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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n SEPTEMBER 2018 n GOURMET NEWS N H 5 2 HyVIDA a First in Sparkling Waters An interview with Rick Smith, President Chief Executive Officer and co-Founder, HyVIDA Brands Inc. GN: Tell our readers about HyVIDA Brands. RS: HyVIDA is what you get when tech- savvy entrepreneurs with spunk create a bev- erage. We harnessed hydrogen, a powerful antioxidant, infused it in sparkling water and added a dash of certified organic flavors. Imagine if zero calorie sparkling waters and functional beverages had a baby. GN: What is the origin of the name HyVIDA? RS: We're having fun with the brand name. How many brands get to tell people to do something healthy while sounding taboo ... 'Get Hy™! Hy is an abbreviation for hydro- gen and hydration and VIDA means life. GN: What does hydrogen do for the body that makes it an antioxidant? RS: I feel the Hy when I drink it and so do friends, but more importantly, 1,000-plus published medical studies support that hy- drogen scavenges the body to neutralize ox- ides, but more significantly, hydrogen has shown to regulate cellular behavior, reducing the creation of oxides all together. Hydrogen (H2) being the smallest mole- cule in the universe travels through the body much faster than Vitamin C. The result is an amazing antioxidant that quickly penetrates the blood-brain barrier and cellular mem- branes, profoundly impacting athletes look- ing for a competitive edge, students cramming for an exam or professionals seek- ing to balance a healthy and social lifestyle. GN: Like other sparkling waters, HyVIDA has zero calories, zero sugars, zero sweeten- ers and zero caffeine. What makes HyVIDA different? RS: Besides being a magi- cally refreshing beverage, HyVIDA's phenomenal for your body as the world's first and only to infuse hydrogen into sparkling water. It has magnesium, a higher pH, cre- ating a user experience unlike any other sparkling water brand. The magnesium is a super mineral that aids the nervous system, re- duces anxiety and has been shown to help the body metabolize Vitamin D. Also, our process increases the pH to neutralize the acidic 'burn' on the tongue and esophagus. The incredible result is a soft, bubbly experience that allows the certified organic flavors to leap over the palate. GN: Who is HyVIDA's target customer? RS: The young, the spry, teens, kids, health freaks, domestic divas; basically anyone who drinks sparkling waters or values the benefits of a healthy beverage. We also see people using HyVIDA Hydrogen In- fused Sparkling Waters as cocktail mixers. The crisp flavors make it an easy mixer and the functional benefits are an added re- ward – particularly the following morning. GN: Where is HyVIDA sold? RS: On Amazon and in hundreds of natural and specialty stores in the Eastern U.S. We have great distribution partnerships with KeHE and UNFI supporting multiple distri- bution centers in the MidWest and the East Coast. Also, we proudly have a DSD partner- ship with OneStop Nature for Metro NYC. Visit HyVIDA at booth #4407. For more information, go to www.hyvida.com, call 231.780.7450 or email rick.smith@hyvida.com. Amazing Fruit Products-US Helps Kids "Fuel Your Amazin'" By Victoria Keller-Settin, Amazing Fruit Products-US, Sales and Marketing Good nutrition is important at any age, but especially during childhood, when the body is growing and developing. The folks at Amazing Fruit Products-US know how im- portant nutrition is to childhood develop- ment. In fact, they have made it their mission to provide children everywhere with high quality, nutritious (and tasty) snacks to fuel their amazin' minds. Their product, Amazin' Raisin, was designed specifically for use within The Food and Nutrition Service's child nutrition programs. Of course, Amazin' Raisin isn't just for kids, but everything from the bright colors to the conveniently por- tioned, easy-to-open packages were designed to get children to reach for the raisins instead of highly processed, sugar-filled alternatives. Getting children to choose something like raisins over candy isn't always easy, which is why Amazing Fruit Products came up with their patented flavor-infusion process. They infuse each raisin with mouth-watering fruit flavors, like strawberry or sour watermelon. It's a twist on a classic that Amazing Fruit Products-US believes will teach children that the best food is food that is as good for your body as it is for your taste buds. Co-Owner Randy McClung says, "There is no better feeling than seeing a child's face light up when they try Amazin' Raisin for the first time. It's wonderful when children are excited to eat something that is also great for them." Raisins are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals essen- tial to maintaining a healthy mind and body. They are rich in fiber to help keep you full, and carbohy- drates to fuel an ac- tive lifestyle. Amazin' Raisin has no added sugar or artifi- cial ingredients, and ¼ cup of raisins equals a full serving of fruit, making it the perfect snack for picky eaters. Raisins are also en- ergy dense, so they are ideal for an energy boost before participating in sports and ath- letics. In moderation, they are also a healthy treat for those suffering with chronic illness like childhood diabetes. Childhood malnutrition can have a life- long impact on a person's health and wellbe- ing. Amazing Fruit Products-US is proud to participate in programs like the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Amazin' Raisin is also recognized as a Smart Snack by the Alliance for a Healthier Gen- eration. Recent partnerships with groups such as Momco Moms and The Goose Chase have also fo- cused on changing not only the way children eat in the classroom, but also how they eat at home. Locally, Amazing Fruit Products-US donates Amazin' Raisin to weekend backpack proj- ects, making sure underprivileged children and their families have food at home. Amazing Fruit Products-US wants to en- courage everyone to live a healthy, happy and active life. Grab a bag of fruit flavor-in- fused Amazin' Raisin and make a commit- ment to yourself and the children in your life to #BeYourAmazin. For more information, go to www.amazing fruitproducts.com, call 256.273.5363 or email info@afp-us.com. Golden Valley Natural Celebrates 50 Years Golden Valley Natural is celebrating 50 years of quality jerky products. Originally known as King B Jerky in Idaho Falls, the regional jerky company grew into a national brand in the 1980s after Founder Roger Ball commandeered his wife's blender to make the first batch of "Shredded Jerky Stuff." The family-owned jerky company became a leader in the meat snacks industry. In 2000, Roger and his family sold the King B label to a competitor. The family ranches shifted to all-natural and organic production method- ologies, giving birth to a new company – Golden Valley Natu- ral. Golden Valley Nat- ural specializes in beef, buffalo, turkey, chicken and pork meat snacks, with an emphasis on all-natural and organic products. Its 'healthier-for-you' meat snacks rang true with consumers, who buy its products nationwide and in both Canada and Japan. Today, the company contin- ues to grow and produce some of the finest all-nat- ural, organic, gluten free, grass-fed and non-GMO jerky available in the industry. For more information, go to www.golden valleynatural.com. Pine River Maker of Award-Winning Gourmet Cold Pack Cheese Spread By Mary Lindemann, Marketing Director, Pine River Pre-Pack Building from five generations in the dairy industry, Pine River Pre-Pack, Inc. has been crafting nationally-recognized, gourmet cold pack cheese spreads for more than 50 years. Every batch of Pine River Cold Pack Cheese Spread is hand crafted with natural aged, Wisconsin Grade A Cheddar, real dairy ingredients like butter, and other unique fla- vors to create a creamy, flavorful spread. Per its name, Pine River Cold Pack Cheese Spread is never heated, helping to maintain the cheese flavor, making it a great alterna- tive to natural cuts of cheese for everyday cooking. Pine River offers 16 flavors with Port Wine, Sharp Cheddar, Garlic & Herb and Hot Habañero also available in a clean label variety made with no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. Beginning in Spring 2019, the clean label line will also be rBST Free. In addition to the flavors available under the Pine River label, the com- pany is regu- larly contracted to create unique flavors under private label. Wineries, brew- eries and others work with Pine River, utiliz- ing their experience to create a variety of individualized cold pack blends. With a recipe full of quality ingredients and a rich dairy history, it's no surprise that Pine River continues to be a leader in the cold pack cheese food category at every con- test entered. In 2017, Pine River took home top spots at the United States Championship Cheese Competition, Amer- ican Cheese Society Judg- ing & Competition, Wisconsin State Fair Cheese & Butter Contest, and the World Dairy Expo Dairy Products Contest. Pine River Cold Pack Cheese Spreads are available in a variety of retail sizes and food service containers and must be kept refrigerated. See the list of re- tail outlets at www.pineriver.com/find- wisconsin-cheese. For more information, go to www.pineriver.com, email pineriver@ pineriver.com or call 920.726.4216.

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