Oser Communications Group

1 1 October 2018 SNACKING NEWS SNACKING NEWS SNACKING NEWS Jack Link's Targets Back to School Sales Jack Link's is targeting school lunch boxes with new lunchbox size, multipack meat sticks; available in two 100% Beef flavors (Original & Pepperoni) and Original 100% Turkey. "We are committed to delivering quality products for our consumers, and our kids are no exception to that commit- ment," said TD Dixon, Chief Marketing Officer at Jack Link's. "We saw a need to create a high-quality, portable snack that not only tastes great, but delivers on high protein so our kids can give each day their full potential." Jack Link's marketing will promote the protein-packed meat sticks as a better lunchbox option than sugary fruit cups and crackers. While some snacking options sacrifice quality, others sacrifice ingredi- ents and nutritional value, the company noted. Fortified with 6g of protein, Jack Link's sticks provide the staying power kids need to power through their day. Whether it's practice, homework or just kids being kids, this meat stick delivers on a great tasting lunchbox snacking offering nothing less than 100 percent. "We want kids to substi- tute sweet treats for meat treats, enabling them to fill up on great-tasting beef sticks that are packed with protein," said Dixon. Now available in the meat snacks aisle at major retailers nationwide, the lunch- box-friendly snack provides 10 individu- ally wrapped sticks and serves as the ultimate solution to throw in a backpack or lunchbox this school year. n Homegrown Meats Jerky Now Available Nationally at Whole Foods Four flavors of Homegrown Meats Jerky — Joel's Traditional, Western Mesquite Barbeque, Cracked Black Pepper and Paleo —will debut nationwide through Whole Foods Market stores. Based in San Diego, California, Home- grown Meats has already developed a follow- ing along the West Coast for its handcrafted, grass-fed and grass-finished jerky. Crafted to 'fuel the journey,' Homegrown jerky uses clean ingredients to supply a sustainable, de- licious and healthy protein snack. "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to extend our footprint nationwide with Whole Foods Market," says Thad Ben- shoof, co-Founder of Homegrown Meats. "This is an exciting opportunity for the Homegrown Meats family, positioning us as a leading brand in the all-natural jerky category and opening the door for long- term growth and partnership." "We are extremely proud of the Home- grown Meats team for their recent global expansion at Whole Foods Market, and look forward to sharing their delicious, 100 percent grass-fed jerky with our shoppers around the country," said Jason Kro- likowski, Global Category Manager for Whole Foods Market. "It has been a testa- ment to our commitment to support local suppliers and products to watch this brand grow from a small San Diego-based artisan beef jerky producer, into a leading brand in the all-natural jerky category with a loyal following and strong national footprint." The brand offers nine flavor options that range from sweet to progressively spicy: Tangy Orange Teriyaki, Western Mesquite Barbeque, Paleo, Joel's Traditional, Carne Asada, Cracked Black Pepper, Sriracha Style, Gringo Bandito, and Smoking Hot Jalapeño. Each Homegrown jerky flavor is gluten free, made without nitrates or ni- trites and with no artificial flavors, no ar- tificial colors and no artificial sweeteners. Homegrown will continue to expand its jerky selection with the creation of addi- tional flavors and specialty collaboration projects. Homegrown Cattle Company, a busi- ness that was started on a sixth-generation cattle ranch owned by the Mendenhall family and located in the hills of Palomar Mountain in southern California, is a part- ner in Homegrown. The owners of Home- grown Cattle Company are committed to humanely raised and cared for animals re- sulting in a beef product of high caliber. Homegrown Meats beef jerky was pre- viously available in the Whole Foods Mar- ket's Southern Pacific and Rocky Mountain regions and is now available in Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. In addition to Whole Foods Market, Home- grown Meats is available in non-traditional retail outlets including golf courses and re- sorts, health and wellness stores, universi- ties, breweries, corporate offices, professional sports facilities and outdoor retailers. For more information, visit www.home grownmeats.com. n Columbus Adds Salami Flavors, Snack Sizes Columbus has upped its snacking game and continued to innovate with Millennials in mind by delivering delicious meat in convenient, on-the-go formats. In May 2018, the company launched three Columbus™ Salami & Cheese Snacks as well as four salami flavors in snack-portioned packaging. "Innovation drives our company's growth, and snacks have played a large role in that growth since 2016," said Lauren Keller, Sen- ior Brand Manager at Columbus. "Since then, the Columbus brand has grown 18 per- cent. And we always keep to our San Fran- cisco heritage and love for craft meats." The Columbus Salami & Cheese snacks include the company's recently-launched salami flavors made from pork raised without antibiotics and no added nitrates or nitrites, except for those naturally occurring in celery juice powder. Columbus paired these salami flavors with tasty rBST-free cheeses in one hearty, snack-portioned serving. The three flavor combinations are: Italian Dry Salame paired with White Cheddar Cheese, Genoa Salame paired with Provolone Cheese and Pepperoni paired with Fontina Cheese. Additionally, the company's most popu- lar salami flavors are now available in a convenient snack size. These salami snacks are easily tossed into a purse, backpack or grabbed while on-the-go. They include four varieties, two of the company's fan fa- vorite flavors and two that are made from pork raised without antibiotics and without added nitrates or nitrites, except for those naturally occurring in culture celery juice powder. The varieties are Original Italian Dry Salame, Genoa Salame, Pork Raised Without Antibiotics Ever Uncured Italian Dry Salame and Pork Raised Without An- tibiotics Ever Uncured Pepperoni. To learn more, visit the Columbus web- site at www.columbuscraftmeats.com. n Pernicious Pickling Co. Debuts Bloody Mary Bar In A Jar Pernicious Pickling Co., maker of multiple award-winning small batch pickles and pickled vegetables, has expanded its offer- ing with five new products, including Pick- led Vegetables: Bloody Mary Bar In A Jar (Original or Spicy), Sweet Hot Pickles, Sweet Pickled Jalapeños, and Pickled Okra. Bloody Mary Bar In A Jar come in two flavors, original and spicy and are 24- ounce medleys of every pickled garnish one needs to create an epic Bloody Mary bar – pickle spears, celery, carrots, beans, asparagus, and okra. Cowboy Candy has a mix of thin slices of pickles and jalapeños in a sweet brine brightened with lime and cayenne – per- fect for layering into burgers and tacos, stirring into potato salad, or mixing into a Rodeo Lemonade Cocktail or Sweet 'N Spicy Whiskey Sour. Pernicious Pickling's Jalapeño Kisses have thin sliced jalapeños in a spicy-sweet brine brightened with lime and cayenne – perfect for layering into a slow-cooked pulled pork spicy taco, stirring into a Southwestern salad, or mixing into a spicy Margarita. Lil' Southern Heat is pickled okra that's crunchy with a tinge of heat and garlic. Traditionally the go-to garnish for Bloody Marys, pickled okra can also be chopped and tossed into a shrimp, corn and tomato pasta or top creole deviled eggs. "From our beginnings, we have always strived to create high-quality, bold and memorable products for our consumers and we are very excited with the launch of these new flavors as they represent the next step in our mission of creating great pickled products" says Baron Conway, Chief Operating Officer and co-Founder of Pernicious Pickling Co. All products are available for purchase online and at select retailers. n

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