stick around for a long time on the forefront of the glutenfree movement.” Pamela’s found a grain-free blend that uses coconut flour and adjusted the sweetening agent to make it Paleo-friendly by removing cane sugar and using coconut sugar and molasses. Murphy said early feedback shows consumers like the grain-free graham cracker. The company believes the pandemic trend toward nostalgic foods will boost sales – grain-free s’mores, anyone? The company is also developing other grain-free products including baking mixes and snack bars. GN
growing basil. Basil also carries a characteristically short shelf life, as its tender leaves blacken and wilt easily. “Most of the basil varieties today have
and it comes from listening to individuals who are sensitive to different allergen ingredients in traditional categories such as graham crackers and baking mixes.” In addition to the graham crackers, Pamela’s is relaunching a grain-free pancake mix it developed years ago. The grain-free pancake mix will sport refreshed branding, he said, with visuals that
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Noel Cruzilles Products from The French Farm A French reference in the world of fruit paste and candied fruit since 1880, the pride and commitment of Cruzilles is to maintain the exceptional quality of its products. All Cruzilles’ products are made from noble fruits selected from the heart of the French terroirs. From the subtlety of their aromas, the intensity of their colors and the delicacy of their pulp, the quality of the fruits is the essential element that ensures the success of each gourmet creation and what makes Cruzilles one of the world’s most trusted candied fruit companies. With exceptional raw materials and traditional knowhow, Cruzilles will become your go-to brand for fruit jellies, and will
make the perfect display for Easter. This charming purple tin of fruit jellies contains the following flavors: strawberry, blackberry, and blueberries. The Cruzilles fruit jellies in a purple tin are packed by six units to a case and imported directly from France. Cruzilles’ full selection of items is available at The French Farm.
The French Farm 713.660.0577 www.thefrenchfarm.com
leled snacking experience and make eating this healthy snack both fun and satisfying. Jake’s Nut Roasters 7-ounce cans have a cool, classic appearance that look great on store shelves, kitchen counters or table centerpieces. Produced in a dedicated peanut-free facility, these premium California almonds are dry roasted and seasoned in small batches to deliver exceptional quality. Be on the lookout for a new Jake’s flavor coming soon. Visit social media on Facebook and Instagram, @jakesnutroasters, or buy on Amazon.
Jasper Specialty Foods 800.255.1641 www.jasperspecialtyfoods.com www.jakesnutroasters.com
Tabletree Cherry Juice Turns out the state best known for its big skies also has something to brag about on ground level, too. Tabletree Montana’s Cherry Juice uses Flathead Lake cherries, a touch of honey and a dash of cinnamon as its natural preservatives for an award-winning juice gaining attention worldwide. Gary and
Susan Snow have developed a proprietary system that produces quality, healthy and nutritious products (expect new products soon). Taken alone, the Cherry Juice has nutritional benefits, but is great for cooking and cocktails. Sold in select specialty food stores and online.
Tabletree Montana www.tabletreejuice.com
Stonewall Kitchen Everything Dressing The specialty food makers at Stonewall Kitchen fashioned their new Everything Dressing after the popular bagel seasoning of the same name – and it truly is everything your customers could ever want from a salad topper. It joins their award-winning Everything Aioli, which has been a crowd pleaser since its debut, in the lineup of irresistible condiments. Made from only the finest ingredients for a superior flavor, this delightful dressing features a combination of oil and cider vinegar accented by a wonderfully
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Stonewall Kitchen Everything Blend
Jake’s Nut Roasters Seasoned Almonds from Jasper Specialty Foods 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. 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 is a creative line of specialty almond snacks with distinctively bold and unique flavors, which include Bleu Cheese Cracked Pepper, Bloody Mary, Mesquite Smoked, Hatch Chile, Maple, Barbecue and Buffalo. These almonds are in fact “Straight from Jake’s Orchard,” showcasing the company’s vertical integration and commitment to sustainable growing practices. Jake’s almonds provide an unparal-
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crunchy mix of black sesame seeds, dried onion and dried garlic. The result is a bright, slightly nutty taste that lends itself beautifully to a variety of dishes – your customers will enjoy tossing it with greens, drizzling it on roasted potatoes and so much more.
Stonewall Kitchen www.stonewallkitchen.com
The fine food creators at Stonewall Kitchen took cues from everyone’s favorite bagel seasoning when they created their new Everything Blend. Sure to become a staple item on your customers’ shopping lists, this irresistible pick features a robust mixture of fantastic ingredients that truly goes great with, well … everything! Made with a crunchy combination of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion, dried garlic and salt plus chili flakes for a little added zing, it’s the all-in-one choice for perking up any plate of food. Your cus-
tomers can use it to bring extra flavor to dinner staples such as roasted veggies, chicken wings and potato chips or brunch favorites like eggs, avocado toast and, of course, homemade bagels.
Stonewall Kitchen www.stonewallkitchen.com
Howard Products Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish Howard’s gentle yet effective Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish leaves no oily residue or harsh chemical smell. This rich and creamy formulation instantly cleans and polishes in one step. It is specially formulated to require less wiping and leave nothing behind but a beautiful, streak-free shine. Perfect for use on modern kitchen appliances, toasters, trashcans, backsplashes, grills, countertops, faucets, fixtures and more. This ready-touse formula is manufactured in the USA with strict quality controls from a brand you can trust. It removes dirt, haze, smudges, static, smears, watermarks, oil,
dust, streaks, grime, residue and fingerprints from cooktops, ovens, ranges, countertops, dishwashers, trash cans, commercial/residential, refrigerators, grills, hoods, faucets, microwaves and indoor/outdoor surfaces. MSRP is $7.99 to $9.99; packaged six to a case.
Howard Products Inc. 800.266.9545 www.howardproducts.com
Ardagh Glass Packaging – North America BBQ Sauce Bottle Ardagh Glass Packaging – North America’s classic 17-ounce glass BBQ sauce bottle is the perfect complement to your brand’s sauces and dressings. Proudly made in the United States, the bottle is made using highquality flint (clear) glass with a 38mm continuous thread finish. This 100 percent and endlessly recyclable glass bottle is environmentally friendly and boasts an excellent shelf life. The 17-ounce BBQ sauce bottle is of-
fered in 12-pack cases available for purchase by contacting Ardagh directly. Ardagh is dedicated to the craft food market with capabilities and resources to grow with you every stage of the way. By the pallet or truckload, BOB and Ardagh have the ideal shapes and styles for craft food producers like you. View Ardagh’s entire stock portfolio at ardaghgroup.com/food2022.
Ardagh Glass Packaging – North America 856.455.2137 www.ardaghgroup.com
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 available. It was a staple food of several Native American tribes, who called it “manoomin,” or “precious 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-
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 palustris, 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 Cascade and Sierra Nevada ranges.
Fall River Wild Rice 800.626.4366 www.fallriverwildrice.com
GOURMET NEWS
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APRIL 2022
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SMORGASBORD Meet The Velocity Institute, Plus Other Trade Show News Retail Brands Institute recently changed its name to The Velocity Institute in advance of the first in-person event for the retail brands industry, The Velocity Conference + Innovation Expo, May 16-18, at the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina. “The Velocity name will serve as the anchor as we execute on our wide range of strategies and plans for 2022 and beyond. Among these strategies are in-person and virtual events, research, education, community-building, awards and daily news updates about the industry,” said Christopher Durham, president. The conference and innovation expo will include more than 30 keynote level speakers (retail executives, thought leaders, solution partners and manufacturers), 50 curated Innovation Expo exhibitors. Velocity Fast Track: A “Shark Tank”-style competition, Winner’s Circle Happy Hour – cocktails and networking in the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Vertex Awards Ceremony – winners of the world’s largest retail brand package design competition. In other trade show news, •For 25 years, the Global Pouch Forum remains the premier event to get the latest information from experts and network with leaders and innovators who develop, supply, buy or recommend flexible materials including pouches, films and machinery. This year, Alison Keane, president and CEO of the Flexible Packaging Association, returns to share the “Flexible Packaging: State of the Industry” report and provide
insights on supply chains amidst global pandemic, the national election and how the industry can move forward. Ronald Puvak, executive director of the Contract Packaging Association, will take a deep dive into the demands of smart emerging brands as well as legacy brands seeking to launch new food and CPG retail products. Data presented will show what these new products are, how they’re being packaged and what challenges these fledging brands are facing getting products to market. •Consumer desires are changing rapidly, which affects how pet food is processed, distributed, marketed and sold. Petfood Forum provides an immersive educational experience for learning about consumer purchasing behavior, trends and innovations. Petfood Forum 2022 is scheduled for May 2-4 at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo. The general session focuses on pet food spending – which pet owners spend more, on which brands and why? – presented by David Sprinkle of Packaged Facts. Michael Johnson of Finn Cady will present “Consumer Marketing: The Good and Not So Good.” Larine Urbina and Pedro Goncalves of Tetra Pak will present “The Post-Pandemic Pet Food Consumer: New Realities and Evolving Demands.” For more trade show news, subscribe to our weekly newswire at gourmetnews.com. Submit your trade show news to aj_f@oser.com. GN
USDA Commits $215M to Enhance the American Food Supply Chain The U.S. Department of Agriculture is making available up to $215 million in grants and other support to expand meat and poultry processing options, strengthen the food supply chain and create jobs and economic opportunities in rural areas. The funding is among other actions USDA is taking to expand processing capacity and increase competition in meat and poultry processing to make agricultural markets more accessible, fair, competitive and resilient for American farmers and ranchers. “For too long, ranchers and processors have seen the value and the opportunities they work so hard to create move away from the rural communities where they live and operate,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “USDA is committed to making investments to support economic systems where the wealth created in rural areas stays in rural areas. The funding … ultimately will help us give farmers and ranchers a fair shake and strengthen supply chains while developing options to deliver food produced closer to home for families.” USDA Rural Development will make $150 million available in grants to fund startup and expansion activities in the meat and poultry processing sector. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will
provide another $40 million for workforce development and training and the Agricultural Marketing Service will provide $25 million to offer technical assistance to grant applicants and others seeking resources related to meat and poultry processing. USDA Rural Development is making $150 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding available through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program. USDA is offering grants of up to $25 million each to expand processing capacity through a variety of activities, including construction, expansion of existing facilities and acquisition of equipment. USDA encourages applications that benefit smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, tribes and tribal producers, socially disadvantaged producers, military veteran producers and underserved communities. For additional information, go to www.rd.usda.gov/mppep. Questions may be submitted through the website or sent to MPPEP@usda.gov. All application materials can be found at www.rd.usda.gov/mppep or www.grants.gov. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 11, through www.grants.gov. GN
TRADESHOWCALENDAR (dates subject to change)
April 5-7
June 7-9
National Hardware Show
Global Pouch Forum
Las Vegas, Nevada www.nationalhardwareshow.com
Rosemont, Illinois wwww.packagingstrategies.com/ global-pouch-forum
April 10-11
Northwest Foodservice Show
June 12-14
Portland, Oregon www.nwfoodshow.com
Summer Fancy Food Show
New York, New York www.specialtyfood.com
April 12-13
Ingredient Marketplace – SupplySide
June 24-25
Secaucus, New Jersey www.east.supplysideshow.com
Coffee Fest
Chicago, Illinois www.coffeefest.com/chicago
April 25-27
Vibe Conference
July 9-11
Carlsbad, CA www.vibeconference.com
Texas Restaurant Association Marketplace
April 26-28
Dallas, Texas www.tramarketplace.com
Seafood Expo Global/ Seafood Processing Global
July 13-14
Organic Produce Summit
Barcelona, Spain www.seafoodexpo.com/global
Monterey, California www.organicproducesummit.com
May 2-4
Petfood Forum
July 20-23
Kansas City, Missouri www.petfoodforumevents.com
American Cheese Society Annual Conference
Portland, Oregon www.cheesesociety.or/2022-conference
May 9-12
Food Safety Summit
July 28-29
Rosemont, Illinois www.foodsafetysummit.com
Product Marketing Association Foodservice Conference
Montrey, California www.freshproduct.com
16-18
Velocity Conference & Innovation Expo
Charlotte, N.C. www.velocityinstitute.org
August 28-30
May 21-24
Los Angeles, California www.westernfoodexpo.com
Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo
National Restaurant Association Show
Chicago, Illinois www.nationalrestaurantshow.com
August 28-30
May 23-26
Los Angeles, California www.coffeefest.com/los-angeles
Coffee Fest
Sweets & Snacks Expo
Chicago, Illinois www.sweetsandsnacks.com
October 7-8
June 5-7
Seattle,Washington www.coffeefest.com/pnw
Coffee Fest PNW
IDDBA 2022
Atlanta, Georgia www.iddba.org
ADVERTISER INDEX ADVERTISER
PAGE
WEBSITE
Ariston Specialties
3
www.aristonspecialties.com
EU3
2
www.iconsofeuropeantaste.eu
MarDona Specialty Foods
3
www.mardonaspecialtyfoods.com
Hahn’s Bakery
3
www.hahnsbakery.com
Stonewall Kitchen
4, 7
www.stonewallkitchen.com
Teasdale Latin Foods
24
www.jardinefoods.com