Gourmet News • May 2023

FEATURED PRODUCT: Enstrom Candies

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FEATURED PRODUCT: Crave Brothers

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FEATURED PRODUCT: Stonewall Kitchen

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GOURMET NEWS

• Sweets, Drinks, Treats Top This Month’s Roundup of Products New on the Market PAGE 6

• Scooter’s Coffee Celebrates 25th Birthday by Breaking Record for Largest Cake Ball

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• HelloFresh Increases Program to Support Food Banks as Pandemic Benefits Expire

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• Melodea Introduces Sustainable Packaging Solution to Reduce Plastic Waste in CPG

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• Countr y Star, TV Personality Luke Br yan Signs on to Promote Smithfield Foods Brands

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• Grocers Believe Digital Shopping Makes Shoppers Less Loyal, Incisiv Study Shows

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• Featured Products

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• Advertiser Index

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Co-Op Silver Fern Farms in New Zealand Produces Net Carbon Zero Grass-Fed Meats

BY A J FLICK

As consumer demand for grassfed beef continues to climb, New Zealand’s largest producer of 100 percent grassfed beef, lamb and venison products in the United States is looking to expand its reach with a blend of oldfashioned farming and hightech practices to produce net carbon zero meat

The grass-fed beef market is expected to reach $12 15 billion by 2027 with a compound annual growth rate of 6 9 percent, according to Technavio With North America accounting for the largest market by revenue

in 2020, U S sales are predicted to account for 27 percent of market growth

Veggies Boost Mental Health, Stud y Sho ws

ver Fern Farms

Silver Fern Farms, a co-operative of 17 farms, has always been in the enviable position to take advantage of New Zealand’s lush countryside to graze its cows, sheep and deer The meat is minimally processed with no growth hormones or antibiotics, producing a higher quality, tastier and tender meat, according to the company

When healthy adults consume the daily amount of vegetable servings recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans it has a positive effect on how happy the person feels, according to a study completed by scientists at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service

“Growth over the last few years has been phenomenal in the category, ” said Matt Luxton, director of U S sales for New Zealand’s Sil-

Other sustainable efforts include reducing Silver Fern Farms’ energy use by 7 7 percent since 2017, cutting the use of

Continued on PAGE 15

Food, Ag Industries Add $8.6T to U.S. Economy

Food and agriculture industries and their suppliers contribute more than $8 6 trillion to the U S economy, nearly one-fifth of total national output and a 22 percent increase since the 2019 report, according to the seventh annual Feeding the Economy report from 25 food and agriculture groups

Providing data on jobs, wages and economic output, this farmto-fork analysis illustrates the food and agriculture sector’s impact on local and nationwide economic activity The data also underscores this sector’s resilience

and reliability amid unprecedented global and domestic crises, including the commodity shock following the war in Ukraine and continued supply chain disruptions

This year ’ s report shows the U S food and agriculture sector directly supports nearly 23 million jobs, provides $927 billion in wages and is particularly vital to rural communities across America Notably, the 2023 report reveals that the manufacturing of agricultural products accounts for nearly one-fifth of total manufac-

turing jobs in the U S Overall, more than 46 million jobs are supported across the food and agriculture supply chain, increasing nearly 2 percent since the 2019 report despite the economic challenges and disruptions associated with the global pandemic

All 50 states displayed increased economic output in the 2023 report compared to the 2022 report, largely reflecting a rebound in national economic activity The largest gains in total

Continued on PAGE 18

Many studies show that eating the DGA-recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables is good for our general health, but only a few studies have demonstrated the role that vegetable consumption (separate from fruits) has on mental health

A group of scientists at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, N D , conducted an eight-week study to evaluate the impact of increasing daily vegetable ser vings to match DGA recommendations on how happy someone perceives themself to be, a key measurement of psychological well-being

The study divided healthy men and women between 18 and 65 years old into two groups

The first group of participants (the vegetable inter vention group) received daily servings of DGA-recommended number and variety of vegetables, including

Continued on PAGE 18

FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Dietar y Guidance Statements

The U S Food and Drug Administration has issued draft guidance that provides food manufacturers with recommendations on how and when to use Dietary Guidance Statements on the label of food products to ensure the label statements promote good nutrition, provide greater consistency in labeling and assist consumers in making informed choices

This guidance is part of the FDA’s overall goal to help reduce the burden of chronic disease and advance health equity through improved nutrition

“Diet-related chronic diseases

are the leading causes of death and disability in the U S and disproportionately impact communities of color and people living in rural areas, ” said FDA Commissioner Robert M Califf, M D “The FDA is committed to being a part of the solution to improve the health of millions of Americans Today’s action is another step towards helping consumers make informed choices about the foods they eat ”

Today’s eating patterns in the United States do not align with current federal dietar y recommendations, which focus on the entirety of the diet and how foods

and beverages work together to affect health Dietar y Guidance

Statements are statements in food labeling that are based on key recommendations from consensus reports, such as the Dietar y Guidelines for Americans, 20202025, that discuss how a food or food group can be a part of a nutritious dietary pattern The statements may include symbols or pictures that convey to consumers that a food or a food group may contribute to, or help maintain, a nutritious dietary pattern

Examples of Dietary Guidance

Statements include: “Make half

your grains whole grain,” and “Eat leafy green vegetables as part of a nutritious dietar y pattern ”

The draft guidance provides the agency’s thinking about the use of such statements, including recommendations that products contain a meaningful amount of the food, or category of foods, that is the subject of the statement, and that they also not exceed certain amounts of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars

The recommendations in the guidance can enhance consistency in the use of such state-

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FROM THE EDITOR

I’m old enough to remember when it was important to me to check a product label to see if the package could be recycled Later, I would check to see if the package came from recycled products

Over the years, I learned to check for many other things such as sugar content, artificial preser vatives or ingredients I can’t pronounce, whether the dietary fiber is higher than the total carbohydrates, how many calories and exactly how many portions do they really think the product contains, etc

In recent years, a lot of consumers like me have been reading labels on our meat products more than ever First, it was the fat ratio to know how lean the meat is Now, we ’ re looking to see whether the animal was fed on grass or grain, whether the chicken who laid the eggs lived free range, where the meat came from, etc

More recently, we ’ ve come to look on any label to see if the product was sustainably produced For food products, we want to know whether the product is organic, non-GMO and free of gluten or sugar or whatever else we don’t want in our foods And most recently, we ’ re looking for products from companies that use regenerative agriculture, producing products that don’t hurt the environment (or us) now, but also work toward reversing climate change

Studies show consumers are looking for grass-fed meat (Honestly, it still jolts me to see the words “grass-fed meat” because it’s the animal the meat came from that ate But anyway, you get my meaning and I’ve accepted it as an industry term )

As an omnivore, I have nothing against people who don’t eat

meat for whatever reason I have a lot of friends who are vegan or vegetarian And I have no problem having meatless meals I just love a good steak or burger now and then I eat a lot more chicken and turkey than red meat like I used to

So when meat producers talk about producing products from “happy” animals, I can understand what they mean (stress can do bad things to any body) and I can understand how those opposed to eating meat think that it’s impossible to have a happy animal destined for slaughter

I was interested in talking to Matt Luxton from New Zealand’s Silver Fern Farms about the company ’ s use of time-honored farming methods (no antibiotics, grass-fed) and modern technology (satellite mapping, artificial intelligence) to produce beef, lamb and venison from animals raised on the island nation’s lush vegetation

I’m the first to admit I’m a kinda/sorta city gal My grandparents and great-grandparents farmed, but I was either not alive or too little to remember it Silver Fern Farms’ old and new farming methods fascinated me We present the interview on this month’s cover Speaking of food labels, we have news from the U S Department of Food and Agriculture on improving nutrition information The goal is to reduce the risk of chronic disease and encourage health equity with improved nutrition

We had plans to present a roundup of interesting products and people we encountered at Natural Products Expo West Time and space constraints made us push the story to the next issue Until then, take care and stay safe! GN

AJ Flick • Senior Editor aj f@oser.com

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4 California Wineries Named Green Medal Sustainable Winegrowing Winners

Four wineries were awarded California Green Medal Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards, joining 32 past winners from throughout the state These awardees are recognized for their advanced sustainability practices and innovation based on a comprehensive judging process focused on both sustainable viticulture and winemaking

Presented by several California wine organizations devoted to sustainability, four green medals are awarded annually in the following categories: Leader, Environment, Community and Business

Each recipient receives an engraved Green Medal and is recognized for their contributions to California wines’ world leading efforts on wine sustainability A customized award ceremony also helps to share their achievement with staff, customers, media and other stakeholders of their choice

“It’s a pleasure to recognize the California wine community’s cutting-edge leaders in sustainability through the California Green Medal Awards,” said Allison Jordan, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance’s executive director “Their stories illustrate the perfect synergy between growing exceptional winegrapes and crafting quality wines at different price points with an enduring commitment to resource conser vation, environmental protection and quality of life for their employees and community ”

Winners of the 2023 Califor nia Green Medals are:

Treasury Americas: Leader Award, given to the vineyard or winery that excels in the three “Es” of sustainability – Environmentally sound, socially Equitable and Economically viable practices

With vineyards and wineries in California’s North and Central Coasts, and as one of the largest Napa Valley growers, Treasury Americas is a demonstrated leader in sustainability The company set ambitious targets of 100 percent renewable electricity by 2024 and Net Zero by 2030

It collaborates with universities and industry experts to investigate new technologies, accelerating the transition to a low-carbon future and sharing these learnings with peers Treasur y partners with groups such as the Napa Resource Conservation District and North Coast Soil Health Hub on soil health, biochar and compost studies and shares information using its demonstration site

Committed to the restoration of the Napa River, it removed vineyards to create valuable setbacks and replanted thousands of native trees to capture carbon, support salmon spawning and enhance bird habitat

Treasur y Americas is committed to building a healthy, safe, inclusive and equitable workplace culture It encourages employees to propose solutions to key sustainability challenges, which helps broaden employees’ networks and skills

The company also helps support the broader community by providing two days of paid volunteer time off per year and matching donations to fundraising activities

Tablas Creek Vineyard: Environment Award, given to the vineyard or winery that best demonstrates Environmental Stewardship through maximized environmental benefits from implementing sustainable practices

Situated 12 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean near Paso Robles, Tablas Creek Vineyard demonstrates a stewardship to the environment through leading-edge practices and certifications Tablas Creek is a trailblazer of many firsts in its region, such as helping Regenerative Organic Alliance craft standards and becoming the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified winery

Tablas Creek shares its experience with the community by hosting seminars on topics such as organic and biodynamic viticulture, dry-farming, biochar and using animals such as owls, hawks and sheep in the vineyard to manage pests and weeds while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and restoring nutrients to the soil naturally It

maintains 90 acres of pristine oak woodland on its property

Efforts to reduce its carbon footprint include a 100 percent solar-powered winery where all plastic water bottles have been replaced with reusable stainless-steel canteens, the use of lightweight bottle glass and conservation of water by steam-cleaning barrels Tablas Creek also captures wastewater for reuse in a wetland area that provides habitat for native species

For over 30 years, Tablas Creek Vineyard has shared its sustainability initiatives with the community and participated in numerous collaborations with the academic and viticultural institutions in the area

Cakebread Cellars: Community Award, given to the vineyard or winer y that is a Good Neighbor and Employer using the most innovative practices that enhance relations with employees, neighbors and/or communities

Cakebread Cellars is a family-owned winery located in Napa Valley’s Rutherford AVA, committed to being stewards of the land and the community since 1973 In addition to its commitment to environmental leadership as a silver member of the International Wineries for Climate Action, Cakebread Cellars cultivates a dynamic workplace culture with talented employees by focusing on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through ongoing DEI workshops and floating holidays that enable staff to select its preferred cultural and religious observations Cakebread Cellars conducted a company-wide survey to solicit feedback on DEI initiatives and created an employee-led DEI Council with four sub-committees that address individual areas of continuous improvement It worked with DEI consultants to expand hiring practices, create a monthly calendar of DEI-inspired events and start a harvest internship program that provides scholarships for BIPOC harvest interns

The company continues to evolve its definition of community and ways to support it by contributing to over 80 organizations,

including national organizations such as World Central Kitchen, and holiday drives with Boys and Girls Club and by contributing to local nonprofits focused on enhancing the livability of Napa Valley

Cakebread Cellars empowers its employees to give back with two paid days off per year for them to volunteer with preferred nonprofits For its exemplary community leadership, Cakebread Cellars is the recipient of the 2023 California Green Medal Community Award

Niner Wine Estates: Business Award, given to the vineyard or winer y that best demonstrates Smart Business through efficiencies, cost savings and innovation from implementing sustainable practices

Niner Wine Estates, located on California’s Central Coast, is a family-owned winery specializing in 100 percent estate grown wines Since its inception, the company has taken a long-term and market-leading approach to caring for employees and the broader community while limiting its environmental impact

As a SIP Certified vineyard and winery, Niner Wine Estates is committed to continuously improving its sustainability All buildings are LEED Silver Certified, saving energy and reducing cost

I n t h e l a s t f i v e y e a r s , N i n e r Wi n e E st a t e s h a s m a d e m a j o r i n v e s t m e n t s t o red u c e i t s e n v i ro n m e n t a l f o o t p r i n t T h e s e investments include installing a solar system that produces 560,000 kilowatt hours a n n u a l l y a n d a s e c o n d w a t e r c o l l e c t i o n s y s t e m i n c re a s i n g r a i n w a t e r c a p t u re f o r i r r i g a t i o n

Two years ago, it created a staff position to collect, analyze and report data on resource use to help managers make the most sustainably minded decisions Niner creates a welcoming culture for its employees, offering a robust benefits package and in 2020 paid part-time employees during pandemic closures as if they were salaried employees Niner also makes annual donations of $2,000 per employee to the charity of their choice GN

Amcor Honored for Recycle-Ready Pouch

Amcor has earned a Flexible Packaging Association Silver Achievement Award for its AmPrima PE Plus recycle-ready pouch for Lahli Morning Protein Bites T h e h o n o r w a s a n n o u n c e d a t t h e F PA’s A n n u a l F l e x i b l e P a c k a g i n g A c h i e v e m e n t Aw a rd s C o m p e t i t i o n i n A m e l i a I s l a n d , F l a

“Utilizing Amcor’s global innovation resources, we are proud to have developed for our customer a new, more responsible packaging solution that does not compromise performance,” said Amcor Flexibles North America Research and Development Vice President Brian Carvill “It is an honor to be recognized for our deep capabilities in material science and packaging tech-

nologies, and strong commitment to solving complex environmental and performance challenges ”

The pouch features Amcor’s AmPrima™

PE Plus recycle-ready film

AmPrima solutions employ a variety of technologies, including proprietar y techniques unavailable elsewhere, to deliver recycleready alternatives with no compromise on performance

The AmPrima PE Plus material matches the clarity, stiffness, heat resistance, surface energy and abuse resistance of the unrecyclable incumbent film To aid recycling efforts, the pouch carries a How2Recycle label for the PE stream, clearly communicating store drop-off recycling instructions

I n a d d i t i o n , t h e p o u c h e n h a n c e s p e rf o r m a n c e i n t h e e y e s a n d h a n d s o f t h e c o n s u m e r Wi t h A m p l i f y ® f i n i s h i n g t e c hn o l o g i e s , c u s t o m e r s ’ b r a n d s p e rf o r m b e tt e r, s t a n d o u t o n s h e l f a n d c re a t e a n e l e v a t e d c o n s u m e r e x p e r i e n c e , a l l w h i l e d e l i v e r i n g c o n s i s t e n t o p e r a t i o n a l p e rf o r m a n c e

The pouch features a tactile, scuff-resistant matte over lacquer conveying a natural feel This innovation satisfied Lahli’s dedication to flavorful, quality ingredients and the desire for refreshed packaging graphics

Since 1956, the FPA Achievement Awards have showcased industry innovation and advances that have changed the packaging industry GN

Sweets, Drinks, Treats Top This Month’s Roundup of Products New on the Market

BY A J FLICK

I shocked a longtime friend recently by disclosing that I can portion out squares of Milkboy Swiss Chocolate Bars over days instead of devouring a whole bar at once I do have some self-restraint

One of my favorite sayings is, “Life is short Eat dessert first ” Usually, I like to save the sweet stuff as a dessert for the new products column, but this month, I’m starting with dessert!

Have you tried Bonne Maman’s new Hazelnut Chocolate Spread? The premier premium preser ves brand introduced its new spread recently I’ve tried it It’s divine Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread is made with simple non-GMO ingredients, without any artificial flavors and no palm oil With generous amounts of hazelnuts and a smooth, creamy texture, the spread delivers a delicious taste that everyone will love!

Packaged in an embossed Bonne Maman glass jar, Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread is ideal for snacking, spreading or as an ingredient in recipes (It’s great just scooped out of the jar, too – trust me ) It is available online and at select retailers nationwide this August Suggested retail price is $6 49 for an 8 8-ounce jar; $8 49 for a 12 7-ounce jar

Eighty percent of ice cream users want indulgent experiences, especially in the super-premium categor y, according to a

smoother, creamier, more indulgent ice cream that’s packed with all the “good stuff” Perr y ’ s is known for From chunky brownie dough bites and decadent sea salt truffles to thick chocolate frosting and salty caramel swirls, there’s no shortage of “ wow, this is good” after every bite

These new indulgences began rolling out to stores in April

Extra Indulgent Pints include:

• Bad Breakup (Ice cream heals all wounds): Extra-indulgent sea salt caramel chocolate ice cream with milk fudge swirls and rich fudge filled hearts

• Brownie Batter (Finally, a batter you can enjoy straight from the bowl): Extraindulgent brownie batter ice cream with tasty brownie batter swirls and chunky brownie dough bites

• Cheat Day (Reward yourself with a bit of extra indulgence): Extra-indulgent brown sugar ice cream with tasty brownie batter swirls and chunks of brownie dough and cookie dough

• Deep Sea Treasure (On the hunt for the good stuff? Deep Sea Treasure awaits): Extra-indulgent sea salt caramel ice cream with decadent sea salt truffles and gooey caramel swirls

• Fireball (Coming in hot!): Extra-indulgent fier y cinnamon flavored ice cream with zesty cinnamon flavored swirls and spicy cinnamonette candies

•Grasshopper Pie (Sometimes “me-time”

• Peanut Butter Cookie (No oven required): Sweet extra-indulgent sugar cookie ice cream with creamy peanut butter swirls and irresistible peanut butter cookie dough pieces

• Piece of Cake (Cake isn’t only reserved for birthdays!): Extra-indulgent yellow cake ice cream with thick chocolate frosting and fluffy pound cake pieces

• Rocky Mountain Raspberr y (Discover new heights with a base of smooth white chocolate): Mouth-watering extra-indulgent white chocolate ice cream with almond raspberry fudge chunks and sweet raspberry swirls

•Southern Pecan (The good stuff never goes out of style): Extra-indulgent butter pecan ice cream with delicious pecans

The new sherbet is called Northern Lights – tasteful inspiration for your wanderlust, a sour green apple, blue raspberry and grape flavored sherbet

These extra indulgent flavors will be available online and at retailers across New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio including Dash’s Market, Buehler’s Fresh Foods, Country Fair, Shurfine, Tops Markets, and select Wegmans Food Markets

We’re always eager to find out what new syrups Torani comes up with New to the flavor industr y leader’s portfolio of more than 150 syrups and sauces is Torani Kettle

Corn Syrup

Over the last year, Torani observed a rise in flavors dubbed “Sweet and ” that are layered flavor combinations anchored in sweetness and paired with another taste These blends – including sweet and savor y, sweet and sour and sweet and spicy – introduce complex sensations into the tasting experience

corn experience and a cooked Maillard note that adds a distinctive browned aspect to this starchy, salty, and sweet flavor

“What’s so great about kettle corn is that most people are already familiar with it, but they probably have not tried it in a beverage,” said Andrea Ramirez, consumer & customer market insight manager “Consumers who enjoy caramel or vanilla with

a hint of salt in their coffee drinks will love a pump of Kettle Corn Syrup in their hot or iced coffee ”

As kettle corn continues to trend upward, Torani is tapping into its high familiarity with consumers and the nostalgic factor of freshly popped corn the flavor brings According to market research firm Datassential, consumer interest in kettle corn has grown more than 20 percent in the last 12 months and more than 400 percent in the last four years Ninety-one percent of consumers are familiar with kettle corn, 78 percent have tried it before and 58 percent either love it or like it According to Google Trends, consumers ’ interest in kettle corn spikes even more during the summer and fall seasons

Kettle Corn is part of Torani’s Original Syrup line, crafted with natural flavors and cold-filtered water to deliver amazing flavor

Torani Kettle Corn Syrup retails for $10 19 and is available online

2022 Raymond

James report Upstate

New York’s top ice cream brand is ready for the challenge with an extra-indulgent pint line

This rich, creamy, chuck-full-of-stuff recipe brings heightened luxury to beloved consumer favorites Perry’s full lineup includes 13 extra-indulgent ice cream flavors, and one unique sherbet

“We’ve increased the butterfat and density resulting in an extra indulgent experience of creamy richness ” said Perry’s Ice Cream expert, Product Development Manager Amanda Gleba “And with 13 unique flavors, there’s sure to be a flavor to everyone ’ s cravings ”

The increased butterfat makes for a

comes in a pint): Refreshing extra-indulgent mint ice cream with thick fudge swirls and sweet crème filled cookies

• Madagascar Vanilla (Basic? Nah, we call it versatile): Melt-in-your-mouth extraindulgent Madagascar vanilla ice cream with a hint of sea salt

• Off the Grid (Relax, unplug, and (extra) indulge): Extra-indulgent chocolate ice cream with creamy peanut butter swirls and chopped peanut butter cups

•Panda Paws (Paws off! This pint is perfectly portioned to be all yours): Extra-indulgent vanilla ice cream with our signature peanut butter panda paw cups and thick rich fudge

Kettle Corn is a manifestation of this experience, adjacent to one of the company ’ s most popular beverage flavors: Caramel

Torani’s Kettle

Corn Syrup captures the flavor of freshly popped corn combined with sweet and salty notes It even has a subtle hint of hot oil flavor that's part of the classic kettle

There is no shortage of new specialty coffee brands to test the Torani Kettle

Corn Syrup in Alpine Start, the leading provider of instant coffee for outdoor adventures, has launched its first whole bean coffee: Over Stoker, which is 100 percent Fair Trade Certified and medium roasted This organic blend of South American and African beans is packed with the perfect balance of cocoa, caramel and

a whole lot of psyche

“After years of providing convenient and delicious instant coffee, we ’ re excited to offer our customers a new coffee experience, ” said Matt Segal, professional rock climber and founder of Alpine Start

With The Over Stoker, enjoy a delicious and ethically sourced cup of coffee that not only tastes great, but helps make a difference in the world As a Fair Trade Certified product, The Over Stoker supports safe working conditions, sustainable livelihoods and empowers farmers to improve their communities

The Over Stoker is now available in 12ounce whole bean bags ($15 99) on the company ’ s website and Amazon

Speaking of beverages, we ’ ve got a couple of new wines to introduce

From the up-and-coming fourth generation of the C Mondavi & Family company comes CK Mondavi Family Select, an elegant offering expertly crafted by Winemaker Angelina Mondavi This is the first release from the celebrated vintner under the CK Mondavi and Family banner, a name synonymous with high-quality, easyto-enjoy wines for over 75 years

The 2022 CK Mondavi Family Select Chardonnay and 2019 CK Mondavi Family Select Cabernet Sauvignon launched in select markets this spring

“These wines are a testament to our family’s longstanding commitment to excellence, emphasizing beautiful fruit and a more refined oak regime,” Mondavi said “As my sisters, cousins and I look at the bright future for our family’s winery, these are the wines we drink to celebrate the next chapter of the CK Mondavi and Family brand ”

An accomplished winemaker with extensive experience at many highly regarded wineries, the Family Select offerings are the first wines Mondavi has made for the CK Mondavi and Family line As with the classic line, CK Mondavi Family Select wines overdeliver, with a keen attention to detail that’s evident in every sip

The wines feature select grapes from the family’s own 1,850 acres of vineyards, along with fruit from trusted grower partners Having long relationships with the farmers means control over the quality of fruit, and ability to hand-select specific blocks or even rows of grapes for the Family Select wines

CK Mondavi Family Select Chardonnay is a balance of golden apple, pear and white blossoms, with vanilla and supple, toasty complexity It is creamy and lush, with a lingering finish

CK Mondavi Family Select Cabernet Sauvignon has additional time on oak, which provides complexity, a smooth texture and appealing notes of sweet spice Both wines have proprietar y oak regimes producing uniquely different styles and el-

evated quality over the classic CK Mondavi and Family wines

“Research indicates CK Mondavi and Family consumers are willing to trade up to a higher price point, and are younger than our competitive set,” said Pam Novak, vice president of marketing “These new CK Mondavi Family Select offerings fit their needs The wines are a natural extension of our classic line, a chance for us to really highlight our quality and make a mark in a growing price category ”

The new CK Mondavi Family Select Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are launching for a suggested retail price of $15 99 in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois and Massachusetts They will be available in additional markets in the coming 12 months

The complete classic CK Mondavi and Family collection includes Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Butter y Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dark Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Red Blend, White Zinfandel and Moscato, all available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $7 99 for a 750 ml bottle, and $14 99 for a 1 5L magnum

Cupcake Vineyards has released Citruskissed Pinot Grigio from the sundrenched vineyards of California This crisp, medium-bodied and fruit-for ward wine comes with prominent notes of lime and lemon zest Intensely refreshing and best served chilled, this new varietal is the perfect wine to celebrate the start of spring

“Building on the success of our Pinot Grigio and the rapid growth in flavor-forward Pinot Grigios, we ’ re excited to bring Citruskissed Pinot Grigio to the Cupcake portfolio,” said Winemaker Jessica Tomei “The wine features notes of freshly squeezed citrus, mouthwatering Granny

available nationwide in 750ml bottles with a MSRP of $12 99

We can’t ignore that energy beverages are on trend Arizona-based Yerbaé Brands Corp has released two flavors that are just as on trend: Lemonade and Yuzu Lime

“Lemonade is a classic summer favorite, while Yuzu Lime brings a unique, refreshing citrus twist to our line of beverages,” said Todd Gibson “We are always looking

The bars can satisfy any sweet tooth yet are still power packed with quality ingredients, fiber and nutrition to fuel your day

“To say our fans – our BreadHeads –want more innovation from Dave’s is an understatement, and we heard them loud and clear!” said Jillian Cohn, associate brand manager “It’s no secret that consumers want healthy snacks that also taste killer

And at Dave’s, we were up to the task

“It was so fun to bring our organic whole grain nutrition knowhow and sky-high flavor standards to the snack aisle,” she said “Our BreadHeads are going to love these bars They’re baked, soft, like real food, and loaded with whole grains, seeds, nuts and chocolate

It’s hard to pick a favorite!”

The snack bars come in three flavors:

•Cocoa Brownie Blitz is a vegan bar packed with organic chocolate chunks and Dave’s signature mix of seeds, ser ving up 16g whole grains and 6g fiber

for ways to innovate and bring new, exciting flavors to our customers Lemonade and Yuzu Lime are our next step in that quest and we are excited to introduce these flavors to our customers ”

In its 2021 Energy Drink Report, Mintel noted that “61 percent of energy drink consumers sometimes or often switch energy drink brands” and typically do so, “to enjoy different energy drink flavors ”

“Flavor innovation is key for keeping consumers engaged with an energy drink brand,” Mintel reported, which is exactly where Yerbaé focused its efforts Mintel suggested that the growth in total energy drink sales from 2017 to 2020 can be attributed to the launch of new energy drink flavors, the success of fitness energy drinks and consumer interest in zero-sugar varieties

Yerbaé's plant-based functional beverages are designed to be simple, clean and delicious with minimal ingredients that provide a boost of energy and a refreshing taste In addition to Lemonade and Yuzu Lime, Yerbaé offers a range of other flavors, including Black Cherry Pineapple and Mango Passionfruit

Harnessing the power of nature, Yerbaé’s celebrity ingredient, yerba mate, is known to produce 196 different vitamins, minerals and nutrients that also produces caffeine

•Trail Mix Crumble delivers all the flavor of the classic energy boosting fuel of organic chocolate chunks, fruits, almond butter and seeds while packing 19g whole grains and 5g fiber

•Oat-rageous Honey Almond packs a whopping 22g whole grains and 5g fiber with simple ingredients including organic rolled oats, organic honey and organic dry roasted almonds

“We did a soft roll-out of the Organic Snack Bars last year with select retailers and couldn’t believe the positive response We

Smith apple and a balanced minerality that leads to a crisp, refreshing finish ”

Citruskissed Pinot Grigio is made by combining grapes grown in California’s warmer climates with those in cooler climates to increase ripeness and retain bracing acidity, resulting in a more intense flavor profile

Cupcake Citruskissed Pinot Grigio is

All Yerbaé energy beverages are zero calorie, zero sugar, non-GMO and gluten free Yerbaé has expanded into 131 outlets of a large club store chain across 18 states

Ready for snacks? It’s always interesting to see what new snacks are on the market

We know Dave’s Killer Bread for its signature organic whole grain loaves, breakfast breads, English muffins, bagels and buns Now, the Oregon-based company is headed into the snack aisle with its Organic Snack Bars

are excited to bring these to more BreadHeads as they begin to hit shelves nationally,” said Cohn

Like all Dave’s Killer Bread nationally available offerings, Organic Snack Bars are Certified USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified and contain no artificial ingredients, artificial preser vatives, colors or flavors They are free of high fructose corn syrup and bleached flour The 4-bar boxes retail for $5 99, while individual bars retail for $1 99 Dave’s Killer Bread Organic Snack Bars will be available at select grocery outlets nationwide as well as on Amazon

Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt has expanded distribution to include Pete’s

New Products

Continued from PAGE 7

Fresh Market in the Chicago area They are also available in Whole Foods Market locations in the mid-Atlantic United States, Natural Grocers and Sprouts Farmers Market, Central Market, MOMS, Giant Eagle's Market District, Kings Food Markets, Balducci’s, Giant Food Stores, Nugget Markets and Giant Food

Skyr (pronounced “skeer”) is a thicker, creamier Icelandic-style organic yogurt that is lactose-free, rich in probiotics, high in protein and contains 13 essential nutrients

Produced in Pennsylvania, the skyr is made from organic whole milk and sweetened naturally using fruits and cane sugar

Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt is available in 5 3 ounces in five flavors:

Plain, Blueberry Lemon, Strawberry, Vanilla Bean and Meadow Berr y, as well as 24ounce containers in Vanilla and Plain

“At Painterland Farms, we practice organic and regenerative farming and put our energies in putting the land and animals first,” said co-founder Stephanie Painter “Our skyr is USDA certified organic, but in everything we do we go above and beyond organic requirements

“We source all of our organic milk from our fourth-generation regenerative family farm and others like it in Pennsylvania and we ’ re very committed to transparently sharing our restorative farming practices ”

“From all-natural fertilizers for the soil, to cows that graze freely on open, rotational pastures, we carefully think through every action and its impact on food, the environment, the animals and our community,” said co-founder Hayley Painter “All that goodness goes into each cup of skyr ”

Within a year of launching, Painterland Sisters has sold more than $1 million in skyr and plans to continue expansion nationwide It is sold in over 45 states nearing 1,500 locations

Let’s not need the tykes out; they need good snacks, too!

Beech-Nut Nutrition Company has reinvented another favorite snack designed just for toddlers: Dino Biscuits with Hidden Veggies and Dino Biscuits with Prebiotics These new biscuits are made with fruits, veggies and whole grains with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives

Young kids will discover their favorite herbivore dinosaur shapes including triceratops, stegosaurus and brachiosaurus in each bag This stage 4 snack is ideal for tod-

dlers 12 months and up and is a great alternative to other treats available to kids

Research & Development Chef Greg Tasker teamed up with his Beech-Nut colleagues to create these flavorful snacks made with fruits and vegetables

“My son, like so many other kids, is just obsessed with dinosaurs,” he said “It means a lot to me to create something to support his passion and curiosity combined with the goal we have to provide him, and all kids, with a balanced snacking option ”

Dino Biscuits, available in a 5-ounce resealable bag, come in two varieties:

•Dino Biscuits with Hidden Veggies in Pumpkin & Cinnamon and Butternut Bliss

•Dino Biscuits with Prebiotics in Banana Yogurt and Blueberry Yogurt

Dino Biscuits with Hidden Veggies contain veggies in every bite: pumpkin, butternut squash and carrots Dino Biscuits with Prebiotics are baked with fruit and yogurt for a delicious taste combination

Both Hidden Veggies and Prebiotic varieties are Non-GMO (made with ingredients that are not genetically modified) and have 9g and 10g of whole grains per serving, respectively

“We are excited to bring the first-ever Hidden Veggie biscuit and the first-ever Prebiotic biscuit by Beech-Nut to the market, each featuring purposeful ingredients inside a beloved children’s snack at an affordable price,” said Lauren Evans, snacks brand manager “What’s more, we know that these shapes will help to capture the imagination of young children and give parents peace of mind when kids ask for more ”

Beech-Nut Dino Biscuits are sold in the baby food aisle at Walmart and other retailers

Cedar’s Foods, the leading Mediterranean food brand in the natural and organic space, has launched its Organic Grecian Golden Hour Hommus

The zesty hommus, which is available at select Whole Foods stores nationwide, consists of a lemon and oregano base, with a chickpea, herb and red pepper topping The hints of oregano throughout are packed with flavor and really add an extra Mediterranean kick It’s the perfect addition to a charcuterie board or picnic spread

For the pantry, Ponti has released a Rose Wine Vinegar, available on Amazon This is one of the first of its kind of this type of product!

Rose wine sales in general have been brisk, according to Ponti, especially in the United States, where rose wine volume increased 118 percent between 2015 and 2020 2017 alone saw a rise in sales of 53 percent

Ponti Rose Wine

Vinegar is obtained from rose wine, which is characterized by its bright pink color and balanced wine taste It’s ideal with raw and cooked vegetables Thanks to its well-balanced flavor, it is the perfect versatile complement also to both meat and fish dishes, especially salmon and chicken

This Rose Wine Vinegar is excellent also for seafood, pork, rice dishes, pasta salads, fruit/berries and dressings/marinades/sauces as well as cocktails!

It is full bodied with hints of strawberries, and a pleasant, mild, fresh taste Ponti selects the best rose wine from among the top wines available throughout Italy, then transforms it into wine vinegar in house

Meantime, The Supplant Company debuted its second ingredient offering, Supplant Grain & Stalk Flour, Chef Thomas Keller's New York restaurant, Per Se

The flour contains sustainable ingredients from the “forgotten half of the har vest” – underutilized agricultural side-streams including corn cobs, oat hulls and wheat straw

Supplant Grain & Stalk Flour is an innovative flour blend that utilizes more of the wheat plant, deriving matter from both the grain, which is typically used, and the stalk, which is typically not Supplant Grain & Stalk Flour performs in baked goods, pasta and other flour-based products, maintain-

ing texture and taste while offering fewer calories and more fiber than regular flour

An alternative to regular refined wheat flour, which is stripped of most fiber, Supplant Grain & Stalk Flour utilizes both the grain and the stalk to deliver over six times more fiber, an important macronutrient that 95 percent of Americans need

Available for business and retail partners across the United States, Supplant Grain & Stalk Flour debuted on Per Se’s menu, building on the company ’ s partnership with Chef Keller, which includes a line of dir e c t - t o - c o n s u m e r chocolate bars and shortbread cookies made with the company ’ s flagship ingredient for sugar replacement, Supplant Sugars from Fiber Supplant Sugars from Fiber is made by upcycling fiber-rich parts of crops that don’t make their way into the food system and has fewer than half the calories of sugar, a low glycemic response compared to glucose and is prebiotic

“I’m proud to play a part in Supplant's innovation and impact as they bring Supplant Grain & Stalk Flour to their sustainable ingredient portfolio,” Keller said “The company is making extraordinary strides in delivering on integrity without compromising the environment or our health, and that is something that strongly resonates with me as a chef ”

“After defining Sugars from Fiber as an entirely new ingredient category that’s better-for-you and better-for-the-environment, we ’ re thrilled to disrupt the refined starch status quo, too, with Grain & Stalk Flour,” said Dr Tom Simmons, founder and CEO “By bringing under-utilized plant material back into the food system, Supplant Grain & Stalk Flour furthers our mission to create a food system that is fit for the future –one that is more sustainable, more food-secure and more nutritious for all ”

By upcycling agricultural side-streams that aren’t used in our food system, The Supplant Company is addressing the interconnected problems of nutrition, sustainability and food security while creating ingredients that behave functionally like their traditional counterparts GN

Community Resource Food Pantr y, Garden

Opens in Atlanta to Tackle Food Insecurity

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia partnered with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to announce the grand opening of Atlanta’s newest community resource food pantry and community garden This is part of Anthem’s continuing efforts to address social drivers of health by tackling food insecurity across the state L o c a t e d o n t h e w e s t s i d e o f A t l a n t a , E v e r y o n e E a t s F o u n d a t i o n w i l l s e r v e

c o m m u n i t i e s i n n e e d a c r o s s m e t r o A tl a n t a t h a n k s t o a $ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 g r a n t f r o m A n t h e m t h a t h e l p e d t h e o rg a n i z a t i o n s ec u r e a f a c i l i t y t o h o u s e a f o o d p a n t r y, c o m m u n i t y g a rd e n a n d a re s t a u r a n t / s o u p k i t c h e n

A c c o rd i n g t o t h e U S D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u re , 1 i n 8 p e r s o n s ( 1 3 p e rc e n t ) a re f o o d i n s e c u re i n G e o rg i a , a n d 1 i n 6 o f t h e s e a re c h i l d re n T h e l i n g e r i n g i m -

p a c t s o f t h e p a n d e m i c a n d i n f l a t i o n a re p u t t i n g f u r t h e r p re s s u re o n p e o p l e t h a t

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a n d f a m i l i e s w i t h a c c e s s t o f re s h , n u t r it i o u s f o o d T h ro u g h t h e c o m m u n i t y g a r-

d e n , i n d i v i d u a l s a n d f a m i l i e s w i l l b e a b l e t o h e l p g ro w a n d a c c e s s f re s h v e g e t a b l e s

a n d d e v e l o p v a l u a b l e s e l f - s u s t a i n i n g

s k i l l s t h e y c a n a p p l y a t h o m e P r o d u c e

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Over the past six years, Ever yone Eats has helped more than 32,000 families in need through a unique blend of events, mobile delivery and pop-up markets to bring food and other ser vices to residents throughout Atlanta GN

HelloFresh Commits to Ambitious Goal For Science-Based Emissions Reduction

HelloFresh, a global meal kit provider, released its annual 2022 Sustainability Report and announced a commitment to set science-based emissions reduction targets The global report states the company ’ s progress in further decreasing its environmental impact and introduces interim goals for reducing carbon emissions and food waste by 2025

“As a global food solutions group, we recognize the important contribution we can and must make in driving sustainable progress on climate change,” said Jeffrey Yor zyk, senior director of sustainability, HelloFresh US “By setting science-based targets, we are helping to do our part in reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to limit global warming to 1 5 degrees or less ”

The Science Based Targets initiative is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reduction targets in line with the latest climate science and Paris Agreement goals HelloFresh will work with SBTi to develop and validate its targets before the end of 2024

In addition to setting science-based tar-

gets, HelloFresh continues to make operations more energy efficient and transition to renewable energy The share of green energy consumed in HelloFresh’s distribution centers and offices in 2022 increased to 53 percent, from 50 percent in 2021 and 35 percent in 2020

since 2020

HelloFresh’s continued efforts in 2022 led to a 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions from its meal kit production facilities per euro revenue compared to a 2019 baseline, which means the company almost met its ambitious goals for 2022 of a 60 percent reduction

Reducing food waste continues to be an integral part of HelloFresh's sustainability approach In 2022, more than 26 million pounds of unsold edible food was donated to charities

Compared to a 2019 baseline, the company managed to reduce the food waste sent to landfill or incineration from all of its meal-kit facilities by 42 percent, which means the company almost met its ambitious goals for 2022 of a 50 percent reduction

create home-cooked meals Through the Beyond the Box program, the company contributed 12 3 million pounds of surplus food in the United States, supporting more than 20 charities across the country

With the rapid growth of the company ’ s recently acquired ready-to-eat business vertical and the substantial difference in operations compared with the meal kit business, HelloFresh has established separate environmental goals for each of these verticals:

Meal kit business:

1 Reduce the emissions from the HelloFresh Group’s meal kit production facilities by 66 percent per euro revenue from a 2019 baseline by the end of 2025

2 Reduce food waste from the HelloFresh Group’s meal kit production facilities by 52 percent per euro revenue from a 2019 baseline by the end of 2025

In the United States, HelloFresh piloted a software that optimizes energy use from refrigeration systems within its distribution centers Refrigeration is the largest consumer of electricity within its operating facilities and HelloFresh is now rolling out the software across all U S facilities HelloFresh US has also sourced renewable electricity for 100 percent of its facilities

The company ’ s social impact program within the United States, Beyond the Box, aims to change the way people eat, forever, inclusive of those facing food insecurity

The program consists of a Meals with Meanings initiative that provided 2 million free meal kits in 2022 to individuals in need, with each kit containing HelloFresh ingredients and step-by-step recipe cards to

Other businesses, represented by readyto-eat vertical:

1 Reduce the emissions from HelloFresh’s other businesses' production facilities by 30 percent per euro revenue from a 2021 baseline by the end of 2025

2 Reduce food waste from HelloFresh’s other businesses’ production facilities by 56 percent per euro revenue from a 2021 baseline by the end of 2025 GN

Chile’s VSPT Wine Group Achieves Gold Status For Improving Its Sustainability Credentials

VSPT Wine Group has been promoted to Gold Member status of the International Wineries for Climate Action, making it one of five members worldwide to reach this notable level

Chilean-based VSPT Wine Group is a top 20 global producer and leader in premium and sparkling wine sales in Chile The company is also a top five producer in the Argentine domestic market In the United States, where VSPT has been focused on establishing a more robust presence It is known for its diverse portfolio of brands that span from value to luxury and include GatoNegro, Graffigna, B-Liv, Viña Leyda, 1865, the icon wine Cabo de Hornos from the Viña San Pedro fine wine collection and the newly launched Ö-61 Andrés Tauber, president of VSPT US, who led the opening of the company's Miami office last year said, “VSPT is clearly dedicated to improving our sustainability credentials, which is a crucial concern for our clients in America and around the world Our recent elevation to Gold Membership in the IWCA is a testament to our action-oriented approach, working to produce exceptional wines while preser ving our planet for future generations "

The IWCA is a collaborative working group that brings together wineries from around the world that are committed to the environment and have adopted a science-based approach to reduce carbon emissions across the wine industr y VSPT Wine Group was among the first wineries to join IWCA when the group was established in 2019 VSPT has achieved gold status due to its ongoing, rigorous climate action standards VSPT can power at least 20 percent of its needs for winemaking operations using onsite renewable energy Additionally, the company has achieved a sustained reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions in line with the commitments established with the IWCA This comes after having already reduced its

CO2 emissions by 6 8 percent between 2019 and 2021

As an IWCA Member, VSPT is committed to becoming net zero by 2050 across IWCA’s Scopes 1, 2 and 3 and meeting intermediate targets by 2030 in alignment with the United Nations’ Race to Zero campaign, of which IWCA is a partner Carolina Gotuzzo, VSPT corporate affairs

and sustainability director, said, “We are honored by this recognition of our efforts We are a large group with complex processes and operations in the most renowned valleys in Chile and Argentina Being an IWCA Gold Member certainly encourages us to continue progress on this great challenge, which involves commitment from all those who are part of VSPT and the value chain ” S i n c e b e c o m i n g a s i l v e rl e v e l m e m b e r o f t h e o rg a n iz a t i o n , V S P T a l s o d e v e l o p e d a m o d e l s p e c i a l i z i n g i n ren e w a b l e e n e rg y, e c o - d e s i g n t h ro u g h o u t t h e p o r t f o l i o , a g r i c u l t u r a l m a n a g e m e n t s t r a t e g i e s , a n d a w a s t e m a na g e m e n t p l a n a t a l l p ro d u ct i o n s i t e s t o f u l f i l l t h i s g o a l

“The recognition lends a sense of urgency to our continued efforts to improve and innovate regarding our decarbonization strategy by setting increasingly ambitious, challenging goals from the vineyard to the bottle,” Gotuzzo said GN

Alkaline88 Achieves Nationwide Distribution For 1-Gallon Product in Whole Foods Stores

The Alkaline Water Company Inc , a leading independent alkaline water company, announced that its flagship Alkaline88 1Gallon product has successfully attained full nationwide distribution in all Whole Foods Market stores The most recent expansion has placed the popular product in 306 additional locations, spanning six divisions: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, North Atlantic, Northern California and Rocky Mountain

“The Alkaline88 1-Gallon is now conveniently accessible to organic food shoppers

in ever y Whole Foods Market across the country,” said Frank Chessman, president and CEO of The Alkaline Water Company

“Initially available in over 200 stores across five Whole Foods divisions, our 1-Gallon product can now be found in a total of 514 Whole Foods Market stores throughout all eleven divisions

“Alkaline88 consistently excels in the natural grocery channel, where our 1-Gallon offering, recognized as the nation's topselling bulk enhanced water product, ranks as one of the best-selling enhanced water

products overall, regardless of size,” he said “This exceptional performance, coupled with the relentless dedication of our sales team, has earned our flagship product increased shelf space in one of the nation's most esteemed grocers ”

The nationwide distribution in Whole Foods Market underscores Alkaline88’s commitment to ongoing brand expansion within prominent national retailers In line with the company ’ s strategic focus on its Pathway to Profitability, Alkaline88 continues to pursue cost-effective growth opportunities on a na-

tional scale, targeting increased market presence and long-term profitability

Founded in 2012, The Alkaline Water Company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz Its flagship product, Alkaline88, is a leading premier alkaline water brand available in bulk and single-ser ve sizes along with eco-friendly aluminum packaging options With its innovative, state-of-the-art proprietary electrolysis process, Alkaline88 delivers 8 8 pH alkaline drinking water with trace minerals and electrolytes and boasts a trademarked label “Clean Beverage ” GN

Giant Food Opens First In-Store Fast-Casual Restaurant, Nalley Fresh, in Ellicott City, MD

Giant Food, the leading greater Washington D C regional grocery chain, has opened its first in-store fast-casual restaurant in partnership with Maryland-based chain Nalley Fresh The new location is at Giant’s Ellicott City, Md , location and offers customers a selection of highly customizable, healthy and fresh meal options to further elevate the in-store shopping experience

Perfect for lunch or dinner, Nalley Fresh is a chef-driven concept that makes everything fresh daily and features a wide variety of customizable salads, wraps and bowls

The in-store restaurant counter, which will

be open daily from 11 a m -7:30 p m , allows customers to create delicious, personalized meals from house-made, specialty proteins and over a hundred different topping options, including dressings, sauces and broths

Nalley Fresh offers a wide selection, including vegan and vegetarian protein options, international flavors and more Customers can build their own custom creation or choose one of Nalley Fresh’s signature dishes designed by founder and chef

Greg Nalley

“We are thrilled to bring Nalley Fresh to

our Ellicott City store and provide our customers with an unbeatable one-stop shopping experience,” said Gregg Dorazio, director of e-commerce at Giant Food “We know our customers will enjoy the convenient, healthy and delicious meal offerings, and we ’ re proud to welcome this local concept right in-store at Giant ”

Nalley ventured into the restaurant business after receiving a life-changing cancer diagnosis in 2001 that inspired him to pursue his longtime dream of running his own restaurant He opened the first Nalley Fresh location in 2011, applying customization

aspects to a diverse and healthy food profile Giant Food’s partnership with Nalley Fresh marks the restaurant chain’s 10th location The new location will also be able to fulfill third-party delivery orders (such as DoorDash, UberEats) for added convenience

“We are ver y excited to partner with a local brand like Giant Food to provide the Nalley Fresh experience for their customers,” Nalley said “We look forward to providing nutritious, delicious food that is backed up by premier customer service in a friendly and fun atmosphere ” GN

RobotLAB Supports Expanded Deployment Of LG’s Robot Portfolio for Hospitality

RobotLAB, an award-winning robotics integrator that delivers business innovations and solutions for brands across many industries, has been tapped by B2B technology leader LG Business Solutions USA to support the expanded integration of LG’s state-of-the-art robots in commercial venues across the United States

RobotLAB will support two key robot models in LG’s portfolio: the LG CLOi Ser veBot, which provides front-of-house food ser vice assistance and table bussing capabilities, and the LG CLOi GuideBot, which offers robotic solutions for guest guidance at large hotels, casinos, airports, hospitals, museums and more

“Working with an iconic and well-respected brand like LG is an immensely exciting opportunity for RobotLAB, especially

since so many businesses and consumers put their trust in LG,” said RobotLAB founder and CEO Elad Inbar “This collaboration is an honor we do not take lightly, and we couldn’t be more eager to deploy our years of robotics experience and integration expertise to help LG bring its advanced robots to more restaurants, hotels, hospitals and airports across the country ”

RobotLAB’s 13-year track record of successfully managing the commercial deployment of more than 7,500 robots was an important consideration for LG as it sought to identify key robot collaborators in the United States With a team dedicated solely to LG projects and products, RobotLAB will leverage its longstanding expertise and keen sector insights to help LG manage various aspects of robot deployment, including

sales, marketing, integration and service

“We hope to accelerate the growth of our robot business by working with professional robotics companies like RobotLAB that have a firm grasp on the integration of robots in commercial environments,” said Tom Carroll, director of business development, LG Business Solutions USA “This is a pivotal moment for both companies, and we look forward to collaborating with RobotLAB, whose complementary ability, experience and expertise will help us achieve our vision ”

Since its founding in 2007, RobotLAB has provided turnkey robotics solutions to companies of all sizes in industries including foodservice, hospitality, banking, education, assisted living, education, cleaning, delivery and hospitals The company ’ s team

of roboticists has effectively deployed thousands of robots that have provided an impressive array of businesses with a clear path to the successful and highly specialized integration of robotics solutions

As labor becomes increasingly expensive and scarce, RobotLAB helps businesses harness the power of robotics to improve bottom-line and employee retention by reallocating routine tasks to automated technologies RobotLAB oversees all aspects of the robotics integration process –from sales, tailored programming, on-site integration and repairs – to ensure businesses can access and understand solutions that will dramatically improve their performance GN

Scooter’s Coffee Celebrates 25th Birthday

By Breaking Record for Largest Cake Ball

Scooter’s Coffee has claimed the new Guinness World Records title for the World’s Largest Cake Ball The approximately 848pound, birthday-themed cake ball was unveiled at the annual Scooter’s Coffee GROW Conference in Omaha

The cake ball, baked from scratch and assembled by employees from Scooter’s Coffee affiliated company Har vest Roasting, was ser ved to more than 1,500 Scooter’s Coffee executives, employees, franchisees and coffee bean growers attending the company ’ s 25th Birthday Celebration in March

Official adjudicator Brittany Dunn from Guinness World Records attended the GROW Conference to certify the record

The cake ball, covered with rich buttercream frosting and festive birthday sprinkles, broke the previous 628-pound record for the World’s Largest Cake Ball

“Making the World’s Largest Cake Ball for our Scooter’s Coffee family demonstrates the fact that Scooter’s in-store bak-

ery items are handmade from scratch at our affiliated company, Har vest Roasting, to offer fresh, delicious baked goods to customers across the Scooter’s Coffee 29-state footprint,” said Joe Thornton, president of Scooter’s Coffee, LLC

In addition to cake bites, Harvest Roasting bakes and distributes to Scooter’s Coffee locations muffins, cinnamon rolls and cookies

Harvest Roasting employees worked to perfect the World’s Largest Cake Ball for several weeks

Eleven cake layers, each weighing between 15 to 100 pounds, were crafted, transported and assembled during the GROW Conference Employees then applied 150 pounds of buttercream frosting and 50 sprin-

kles, each weighing 2 5 ounces Approximately 30 employees were involved in designing, baking and assembling the cake ball

“I’m proud of this team working seamlessly to accomplish an amazing goal of setting a new world record,” said Craig Stevenson, vice president, manufacturing at Har vest Roasting “It’s a confirmation of who we are at Har vest Roasting and proves we can accomplish anything in the future ”

“Creating the World’s Largest Cake Ball is just another example of how our employees and franchisees are committed to innovation in creating amazing experiences for our customers ever y day as we continue to grow rapidly across

the United States,” said Thornton Fun facts about the World’s Largest Cake Ball:

• 690 pounds of dough was used

• 6,430 Scooter’s Coffee Cake Bites would fit inside the World’s Largest Cake Ball

• The Guinness World Records is 33 inches wide and 32 inches tall

•Many tests were completed to determine the rigidity of the cake ball

• While countless hours of planning and testing took place, the cake ball took just two hours to assemble and frost at the GROW Conference

Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Neb , Scooter’s Coffee is at the dawn of a strategic growth phase nationwide, approaching 700 stores in 29 states The U S coffee market is an estimated $48 billion-a-year, recession-resistant industry, and Scooter’s Coffee is striving to become the No 1 drive-thru specialty coffee franchise system in the nation GN

Tivoli Lighting Introduces Flexible Fixture

Options for Food-Grade Environments

With more than 50 years of innovation and linear lighting leadership, Tivoli Lighting offers its Flexile Midnight and Daylight flexible fixtures in black and white jackets to enable lighting designers to create unique lighting patterns without any shadowing

Created for interior aesthetic architectural applications, the new Flexile units provide dramatic color when lit and can deliver multiple patterns, movement and schemes

Designed as a high-efficient alternative to neon, both Flexile Midnight and Daylight provide a 360-degree lighted surface that illuminates uniformly with RGB mixing and

multiple lengths

Ideal for architectural, entertainment, commercial and food-grade environments, Flexile Midnight and Daylight have a UV-stabilized silicone housing that resists saline solutions, acids, alkali, corrosive gasses, yellowing and cracking The new units operate on low-voltage 12-volt DC power with precise dimming controlled by an SPI bus that sends data between microcontrollers and small peripherals such as shift registers, sensors and SD cards With a 0 98-inch diameter, Flexile Midnight and Daylight offer superior flexibility that

allows them to easily bend to any shape

The matte black or white jacket eliminates glare with 1-inch pixel control and precise lighting management help with any demanding project Both units have bending radiuses of 1 25 inches and are available with a variety of mounting options They can be mounted by surface side and top power outlet; suspended top cable outlet; and suspended side cable outlet Additional mounting options include 4-foot and 6-foot clear tubing for continuous straight runs with hardware that can be adjusted in the field

Also available are optional telescoping brackets that extend fixtures 13 to 24 inches for rigid suspension applications Flexile Midnight and Daylight come in 2-, 4-, 6-foot 6 inches and 8-foot lengths with custom lengths based on request

Flexile Midnight and Daylight consume only 7 3 watts per foot IP65-rated for wet applications, the products are UL, CE and RoHS listed and will perform in temperatures from -13 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit with a 70,000-hour performance life A three-year limited warranty comes standard GN

HelloFresh Increases Program to Support Food Banks as Pandemic Benefits Expire

HelloFresh is increasing its Beyond the Box program to support food banks as COVID19 SNAP benefits have expired As part of its mission to support those facing food insecurity, the company pledges to provide 100,000 additional meals across a number of its brands – HelloFresh, Green Chef and EveryPlate – this spring to food banks and non-profit partners around the countr y, which is an extension to its existing donation programs

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides assistance to 41 million p e o p l e s u ff e r i n g f ro m f o o d i n s e c u r i t y b y p ro v i d i n g t h e m a m o n t h l y b e n e f i t t o u s e o n f o o d p u rc h a s e s A t t h e s t a r t o f t h e C O V I D - 1 9 p a n d e m i c , a s m i l l i o n s o f p e op l e l o s t t h e i r j o b s , S N A P b e n e f i t s w e re temporarily increased to help low-income f a m i l i e s

The supplemental benefits expired in February, as a signal that the pandemic is coming to an end The average SNAP household has seen at least $95 less in benefits, with some seeing a reduction of $250 or more

“While an end to the pandemic is a wel-

come note, many families continue to face f o o d i n s e c u r i t y, e s p e c i a l l y w i t h re c o rd i nflation contributing to higher food costs,” s a i d J e f f Yo r z y k , s e n i o r d i re c t o r o f s u s -

t a i n a b i l i t y f o r H e l l o F re s h U S “ M a n y p e op l e a re t u r n i n g t o t h e i r l o c a l f o o d b a n k s t o h e l p f i l l t h e v o i d – u n f o rt u n a t e l y s o m e o f w h i c h a re n o t e q u i p p e d f o r t h e i n f l u x O u r g o a l i s t o h e l p o u r p a r t n e r s p u t healthy, nutritious food on the tables of as m a n y A m e r i c a n s a s p o s s i b l e i n t h i s t i m e o f n e e d ”

HelloFresh is donating 100,000 extra meals, including meal kits, ready-to-heat dinners and nutritious sides to food banks including Table to Table in New Jersey, Second Helpings Atlanta in Georgia, Tarrant Area Food Bank in Texas and St Mar y ’ s Food Bank in Arizona

The company is also increasing support by adding a second temporary Community Fresh Market in Colorado This farmer’s market style distribution, hosted by Denver-based hunger relief organization, We Don’t Waste, will be open bi-weekly through July, to whomever needs it and will provide a variety of fresh produce, proteins

and dairy items at no cost

"This is a critical time for our community,” said Arlan Preblud, founder and executive director for We Don’t Waste “With the reduction of SNAP benefits on top of rising inflation for food, we ’ ve seen food insecurity increase and demand for our programs has skyrocketed

“We’ve seen a 63 percent increase in attendance at the Community Fresh Markets from this time last year, ” Preblud said “And seniors, experiencing an even greater reduction in benefits, have nearly doubled in attendance

“We’re now providing food access to over 10,000 individuals each month through these markets We Don’t Waste is really grateful to work with partners like HelloFresh They are helping us provide consistent food access to help strengthen our community ”

The Beyond the Box program consists of the Meals with Meaning initiative, launched in 2020, as a response to the pandemic and elevated rates of food insecurity To date, Meals with Meaning has provided more than 4 million free meal kits to indi-

Blue Apron PLUS Savings Program Launches on Verizon

Blue Apron has launched Blue Apron PLUS, a savings program exclusively on Verizon’s +play platform, the cutting-edge platform built by Verizon for customers to shop for, manage and save on their favorite subscriptions, all in one place The company is the first meal-kit provider on the +play platform Blue Apron PLUS is a monthly subscription managed through the +play platform for Verizon customers Blue Apron PLUS customers will have access to exclusive savings on meal-kit subscriptions, including 35 percent off their first five eligible meal kit orders, then 15 percent off each eligible order after that

For a limited-time, Verizon customers can get three months of Blue Apron PLUS free After the promotional period, Blue Apron PLUS is $4 99 per month

“As one of the leaders in the meal-kit industry, we are proud to bring Blue Apron’s culinary expertise exclusively to Verizon customers around the country,” said Amber Minson, Blue Apron’s chief revenue officer “The partnership will allow us to tap into a new and engaged customer base while providing them with up to $525 in annual savings on incredible recipes with fresh, unique ingredients ”

“We’re thrilled to have Blue Apron as a

+play partner, giving Verizon customers access to its amazing services and offerings through our platform,” said Erin McPherson, chief content officer of Verizon Consumer Group “With hundreds of content and subscription services available in the marketplace, customers find themselves challenged to keep up with new services, get

viduals in need, with each kit containing HelloFresh ingredients and step-by-step recipe cards to create home-cooked meals

Through the remainder of the year, HelloFresh will increase its Meals With Meaning donations in Newark, N J In partnership with the city of Newark and foodrescue organization, Table to Table, this site represents the company ’ s first and largest Meals with Meaning program

“More than 850,000 people in New Jersey depend on federal food assistance to sustain themselves or their families,” said Amiri Baraka, Jr , chief of staff for the city of Newark “With inflation so high, individuals are struggling to put food on the table right now We need to ensure that those who need help have access to it We’re incredibly grateful for companies like HelloFresh who are partnering with us to fill this critical need ”

HelloFresh also continues to focus on its sustainability and social impact efforts by contributing nearly 19 million pounds of surplus food in the United States in 2022, supporting more than 40 food banks and pantries across the country GN

Blue Apron and DashMart by DoorDash, Inc expanded the availability of Blue Apron’s Heat & Eat meals to 11 markets, including New York City

“The expansion of our partnership with

attractive promotions, and manage and track what they’re already signed up for +play is the solution to these pain points ” GN

Blue Apron, DashMart by DoorDash Expand Partnership

DashMart by DoorDash into additional markets follows a successful pilot program that we launched in Philadelphia last year, ” said John Adler, Blue Apron’s senior vice president of physical product “These types of strategic partnerships are an important market opportunity for us to expand our reach and provide customers with access to our products without a subscription We’re committed to providing them

with even more convenient ways to bring Blue Apron into their kitchens each week ”

In addition to New York City, Blue Apron’s Heat & Eat meals are available for delivery in eligible cities in New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania DashMart customers can choose from a selection of easy to make Heat & Eat meals, including customer favorites such as Cheesy Truffle Cavatappi and Spanish-Style Beef & Rice

Based on some of Blue Apron’s best-selling and top-rated dishes, Heat & Eat are

prepared, single-ser ving meals that are ready in five minutes or less without sacrificing quality for convenience Whether customers are looking for a last minute, quick dinner option for one, or to complement a grocery order, Heat & Eat meals are designed to make mealtime a bit easier

DashMart is a grocer y store and warehousing ser vice owned and operated by DoorDash that sells a wide variety of products from fresh meats, produce and baked goods to household essentials, personal care items, medicine and more GN

An interview with Ugur Altuntas, Chief Executive Officer, Sunco & Frenchie

GN: What is Sunco & Frenchie's primary focus, and how does it differentiate itself from competitors?

UA: Our primary focus is to provide our customers with high-quality dried fruits, nuts and seeds and granola We believe in using natural and non-GMO and organic ingredients in our products, which sets us a p a r t f r o m

c o m p e t i t o r s

W e ' r e d e d i -

c a t e d t o offering delic i o u s a n d h e a l t h y f o o d options that cater to various dietary preferences.

GN: Can you share more about your commitment to using natural and non-GMO ingredients in your products?

Continued on Page 22

Once Again Nut Butter is making its high-quality, sustainably sourced nut and seed butters super snackable with 100 percent gluten-free graham cracker sandwiches Available in peanut butter and sunflower seed butter flavors, these on-the-go, single-serve snacks are the only sandwich crackers that are certified both organic and gluten-free They’re also vegan, Kosher Certified, Non-GMO Project Verified and part of the brand’s Honest in Trade program

An interview with Greg Power, Chief Executive Officer, Las Olas Confections and Snacks

GN: Tell our readers about Las Olas Confections and Snacks

GP: Las Olas Confections and Snacks have been captivating and satisfying candy lovers for decades with its award-winning collection of world-famous confections We offer a tremendous variety of unique, handcrafted confections with extraordinary tropical flavors that stand out in our customers’ aisles, impacting their bottom line.

T r u e t o o u r p r o mi s e o f b r a n d g r o w t h t h r o u g h i n n o v a t i o n , e x c e l l e n c e a n d u n m a t c h e d d i s t i n ct i o n , w e a r e c o n t i n ua l l y c o m m i t t e d t o h a n d c r a f t i n g h i g h

on

Extra SWEETS

MAY 2023 Show &TREATS

Get In on the Fun with Just The Fun Part

BOOTH #11786

An interview with Aytur Aksu, President, Just The Fun Part

GN: Tell us a little about your company.

AA: Just The Fun Part is a brand by my company, E v e r G r e e n U S A , that I started after m o v i n g t o t h e United States from T u r k e y i n 2 0 0 7 . F r o m o u r h u m b l e b e g i n n i n g s a s a n olive oil company, we have expanded o u r g o u r m e t s p ecialty food line to cover nearly every c a t e g o r y o f t h e grocery department! Today, EverGreen USA has over 150 different gourmet food items. Just The Fun Part

Continued on Page 22

Sunco & Frenchie Offers Delicious & Healthy Options

An interview with Ugur Altuntas, Chief Executive Officer, Sunco & Frenchie

GN: What is Sunco & Frenchie's primary focus, and how does it differentiate itself from competitors?

UA: Our primary focus is to provide our customers with high-quality dried fruits, nuts and seeds and granola We believe in using natural and non-GMO and organic ingredients in our products, which sets us

a p a r t f r o m

c o m p e t i t o r s

W e ' r e d e d i -

c a t e d t o offering deli-

i o u s a n d h e a l t h y f o o d options that cater to various dietary preferences.

GN: Can you share more about your commitment to using natural and non-GMO ingredients in your products?

Continued on Page 22

The King of Snacks a Leading Manufacturer in the Industry

BOOTH #11702

By Brian Smenos, Vice President of Marketing, Snak King

Snak King has been a leading producer of quality snacks since 1978, featuring a diverse portfolio of product capabilities that is unparalleled in the industry today. From product development to packaging and logistics, expertly staffed R&D and sales teams are ready to serve your needs and capable of handling the highest capacity demands of a n y c u s t o m e r domestically.

S n a k K i n g has two high-volume production facilities strategically located in City of Industry, California and Freeport, Illinois with nearly 800 employees company wide. Both facilities feature state-of-the-art automation and robotics to ensure that products meet the highest standards and provide world class service.

Trust Snak King to bring your private brand opportunities to reality, whether it’s our wide range of tortilla

Continued on Page 20

First-to-Market Graham Cracker Sandwiches from Once Again

Once Again Nut Butter is making its high-quality, sustainably sourced nut and seed butters super snackable with 100 percent gluten-free graham cracker sandwiches Available in peanut butter and sunflower seed butter flavors, these on-the-go, single-serve snacks are the only sandwich crackers that are certified both organic and gluten-free They’re also vegan, Kosher Certified, Non-GMO Project Verified and part of the brand’s Honest in Trade program

Live the Sweet Life with Darrell Lea

BOOTH #10210

Darrell Lea Brands remains the home of Premium Licorice and the only authentically Australian licorice in the United States. In the United States, Darrell Lea’s heritage has been built on licorice. In Australia, it is a m a r k e t l e a d e r a c r o s s t h e w i d e r c a n d y c a t e g o r y , including Chocolate Tablet, Chocolate Panning, Sugar Panning, Starch Mold, Sours and Seasonal. Darrell Lea is excited to introduce its wider candy offer to the U.S. m a r k e t , s t a r t i n g w i t h i t s u n i q u e , h i g h i n c l u s i o n Chocolate Tablets (available now) as well as Sours and C h o c o l a t e P a n n i n g ( a v a i lable now). All proven and m a r k e t - l e a d i n g S K U s a r e back in its Australian market.

Darrell Lea is your go-to brand when seeking premiu m i z a t i o n t h a t p r o v i d e s unique differentiation. The brand is built on quality and a u t h e n t i c i t y , w i t h b e s t i n

Continued on Page 22

Las Olas’ Indulgences Deliver Thrill of Discovery in Every Bite

BOOTH #10874

An interview with Greg Power, Chief Executive Officer, Las Olas Confections and Snacks

GN: Tell our readers about Las Olas Confections and Snacks

GP: Las Olas Confections and Snacks have been captivating and satisfying candy lovers for decades with its award-winning collection of world-famous confections We offer a tremendous variety of unique, handcrafted confections with extraordinary tropical flavors that stand out in our customers’ aisles, impacting their bottom line.

T r u e t o o u r p r o mi s e o f b r a n d g r o w t h t h r o u g h i n n o v a t i o n , e x c e l l e n c e a n d u n m a t c h e d d i s t i n ct i o n , w e a r e c o n t i n ua l l y c o m m i t t e d t o h a n d c r a f t i n g h i g h

Continued on Page 22

Oser Communications Group

Escape from the Everyday with a Tropical Taste Sensation from Las Olas

Cheese Straws and Cookies from J&M Foods

J&M Foods proudly continues its family tradition and passion for good food by providing customers with some of the best tasting cheese straws and cookies in the market As a family-owned business operating for roughly three decades, J&M Foods is happy to bring a little joy to its customers’ eating experience

J&M Foods currently offers 21 varieties of cheese straws and cookies as well as additional seasonal offerings Working with various combinations of cheeses, chocolates, nuts, grains, fruits a n d s p i c e s , t h e r e ’ s n e v e r a d u l l moment at J&M Foods The products are great for everyday pleasure and make the perfect gift In addition, J&M Foods is always in the kitchen exploring new possibilities to tickle the taste buds and provide something new for its customers’ enjoyment

In keeping with its 100-year-old family recipe that inspired the great tasting Original Cheese Straws, J&M Foods is committed to maintaining its heritage of providing great products made from the finest ingredients available All of

i t s p r o d u c t s a r e t r a n s f a t f r e e a n d baked with care

J&M Foods’ latest creation and something it is very proud to add to the Janis & Melanie line of products comes in the f o r m o f a l a r g e , s o f t - b a k e d c o o k i e ( t h r e e i n c h e s i n d i a m e t e r ) T h e y ’ r e made with butter, whole egg and a w h o l e l o t o f l o v e V a r i e t i e s i n c l u d e C h o c o l a t e C h u n k , B r o w n i e a n d Oatmeal Cranberry Each carton contains eight 1-ounce cookies, which are individually wrapped Enjoy them with milk, coffee, tea, ice cream or by themselves anytime as a snack

J & M F o o d s e n j o y s b e i n g f l e x i b l e enough to handle all of its customers’ needs Located in a 32,000 square-foot facility residing on 21 acres, it has room to grow along with you, its customers Centrally located and nationally recognized, J&M Foods is an award-winning m a r k e t l e a d e r w i t h i n t h e s p e c i a l t y foods industry

For more information, call 800 264 2278 or go to www janis-melanie com

Sunday Night Foods Dessert Sauces

Rich, velvety, luxurious Made from the highest-quality ingredients on Earth, S u n d a y N i g h t F o o d s ’ a w a r d - w i n n i n g p r e m ium dessert sauces are pure chocolate ganache in a jar Using a classic F r e n c h t e c h n i q u e , S u n d a y N i g h t F o o d s makes each small batch with legendary Guittard chocolate and cocoa, cane sugar, fresh cream and butter, pure Nielsen-Massey vanilla and sea salt to create chocolate euphoria

Founder Eileen Gannon created the

brand so people can easily enjoy feeling comfort, care and kindness on any

d a y o f t h e w e e k

T h e c o m p a n y

w o r k s w i t h t h e

n a t i o n a l A l l i a n c e on Mental Illness in

t h e h o p e t h a t ,

t h r o u g h b a k i n g , everyone can stay present, find purpose and create joy within and around them

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

Las Olas Confections and Snacks delive r s o n i t s p r o m i s e o f h a n d c r a f t e d , award-winning confections The delic i o u s t r o p i c a l i n d u l g e n c e s f r o m

A n a s t a s i a C o n f e c t i o n s a n d C o c o n u t Island of celebrated coconut patties, taffy and unique layered snacks prov i d e u n p r e c e d e n t e d s e l l - t h r o u g h t o the mass and specialty confectionery markets

Las Olas’ entire portfolio aims to drive customer growth by its continual commitment to brand excellence, innovat i o n , u n p a r a l l e l e d d i s t i n c t i o n a n d extraordinary flavors Each brand delivers its consumers with an escape from the everyday with delectable moments filled with the taste of tropical paradise

Visit Las Olas’ Island Oasis at booth #10874 for a taste of paradise and learn

more about its remarkable selection a n d w h a t ’ s a h e a d f o r A n a s t a s i a C o n f e c t i o n s a n d C o c o n u t I s l a n d i n 2023

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t w w w l a s o l a s b r a n d s c o m , c a l l 4 0 7 8 1 6 9 9 4 4 o r stop by booth #10874

Schuman Cheese Cello

Simple Pleasures Trays

After winning a gold sofi award for its C e l l o C o p p e r K e t t l e S n a c k P a c k s , Schuman Cheese debuted a handful of p r o d u c t s l a s t y e a r , i n c l u d i n g C e l l o

Simple Pleasures Trays

Carefully curated by cheese experts, each Simple Pleasures tray includes a selection of premium Cello cheeses paired with delicious quality snacks that can be enjoyed separately or even bet-

ter together Simple Pleasures Trays are pre-portioned, ready to serve and made up of creative combinations of delicious flavors and textures that perfectly complement each other These trays can be served as an appetizer, or as part of the popular grazing table trend

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

Unique Quality Products for Every Health Journey

W i t h a f a r m - t o - t a b l e m e n t a l i t y ,

Nature’s Earthly Choice® provides nutritious and quality foods to consumers

Hawaiian Host Introduces

Strawberries & Cream

H a w a i i a n H o s t ® i n t r o d u c e s i t s l a t e s t innovation within its iconic chocolate p o r t f o l i o – S t r a w b e r r i e s & C r e a m .

Crafted from creamy white chocolate, it is a delightful mix of sweet decadence and tart tang. This flavor combo will tantalize your taste buds and consumers agree. “Once you start, you can’t stop. This new flavor is so good!

I’m a dark chocolate person. But wow. T r y t h e s e ! ” s a i d c u s t o m e r L y n n o n HawaiianHost.com.

Strawberries & Cream is part of the Paradise Collection and comes in a 4o u n c e r e s e a l a b l e a n d p e g g e d b a g

Other flavors include Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Honey Milk Chocolate, Sea Salt Toffee, Toasted Coconut, Kona Coffee and Matcha

Aside from pan-coated macadamias, Hawaiian Host is known for its enrobed c o l l e c t i o n t h a t i n c l u d e s F o u n d e r ’ s

C o l l e c t i o n a n d A l o h a M a c s T h e

Founder's Collection features premium hand-selected whole macadamias that are double roasted and coated with s c r u m p t i o u s m i l k c h o c o l a t e F l a v o r s include Milk, Dark, White, Honey and Matcha AlohaMacs features the finest m a c a d a m i a s c o a t e d i n s i l k y , h a n dcrafted milk and dark chocolate For all

t h e c a r a m e l l o v e r s , M a u i C a r a m a c s combines rich, buttery caramel with dry-roasted macadamias, covered in s m o o t h m i l k c h o c o l a t e . I t ’ s a c u l tfavorite! Hawaiian Host also introduced its Flavors of Aloha Bars last year with five island-inspired flavors including S u r f e r ’ s B r e a k f a s t , I s l a n d B o u n t y , Tropical Sunrise Swirl, Rocky Road to Paradise and Pau Hana.

About Hawaiian Host H a w a i i a n H o s t h a s b e e n m a k i n g t h e o r i g i n a l c h o c o l a t e c o v e r e d macadamia for over 95 years What started as an attic experiment in Maui grew into the beloved Hawaii-based confectionery brand that it is today Founder Mamoru Takitani’s dream of creating a world-famous candy came true thanks to his pioneering spirit and e n v i a b l e t e n a c i t y H e a d q u a r t e r e d i n Honolulu, Hawaiian Host spreads the spirit of the Islands throughout the globe via its wide assortment of premiu m c h o c o l a t e a n d m a c a d a m i a n u t selections

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o w w w h a w a i i a n h o s t g r o u p c o m o r s t o p b y booth# 11119

Alternative Sweeteners from Suzanne’s Specialties

Suzanne’s Specialties has been supplyi n g a l t e r n a t i v e s w e e t e n e r s t o t h e health food and industrial food markets since 1984 Its offerings include brown rice syrup, clarified rice syrup, rice maltodextrin syrup and solids, tapioca syrup, tapioca maltodextrin and solids, agave syrup, inulin, cane sugar, i n v e r t s y r u p s , m o l a s s e s , h o n e y , r i c e milk powder and coconut sugar and syrup The company also has the ability

to make custom blends and sweetener systems

All of Suzanne’s Specialties industrial products have been verified by the Non-GMO Project S u z a n n e ’ s S p e c i a l t i e s o f f e r s a n I n f a n t S a f e ® v e r s i o n o f a l l o f i t s r i c e syrups This unique product contains less than 10 ppb for arsenic and lead, meeting the FDA standard for drinking water It is available in all DE levels

Deeply rooted in the belief that healthy food is simple to prep a r e a n d t a s t e s great, the company continues to source and provide unique f o o d o p t i o n s T h e core items – convent i o n a l a n d o r g a n i c q u i n o a , c h i a a n d f a r r o – r e m a i n s t r o n g A l o n g w i t h f l a x , h e m p , l e n t i l s , b l a c k r i c e , microwaveables, bean pouches, superfood powders and more Theory of Kombucha® is a unique-to-market powdered kombucha that is convenient, tasty and good for you Vigilant Eats®, a b r e a k f a s t o p t i o n t h a t e l e v a t e s t h e

everyday oatmeal from good to gourmet, was relaunched with higher protein and lower sugar The newest addition is dripdash®, a Reimagined Craft C o f f e e b r e w e d u s i n g p r o p r i e t a r y t e c h n o l o g y t h a t b r i n g s o u t t h e most delicate aromas and flavors in coffee resembling a 1600s Japanese b r e w i n g m e t h o d k n o w n a s K y o t o Iced Coffee

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

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

Tortuga Tennessee Whiskey Spice Cake

Tortuga is a world-renowned brand that continues to lead the gourmet and spirit cakes category by heavily focusing on innovation and ensuring that its consumers are presented with innov a t i v e a n d n e w options.

T o r t u g a h a s b e e n d o i n g b u s in e s s w i t h t h e c r u i s e c h a n n e l , m a j o r b i g b o x r e t a i l e r s i n N o r t h A m e r i c a , d e p a r tment and grocery stores and the gifting sector for over 35 years. Given the company’s recent success with evolving from its world-famous rum cakes and creating a new cake with bourbon, t h e K e n t u c k y B o u r b o n B u t t e r C a k e , Tortuga continues to explore the spirits world.

F r o m t h i s e v o l u t i o n , T o r t u g a ’ s Southern Trio range was born, which

T h e c o m p a n y p a c k s i t s i n d u s t r i a l products in pails, drums, totes and tank wagons All products are available in organic with most available in a conventional version as well Suzanne’s promises that all of its products are made with only the highest quality o r g a n i c a n d a l l - n a t u r a l i n g r e d i e n t s

Each one is sure to give your formulas and applications “Sweetness the Way Mother Nature Intended™ ” Suzanne’s Specialties also provides a line of retail products These include f l a v o r e d r i c e s y r u p s a n d t r a d i t i o n a l offerings such as organic wildflower honey and organic rice syrup Pack

consists of Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake, Moonshine Apple Pie Cake and t h e n e w e s t a d d i t i o n , T e n n e s s e e Whiskey Spice Cake It is carefully crafted with Tennessee W h i s k e y ’ s r i c h a r o m a a n d c o mp l e x f l a v o r s a n d the distinct notes that emerge from the spices. All three f l a v o r s a r e a v a i la b l e i n t h e s t a nd a r d s i z e s – 4 ounces, 16 ounces and 32 ounces. T o r t u g a ’ s n e w s e l e c t i o n o f s p i r i t cakes are inspired b y A m e r i c a ’ s o l d e s t a n d t r a d i t i o n a l delectable recipes and give consumers the opportunity to experience unique flavors characterized by bold notes and magnificent richness.

For more information, call 786.817.6880 or go to www.tortugaimports.com.

sizes on its retail line range from jars to gallons to tubs to pails

Suzanne’s can service the needs of a household, restaurant, small bakery o r i n s t i t u t i o n V i s i t w w w s u z a n n e sspecialties com for more information on these products or to shop in its easy-to-use online store

With distribution facilities on both the East and West coasts and a diverse product line, Suzanne’s Specialties has the ability to service your company’s specific needs

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o www suzannes-specialties com

Exotic Fruit From Belen Trading

At Belen Trading, family is important Belen Trading is a family business that wishes for nothing more than to be able to share the love it has for produce Specializing in exotic and tropical fruits, Belen Trading is known for bringing the joy of fruits readily available in Latin America with the rest of the world

WIth suppliers all over

L a t i n A m e r i c a , B e l e n Trading has relations h i p s w i t h a l a r g e diversity of people and an even larger variety of products y e a r - r o u n d T h i s way, Belen Trading can guarantee customer satisfaction and become a dependable and reliable source of produce for its clients

Belen Trading specializes in exotic fruit Its produce options include, but are not limited to: rambutan, dragon fruit, star fruit, mangosteen, longan, papaya and mango The produce is carefully selected to ensure the highest possible caliber and taste To achieve this, founder Hector Fernandez keeps close relationships with every individual supplier and personally visits them t o c o n d u c t q u a l i t y t e s t s r e g u l a r l y

Belen Trading prides itself on always

providing the best possible fruit to its clients

Belen Trading is not only interested in sharing exotic fruits with others, but one of Belen Trading’s most important goals is also to help farmers in Latin American countries grow and become successful Over the past few years, the company’s suppliers’ businesses have grown exponentially alongside Belen Trading, creating opportunities for not just Belen Trading and its clients, but also for those who are responsible for the excellent quality and care for its p r o d u c e T h e s e f l o u r i s h i n g r e l ationships between suppliers and Belen Trading also have a positive impact on the economy of Latin American countries, a mission Belen Trading values greatly

Belen Trading aims to export tropical fruits all over the world and help the hardworking Latin American farmers become fairly compensated for their important labor With a large network of skilled suppliers who also focus on q u a l i t y a n d s h a r e t h e s a m e v a l u e s ,

Belen Trading became an increasingly dependable source for produce all over the country

Paesana – An Organic Sauce Like No Other

P a e s a n a ’ s P r e m i u m O r g a n i c P a s t a Sauces have all the delicious sautéedto-perfection flavor that’s been in the Scaramelli family since

1 9 0 2 A n d b e c a u s e t h e y ’ r e o r g a n i c , t h e s e n u t r i e n t - r i c h s a u c e s c o n t a i n o n l y q u a l i t y i n g r e d i e n t s i n c l u d i n g

1 0 0 p e r c e n t i m p o r t e d I t a l i a n t o m a t o e s , 1 0 0 p e r c e n t e x t r a v i r g i n olive oil, garlic, onions and spices that are slowk e t t l e c o o k e d F i n a l l y , t h e s a u c e i s j a r r e d a t peak freshness to seal in the flavors perfected over generations

Paesana puts the same care in labeling its jars as it does in preparing its sauces Discerning organic shoppers look for the USDA organic seal, which the company proudly displays on the front of its transparent labels Paesana is also happy to share that these sauces are gluten free, kosher certified and (with exception of its Vodka sauce)

Non-GMO Project Verified

Beyond the label, and for in-store convenience, the company has packed its jars in display-ready trays, which make for an attractive store end cap display This eye-catching store setup is u

p r o d u c t i t s e l f t h e p e r f e c t i n - s t o r e advertisement

While an attractive end cap display of O r g a n i c T o m a t o B a s i l o r Organic Vodka Sauce is an attention grabber, having s i x o r g a n i c v a r i e t i e s o nshelf to choose from would inspire a customer to grab a favorite or two Paesana’s most popular sauce flavor is Organic Tomato Basil, with its fragrant flavor of basil Organic Marinara has a traditional recipe reminiscent o f S u n d a y d i n n e r a t G r a n d m a ’ s T h e c r o w d favorite Organic Vodka sauce is made with organic heavy cream to achieve a r i c h a n d c r e a m y t e x t u r e P a e s a n a wouldn’t forget those who like a little kick; hence, the company offers Organic Fra Diavolo For those who crave a richer sauce, there is Organic Sicilian Gravy And garlic lovers can’t get enough of Paesana’s Organic Roasted Garlic sauce E a c h d e l i c i o u s v a r i e t y o f P a e s a n a Organic Pasta Sauce delivers a taste of the Italian countryside It’s an organic sauce like no other – full of flavor! For more information, go to www paesana com, email sales@paesana com or call 631 845 1717

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, a l t h o u g h a l o n g a more savory route I n 2 0 1 4 , W e l l s decided he needed to create a smoker f o r s e a s o n i n g s , which he manufactured in his garage H i s s m o k e d s e asonings were soon i n h i g h d e m a n d f r o m h i s c i r c l e o f friends Eventually, h e s t a r t e d s e l l i n g h i s s e a s o n i n g s 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 i n s m a l l b a t c h e s w i t h h i g h - q u a l i t y 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 ” W h i s k e y O a k Seasonings come in six blends: Smoked Sugar, Smoked Salt, S m o k e d S t e a k , S m o k e d P o r k & P o u l t r y , S m o k e d Sea Salt, and Salty Sweet N’ Smokin’

The Whiskey Oak S a m p l e r a l l o w s cooks to try a little bit of each of these distinctive smoked seasonings

W h i s k e y O a k S e a s o n i n g s c o m p l ement 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

Divine Chocolate Launches New Items and New Look for Holiday Portfolio

Divine Chocolate is the world’s first and only Fairtrade and B-Corp certified premium chocolate company that is coowned by cocoa farmers Driven by a m i s s i o n t o f i g h t e x p l o i t a t i o n i n t h e cocoa industry, Divine champions the needs of farmers to improve their lives and to build a sustainable and fair world

F o r H o l i d a y 2 0 2 3 , D i v i n e h a s launched new standup bags in milk

italizing on the sharing usage occasion and the No 1 flavor, respectively During the holidays, bags comprise o v e r 5 0 p e r c e n t o f h o l i d a y s a l e s Peppermint is a hugely popular flavor, growing more than 30 percent within Christmas Ethical Premium – peppermint white chocolate grew more than 77 percent

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

u n t i l t h e C h r i s t m a s h o l i d a y , ” s a i d T r o y

P e a r l e y , E x e c u t i v e V i c e P r e s i d e n t a n d

G e n e r a l M a n a g e r , N o r t h A m e r i c a o f

D i v i n e C h o c o l a t e “ W e k n o w m o r e c o n s u m e r s a r e l o o k i n g f o r F a i r t r a d e a n d e t h i c a l c h o c o l a t e ; D i v i n e ’ s n e w p o r t f o l i o s a t i s f i e s a l l C h r i s t m a s u s a g e o c c a s i o n s ”

fiers

All Divine Chocolate is made with F a i r t r a d e s u g a r a n d s i n g l e - o r i g i n Fairtrade cocoa beans grown by family farmers Its chocolate contains only natural flavors and ingredients, and no p a l m o i l , n o s o y a n d n o G M O s V e g e t a r i a n a n d v e g a n o p t i o n s a r e available

and dark chocolate and peppermint bars in white and dark chocolate, cap-

D i v i n e h a s r e d e s i g n e d i t s o v e r a l l h o l i d a y p o r t f o l i o , f e a t u r i n g i t s a d v e n t c a l e n d a r s a n d c o i n p a c k a g i n g i n b l u e a n d b l a c k t o a l i g n w i t h i t s m i l k a n d d a r k c h o c o l a t e c o l o r s c h e m e T h e n e w d e s i g n h i g h l i g h t s D i v i n e ’ s c o c o a f a r m e r c o - o w n e r s h i p a n d i t s c o m m i t m e n t t o f a i r l a b o r a n d s u s t a i n a b i li t y p r a c t i c e s “ W e ’ v e h a d a n o v e rw h e l m i n g l y p o s i t i v e r e s p o n s e f r o m b u y e r s w h o h a v e s e e n o u r n e w h o l i d a y d e s i g n a n d i t e m s I n 2 0 2 2 , C h r i s t m a s E t h i c a l P r e m i u m C h o c o l a t e g r e w m o r e t h a n 2 9 p e r c e n t , t w o t i m e s f a s t e r t h a n C h r i s t m a s P r e m i u m W i t h D i v i n e , r e t a i l e r s c a n l e v e r a g e t h e s a l e s

VestaEco Bags by Vesta Precision

The need for environmentally friendly solutions has boomed over the last decade Today, you can see electric cars driving on roadways, paper straws to r e p l a c e p l a s t i c o n e s when dining and an i n c r e a s e i n r e c y c l i n g c a m p a i g n s V e s t a Precision has realized the need to be ecofriendly in solving the s i n g l e - u s e p l a s t i c s i s s u e w i t h s t a n d a r d vacuum sealing, and it has made its stamp on t h e “ g r e e n ” m a r k e t with the VestaEco compostable vacuum seal bags

Compostable means being made of material, or organic substances, that easily break down over time and will be n o n - t o x i c t o t h e e n v i r o n m e n t

VestaEco bags are made from a proprietary PLA resin, food-grade tested and are BPA and phthalate free, which is an optimal choice when considering food storage Innovative to the vacuum sealing market, VestaEco bags are an ideal choice for your vacuum sealing needs, reducing the amount of plastics introduced into the solid waste stream as

they are commercially compostable –simply add them to your food waste for p r o c e s s i n g T h e b e n e f i t s o f u s i n g V e s t a E c o c o m p o s t a b l e b a g s i n c l u d e l e s s w a s t e b u i l d u p i n landfills and a reduction i n h a r m f u l g r e e n h o u s e gasses, helping to combat the issue of global warming

VestaEco compostable bags can be valuable to you and your business With all the features of s t a n d a r d v a c u u m s e a l b a g s , V e s t a E c o c o mpostable bags will preserve the life of y o u r f o o d w i t h o u t s a c r i f i c i n g t h e integrity of freshness, flavor or nutritional value The compostable bags are long-term freezer friendly, so freezer burn will be an issue of the past The c o m p a n y o f f e r s V e s t a E c o b a g s a n d rolls in an array of sizes and styles –embossed and flat – to work with both suction-style or chamber vacuum sealers

For more information, go to www vesta p r e c i s i o n c o m o r e m a i l s a l e s @ v e s t a precision com

As co-owners of Divine Chocolate, Kuapa Kokoo, a Fairtrade cocoa cooperative with over 100,000 members in Ghana, receives a portion of Divine’s distributable profits Farmers benefit from the Fairtrade Minimum Price, the Fairtrade Premium and Divine’s investment in farmer-led initiatives in adult l i t e r a c y a n d n u m e r a c y , l a b o r r i g h t s , gender empowerment and sustainable a g r i c u l t u r a l p r a c t i c e s t h a t e m p o w e r farmers and their families to thrive and prosper Divine is a multi-year honoree r e c o g n i z e d a s “ B e s t f o r t h e W o r l d :

Communities” by B-Corporation certi-

Available for purchase nationwide and online at divinechocolate com and Amazon, Divine Chocolate’s everyday offerings include sharing bars, organic bars, snack bars, a baking collection, cocoa powder and Crispy Thins

V i s i t D i v i n e C h o c o l a t e a t b o o t h #10769 For more information about Divine Chocolate and to learn how every Divine Chocolate product helps end exploitation in the cocoa industry, v i s i t w w w d i v i n e c h o c o l a t e c o m a n d follow the company @divinechocolateusa on Instagram

For more information, go to www divine chocolate com or stop by booth #10769

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

Food For Life Baking Co , makers of the i n c r e d i b l y d e l i c i o u s a n d n u t r i t i o u s

Ezekiel 4:9® Sprouted Grain Bread, has been committed to the health of its customers since its inception over 50 years ago.

Among the many natural sprouted grain breads are its widely popular Ezekiel 4:9 and Genesis 1:29® breads, E n g l i s h m u f f i n s , t o r t i l l a s , b u n s a n d cereal. Sprouting maximizes digestibility and nutrition while lowering the glycemic index in its flourless bakery products.

Beyond the commitment to superior nutrition, there’s also a commitment to a balanced and protected pH in every loaf. Why is a balanced pH so important? Because Food For Life recognizes that a balanced pH is absolutely essential for optimum health. This is why Food For Life meticulously chooses its ingredients, and refuses to use acidify-

i n g a g e n t s s u c h a s c u l t u r e d w h e a t s t a r c h , v i n e g a r , c a l c i u m p r o p i o n a t e and ascorbic acid – all preservatives

As an amazing benefit of sprouting, grains actually become more alkaline a s w a t e r a n d o x y g e n s u p p o r t t h e growth of the new plant and naturally balances the pH While a balanced pH is great for health reasons, a higher pH does tend to shorten shelf life This is why the company primarily sells Food For Life breads frozen

Since its Ezekiel breads have become so popular, Food For Life is seeing m o r e c o m p e t i t o r s n o w r e l e a s i n g sprouted grain breads, though using acidifying agents like vinegar and cultured wheat starch to extend their shelf life Unfortunately, these ingredients lower the pH by increasing the acidity,

which Food For Life feels often defeats the purpose of sprouting in the first place To be a truly healthful product, Food For Life strongly believes in protecting the pH level of its sprouted grain bread, targeting a balanced pH.

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

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

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

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

Amazingly, Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 breads often contain just as much protein as the stuff you put on your sandwich, from all plant-based sources Ezekiel 4:9 Bread, made with 100 percent organic ingredients Your body and taste buds will know the difference! Check with your food distributor for the best options

For more information, email info@food forlife com or call 951 279 5090

New Look Tofutti Still Going Strong

F a n s o f T o f u t t i m i g h t h a v e n o t i c e d s o m e c h a n g e s r e c e n t l y I n A u g u s t

2 0 2 2 , t h e c o m p a n y , w h i c h b e g a n p r od u c i n g d a i r y - f r e e p r o d u c t s i n 1 9 8 1 ,

d e b u t e d b r a n d - n e w p a c k a g i n g T h i s w a s t h e f i r s t r e b r a n d t h a t T o f u t t i h a s

Over 125 Years of Coconut Product Excellence

Franklin Baker, Inc has been the prem i e r P h i l i p p i n e s u p p l i e r o f c o c o n u t ingredients to the global food and beverage marketplace for over 125 years The company’s products are produced from the freshest coconuts available at one of its three manufacturing facilities, where proprietary processing is utilized to ensure freshness and long shelf stability Franklin Baker maintains full control of the entire process from tree through shipment

Franklin Baker is ahead of the game i n p r o d u c t a n d p r o c e s s v e r i f i c a t i o n c a p a b i l i t i e s , o p e r a t i n g m i c r o b i o l o g y laboratories that are accredited to ISO 17025 standards Its pathogen detect i o n s y s t e m u s e s a n a u t o m a t e d method based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to detect the presence of salmonella and listeria in products and surfaces This technolo g y f o c u s e s o n s p e c i f i c D N A f r a gm e n t s , a m p l i f y i n g a t a r g e t D N A s e q u e n c e a n d s u b s e q u e n t p o l y m e rization This advanced system is more sensitive than other microbiological methods, detecting as low as one cell p e r 2 5 - o r 3 7 5 - g r a m p o r t i o n . T e s t results are available in less than 24 h o u r s c o m p a r e d t o m o r e t h a n f i v e days using conventional methods.

The manufacturing sites of Franklin Baker are Grade AA and AA+ BRCGS certified, which confirms the company’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of food safety, product quality and regulatory compliance.

T h e B R C G S G l o b a l F o o d S a f e t y Standard (BRCGS) is adopted by over 22,000 sites in more than 130 coun-

tries, which makes Franklin Baker “A

Cut Above the Rest ”

Franklin Baker’s extensive portfolio of coconut products hold wide-ranging third-party certifications and awards, including Non-GMO Project Verified, Fair Trade USA, BRCGS, USDA, JAS, UE O r g a n i c , I S O 9 0 0 1 : 2 0 1 5 , I S O 22000:2018, ISO 17025, HACCP, FDA

P h i l i p p i n e s , G M A - S A F E , A B P A O Accredited Testing Laboratory, SEDEX (SMETA), Kosher and Halal certified Additionally, Franklin Baker holds the 2 0 1 6 - 2 0 2 3 A w a r d o f E x c e l l e n c e , American Master of Taste & Gold Medal

E n d o r s e m e n t a n d t h e 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 2 3

B e v e r a g e C h a m p i o n b y C h e f s i n America

Franklin Baker is pleased to be a cofounder of the Coconut Coalition of the Americas (CCA), a non-profit organization founded in mid-2017, largely to challenge negative perceptions about coconut products The CCA is dedicated to upholding sound and credible science, responsible communications and sustainable and transparent pract i c e s a r o u n d a l l c o c o n u t p r o d u c t s .

F r a n k l i n B a k e r i s a m e m b e r o f t h e Executive Board, the Marketing and C o m m u n i c a t i o n c o m m i t t e e , t h e Membership committee and serves as a technical advisor.

Franklin Baker offers bulk, foodservice and retail packaging options to meet your business needs and forge a trusted coconut supply chain partnership.

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o www.franklinbaker.com.

Cold Brew Coffee Prepared Fresh and Fast

Cold brew coffee has become wildly popular with consumers of all ages and is quickly becoming a mainstay in the coffee category Known for its reduced acidity and distinct bold flavor, cold brew coffee can be enjoyed throughout the day, which can open up sales opportunities for convenience stores T h e r e i s , h o w e v e r , o n e v e r y l a r g e o b s t a c l e t h a t o p e r a t o r s c o n s i s t e n t l y run into when making cold brew cof-

fee P r e p a r i n g f r e s h , c o l d b r e w c o f f e e takes time – a lot of time The ambient water temperature requires 12+ hours to extract the coffee compared to minutes when brewing with hot water This preparation time creates operational challenges and makes it almost impossible to gauge the volume of cold brew n e e d e d f o r t h e f o l l o w i n g d a y T h e i n a b i l i t y t o f o r e c a s t d e m a n d o f t e n

u n d e r t a k e n i n i t s m o r e t h a n 4 0 y e a r s o f o p e r a t i o n A s t h e p o p u l a r i t y o f p l a n t - b a s e d p r o d u c t s c o n t i n u e s t o g r o w , t h e c o m p a n y f e e l s t h a t t h e r e b r a n d p u t s T o f u t t i i n a b e t t e r p o s it i o n t o c o m p e t e i n a m a r k e t b e c o mi n g i n c r e a s i n g l y c r o w d e d w i t h r i v a l b r a n d s “ T o d a y ’ s n a t u r a l foods market is flooded with competitors, s o w e k n e w i t w a s time to reassess our branding,” says Steve Kass, Chief Executive Officer of Tofutti. “We w a n t c o n s u m e r s t o recognize all Tofutti p r o d u c t s a s T o f u t t i products.” Kass, who h a s b e e n w i t h t h e company since 1986, i s c o n f i d e n t t h a t Tofutti’s new packaging will make it even easier for consumers to spot Tofutti on store shelves.

T o f u t t i ’ s n e w b l a c k p a c k a g i n g w i t h b o l d l e t t e r i n g w a s d e s i g n e d t o n o t

b l e n d i n . “ E v e r y o n e u s e s g r e e n s a n d b l u e s o n w h i t e . I t ’ s p l a y e d o u t a n d

b o r i n g , ” e x p l a i n s G e r r y P u g l i e s e , M a r k e t i n g a n d P u b l i c R e l a t i o n s

M a n a g e r a t T o f u t t i . “ W e w e n t f o r b o l d w i t h a b i t o f e d g e . ” P u g l i e s e a d d s t h a t

f e e d b a c k o n t h e n e w b r a n d i n g h a s b e e n m o s t l y g o o d “ S u r e , w e ’ v e h a d a f e w c r a n k s t h a t d o n ’ t l i k e c h a n g e , ” s a y s P u g l i e s e , “ b u t m o s t c u s t o m e r s g e t i t T h e y l i k e o u r n e w i n - y o u r - f a c e a p p r o a c h ” W i t h t h e r e b r a n d , T o f u t t i i s f o c u s i n g o n i t s c o r e m a r k e t s C o m p a n y r e s e a r c h r e v e a l e d t h a t n e a r l y 9 0 p e rc e n t o f i t s c u s t o m e r s a r e p e o p l e w i t h d a i r y a l l e r g i e s a n d / o r t h o s e w h o i d e nt i f y a s v e g a n o r v e g e t a r i a n “ I t j i b e s w i t h p e o p l e w h o f o l l o w u s o n s o c i a l

t r a n s l a t e s i n t o l o s t s a l e s a n d u n h a p p y c u s t o m e r s when the product runs out d u r i n g b u s i n e s s h o u r s C o l d b r e w i n g p r o c e s s e s u s i n g t r a d i t i o n a l s o a k i n g systems can also be messy a n d c u m b e r s o m e . H o w can an operator meet the h i g h d e m a n d s f o r c o l d brew coffee?

Operators need a brewe r t h a t c a n b r e w f r e s h , fast, and consistent cold brew coffee. Newco’s Cold Brew Brewer Series is the solution. Until now, there has not

m e d i a , ” a d d s P u g l i e s e “ V e g a n a n d d a i r y - f r e e f o o d i e s a r e t h e b u l k o f o u r f o l l o w e r s ; t h a t ’ s w h y w e p o s t a t o n o f v e g a n r e c i p e s u s i n g o u r p r o d u c t s ”

T h i s i s l i k e l y a s a f e b e t f o r T o f u t t i I p s o s r e s e a r c h f o u n d t h a t 9 7 m i l l i o n

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

Tofutti has also seen the rebrand’s positive effect on brokers and retailers

“A lot of buyers are happy to see that

w e u p d a t e d e v e r y t h i n g , ” s a y s C a r l y Saladino, Customer Account Specialist a t T o f u t t i . “ W e ’ r e a n e w T o f u t t i t o t h e m . ” S a l a d i n o h a s b e e n w i t h t h e company for 18 years. Others have been with Tofutti for over 20 years, and some over 30 years. All of this collective e x p e r i e n c e g i v e s T o f u t t i a n e d g e a g a i n s t c o m p e t i t o r s w h o h a v e o n l y recently arrived on the scene.

Whether it’s called vegan or plantbased, Tofutti’s tight-knit team remains committed to making the highest quality dairy-free foods, which has been the company’s mission since 1981 Mr Kass summed it up in August by saying, “we might look different, but inside is the same delicious product and passion for dairy-free foods that has fueled us for over 40 years ”

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

been a way to speed up the process using fresh ground coffee Staff can gauge the volume of sales each day and easily prep a r e m o r e c o f f e e t o i n c r e a s e sales and customer retention The small footprint of the unit m a k e s i t e a s y t o a d d t o t h e c o u n t e r , a n d t h e a u t o m a t i o n simplifies and ensures consist e n t d r i n k q u a l i t y w i t h e a c h batch brewed.

For more information, go to www.newco coffee.com, call 800.325.7867 or email sales@newcocoffee.com.

The Spice Lab’s Naturally Clean-Label Blends

Creating and sourcing a line of pure spices and spice blends that are clean l a b e l w a s n e v e r a c h a n g e , b u t a n assumption from the very beginning f o r t h e f o u n d e r s o f T h e S p i c e L a b “We’ve never used any fillers or artificial colors or flavorings in any of the blends that we create,” said Brett Cramer, one of the founders of the company T h e S p i c e L a b c r e a t e s n u m e r o u s blends that adhere to different dietary lifestyles The company recently partnered up with Michelle Tam from Nom Nom Paleo to develop and produce a line of paleo spice blends Additionally, The Spice Lab carries blends that are salt free, low sodium and keto friendly; all of their blends are gluten free With its recent expansion of over 50,000 square feet and additional production lines, The Spice Lab can now serve its private label partners even faster and more efficiently as it can now produce over 100,000 units a day The company has a full-time research and development chef, who can also help private-label customers create or fine tune a spice blend that speaks to them and their customer base and addresses their dietary needs

The Spice Lab even has a section on its website for new customers who may be interested in creating a private-label program This includes minimums, a variety of jars and lids to choose from and set-up fees Simply go to www spices com and click “wholesale” in the upper right corner Then under “wholesale,” click “private label ” From there, you will be guided through the process

A w o m a n - o w n e d a n d f a m i l y - r u n business, The Spice Lab specializes in creating exclusive custom seasoning blends and packaging organic spices

The company’s extensive product line includes artisan salts, The Spice Lab b r a n d e d a w a r d - w i n n i n g s e a s o n i n g s and rubs, premium spices and dried herbs, natural sugars, Himalayan shot glasses, custom blends, private label and a wide array of corporate gifts

All of the products by The Spice Lab are blended and packed in its SQF certified manufacturing facility in Pompano Beach, Florida The company has WBENC certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise, a USDA NOP Organic certification to package organic spices as well as OU Kosher certification

The Spice Lab’s extensive line of sea salts, spices, seasonings and related products is sold by gourmet and specialty shops, major retailers and online through amazon com and at spices com

For more information, go to spices com, c

CII Foods – Your Solution Provider

CII recognizes that its customers want quality products from a company who cares CII is proud to create food ingredients that not only look great, but have a delicious and wholesome taste The company’s food particulates add flavor, color and character to numerous food applications such as baked goods, cereal, confectionery and ice cream

Unlike most fat-based or sugar-based particles, CII’s Flav-R-Bites® and Flav-RSwirl® stand up to heat, moisture, are shelf stable and they make your products look and taste better!

Flav-R-Bites don’t have to be sweet They can add color and flavor accent to chips, pizza, frozen dinners and even d o g t r e a t s C r e a t e f l a v o r a n d s w i r l effects in bread products by adding Flav-R-Swirl, CII’s pre-blended mixes

New as of Fall 2022, CII is also offering clusters, granola and panned items at its new facility in St Joseph, Missouri By combining whole-grain goodness with health and wellness components, s u c h a s S l i m B i o m e ® , t h e c o m p a n y ’ s cluster production will add new product offerings with limitless possibilities These products will fit well into the cereal and snack markets to add value to your items

In its new St Joseph facility, CII has the capability to run your raw flours a n d i n g r e d i e n t s t h r o u g h i t s H e a t Treatment Processing equipment to significantly reduce pathogens to an acceptable level in your ingredients Flour products can be wheat, pea, soy, rice, corn and many others

0

o r e m a i l g a r y oliver@thespicelab.com.

Wisconsin’s Best & Wisconsin Cheese Company Add Production to Meet Consumer Demands

Nationally known quality and a large selection of Wisconsin cheese and meat snacks drives expansion in production for Wisconsin’s Best & Wisconsin Cheese Company C-store driven sales of healthy snacks, keto diets and Fresh-to-Go products put Wisconsin’s Best & Wisconsin Cheese Company products at the forefront of growing sales in c-store locations

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

Refrigerated – Cheese Sticks, Cheese and Meat Combos, Cheese Curds, and

String Cheese and Shelf Stable – Meat S n a c k s , n e w C h e d d a r C h e e s e S t i c k s a n d C h e e s e a n d M e a t C o m b o s n o t requiring refrigeration

The key to success in many locations is making a statement of quality snacks p r o v i d e d b y W i s c o n s i n ’ s B e s t & Wisconsin Cheese Company, and it is working to build customer loyalty

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , e m a i l i n f o @ wiscompany com or call 844 455 3001

The company’s products are fully customizable regarding flavor, color, size and texture All of CII’s products can also be customized to meet any ingred i e n t r e s t r i c t i o n s t h a t y o u r p r o j e c t might have like natural, gluten-free, non-GMO, organic or no sugar added Plant-based proteins are increasingly important to consumers and CII manufactures a full line of custom plantbased protein crisps and Texturized Plant Proteins (TPP) for the health and wellness and plant-based meal markets Some of the sources that CII utilizes are chickpea, fava, wheat, rice and other specialty plant proteins

CII is unique in its ability to innovate beyond standardized food products The company is driven to craft unique solutions for each of its customers and have designed its innovation processes to adapt to customer needs

Even as CII expands its operations, it m a i n t a i n s a n a g i l e , e n t r e p r e n e u r i a l mindset that sets the company apart f r o m l a r g e r p r o d u c e r s w h o d o n o t s h a r e C I I ’ s p a s s i o n t o c r e a t e C I I ’ s p a t e n t e d m a n u f a c t u r i n g p r o c e s s e s allow for greater efficiency and returns on every dollar its customers invest F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o ciifoods com

a n d f o o d s a f e t y s y s t e m s , i n c l u d i n g H A C C P - b a s e d f o o d s a f e t y s y s t e m ,

c h i p s t y l e s , i n c l u d i n g r o l l e d t o r t i l l a chips and new grain free, potato chips, extruded puffed snacks, co-extruded snacks, pellet snacks (veggie-flavored chips), pork rinds, ready to eat popcorn, popped crisps, nut butter snacks or our popular nut clusters Our packaging capabilities range from 1oz to bulk packs and feature various unique formats such as quad seal and stand-up pouches

Q u a l i t y – w e g e t i t ! S Q F L e v e l 3 a u d i t s i n b o t h p l a n t s a r e c o n s i s t e n t l y r a t e d “ E x c e l l e n t ” W i t h o n - s i t e c o n t i nu o u s m o n i t o r i n g a n d i n s p e c t i o n s , o u r c u s t o m e r s a r e c o n f i d e n t t h a t w e u n d e r s t a n d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f q u a l i t y

F S M A / U S D A c o m p l i a n c e , G M P t r a i ni n g a n d f o r m a l i z e d v e r i f i c a t i o n , c o mp u t e r i z e d r e c a l l a n d t r a c e a b i l i t y s y st e m , o n - s i t e m i c r o b i o l o g i c a l t e s t i n g , a l l e r g e n c o n t r o l s y s t e m a n d o t h e r s T h i r d - p a r t y c e r t i f i c a t i o n s i n c l u d e S Q F , g l u t e n f r e e , U S D A c e r t i f i e d o r g a n i c N o n - G M O , K o s h e r a n d W h o l e G r a i n C o u n c i l

You can count on Snak King and its more than 40 years of dedication to quality and expertise in the industry to be your Snack Innovation Partner!

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o www snakking com, call 626 363 7711 or stop by booth #11702

Snak King (Cont’d from p 1)

UA: Absolutely! At Sunco & Frenchie, we take great pride in sourcing only the finest natural and non-GMO ingred i e n t s f o r o u r p r o d u c t s W e f i r m l y believe that food should be both delicious and good for you By using natural and non-GMO ingredients, we're providing our customers with products that not only taste great but are also healthier and more sustainable

GN: What are some of the most popul a r p r o d u c t s o f f e r e d b y S u n c o &

Just The Fun Part (Cont’d from p 1)

is the newest addition to our product l i n e M i n i w a f f l e c o n e s f i l l e d w i t h

100% Belgian Chocolate produced by the world renowned Barry Callebaut Our crispy waffle cones are sourced f r o m o n e o f t h e o l d e s t b a k e r i e s i n Germany

GN: Where did the idea for Just The Fun Part come from?

A A : T h e i d e a f o r t h i s p r o d u c t c a m e f r o m m y f r i e n d Y i g i t , w h o m I h a v e h a d t h e p l e a s u r e o f w o r k i n g t o g e t h e r w i t h f o r m a n y y e a r s G r o w i n g u p i n

Darrell

market claims as well as ingredients

Darrell Lea is proud to use natural colors and flavors, no preservatives, nonGMO ingredients (many certified NonG M O P r o j e c t ) , S u s t a i n a b l e C o c o a (Cocoa Horizons) as well as being 100% Palm Oil Free It has a lot of exciting items coming down the pipeline

Frenchie, and why do you think they've resonated with customers?

UA: Our dried fruit selection, such as mango, ginger and mixed fruits, are very popular among our customers They appreciate the quality, taste and texture of our dried fruits Our granola a n d n u t m i x e s a r e a l s o f a v o r i t e s b e c a u s e t h e y ' r e c o n v e n i e n t a n d packed with nutrients, making them p e r f e c t f o r s n a c k i n g o n t h e g o o r adding to a meal Overall, I think our p r o d u c t s r e s o n a t e w i t h c u s t o m e r s b e c a u s e t h e y k n o w t h e y ' r e g e t t i n g

T u r k e y , w e w e r e n o s t r a n g e r s t o o u r s w e e t s a n d s n a c k s T h r o u g h o u t o u r c h i l d h o o d w e w e r e e x p o s e d t o s o m e o f t h e w o r l d ’ s g r e a t e s t c o n f e c t i o n s a n d t r e a t s O n e t h a t a l w a y s s t u c k w i t h u s w a s a c l a s s i c s u n d a e c o n e ( p a r t i c u l a r l y t h e b o t t o m ) L a t e r i n l i f e , w h e n w e h a d b e g u n o u r c a r e e r s a s s p e c i a l t y f o o d p r o f e s s i o n a l s , w e n e v e r s t o p p e d s t r i v i n g t o c r e a t e t h a t o n e g r e a t s n a c k M u c h t o o u r s u rp r i s e , a p r o d u c t l i k e t h i s a l r e a d y e x i s te d , j u s t i n a d i f f e r e n t f o r m a t I t w a s a l a r g e r c o n e , f i l l e d w i t h c h o c o l a t e , i n d i v i d u a l l y w r a p p e d , a n d t o p p e d w i t h s m a l l c a n d i e s N e v e r f o r g e t t i n g h i s f a v o r i t e p a r t o f t h e s u n d a e c o n e

great-tasting, healthy options

GN: Can you share some exciting new products or upcoming initiatives that Sunco & Frenchie has in the pipeline?

UA: We're always looking for innovative ways to expand our product offerings and meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers In the coming months, we plan to launch a new line of organic products and explore more sustainable packaging options We're also working on collaborating with local farmers to source more ingredients locally, further enhancing the quality and freshness of

a s a c h i l d , Y i g i t i m a g i n e d a s u n d a e c o n e s n a c k t h a t y o u c o u l d e n j o y o v e r a n d o v e r a g a i n J u s t l i k e t h a t , J u s t T h e F u n P a r t w a s b o r n ! W e d e c i d e d t o s h r i n k t h e b o t t o m p a r t o f t h e c o n e a n d p u t i t i n a b a g s o t h e b e s t p a r t o f t h e c o n e w o u l d k e e p g o i n g !

GN: Who is your target market?

AA: Simply put, we made this product for everyone to enjoy! People of all ages have a distinct memory of the end of a sundae cone Whether you’re 8 or 80, you’ll remember rushing to the bottom to get that last, chocolate filled, bite

our products

GN: How can customers find Sunco & Frenchie's products, and what can they expect when they visit your booth at the Natural Food Expo?

UA: Customers can find our products t h r o u g h o u r w e b s i t e , w w w s u nc o f r e n c h i e c o m , a n d i n s e l e c t r e t a i l locations

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o w w w suncofrenchie com, call 973 478 1011 or email sales@suncofrenchie com

GN: What is the nature of your distribution?

AA: We are the direct manufacturer of Just The Fun Part We have seven production facilities in Turkey, where our p r o d u c t i s d e l i c a t e l y m a n u f a c t u r e d While we can export all over the globe, our main distribution center is conveniently located in our warehouse in New Jersey We house over 150 different items and Just The Fun Part is always in stock!

For more information, go to www justthe funpart com, call 551 333 1119 or stop by booth #11786

Try the new bite-size candies of deli-

c i o u s n e s s – D a r r e l l L e a C h o c o l a t e Chewy Candy Bites are available in three exciting flavors, including Milk Chocolate with Raspberry Licorice, Milk C h o c o l a t e w i t h B l a c k L i c o r i c e a n d W h i t e C h o c o l a t e w i t h R a s p b e r r y L i c o r i c e , l a u n c h e d t h i s s p r i n g T h e chocolate bites are proudly palm oil free, made in Australia and made with 100 percent sustainably sourced cocoa L i v e t h e s w e e t l i f e w i t h t h e n e w

Darrell Lea Fabulicious Sour Candy Stix Range! Available now in three exciting f l a v o r s , i n c l u d i n g R a s p b e r r y , A p p l e and Mixed Flavor These soft, tangy tubes filled with a sour sherbet center a r e g u a r a n t e e d t o m a k e y o u r t a s t e b u d s t i n g l e ! D a r r e l l L e a F a b u l i c i o u s sour candy stix are palm oil free, no a r t i f i c i a l c o l o r s o r f l a v o r s a n d n o

that it is expanding into the seasonal market and will launch three new holiday SKUs in the fall of 2023: Darrell Lea C h r i s t m a s C r u n c h y C h o c o l a t e B a l l s , D a r r e l l L e a C h r i s t m a s L i c o r i c e (Strawberry & Apple flavors) and its famous Darrell Lea Rocklea Road Milk Chocolate slab

preservatives

Darrell Lea is also happy to introduce

GN: What are some of your most popular products?

G P : L a s O l a s ’ m o s t p o p u l a r p r o d u c t

i s o u r c e l e b r a t e d A n a s t a s i a C o n f e c t i o n s C o c o n u t P a t t i e s , w h i c h h a v e b e e n p r o d u c e d i n F l o r i d a f o r o v e r 3 0 y e a r s . O n e b i t e i n s t a n t l y t a k e s c o n s u m e r s t o p a r a d i s e w i t h t h e t a s t e o f t h e t r o p i c s . O u r C o c o n u t I s l a n d ’ s C o c o n u t

Cashew Crunch is another consumer favorite

think tropical twist on a classic brittle. At its launch in 2017, it was awarded sofi™ and MINPA Product of the Year! It continues to grow because it’s an unprecedented product, and addictive … one taste and you’ll be

back for more.

A n d l a s t b u t n o t l e a s t , L a s O l a s ’

G o u r m e t T a f f y i s a l s o o n e o f o u r m o s t p o p u l a r p r o d u c t s . M a t t e r - o f - f a c t , p r od u c t i o n h a s m o r e t h a n d o u b l e d o v e r t h e l a s t y e a r . W e p r o d u c e o v e r 2 0 c l a s s i c a n d t r o p i c a l f l a v o r s , a n d a l s o h a v e t h e f l e x i b i l i t y t o c r e a t e c u s t o m f l a v o r s . E a c h p i e c e i s f u l l o f s w e e t b u r s t s o f f l a v o r ; a n d , b e c a u s e w e u s e c o c o n u t o i l , i t h a s a s i l k y - s m o o t h t e xt u r e w i t h o u t t h e s t i c k i n e s s o f t y p i c a l t a f f y . I t ’ s t r u l y a t r e a s u r e f o r t a f f y l o v e r s !

GN: You mentioned 2023 will be the most exciting year for Las Olas. What can we expect to see?

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o w w w darrelllea com or stop by booth #10210 q u a l i t y c a n d y a n d s n a c k s . J u s t t h i s p a s t y e a r , w e ’ v e l a u n c h e d m a n y n e w p r o d u c t s a c r o s s o u r b r a n d s , a n d 2 0 2 3 w i l l b e t h e m o s t e x c i t i n g y e a r f o r L a s O l a s . L o o k f o r n e w p r o d u c t s a n d i n g r e d i e n t s t h a t e x e m p l i f y t h e t a s t e o f p a r a d i s e .

GP: You’ll need to stop by Las Olas’ island oasis in booth #10874 to find out what’s ahead for Anastasia Confections and Coconut Island in 2023! Come feel the breeze and take a few selfies while you’re there.

For more information, go to www.las o l a s b r a n d s . c o m , c a l l

.

.

o r stop by booth #10874.

s o r g h u m f l o u r , o r g a n i c o a t f l o u r a n d o r g a n i c c a s s a v a f l o u r C r a f t e d i n s m a l l b a t c h e s a t a n S Q F - c e r t i f i e d b a k e r y , t h e c r a c k e r s a r e f i l l e d w i t h d r y r o a s te d b l a n c h e d o r g a n i c p e a n u t s o r d r yr o a s t e d o r g a n i c s u n f l o w e r s e e d s m i l l e d t o c r e a m y p e r f e c t i o n T h e c l e a n - i n g r e d i e n t p r o d u c t s u t i l i z e

c e r t i f i e d p a l m o i l t o s t a b i l i z e

t h e s p r e a d s a n d a r e m a d e w i t h s u st a i n a b l y s o u r c e d c a n e s u g a r A c l a s s i c c r a c k e r d i v i d e r c r e a t e s t w o s a n d w i c he s i n e a c h p a c k a g e G a e l J B O r r , D i r e c t o r o f M a r k e t i n g a t O n c e A g a i n N u t B u t t e r s t a t e s t h a t “ o u r n u t a n d s e e d b u t t e r s h a v e a l w a y s b e e n a n e x c e l l e n t i n g r e d i e n t c h o i c e f o r c r e a t i n g p l a n t - b a s e d s n a c k s , s o w e c o u l d n ’ t b e m o r e e x c i t -

e d t o i n t r o d u c e t h e s e r e a d y - t o - e n j o y

g r a h a m c r a c k e r s a n d w i c h e s t o m a rk e t U n t i l n o w , t h e r e h a v e b e e n n o s a n d w i c h c r a c k e r s t h a t a r e b o t h

o r g a n i c a n d g l u t e n - f r e e c e r t i f i e d D e s i g n e d t o a p p e a l t o a l l a g e s , t h e p o r t a b l e s n a c k s c a n b e e a t e n s t r a i g h t o f f t h e s h e l f , n o p e a n u t - b u tt e r s t i r r i n g o r s u n f l o w e r - b u t t e r s p r e a d i n g n e e d e d , a n d t h e y ’ r e s u rp r i s i n g l y f i l l i n g a n d t a s t y ”

O n c e A g a i n ’ s n e w g r a h a m c r a c k e r

s a n d w i c h e s a r e a v a i l a b l e f o r r e t a i l e r s n a t i o n w i d e t o c a r r y f o r a n M S R P o f $ 1 6 9 - $ 1 8 9 o r $ 1 3 5 2 - $ 1 5 1 2 p e r r e t a i l b o x o f e i g h t T h e s u n f l o w e r b u tt e r s a n d w i c h c r a c k e r s w e r e r e c e n t l y s e l e c t e d a s a w i n n e r i n G o o d H o u s e k e e p i n g ’ s 2 0 2 2 H e a l t h y S n a c k A w a r d s

For more information, go to www once againnutbutter com

Sunco & Frenchie (Cont’d from p 1)

Once Again (Cont’d from p 1)

Lea (Cont’d from p 1)

Las Olas (Cont’d. from p. 1)

Germany’s Rovema Invites Food Industr y To Headquarters for Customer Events

German mechanical engineering company

Rovema is planning a series of customized customer events for various sectors of the food industry this year at his headquarters in Fernwald

With the motto, “It’s about your products Not ours, ” the specialist for packaging machines and sustainable packaging solutions started a series of events this spring individually adapted to different sectors of the food industry

Guests will be offered intensive personal advice and support from Rovema’s packag-

ing experts, live demonstrations as well as specific industry lectures and presentations on topics such as sustainable packaging or product protection

“We invite our customers of today and tomorrow to discover and experience our customized solutions for sustainable packaging,” said CEO Christoph Gusenleitner “What makes Rovema special are our individually adaptable machines, our special application know-how and our expertise in the field of sustainability In our Experience Center at our headquarters this can be presented and

understood in the most impressive way ”

With customized experiences, Rovema puts customers and their needs first “We also focus on our customers and their specific product requirements,” said CSO Florian Lude “Our goal is to be at their disposal with all our know-how, which is why we're rethinking traditional trade show participation and will no longer be exhibiting at Interpack, for example

“Instead, we will offer our own highly concentrated and effective events directly on our premises with our customized ex-

periences, which are individually tailored to the needs of our customers,” Lude said

The series kicked off in March with an event for the coffee sector Other events, including those for the confectioner y and powder industries, are planned for 2023

With more than 60 years of experience, Rovema develops packaging systems that meet the complex requirements of modern recycling management Rovema thinks holistically and sustainably, according to the company Rovema has delivered more than 30,000 machines and lines worldwide GN

United Natural Foods, Inc has completed its largest solar array investment to date at its Howell, N J , distribution center The 3 2-megawatt roof mounted solar array is

tricity per year, preventing approximately 2,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from being released into the atmosphere annually The system’s environmental benefits are equivalent to the emissions of 524 U S homes’ electricity use for one year according to the Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator

our operational costs and help us become more efficient, and that’s a positive for our business ”

UNFI worked with PowerFlex, a national provider of intelligent solar, storage and electric vehicle charging solutions for commercial and industrial customers, to complete the installation of the Howell solar array

“We are proud to partner with UNFI to make their operations more sustainable through renewable energy,” said Raphael Declercq, CEO of PowerFlex “By generat-

building a healthier community and environment for all ”

the company ’ s eighth solar installation and is nearly three times larger than any previous UNFI installation

UNFI also plans to complete LED energy lighting upgrades at 33 distribution centers that, once complete, are estimated to save the company approximately $15 million over a 10-year period

The rooftop array contains 7,171 solar panels and was developed to generate an amount of renewable electricity approximately equivalent to the annualized energy demand at the Howell distribution center The system is projected to generate an estimated 3 8-million-kilowatt hours of elec-

“ E n e rg y e f f ic i e n c y i s a n i mp o r t a n t f o c u s a re a f o r o u r B e tt e r f o r A l l E n v i ro n m e n t a l , S o c i a l , a n d

G o v e r n a n c e s t r a t e g y a n d w e a re e xc i t e d t o s e e t h e H o w e l l s o l a r a r r a y c o m e o n l i n e , ” s a i d U N F I C h i e f E x e cu t i v e O f f i c e r S a n d y D o u g l a s “ T h i s n e w e s t s o l a r a r r a y, c o u p l e d w i t h o u r c u r re n t L E D l i g h t i n g p ro j e c t s a t a m aj o r i t y o f o u r d i s t r i b u t i o n c e n t e r s a re e x p e c t e d t o re d u c e o u r g re e n h o u s e g a s e m i s s i o n s y e a r- o v e r- y e a r a n d re pre s e n t a m i l e s t o n e o n o u r p a t h t o b u i l d i n g a f o o d s y s t e m t h a t i s b e t t e r f o r o u r p e o p l e , c o m m u n i t i e s a n d t h e p l a n e t

“These efforts are also expected to reduce

ing clean, solar energy onsite, UNFI demonstrates their strong commitment to

A s p a rt o f i t s B e t t e r f o r A l l a g e n d a , UNFI is on track to finish retrofitting 33 o f i t s d i s t r i b u t i o n c e n t e r s b u i l t b e f o re 2002 with the latest LED lighting by the e n d o f U N F I ’ s c u r re n t f i s c a l y e a r T h e l i g h t i n g u p g r a d e s a re n o t o n l y c o s t - a n d energy-efficient, but also provide a longer lifespan and operate at lower temperatures versus conventional lighting Upon project completion, all 56 of UNFI’s distribution centers will have LED lighting, which is anticipated to save the c o m p a n y n e a r l y 2 m i ll i o n k i l o w a t t h o u r s o f e l e c t r i c i t y u s a g e p e r year “ T h e c o m p l e t i o n o f o u r H o w e l l s o l a r a r r a y a n d i n v e s t m e n t s i n L E D l i g h t i n g a t o u r d i st r i b u t i o n c e n t e r s h a s a l re a d y h e l p e d re d u c e d o u r i n d i r e c t S c o p e 2 e m i s s i o n s a n d w i l l c o nt i n u e t o h e l p u s a s w e w o r k t o r e d u c e e n e rg y i n t e n s i t y i n o u r d i s t r ib u t i o n c e n t e r s b y 3 0 p e rc e n t b y 2 0 3 0 , ” s a i d A l i s h a R e a l , U N F I ’ s v i c e p re s i d e n t o f E S G & s o c i a l i m p a c t G N

NaturalShrimp Enters Year-Long Agreement

To Acquire Post-Lar vae Shrimp for Stocking

m o n t h

, I n c t o p u rc h a s e p o s t - l a r v a e s h r i m p f o r s t o c k i n g i n i t s We b s t e r C i t y, I o w a , a n d L a C o s t e , Te x a s , f a c i l i t i e s T h e a g re em e n t p ro v i d e s f o r t h e d e l i v e r y o f u p t o t w o m i l l i o n p o s t - l a r v a e s h r i m p p e r

“We are ver y pleased to finalize our agreement with Homegrown whom we consider to be the premier supplier of quality fast-growing (post-larvae shrimp) in the countr y, ” said Gerald Easterling, CEO of NaturalShrimp “Without the (post-larvae shrimp), there are no shrimp to grow or sell

“This agreement will solve one of the supply-chain issues we encountered previously where the lack of (post-lar vae shrimp) significantly impacted our ability to produce the quantities of NaturalShrimp that our customers demand ” I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h H o m e g ro w n a n d i n d u s t r y s p e c i a l i s t s , t h e c o m p a n y i n t e n d s t o d e v e l o p i t s o w n h a t c h e r y u s

stock incorporating Homegrown’s genetic l i n e i n o rd e r t o s e c u re t h e N a t u r a lS h r i m p ’ s o w n re a d i l y a v a i l a b l e s u p p l y o f f a s t - g ro w i n g , h i g h q u a l i t y p o s t - l a r v a e s h r i m p

The biotechnology aquaculture company has developed and patented the first shrimp-focused, commercially operational recirculating aquaculture system G N

NextFoods Merges GoodBelly, Cheribundi

NextFoods has merged all-natural sports nutrition leader Cheribundi and gut health innovator GoodBelly The combined entity brings together two high growth companies and will seek to capture category and product synergies that will propel them to the forefront of the functional food and beverage trends by harnessing the power of whole-foods based nutrition

Marcel Bens, CEO of Cheribundi, will step into the role of CEO of NextFoods

“Cheribundi and GoodBelly are dedicated to providing natural products that offer scientifically-proven health benefits,”

Bens said “This merger comes at a time when consumers are looking to move beyond lab-based, synthetic products to something that offers the same benefits naturally, thus positioning NextFoods as a

leader in this movement ”

Emil Capital Partners is the largest investor in the combined entity

“Consumers are continuously looking to manage their health through the foods and beverages they consume, ” said Andreas Guldin, managing partner and CEO of ECP

“We are excited to bring together two talented, driven companies to execute on the vision of better-for-you and better-for-theplanet products that meet growing consumer demand ”

The functional food market is anticipated to reach $26 7 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 6 7 percent, per Allied Market Research As a combined entity, NextFoods will focus on growing its strategic channels This includes ecommerce, anticipated to increase

56 percent by 2027 and where, as a company, Cheribundi has seen a 120 percent increase year-over-year Sports is also a significant growth area for Cheribundi, which now has more than 400 professional and collegiate sports teams as customers, and will be an area of focus for NextFoods Furthermore, NextFoods offers the scale to support over 20,000 retail locations for GoodBelly and Cheribundi products

“Adding Cheribundi to the NextFoods family is a significant step in both brands’ futures to foster the continuous improvement of functional food and beverage and we look forward to fueling the next evolution of innovation,” said Juan Gluth, former CEO of NextFoods, who is stepping into the role of chief commercial officer “I look

forward to working together with our lead investor and new leadership team to bring future success to our combined company ”

Since inception, GoodBelly and Cheribundi have continued to offer innovative products to meet consumers ’ needs Most recently, GoodBelly introduced its KIDS! Probiotic Beverages and Immune Support Line to promote wellness through gut health for all ages

GoodBelly has also expanded its on-thego offerings with GoodBelly To Go Fast Melts, shelf-stable probiotic powders Cheribundi’s line of tart cherr y products was recently expanded with its Concentrates line, including a pure tart cherry concentrate joined by an Immunity blend and a Sleep blend for the benefits of tart cherry juice anytime GN

Melodea Introduces Sustainable Packaging Solution to Reduce Plastic Waste in CPG

I s r a e l i g r e e n - t e c h c o m p a n y M e l o d e a , L t d , p r o d u c e r o f s u s t a i n a b l e b a r r i e r c o a t i n g s f o r p a c k a g i n g , h a s l a u n c h e d V Bs e a l , i t s n e w s u s t a i n a b l e p a c k a g i n g s o l ut i o n t o c u t b a c k p l a s t i c w a s t e i n c o n s u m e r- p a c k a g e d g o o d s T h e g r e e n c o a t i n g s o l u t i o n i s r e s i s t a n t t o w a t e r v a p o r, o i l , a r o m a a n d h a s h e a t - s e a l i n g p ro p e r t i e s

The company has opened a pilot plant and innovation center, allowing it to serve its customers as well as to demonstrate the new solution The new site will also test out existing barrier coating products and produce coated reels and pouches at pilot scale T h e a m o u n t o f p l a s t i c u s e d a ro u n d t h e w o r l d – w i t h m o s t e n d i n g u p i n l a n d f i l l s – c o u l d a l m o s t d o u b l e b y 2 0 5 0 u n l e s s u rg e n t a c t i o n i s t a k e n , a c c o r d i n g t o a n e w s t u d y T h e r e p o r t b y t h e B a c k t o B l u e g ro u p w a r n s t h a t , w i t h o u t s i g n i f ic a n t p o l i c y i n t e r v e n t i o n s , t h e a m o u n t o f p l a s t i c s c o n s u m e d a c r o s s t h e G 2 0 n at i o n s w i l l s u r p a s s 4 5 0 m i l l i o n t o n s p e r y e a r b y t h a t d a t e – n e a r l y t w i c e t h e m o s t re c e n t l y m e a s u re d 2 0 1 9 l e v e l o f 2 6 1 m i ll i o n t o n s

According to the report, a global ban on unnecessary single-use plastic items will be the most effective policy In March 2022, 175 nations agreed to work together on a United Nations treaty to tackle plastic pollution, and it is expected to be in place by the end of 2024

Sealed, recycled coating packaging solution VBseal has exceptional resistance to water vapor and heat-sealing properties, all in one coating It Joins Melodea’s existing eco-friendly barrier coating products, MelOx for oxygen and VBcoat for water vapor and oil and grease The material is designed to line packaging of fresh foods, cereals, fast foods, confectioner y such as biscuits and ice cream as well as detergents and cosmetics

It is fully recyclable, gives high performance protection, and in coating machines is a one-stop solution for both water vapor and heat sealing, avoiding the need for two different passes, making it easy to apply and reduces production costs The VBseal is free of paraformaldehyde (PFA) and bisphenol A and is FDA and BfR-compatible

“Packaging producers have an urgent

need for a sustainable barrier coating that has both water vapor protection and heat sealable properties and can replace the commonly used plastic PE layer,” said Cee Azerraf, PhD, VP sales & marketing “Our R&D team worked on this new product joining our existing VBcoat and, as with all of our products, it was crucial that it be recyclable and easy to apply on existing coating lines ”

Wi t h t h e g ro w i n g d e m a n d f o r s u s t a i na b l e p a c k a g i n g s o l u t i o n s , m a n u f a c t u re r s a re c o n s t a n t l y e v a l u a t i n g e m e rg i n g s o l ut i o n s a t a s c a l e d p i l o t To t h a t e n d , M e l o d e a h a s o p e n e d i t s n e w p i l o t c e n t e r a n d i n v e s t e d U S D 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 i n a d v a n c e d e q u i p m e n t a n d a n a l y t i c s t o o l s t o s u p p o rt

CPG companies and packaging producers in their efforts to meet sustainability goals i n g re e n p a c k a g i n g T h e n e w c e n t e r w i l l s e r v e c o m p a n i e s a c ro s s t h e p a c k a g i n g v a l u e c h a i n i n e x p l o r i n g s u s t a i n a b l e b a rr i e r s o l u t i o n s i n p l a s t i c , p a p e r a n d b i op l a s t i c s

“We offer our clients a location to evaluate their products using our eco-friendly solutions, with full control of the coating process, ”

said Shaul Lapidot, PhD, CEO and cofounder “We can utilize Melodea’s R&D team’s vast know-how of coatings with optimizing barrier performance, and analyze the results on site, as well as help shorten time-to-market for new products and packages ”

Many of the world’s largest CPG companies have made public commitments that 100 percent of their packaging will be recyclable or reusable within the next five to 10 years, moving away from single-use plastics This timeline is being accelerated by public demand

“ We a re e x c i t e d t o w o r k w i t h p ro d u ce r s o f f o o d , c o s m e t i c s , p h a r m a c e u t i c a l a n d a g r i c u l t u re p ro d u c t s a s w e l l a s p a c ka g i n g c o m p a n i e s , a t t h e n e w p l a n t t o h e l p t h e m t o re a c h t h e i r g o a l s , ” L a p i d o t s a i d

Melodea Ltd is a global supplier of sustainable plant-based barrier coating products The coatings are produced and commercialized globally using Melodea’s proprietary technology, which is protected by 14 patents The company was a winner of the prestigious Worldstar Packaging Award for 2020 GN

Global Demand for California Table Grapes Goal of Promotion in 16 Target Markets

The California Table Grape Commission is positioned to expand international demand for California table grapes in 16 target markets with its 2023 export marketing campaign

The 16 target markets for the 2023 season represented 94 4 percent of export volume June through December in 2022 Of those markets, El Salvador, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand and Vietnam increased in both volume and value in

2022 compared to 2021 despite a variety of global export challenges

“ I n s p i t e o f l a b o r a n d s h i p p i n g c h a ll e n g e s , a n d i n f l a t i o n a n d t h e v a l u e o f t h e d o l l a r, C a l i f o r n i a t a b l e g r a p e s s t i l l f o u n d s u c c e s s i n e x p o r t m a r k e t s l a s t s e a s o n , ” s a i d c o m m i s s i o n p r e s i d e n t K a t h l e e n N a v e

“In 2023, the commission is determined to capitalize on that success and plans to expand market share of California table

grapes in the target export markets,” Nave said

The foundation of the 2023 campaign focuses on retail promotions, including providing a variety of retailer incentives Digital retail promotions are planned throughout the target export markets Wholesaler promotions are planned in select markets to reach smaller retailers with promotional activity

p e r a p p a n d s o c i a l m e d i a a d v e r t i s i n g i n a l l m a r k e t s , p l u s w o r k w i t h i n f l u e n c e r s a n d r e t a i l e r- t a g g e d t e l e v i s i o n i n s e l e c t m a r k e t s P r o m o t i o n a l a c t i v i t i e s a l i g n w i t h h i g h - v o l u m e m o n t h s i n e a c h m a rk e t

“While there still may be challenges ahead for global exports, the 2023 export marketing campaign will work to drive demand for California table grapes around the world,” Nave said GN

USDA to Disburse $1B for Energy Investments Agriculture Producers, Rural Small Businesses

The U S Department of Agriculture is accepting applications starting for $1 billion in grants to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses invest in renewable energy systems and make energy-efficiency improvements USDA is making the $1 billion in grants available under the Rural Energy for America Program, with funding from President Joe Biden’s landmark Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s largest-ever investment in combating the climate crisis “ S u p p o rt i n g re n e w a b l e e n e rg y a n d e ne rg y - s a v i n g s y s t e m s h e l p s t h e p e o p l e o f r u r a l A m e r i c a c re a t e t h r i v i n g , l i v a b l e c o m m u n i t i e s , ” U S D A S e c re t a r y To m Vi ls a c k s a i d “ W h e n w e i n v e s t i n r u r a l c o mm u n i t i e s , w e a re s u p p o r t i n g h a rd w o r k t h a t s e n d s a r i p p l e e ff e c t a c ro s s o u r c o u n -

Silver Fern Farms

Continued from PAGE 1

stretch wrap plastic use by 50 percent on its export pallets and permanently removing 89 tons of plastic from its supply chain each year

Silver Fern Farms has built a predominant supply of renewable energy in New Zealand Under its Sustainability Action Plan, the co-op will have zero coal usage by 2030

Like a growing number of food producers, Silver Fern Farms wasn’t satisfied with sustainability measures alone The company and its partner farms embarked on an ambitious plan to practice regenerative agriculture to produce quality meats

“It’s been a long journey,” Luxton said “Our 17 farms understand the equation We identified the unique farming environment we have in New Zealand ”

Through its inseeding program, Silver Fern Farms set out to identify the vegetation on the farms and which ones not only produce quality grazing for the animals, but sequester carbon and enrich the soil and air

Here’s where modern technology comes in Without giving too many secrets away, Luxton said Silver Fern Farms uses satellite mapping and artificial intelligence to measure vegetation and sequester the carbon

Silver Fern Farms’ sustainability plans are rooted in the belief that taking care of its greenhouse gas emissions are the company ’ s responsibility alone

Instead of outsourcing emissions control, Silver Fern Farms recognizes and incentivizes its co-op of farmers for creating environments that capture carbon, increase biodiversity and sup-

t r y C l e a n e n e rg y i s c r i t i c a l t o t h e f u t u re o f o u r e c o n o m y, a n d t h e I n f l a t i o n R e d u ct i o n A c t p ro v i d e s t h e B i d e n - H a r r i s A dm i n i s t r a t i o n w i t h t h e re s o u rc e s t o b u i l d a m o re p ro s p e ro u s r u r a l A m e r i c a w h i l e t a c k l i n g t h e c l i m a t e c r i s i s a n d l o w e r i n g e n e rg y c o s t s ” Recipients may use REAP funds to install renewable energy systems or to make energy-efficiency improvements Eligible applicants include rural small businesses and agricultural producers USDA will hold competitions quarterly through Sept 30, 2024 The funding will also include the creation of the first underutilized technology fund in the REAP program, with $144 5 million available in dedicated funding

U S D A i s p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t e re s t e d i n

port nature-positive food production

“We know that 96 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are happening on the farms,” Luxton said “Obviously, that’s a huge portion

“Where there is woody vegetation, farmers are planting vegetation to sequester the carbon, enabling the farmer to plant more trees We’ve identified 86 different vegetation types growing in the riparian wetlands The farmers are actively protecting trees and expanding tree growth in sequestering carbon ”

Inseeding benefits the air, soil and water quality in the farming environment

As consumers have embraced products produced sustainably, they are now turning to companies to go beyond and do everything they can to reverse climate change

“Being net carbon zero is something consumers are now more interested in,” Luxton said “They want something that is good for the world, from grass-fed to animal welfare, they’re thinking about the overall environmental impact ”

R E A P p ro j e c t s t h a t w i l l h e l p r u r a l c o mm u n i t i e s re c o v e r e c o n o m i c a l l y t h ro u g h more and better market opportunities and i m p ro v e d i n f r a s t r u c t u re , re d u c e c l i m a t e p o l l u t i o n a n d i n c re a s e re s i l i e n c e t o t h e i m p a c t s o f c l i m a t e c h a n g e , c o n s e r v e a n d p ro t e c t f a r m l a n d , a n d i n v e s t i n u n d e rs e r v e d c o m m u n i t i e s T h e p ro g r a m i s p a rt o f t h e B i d e n - H a r r i s A d m i n i s t r a t i o n ’ s J u st i c e 4 0 I n i t i a t i v e , w h i c h a i m s t o e n s u re t h a t 4 0 p e rc e n t o f t h e o v e r a l l b e n e f i t s o f certain Federal investments flow to disadv a n t a g e d c o m m u n i t i e s t h a t a re m a rg i n a li z e d , u n d e r s e r v e d a n d o v e r b u rd e n e d b y p o l l u t i o n

To ensure that small projects have a fair opportunity to compete for the funding, USDA will set aside at least 20 percent of

producers around the world started send-

the available funds until June 30 of each year for grant requests of $20,000 or less, including the grant portion of a combined grant and guaranteed loan request

The maximum federal share which may b e re q u e s t e d i s u p t o 5 0 p e rc e n t o f t h e total project cost for all energy-efficiency projects and zero-emissions renewable ene rg y s y s t e m s A n a w a rd o f u p t o 5 0 p e rc e n t o f t h e t o t a l p ro j e c t c o s t i s a l s o a v a i l a b l e f o r a n y p ro j e c t i n a d e s i g n a t e d energy community and/or submitted by an eligible tribal entity All other projects are eligible to apply for grants of up to 25 perc e n t o f t h e t o t a l p ro j e c t c o s t T h e m a x im u m g r a n t i s $ 1 m i l l i o n f o r re n e w a b l e energy systems and $500,000 for energyefficiency projects GN

The co-op credits its satellite technology and AI software as a critical element in obtaining the U S Department of Agriculture’s approval to certify its net carbon zero claims

This year, Silver Fern Farms plans to launch a new Net Carbon Zero By Nature product to join the Angus product

Enter science

“We always prided ourselves on the ability to grow phenomenal beef cattle historically,” Luxton said “Ten years ago, most

ing the message that they had grass-fed product But it was hugely inconsistent ”

Silver Fern Farms teamed up with Texas Tech University to create a system for grading each head of cattle

“We do not send the inconsistent product, we only send the best to market,” Luxton said “Consumers understand grading We’re starting to get consumers to the understanding that grass-fed meat can be consistent We really are what we eat ”

The New Zealand co-op sees the United States as one of its main markets and is investing heavily to grow its presence

Silver Fern Farms recently launched its first Net Carbon Zero

Consumers are grasping that grass-fed beef is healthier for them than grain-fed beef – grass-fed meat has less saturated fats, fewer calories, higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids with a healthier omega 3 to omega 6 ratio and higher in antioxidants and vitamin A and E

“Those health benefits are connected to the soil through the micronutrients,” Luxton said “We are what we eat is a crucial part of it When the animal has been in a natural environment for 365 days, feeding on grass – we ’ re very, very good at proving we have a quality product to bring into the U S market

“Animal welfare is another piece,” Luxton said “We can’t forget about animal welfare

“At the end of the day, we ’ re responsible for seeing that an animal’s life is worth living ”

Nobody loses when meat producers take strong measures to produce meat that helps the Earth now and in the future

“The great thing is it’s a win for ever yone, ” Luxton said “Ensuring there’s a sustainable beef industry is a whole win for the world Grass fed is going to see immense growth in that category – as long as you ’ re telling an authentic story

By Nature

Certified Beef products in the United States The USDA-approved Net Carbon Zero

branded Angus ribeye, New York strip steaks and premium ground beef are sold in 75 New York City supermarkets and select stores in Los Angeles There are plans for national distribution as well

“There is a gray area with some sustainability claims in the market,” he said “We need to make sure as an industry that we ’ re being conscious about it and not greenwashing

“Companies that have an authentic story to tell when consumers look under the hood will win ” GN

USDA Establishes Loan Interest Rates For Agriculture Producers to Start, Expand

The U S Department of Agriculture announced loan interest rates USDA’s Farm Service Agency loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs

FSA offers farm ownership and operating loans with favorable interest rates and terms to help eligible agricultural producers, whether multi-generational, longtime or new to the industr y, obtain financing needed to start, expand or maintain a family agricultural operation FSA also offers emergency loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, flooding, other natural disasters or quarantine

For many loan options, FSA sets aside funding for underserved producers, including veterans, beginning, women, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic farmers and ranchers

Interest rates for Operating and Ownership loans for April 2023 are: Farm Operating Loans (direct), 4 750 percent; Farm Ownership Loans (direct), 4 750 percent; Farm Ownership Loans (direct, joint fi-

nancing), 2 750 percent; Farm Ownership Loans (down payment), 1 500 percent; Emergency Loan (amount of actual loss), 3 750 percent

FSA also offers guaranteed loans through commercial lenders at rates set by those lenders

A d d i t i o n a l l y, F S A p ro v i d e s l o w - i n t e re s t f i n a n c i n g t o p ro d u c e r s t o b u i l d o r u pg r a d e o n - f a r m s t o r a g e f a c i l i t i e s a n d p u rc h a s e h a n d l i n g e q u i p m e n t a n d l o a n s t h a t p r o v i d e i n t e r i m f i n a n c i n g t o h e l p p ro d u c e r s m e e t c a s h f l o w n e e d s w i t h o u t h a v i n g t o s e l l t h e i r c o m m o d i t i e s w h e n m a r k e t p r i c e s a r e l o w F u n d s f o r t h e s e l o a n s a r e p r o v i d e d t h r o u g h t h e C o mm o d i t y C r e d i t C o r p o r a t i o n a n d a r e a dm i n i s t e re d b y F S A F S A d e v e l o p e d a n e w, s i m p l i f i e d d i re c t l o a n a p p l i c a t i o n f o r p ro d u c e r s s e e k i n g a d i re c t f a r m l o a n T h e n e w a p p l i c a t i o n , red u c e d f ro m 2 9 t o 1 3 p a g e s , p ro v i d e s i mp ro v e d c u s t o m e r e x p e r i e n c e f o r p ro d u c e r s a p p l y i n g f o r l o a n s a n d e n a b l e s t h e m t o c o m p l e t e a m o re s t re a m l i n e d a pp l i c a t i o n P ro d u c e r s n o w a l s o h a v e t h e o p t i o n t o c o m p l e t e a n e l e c t ro n i c f i l l a b l e f o r m o r a t r a d i t i o n a l p a p e r a p p l i c a t i o n f o r s u b m i s s i o n t o t h e i r l o c a l F S A s e r v i c e c e n t e r

F S A b ro a d e n e d t h e u s e o f t h e D i s a s t e r

S e t - A s i d e , n o r m a l l y u s e d i n t h e w a k e o f n a t u r a l d i s a s t e r s , t o a l l o w f a r m e r s w i t h

U S D A f a r m l o a n s w h o a r e a f f e c t e d b y

C O V I D - 1 9 , a n d a re d e t e r m i n e d e l i g i b l e , t o h a v e t h e i r n e x t p a y m e n t s e t - a s i d e B e -

c a u s e o f t h e p a n d e m i c ’ s c o n t i n u e d i mp a c t s , p ro d u c e r s c a n a p p l y f o r a s e c o n d

D S A f o r C O V I D - 1 9 o r a s e c o n d D S A f o r a n a t u r a l d i s a s t e r f o r p ro d u c e r s w i t h a n i n i t i a l D S A f o r C O V I D - 1 9 T h e s e t - a s i d e p a y m e n t ’ s d u e d a t e i s m o v e d t o t h e f i n a l m a t u r i t y d a t e o f t h e l o a n o r e x t e n d e d u p t o 1 2 m o n t h s i n t h e c a s e o f a n a n n u a l o p e r a t i n g l o a n A n y p r i n c i p a l s e t - a s i d e w i l l c o n t i n u e t o a c c r u e i n t e re s t u n t i l i t i s r e p a i d U s e o f t h e e x p a n d e d D S A p r og r a m c a n h e l p t o i m p r o v e a b o r r o w e r ’ s c a s h f l o w i n t h e c u r r e n t p r o d u c t i o n c y c l e FSA also reminds rural communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses affected by the year ’ s winter storms, drought, hurricanes and other natural disasters, that USDA has programs that provide assistance USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices are prepared to deliver a variety of program flexibilities and other assistance to agricultural producers and impacted communi-

ties Many programs are available without an official disaster designation, including several risk management and disaster recovery options

On Aug 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law It is a historic, once-in-a-generation investment and opportunity for the agricultural communities that USDA ser ves Section 22006 of the IRA provided $3 1 billion for USDA to provide relief for distressed borrowers with certain FSA direct and guaranteed loans and to expedite assistance for those whose agricultural operations are at financial risk

I n O c t o b e r 2 0 2 2 , U S D A p ro v i d e d a pp ro x i m a t e l y $ 8 0 0 m i l l i o n i n i n i t i a l I R A a s s i s t a n c e t o m o re t h a n 1 1 , 0 0 0 d e l i nq u e n t d i re c t a n d g u a r a n t e e d b o r ro w e r s a n d a p p ro x i m a t e l y 2 , 1 0 0 b o r ro w e r s w h o h a d t h e i r f a r m s l i q u i d a t e d a n d s t i l l h a d re m a i n i n g d e b t I n A p r i l 2 0 2 3 , U S D A i nt e n d s t o p ro v i d e a n e w ro u n d o f re l i e f s t a r t i n g t h a t w i l l i n c l u d e a p p ro x i m a t e l y $ 1 2 3 m i l l i o n i n a u t o m a t i c f i n a n c i a l a s s i st a n c e f o r q u a l i f i e d d i re c t a n d g u a r a n t e e d b o r ro w e r s

Qualifying borrowers will receive an individual letter detailing the assistance as payments are made GN

USDA to Spend $123M to Help Farm Loan Program Borrowers Facing Financial Risk

T h e U S D e p a rt m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u re w i l l p ro v i d e a p p ro x i m a t e l y $ 1 2 3 m i l l i o n i n a d d i t i o n a l , a u t o m a t i c f i n a n c i a l a s s i s t a n c e f o r q u a l i f y i n g f a r m l o a n p ro g r a m b o r ro we r s w h o a re f a c i n g f i n a n c i a l r i s k , a s p a rt o f t h e $ 3 1 b i l l i o n t o h e l p d i s t re s s e d f a r m l o a n b o r ro w e r s t h a t w a s p ro v i d e d t h ro u g h S e c t i o n 2 2 0 0 6 o f t h e I n f l a t i o n R e d u c t i o n A c t T h e a n n o u n c e m e n t b u i l d s o n f i n a n c i a l a s s i s t a n c e o f f e re d t o b o r ro w e r s t h ro u g h t h e s a m e p ro g r a m i n O c t o b e r

The IRA directed USDA to expedite assistance to distressed borrowers of direct or guaranteed loans administered by USDA’s Farm Ser vice Agency, whose operations face financial risk For example, in the October payments, farmers who were 60 days delinquent due to challenges such as natural disasters, the pandemic or other unexpected situations, were brought current and had their next installment paid to give them breathing room

“In too many cases, the rules surrounding our farm loan programs may actually be detrimental to helping a borrower get back to a financially viable path,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack “As a result, some are pushed out of farming and others stuck under a debt burden that prevents them from growing or reacting to opportunities

o a n p ro g r a m s f o r t h e n e w e s t a n d

more vulnerable producers must be about providing opportunity and tailored to exp e c t a n d m a n a g e s t u m b l e s a n d h u rd l e s a l o n g t h e w a y T h ro u g h t h i s a s s i s t a n c e , USDA is focusing on generating long-term s t a b i l i t y a n d s u c c e s s f o r d i s t re s s e d b o rrowers ”

In October, USDA provided approximately $800 million in initial IRA assistance to more than 11,000 delinquent direct and guaranteed borrowers and approximately 2,100 borrowers who had their farms liquidated and still had remaining debt USDA said it would conduct case-bycase reviews of about 1,600 complex cases for potential initial relief payments, including cases of borrowers in foreclosure or bankruptcy These case-by-case reviews are under way

A t t h e s a m e t i m e i n O c t o b e r, U S D A a nn o u n c e d t h a t i t a n t i c i p a t e d p a y m e n t s u s i n g s e p a r a t e p a n d e m i c re l i e f f u n d i n g t o t a l i n g ro u g h l y $ 6 6 m i l l i o n o n o v e r 7 , 0 0 0 d i re c t l o a n s t o b o r ro w e r s w h o u s e d the USDA Farm Ser vice Agency’s disasters e t - a s i d e o p t i o n d u r i n g t h e C O V I D - 1 9 p a n d e m i c T h e m a j o r i t y o f t h e s e p a yments have been processed and USDA ant i c i p a t e s i t w i l l c o m p l e t e a l l s u c h p a y m e n t s i n A p r i l 2 0 2 3

FSA intends to provide the new round of relief starting in April to additional distressed borrowers This will include ap-

proximately $123 million in automatic financial assistance for qualifying Farm Loan Program direct loan borrowers who meet certain criteria Similar to the automatic payments announced in October, qualifying borrowers will receive an individual letter detailing the assistance as payments are made

Distressed borrowers’ eligibility for these new categories of automatic payments will be determined based on their circumstances

To c o n t i n u e t o m a k e s u r e p r o d u c e r s a r e a w a r e o f r e l i e f p o t e n t i a l l y a v a i l a b l e t o t h e m , a l l p r o d u c e r s w i t h o p e n F L P l o a n s w i l l re c e i v e a l e t t e r d e t a i l i n g a n e w o p p o r t u n i t y t o re c e i v e a s s i s t a n c e i f t h e y t o o k c e r t a i n e x t r a o r d i n a r y m e a s u r e s t o a v o i d d e l i n q u e n c y o n t h e i r F L P l o a n s ,

s u c h a s t a k i n g o n m o r e d e b t , s e l l i n g p r o p e r t y o r c a s h i n g o u t r e t i r e m e n t a cc o u n t s T h e l e t t e r w i l l p ro v i d e d e t a i l s o n e l i g i b i l i t y, t h e s p e c i f i c t y p e s o f a c t i o n s t h a t m a y q u a l i f y f o r a s s i s t a n c e , a n d t h e p r o c e s s f o r a p p l y i n g f o r a n d p r o v i d i n g t h e d o c u m e n t a t i o n t o s e e k t h a t a s s i st a n c e T h e s e s t e p s a r e p a r t o f a p r o c e s s U S D A a n n o u n c e d a l o n g w i t h t h e O c t ob e r p a y m e n t s t h a t i s f o c u s e d o n a s s i s t i n g b o r r o w e r s u n a b l e t o m a k e t h e i r n e x t s c h e d u l e d i n s t a l l m e n t E a r l i e r t h i s y e a r, a l l b o r ro w e r s s h o u l d h a v e re c e i v e d a l e t -

t e r d e t a i l i n g t h e p ro c e s s f o r s e e k i n g t h i s t y p e o f a s s i s t a n c e e v e n b e f o r e t h e y b ec o m e d e l i n q u e n t B o r r o w e r s w h o a r e w i t h i n t w o m o n t h s o f t h e i r n e x t i n s t a l lm e n t m a y s e e k a c a s h f l o w a n a l y s i s f ro m F S A u s i n g a re c e n t b a l a n c e s h e e t a n d o pe r a t i n g p l a n t o d e t e r m i n e t h e i r e l i g i b i li t y

USDA will continue to work with the Department of Treasury to help borrowers understand the potential tax implications from the receipt of an IRA payment, including that options may be available to potentially avoid or alleviate any tax burden incurred as a result of receiving this financial assistance

In early April, USDA sent a specific set of revised tax documents, educational materials and resources to borrowers that received assistance in 2022, including a link to a webinar hosted by a group of farm tax experts to provide education on the options available USDA cannot provide tax advice and encourages borrowers to consult their own tax professional, but FSA is providing educational materials for borrowers to be aware of the options

FSA is finalizing changes to its policy handbooks to remove unnecessary hurdles, improve loan making and loan ser vicing and provide more flexibility on how loans are structured to maximize the opportunities for borrowers GN

Campbell Awards Community Impact Grants

Totalling $800,000

Campbell Soup Company and the Campbell Soup Foundation have awarded $800,000 in Community Impact Grants to 40 nonprofit organizations positively impacting communities where Campbell operates The grants provide support to organizations that increase food access, encourage healthy living and nurture Campbell neighborhoods

The latest round brings Campbell’s fiscal 2023 grantmaking total to more than $2 2 million

“Campbell is committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we operate,” said Kate Barrett, president of the Campbell Soup Foundation “Community Impact Grants empower our employees to give back by nominating organizations that make a meaningful impact in their hometowns ”

to 40 Nonprofit Groups

Each year, Campbell employees nominate and invite local organizations to apply for grants The Foundation’s employee-led, all-volunteer executive committee reviews applications for final approval by its board of trustees

The grants support a variety of programs including food pantries, farmers’ markets, initiatives to reduce food waste and increase nutrition education, physical activity programs and the development of parks and public spaces This year ’ s grantees include organizations in 26 Campbell communities from 16 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico Thirty-five percent of this year ’ s recipients are first-time awardees

The following grantees will receive $20,000 each: Ashland (Ohio) County Community Foundation; 4-H Education

Center at Auer Farm and Hartford Food System of Bloomfield, Conn ; After-School All-Stars (Philadelphia and Camden), The Neighborhood Center, Trust For Public Land, NJ Agricultural Society, The Food Trust and Vetri Community Partnership of Camden, N J

Also, Loaves and Fishes, Pineville Neighbors Place and Roof Above of Charlotte, N C ; La Soupe Inc of Cincinnati; Emergency Food Bank of Dixon/Stockton, Calif ; Meals on Wheels of Chester County, Inc of Downingtown, Pa ; Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee of Franklin, Wis ; Homeless Youth Connection of Goodyear, Ariz ; YWCA Hanover (Pa ); Island Grown Initiative of Hyannis, Mass ; and Center for Lay Ministries of Jeffersonville, Ind

In addition, Talbot House Ministries of

Lakeland (Fla ), Inc ; Robeson County Church and Community Center of Maxton, N C ; Nutra a un Nino, A C of Mexico City; Foodright, Inc of Milwaukee; The Food Group and Youth and Farm Market Project of Minneapolis; Daily Bread Food Bank and The Mississauga Food Bank of Mississauga, Ontario; Open Door of Delta of Napoleon, Ohio; Filling in the Blanks and Person to Person, Inc of Norwalk, Conn ; CitySquare and United Way of Lamar County of Paris, Texas As well as Banco De Alimentos Puerto Rico Inc ;Cache Community Food Pantry of Richmond, Utah; Family Building Blocks and Marion Polk Food Shares, Inc of Salem, Ore ; Black Food Sovereignty Coalition and Growing Gardens of Tualatin, Ore ; and Second Har vest Food Bank of North Central Ohio of Willard, Ohio GN

Countr y Star, TV Personality Luke Br yan

Signs on to Promote Smithfield Foods Brands

Smithfield Foods’ portfolio of consumer favorite brands are collaborating with countr y music superstar and television personality Luke Br yan to promote its products

The Good Goes On with Luke Br yan platform is setting out to help people discover how to best nurture themselves and be inspired to share the goodness with those around them through mealtimes, social gatherings and special occasions

The portfolio of brands, including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous and Carando, has provided shoppers with convenient, dependable and delicious meal options for decades

“ I ’ m p ro u d t o k i c k o ff t h e G o o d G o e s O n p ro g r a m b e c a u s e t h e re ’ s a l w a y s ro o m f o r m o re g o o d i n t h e w o r l d , ” B r y a n s a i d “ I ’ m a b e l i e v e r i n f i n d i n g t h e g o o d i n e v e r y d a y, h a v i n g f u n a n d s p re a d i n g j o y We h a v e a f e w s u r p r i s e s u p o u r s l e e v e s t h i s y e a r, s o b e s u re t o f o l l o w u s a s w e

FDA Issues

Continued from PAGE 1

ments and consumer understanding as well as facilitate industr y innovation toward healthier foods Like other labeling statements and claims, Dietary Guidance Statements act as quick signals on food packages to help consumers better understand nutrition information and make healthier food choices

This action is part of the FDA’s overall nutrition initiatives, which include empowering consumers by providing more informative labeling and education, including tailored messages for various audiences to help consumers identify foods that can contribute to healthier diets It is also part of the Biden-Harris Administra-

c o n t i n u e t o f i n d w a y s y o u c a n s p re a d t h e g o o d i n 2 0 2 3 ! ” “ O u r b r a n d s a re e x c i t e d t o p a rt n e r w i t h L u k e B r y a n t o h e l p c o n t i n u e o u r m i ss i o n o f b r i n g i n g g o o d n e s s t o h o u s e h o l d s t h ro u g h t h e f o o d w e p ro v i d e , ” s a i d Ti m Z i m m e r, c h i e f m a r k e t i n g o f f i c e r f o r S m i t h f i e l d F o o d s “ O v e r t h e y e a r s , w e ’ v e e n j o y e d s e e i n g t h a t e v e n s m a l l a n d s i m p l e a c t s of thoughtfulness can make a d i ff e re n c e

“This year, we ’ re proud to join with Luke Br yan to focus on the good around the table and showcase how our brands help nurture the communities we ser ve across the nation ” GN

tion’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, which provides a roadmap of actions the federal government will take to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030 – all while reducing disparities

Complementing the guidance and the National Strategy, the FDA issued a proposed rule in September 2022 to update the definition of “healthy” on food labels and help consumers more easily identify healthy food choices

The agency’s work also supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities, a nationwide callto-action to stakeholders across all of society to make bold commitments to advance the Strategy’s goals The Challenge builds on the success of the $8

billion package of private and public sector commitments that the Administration announced as part of the historic conference

Another priority of the FDA’s nutrition efforts is to create a healthier food supply for all In October 2021, the FDA issued final guidance for the food industr y that provided voluntary, short-term sodium reduction targets for a broad range of processed, packaged and prepared foods to help reduce the amount of sodium in the U S food supply

“In addition to the Dietar y Guidance Statements draft guidance, reducing sodium intake and updating the definition of “healthy” are two other examples of how the agency is showing its commitment to fostering a healthier food supply for all and empowering consumers with more informative and accessible labeling to choose

healthier diets,” said Susan Mayne, Ph D , director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition “We are making great strides in our nutrition initiatives in order to improve the health and wellness of our nation ”

The FDA is moving for ward with additional nutrition and labeling priorities, including exploring a “front-of-pack” labeling initiative and recommendations for nutrition labeling for online grocer y shopping sites Additionally, the FDA will begin assessing further strategies to reduce added sugar consumption, which includes collaborating with others in the U S Department of Health and Human Ser vices and the U S Department of Agriculture to hold a public meeting regarding future steps the federal government could take to reduce intake of added sugars GN

Grocers Believe Digital Shopping Makes Shoppers Less Loyal, Incisiv Study Shows

Seventy-four percent of grocers surveyed by Incisiv believe that digital shopping has made shoppers less loyal, 88 percent believe that a poor third-party experience negatively impacts shopper loyalty and 76 percent of grocers believe that a poor web and mobile experience reduces shopper loyalty

Recent research by Incisiv, conducted in collaboration with The Food Industry Association and in partnership with Loyal Guru, shows that maintaining shopper loyalty in the digital grocer y industr y is a growing challenge

The report, “Shopper Loyalty in the Digital Age,” highlights the importance of offering a seamless omnichannel experience for shop-

pers to foster loyalty, including providing a well-designed digital platform, integrating with digital channels and offering personalized experiences that meet the needs and expectations of individual shoppers

Despite these challenges, the report indicates that improving shopper loyalty has become a critical aspect for grocery retailers According to the report, 71 percent of grocers say that improving shopper loyalty is a C-level priority in 2023 With the rise of digital grocery sales, it is more important than ever for grocers to prioritize technology and infrastructure investments to stay ahead of the competition and meet the evolving needs of their shoppers

“Digital transformation has revolutionized the convenience of grocery shoppers, but it also poses a challenge to traditional loyalty,” said Gaurav Pant, chief insights officer of Incisiv and Grocery Doppio “Grocers must recognize that poor digital experiences can lead to lost loyalty, and thus prioritize building a digital-focused loyalty program that enhances the omnichannel shopper journey ”

“In order to maintain digital shoppers and foster loyalty, seamless and personalized omnichannel experiences are necessar y to succeed in today’s highly competitive landscape,” said Doug Baker, vice president of industry relations at FMI

“These insights offer practical investment considerations for business leaders ”

“As interest rates and inflation continue to rise in 2023, it’s clear shoppers are making more mindful decisions around their spending habits,” said Borja San Feliu, CEO, Loyal Guru “As a result, grocers are reporting more engagement with loyalty programs that offer exclusive deals and discounts, private label growth and a need to explore new monetization opportunities

“In this regard, the hottest topics right now revolve around next-gen loyalty solutions, retail media and building stronger customer relationships via technology,” Feliu said GN

USDA-ARS Joins WCR Global Coffee Breeding Network to Create Climate-Resistant Beans

The U S Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Ser vice has joined Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network coordinated by World Coffee Research, which will offer the agency broader opportunities to develop more climate resilient coffee varieties with resistance to pests and diseases

K o n a c o f f e e , o n e o f H a w a i i ’ s m o s t l e ge n d a r y a n d v a l u a b l e a g r i c u l t u r a l c ro p s , h a s c o m e u n d e r i n c re a s i n g t h re a t s f ro m n e w d i s e a s e s a n d p e s t s , e s p e c i a l l y s i n c e

2 0 2 0 w h e n c o f f e e l e a f r u s t r a c e X X I V w a s f o u n d o n M a u i O t h e r t h r e a t s i nc l u d e t h e c o f f e e b e r r y b o r e r a n d r o o t

Veggies Boost

Continued from PAGE 1

dark green, red, orange and starchy vegetables, based on their energy needs during the course of the study The vegetable servings were minimally processed (raw and diced), making it simple for participants to include in their meals

The second group of participants (the control group) received the same number of interactions and attention from the researchers while maintaining a diet without adding vegetables

Ag Industries

Continued from PAGE 1 output were from Hawaii (31 percent), North Dakota (26 percent), New York (23 percent), Nevada (22 percent), and Florida (21 percent)

Key findings from national data include:

•Total jobs: 46,283,917 (up 1 5 percent since the 2019 report)

•Total wages: $2 61 trillion (up 26 2 percent since the 2019 report)

•Total taxes: $947 93 billion (up 3 8 percent since the 2019 report)

k n o t n e m a t o d e s t h a t a r e a l r e a d y i n H a w a i i a n d t h o s e t h a t c o u l d b e i n t h e o ff i n g s u c h a s c o ff e e b e r r y d i s e a s e , c o ff e e w i l t d i s e a s e , l e a f m i n e r o r n e w r a c e s o f c o f f e e l e a f r u s t

ARS’ Daniel K Inouye U S Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center has a strong program to develop ways for Hawaii’s coffee growers to deal with these issues either by changing management protocols or by breeding varieties that have better genetic resistance

R e s e a rc h a n d e x p e rt i s e c o n t r i b u t e d b y

A R S s c i e n t i s t s t o t h e g l o b a l n e t w o r k a l s o w i l l e n d u p b o l s t e r i n g t h e U S c o ff e e i n -

All participants completed a questionnaire called the Subjective Happiness Scale, a subjective assessment that provides a mean overall score of a person ’ s state of happiness based on the respondent’s perspective The study included measurements taken before and after the eight-week intervention

"We observed an increase in SHS scores in participants from the group that followed the DGA recommendations for vegetable intake, whereas SHS scores stayed the same for the control group, who didn’t change their diet," said ARS Research Biologist Shanon Casperson

•Exports: $202 2 billion (up 24 4 percent since the 2019 report)

•Total food and ag industr y economic impact: $8 6 trillion (up 21 8 percent since the 2019 report)

The strength and growth highlighted in this year ’ s report reinforce that agriculture is evolving and innovating to meet the demands of the 21st century According to the U S Department of Agriculture, between 1948 and 2019, land use for agriculture decreased by 28 percent while land productivity grew nearly four times and labor productivity grew more than 10 times In fact, agriculture’s total factor productivity

d u s t r y b e c a u s e c o ff e e c o m p a n i e s re l y o n s t a b l e s u p p l i e s o f c o ff e e f ro m a ro u n d t h e

w o r l d T h e c o f f e e i n d u s t r y c o n t r i b u t e s

$ 2 2 5 b i l l i o n a n n u a l l y t o t h e U S e c o n -

o m y a n d s u p p o

The Innovea network’s goal is to bring together collaborating countries to transform coffee breeding and accelerate the pace of genetic improvement to the crop's yield, quality, climate resilience and resistance to pests and diseases Nine countries have joined the network so far, including Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda, Uganda and now ARS

"Results suggest that increasing the amount of vegetables you eat ever y day may benefit your mental health ”

The eight-week study was part of a parent study, a more extensive study conducted at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center that sought to determine whether adults with overweight and obesity would become more motivated to eat vegetables if they increased the number of ser vings they ate every day Unlike ver y tasty, less healthy foods, which become more reinforcing if you eat them every day, increasing the amount of vegetables eaten daily does not make them more

growth rate is among the highest of U S sectors

“Agriculture is foundational to the U S economy, reaching far beyond the farm gate, supporting over 46 million jobs In manufacturing, more than twice as many Americans are manufacturing agricultural products as cars and trucks,” said Corn Refiners Association President and CEO John Bode “The resilience of the food and agriculture sector is clear – all 50 states increased economic output in the 2023 report ”

“This study highlights the impact the greater food and ag sector industries have on the American economy and the sector’s

in the United States

Innovea is sponsored by the more than 200 coffee companies worldwide that comprise WCR’s membership base

Suzanne Shriner, administrator of the Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council, a key stakeholder for coffee in Hawaii, said, “Hawaii growers have hopes of great benefits from this research Coffee leaf rust has devastated our Kona Typica variety, causing extensive crop loss and tree death New varieties through Innovea will help our growers recover from invasive pests and disease and ensure a path for ward for Hawaiian coffee ” GN

reinforcing, highlighting the difficulty of increasing vegetable consumption in adults

However, focusing on the benefits eating more vegetables has on psychological wellbeing may provide a more salient reason for people to increase their vegetable consumption

The Agricultural Research Service is the U S Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America Each dollar invested in U S agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact GN

critical role in providing economic opportunity, nutritional value, and safe food for all Americans,” said American Bakers Association President and CEO Eric Dell

“The Feeding the Economy report has focused on the jobs and economic activity created across the food value chain – from crop inputs to the services that it takes to put food on the table Today, in the face of supply chain disruptions and the Ukraine Conflict, we truly need to think about the urgent need to feed people in addition to the important role that agriculture plays in our economy, ” said CropLife America President and CEO Chris Novak GN

Stonewall Kitchen

Parmesan Garlic Aioli

For a touch of fine dining at home, customers can stock their pantries with a favorite multipurpose condiment: aioli This mayo-like emulsion combines a creamy base of oil, vinegar, garlic and egg yolks with other robust ingredients to create an endlessly versatile spread And Stonewall Kitchen’s Parmesan Garlic Aioli is just the thing for slathering on sandwiches and more!

After all, who doesn’t love cheesy, garlicky goodness? This savory product combines ingredients including Parmesan and alliums with a bit of tang for an umami kick Customers will love spreading it on a panini, tossing it with pasta salad or serv-

Jake’s Nut Ro asters S easoned Almonds Snack Packs

ing it alongside roasted potatoes as a dip

But the possibilities don’t end there Customers can also incorporate this aioli into their favorite bread recipe for a wonderfully fluffy loaf that’s full of zesty, baked-in flavor

Stonewall Kitchen

www.stonewallkitchen.com

Crave Brothers Cho colate Mascarp one

Smooth creamy flavorful awardwinning Crave Brothers Chocolate Mascarpone recently placed first place at the 2023 U S Cheese

Championships in the “Flavored Soft Cheeses” class This product consists of naturally sweet and creamy Mascarpone, chocolate and hints of Irish Cream, mocha and caramel

The inspiration behind the product is from Crave Brothers’ worldfamous Chocolate Mascarpone Pie Crave Brothers used the flavors of the pie as inspiration in creating a decadent, light and original product perfect for your dairy, deli or specialty cheese cases

Crave Brothers Chocolate Mascarpone

is truly one of a kind and the current market has no other comparable product Consumers will certainly enjoy using this product in their cooking, baking, entertaining and more Holidays are the perfect time to launch this new product, contact us for complimentary demos!

Please email Roseanne Crave, Sales & Marketing Manager for more information All of Crave Brothers Farmstead classics are handcrafted with Old World techniques and hours old farm fresh milk Visit cravecheese com for more insight on Wisconsin’s award-winning favorites

Crave Brothers www.cravecheese.com

Bonne Maman Hazelnut Cho colate Spread

The No 1 premium preserves brand in the United States, Bonne Maman®, is pleased to debut Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate

Spread It is the newest addition to the Bonne Maman family of premium products

Staying true to the brand’s values, Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread is made with simple ingredients, without any artificial flavors and no palm oil With generous amounts of hazelnut and a smooth,

creamy texture, Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread delivers a deliciously rich taste that consumers will love at first taste!

Packaged in an embossed Bonne Maman glass jar, Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread is ideal for snacking, spreading or incorporating as an ingredient in beloved recipes

Available in an 8 8-ounce jar and a 12 7-ounce jar

World Finer Foods Inc www.bonnemaman.us

STAR Double-Stuffed Jalap eño and Garlic Olives

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

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

Featuring artisanal quality, these are the perfect balance of flavors, not too spicy and not too salty Enjoy straight out of the jar, in charcuterie platters or use as a spicy garnish for your favorite drinks

Contact Borges USA for more product information

Borges USA www.borgesusa.com

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 75 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, Buffalo, and Brine & Dill

New to the Jake’s 7-ounce can lineup are the single-serve 1 5-ounce snack packs, available in the most popular flavors, including Bleu Cheese Cracked Pepper, Bloody Mary, Mesquite Smoked and Buffalo These packs are the perfect snacks to throw in your lunch bag or an easy grab on your way out the door

These almonds are, in fact, “Straight

Ariston S ea S alts

Ariston Specialties has added to its line 100 percent natural sea salt from the Salinas of Messolonghi in Greece There are no chemical additives; salt purity from the abundant natural habitat rich in wildlife and calm waters

Flavors are Black Sea Salt with natural cuttlefish ink, Sea Salt, Greek Salad Sea Salt, Lemon & Turmeric Sea Salt, Garlic & Basil and Smoked Sea Salt

These salts come in glass mill The blends make the perfect marinade, gently grind the coarse salt over pasta, meat, fish, chicken or vegetables – ideal for creative cooks who love to experiment

Try the Smoked Salt with Ariston’s Chili infused EVOO, Ariston’s Mediterranean Herb EVOO with the Greek Salad Salt, Ariston’s Garlic Infused EVOO with the Lemon & Turmeric The Garlic and Basil Sea Salt is wonderfully aromatic and perfect on tomatoes

Ariston also has an Authentic Himalayan Coarse Rock salt in a glass mill

from Jake’s Orchard” showcasing the company’s vertical integration and commitment to sustainable growing practices

Jake’s almonds provide an unparalleled snacking experience and make eating this healthy snack both fun and satisfying!

Produced in a dedicated peanut-free facility, these premium Califor nia almonds are dry roasted and seasoned in small batches to deliver exceptional quality Almonds are an essential plant-based snacking alter native providing numerous health benefits with key protein, vitamins, and minerals, which should always be part of a healthy diet

For more information about Jake’s distinctive flavors, please email, call or even visit online

Jasper Specialty Foods

800.255.1641

www jasperspecialtyfoods com

www jakesnutroasters com

Ariston Specialties www.aristonspecialties.com

Monti Trentini Black Truffle Caciotta

Monti Trentini’s aged Black Truffle Caciotta is the evolution of the company’s best seller, Caciotta Tartufo

The Black Truffle Caciotta cheese is aged for a minimum of three months, hand rubbed weekly and “cured” by expert affineurs The taste of the aged cheese and the texture of the curd marry perfectly the truffle flavor given by the real Italian black truffle pieces that are inside

Beyond that, the aged truffle caciotta is differentiated by a black coating all around the wheel and engraved (not painted) logos Each small logo on the outer part is

placed to help cut wedges of 8 ounces, approximately

The vacuumpacked wheels come one per box The box can be generic or more luxurious The luxury box version, ideal for gifts or display, presents the same patter n of the cheese, which can also be personalized

The product has 180 days of shelf life; the average weight of each wheel is 5 pounds

Monti Trentini

www.montitrentini.com

Ho ward Wax-It-All

Howard Wax-It-All is a food-grade paste wax that is safe for any surface where food contact may occur This thick, smooth blend of beeswax, car nauba wax and food-grade mineral oil helps to revive, seal and protect surfaces in and around your home

Use Wax-It-All on butcher block, concrete, stainless steel, granite, marble, soapstone, slate and laminate countertop surfaces; metal, plastic fur niture and painted cabinets

Features and benefits:

• Enhances the beauty and protects surfaces to make them look better and last longer

• Easy to use – simply rub the wax on, let it absorb and buff off any excess

• Safe for indoor and outdoor countertop surfaces

• Helps delay tarnishing and oxidation of bronze, copper, brass and even wrought iron

• Gives finishes a soft sheen and a smooth feel

• Locks in the oils and waxes after using Howard’s other foodgrade products

• Great for woodworkers who need a hard, car nauba wax finish

• Made in the USA with food-grade ingredients under strict quality controls

Howard Products 800 266 9545 www howardproducts com

Tor tuga Tennessee Whiskey Spice Cake

Tortuga is a world-renowned brand that continues to lead the gourmet and spirit cakes category by heavily focusing on innovation and ensuring that its consumers are presented with innovative and new options

Tortuga has been doing business with the cruise channel, major big box retailers in North America, department and grocery stores and the gifting sector for over 35 years Given the company’s recent success with evolving from its world-famous rum cakes and creating a new cake with bourbon, the Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake, Tortuga continues to explore the spirits world

From this evolution, Tortuga’s Souther n Trio range was bor n, which consists of

Enstrom Almond Toffee Petites

Good things come in small packages

Individually wrapped, Enstrom Almond Toffee Petites are the gold standard of snacking

This artisan Almond

Toffee is crafted from the perfect blend of fresh Califor nia almonds, sweet cream butter and pure cane sugar, covered in a generous layer of rich chocolate to create a treat unlike any other

For 60 years, the Enstrom family has crafted Almond Toffee with only the finest, freshest and sustainably sourced ingredients Every batch is still made in Grand

Stonewall Kitchen

Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake, Moonshine Apple Pie Cake and the newest addition, Tennessee Whiskey Spice Cake It is carefully crafted with Tennessee Whiskey’s rich aroma and complex flavors and the distinct notes that emerge from the spices All three flavors are available in the standard sizes – 4 ounces, 16 ounces and 32 ounces Tortuga’s new selection of spirit cakes are inspired by America’s oldest and traditional delectable recipes and give consumers the opportunity to experience unique flavors characterized by bold notes and magnificent richness

Tortuga Spirit Cake Company

786 817 6880

www.tortugaimports.com

The Per fect Purée of Nap a Valley Lime Zest

Fancy Food Show to celebrate the start of its 35th year as a leading U S producer of premium fruit purées, zests and specialty blends for culinary and bar professionals

Lime Zest (35 ounces) completes The Perfect Purée’s zest collection by joining favorite pantry staples Orange Zest and Lemon Zest Lime Zest is an aromatic icon made by finely mincing the outer peel of fresh premium limes (no pith!) with 50 percent sugar Crafted to enhance flavor, it adds a punchy tang to desserts like key lime pie and lends more intense lime flavor to cocktails It also brings vibrant color and flavor to savory recipes

Founded in 1988 by culinary entrepreneur Tracy Hayward, The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley combined Hayward’s French culinary arts training and visionary spirit in the first American company of its kind making purées that

captured the fresh flavor of real fruit with no artificial colors or preservatives All flavors are vegan and GMO-free Unwavering in its commitment to quality and taste, the company’s products have helped chefs achieve the color and flavor of fresh purées when they couldn’t afford to make them from scratch

Now entering its 35th year, The Perfect Purée continues to ensure customers consistent, high-quality pantry staples such as Cherry, Strawberry and Red Raspberry while also responding to evolving tastes with innovative blends including Mango Passion Fruit, Yuzu Luxe Sour and Red Jalapeño With the addition of Lime Zest, The Perfect Purée expands its line to 41 products and helps busy chefs solve the produce puzzle no matter what the season

The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley www.perfectpuree.com

Junction, Colorado, using founder Chet Enstrom’s original recipe, lovingly handed down through four generations Enstrom Almond Toffee is made with all-natural ingredients, and is certified Gluten Free, and Kosher Dairy It’s quality you can taste in every bite

Go online to learn more about these buttery Almond Toffee Petites, as well as other premium offerings in our wholesale toffee line

Enstrom Candies

800 252 5498

www.enstrom.com

Jalap eño Bacon Cheese Aioli

Stonewall Kitchen’s extensive array of aiolis has excited and delighted customers for years Flavored with premium ingredients that range from ultra-spicy ghost peppers to bright citrus to earthy truffles, these spectacular spreads promise to tantalize taste buds at every tur n

The Jalapeño Bacon Cheese Aioli is no exception Sure to satisfy those who enjoy a bit of heat, it features pieces of real bacon mixed with chopped jalapeño peppers and Parmesan cheese Complete with a “hot” spice level, this spread adds a kick to fresh BLTs, complements juicy burgers and flexes as a decadent dip for

Le Gruyère AOP

Do you know Le Gruyère AOP?

• Le Gruyère AOP is produced using raw milk

• Le Gruyère AOP is natural – there are no additives, no GMOs and no preservatives

• Le Gruyère AOP is naturally gluten and lactose free

• E a c h w h e e l o f G r u y è re A O P i s a g e d f o r a m i n i m u m o f f i v e m o n t h s b e f o re b e i n g re l e a s e d f o r s a l e a n d c a n b e a g e d f o r b e t w e e n 1 4 a n d 1 8 m o n t h s I t c a n b e k e p t f o r m o re t h a n 2 4 m o n t h s f o r c h e e s e l o v e r s l o o k i n g f o r a n e v e n s t ro n g e r f l av o r

• A wheel of Gruyère AOP weighs between 25 and 40 kg

What does AOP mean?

Protected Designation of Origin

To be considered AOP, you have to have:

• A tradition

• A limited production zone

• A name

BeBOLD Energy Bars

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

fries

It can even be used to create a new twist on elotes, a classic Mexican street food dish featuring grilled cor n that’s perfect for summer

Stonewall Kitchen

www.stonewallkitchen.com

• A knowhow and a history

• A product

Production process has been maintained since the origins of Gruyère AOP back in the year 1115 and is strictly respected by the milk producers, the cheesemakers and the affineurs who follow the rules of the AOP specifications

Le Gruyère AOP

www.gruyere.com

in two flavors: Chocolate Chip Almond Butter and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter

BeBOLD 855.623.2653 www.beboldbars.com

Organic Produce Summit Presents Session on New Enforcement Rule

The Organic Produce Summit, which is July 12-13 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, Calif , includes an educational presentation, “Change Is Coming: Getting Fresh Produce Ready for the New Organic Enforcement Rule ”

Designed to increase the oversight and enforcement of the production, handling and sales of organic products throughout the supply chain, the Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule is set to take effect in March 2024 The effects of this new rule will be felt by the entirety of the organic fresh produce supply chain

The session will explore what the updated regulations mean for companies involved with organic fresh produce The session will feature leadership from a major international grower/shipper, a well-known wholesaler/distributor, and a progressive retailer sharing

what the changes will mean for their businesses

It will be led by one of the foremost authorities on organic regulatory issues

“These sweeping new rules will strengthen integrity along the entire supply chain and will require some work and adjustments by all of us OPS attendees will hear from leaders from across the organic produce supply chain about how their operations are getting ready and how to address the most impactful changes before the 2024 implementation ”

Panelists include William (Bill) Brodegard, VP food safety & compliance for Driscoll’s; Brenna Davis, CEO of Organically Grown Company; and Chris Miller, produce director for MOM’s Organic Markets The session will be moderated by Gwendolyn Wyard, Organic Trade Association’s VP of regulatory affairs

TRADESHOWCALENDAR

(dates subject to change)

Among the key requirements of the rule are new certification documentation for organic imports and the certification of brokers, handlers, and storage facilities handling unsealed produce The rule also changes labeling requirements for non-retail packaging and makes on-site inspections more robust and consistent

The SOE rule is the biggest update to USDA organic regulations since they were first published in 2000, and its aim is to bolster organic integrity and consumer confidence in the USDA organic seal by supporting strong organic control systems, improving farm-tomarket traceability, increasing import oversight authority, and providing robust enforcement of organic regulations

Organic Produce Summit 2023 is a two-

day event designed to bring together organic fresh produce growers, shippers and processors with retailers and buying organizations from across North America

The session focused on the new SOE rule is the second of five educational sessions and a pair of keynotes available for attendees OPS 2023 will also include a selection of field tours for retailers and buyers, a gala opening night reception, and a sold-out trade show floor featuring over 170 producers and processors of organic fresh produce from across North America and around the globe Additionally, several new activities are planned for OPS attendees, including a special cocktail event prior to the opening reception – for those new to the industry or attending their first OPS GN

Hi & Fi Asia China Returns with Additional Components

The leading health and food ingredients trade show, Hi & Fi Asia China, is returning June 19 to 21 in Shanghai

The show offers end-to-end insights into the entire ingredient supply chain – from research to product formulation and commercialisation, through to packaging and brand development

June

This year, the show joins forces with Health Expo, Propak China & FoodPak, Starch Expo, Natural & Health Products Exhibition and Plant-Based Food to bring all food ingredient solutions under one roof

China remains an extremely competitive market with improving ingredient quality and continues to offer global food and health ingredients professionals a cost-effective strategy to generate revenue

Hi China is the dedicated area for sourcing health and natural ingredients With more than 1,000 leading local exhibitors, Hi China is the largest meeting place for the health ingredients industry in China

Fi Asia-China offers access to a wide selection of leading food and beverage ingredients suppliers who will be on hand to meet your market demands GN

July

First Grocer yTech Event to Cover Scaling With Personalization Theme

August 28-30

Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo Los Angeles, California

Sept. 7-8 Plant Based World Expo North America New York City, New York

Oct 11-13

ADVERTISER INDEX

The inaugural Grocer yTech event, produced by Progressive Grocer and RIS News, will bring together the combined community of business and technology grocery executives on the journey to modernize their technology infrastructure to support innovation – to help grocers replicate the “small neighborhood grocery store on the corner ” concept, while still operating profitably at scale The event is set for July 12-14 at The Westin Cincinnati in Cincinnati

The event’s theme, “Scaling With Personalization,” focuses on how grocery executives – including leadership and business imple-

mentation executives across IT, supply chain, marketing, and store operations – can build a technology infrastructure to profitably serve shoppers now and into the future

Grocery stores are essential businesses that depend on technological innovations, which require grocers to understand and anticipate consumer behavior beyond the transactions Grocery executives have an implied responsibility to proactively know and serve the shopper in the most personal way possible Tech innovation is one of the hottest topics in the industry right now and navigating the solutions can be overwhelming for retailers GN

IDF World Dair y Summit Returns to US, Urges Industr y to ‘BE Dair y’

The IDF World Dair y Summit returns to the United States for the first time in 30 years, set for Oct 16-19 in Chicago

The summit is the world’s largest annual global dairy conference Under the theme “BE Dairy Boundless Potential and Endless Possibilities,” the summit’s immersive program will bring together dairy leaders and renowned experts to address dair y ’ s most significant opportunities in a dynamic global marketplace

Hosted by the United States National Committee of the IDF, the IDF World Dairy Summit is expected to attract more than 1,000 participants and expert speakers

from around the world, including industry leaders, scientists and producers The summit’s expo will showcase dairy companies, suppliers, dair y trade organizations and products while 23+ thematic sessions offer engaging content from health and nutrition to sustainable production, consumer expectations, policy and innovation

A t t e n d e e s h a v e t h e o p t i o n t o re g i s t e r for half-, one- and two-day farm and techn i c a l t o u r s s h o w c a s i n g t h e d i v e r s i t y o f U S d a i r y f a r m s , re s e a rc h c e n t e r s , p roc e s s i n g f a c i l i t i e s a n d re t a i l i n A m e r i c a ’ s h e a rt l a n d s t a t e s o f M i c h i g a n , Wi s c o n s i n , I l l i n o i s a n d I n d i a n a GN