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Convenience Retailer Show Daily Monday, October 8, 2018 2 8 Bausch + Lomb: Evolving Eye Care Through Innovation Bausch + Lomb's continued investment in research and development has resulted in the company introducing more than 20 new products across all business units within the last 24 months. Among the company's latest product introductions are four new over-the-counter (OTC) products, which help address some of today's most pervasive eye health con- cerns and further strengthen the compa- ny's consumer healthcare portfolio. "The advancements we've made during this busy period have expanded our portfolio of products to help meet the growing healthcare and lifestyle demands of consumers," said Joseph Gordon, President, Consumer Health and Vision Care, Bausch + Lomb. Of those new products, Bausch + Lomb's newly launched LUMIFY™ redness reliever eye drops are providing innovation and growth to the OTC eye care category as the first and only OTC drops containing low-dose brimonidine tartrate. Backed by six clinical studies, LUMIFY has a strong efficacy and safe- ty profile with low-risk for rebound red- ness and 95 percent symptom improve- ment seen at one minute and lasting up to eight hours. The company is also tak- ing a holistic approach to the launch of LUMIFY at retail, executing marketing tactics that include shopper marketing and in-line and off-shelf displays to strategically reach the shopper through- out the store. Building upon its portfolio of eye vitamins, Bausch + Lomb added PreserVision ® AREDS 2 formula chew- able vitamins and Ocuvite ® Blue Light eye vitamins to respond to evolving cus- tomer needs. PreserVision AREDS 2 for- mula chewables contain the exact levels of six key nutrients recommended by the National Eye Institute to reduce the risk of progression in patients with moderate to advanced Age- Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The chewable vitamins were introduced as an alternative for patients who may have trouble swallowing pills or have "pill fatigue." A leading cause of vision loss in Americans age 50 and older, moderate to advanced AMD impacts more than 11 million peo- ple in the United States. With the increasing number of hours Americans are spending on digital devices, Ocuvite Blue Light eye vitamins were introduced to help shield and filter blue light that is emitted from digital devices. The vitamins contain 25 mil- ligrams of lutein and five milligrams of zeaxanthin isomers, the key eye nutrients that help absorb blue light before it reaches the macula (the part of the eye responsible for central vision). Dry eye impacts more than 140 mil- lion Americans and research shows that 61 percent of consumers are using lubri- cant eye drops to help with symptom relief. There is also an increased consumer demand for preservative-free relief for the symptoms of dry eye, which led Bausch + Lomb to develop and intro- duce Soothe ® Xtra Protection (XP) Preservative Free lubri- cant eye drops. Launched in June, this preservative free formulation of Soothe XP uses a unique combination of Restoryl ® mineral oils as active ingredi- ents, which work to restore the lipid layer, seal in moisture and protect against further irritation. "At Bausch + Lomb, we follow the shifting consumer trends and listen close- ly to what our customers are looking for in eye care products. These latest OTC product innovations are in direct response to those trends and feedback we're hearing in the market today, which we believe will provide customers new options to meet their eye care needs," added Gordon. HyVIDA a First in Sparkling Waters An interview with Rick Smith, President Chief Executive Officer and co-Founder, HyVIDA Brands Inc. CRSD: Tell our readers about HyVIDA Brands. RS: HyVIDA is what you get when tech- savvy entrepreneurs with spunk create a beverage. We harnessed hydrogen, a powerful antioxidant, infused it in sparkling water and added a dash of cer- tified organic flavors. Imagine if zero calorie sparkling waters and functional beverages had a baby. CRSD: What is the origin of the name HyVIDA? RS: We're having fun with the brand name. How many brands get to tell peo- ple to do something healthy while sound- ing taboo ... 'Get Hy™'! Hy is an abbre- viation for hydrogen and hydration and VIDA means life. CRSD: 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 hydrogen scavenges the body to neu- tralize oxides, but more significantly, hydrogen has shown to regulate cellular behavior, reducing the creation of oxides all together. Hydrogen (H2) being the smallest molecule 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 membranes, profoundly impacting athletes looking for a compet- itive edge, students cramming for an exam or professionals seeking to balance a healthy and social lifestyle. CRSD: Like other sparkling waters, HyVIDA has zero calories, zero sugars, zero sweeteners and zero caffeine. What makes HyVIDA dif- ferent? RS: Besides being a magically 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, creating a user experience unlike any other sparkling water brand. The magnesium is a super mineral that aids the nervous system, reduces 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. CRSD: Who is HyVIDA's target cus- tomer? RS: The young, the spry, teens, kids, health freaks, domestic divas; basically anyone who drinks sparkling waters or values the bene- fits of a healthy beverage. We also see people using HyVIDA Hydrogen Infused Sparkling Waters as cocktail mixers. The crisp flavors make it an easy mixer and the func- tional benefits are an added reward – par- ticularly the following morning. CRSD: Where is HyVIDA sold? RS: On Amazon and in hundreds of nat- ural and specialty stores in the Eastern U.S. We have great distribution partner- ships with KeHE and UNFI supporting multiple distribution centers in the MidWest and the East Coast. Also, we proudly have a DSD partnership with OneStop Nature for Metro NYC. For more information, go to www .hyvida.com, call 231.780.7450 or email rick.smith@hyvida.com. Raymundo's Food Group Redefines Identity An interview with Bob Levi, Chief Executive Officer, Raymundo's Food Group, LLC. CRSD: What does Raymundo's Food Group offer? BL: Raymundo's Food Group is a manu- facturer of ethnically inspired, refrigerat- ed desserts, snacks and dairy products. Our portfolio of Raymundo's branded gelatins, flans, puddings, crème parfaits and other ready-to-eat products has strong connectivity to the growing Hispanic population with crossover appeal into the general market. Our Greek yogurts, drinkable yogurts and other specialty and ethnic dairy products such as Aura™ Dahi Yogurt are made with no artificial colors, flavors or sweet- eners. Our products provide a unique value proposition and are distributed through mass retailers, conventional gro- cery retailers, convenience stores, club stores and local ethnic retailers. CRSD: Tell our readers how you've redefined the company this year. BL: We have redefined our identity based on four principles of our founda- tion: great taste, ethnic flavors, innova- tion and wholesome, feel-good food. Great taste is paramount and show- cases the breadth of our values in one simple statement. It means delicious, family-forward, classic and wholesome. Ethnic flavors mean we focus on repositioning global traditions for a mod- ern, hectic world that still craves authen- ticity. When we talk about innovation, we mean that we are re-inventing the presentations of traditional fla- vors to bring convenience to mod- ern families. Being wholesome in our approach means that our brands are food choices that are reflective of a healthier, modern lifestyle. We make products that our customers feel good about feeding their families. CRSD: Do you have any innovative new products launching this year? BL: Absolutely. In addition to our fast- turning core lineup of refrigerated desserts and yogurts we have several innovations. The first we are unveiling is Raymundo's Pudding Toppers™. Toppers and mix-ins represent over 10 percent of the yogurt category and grew at 11 percent in 2017. I think these delicious combinations of pud- ding and indulgent toppings will create strong incremental growth in the desserts category as well. Flavors include Dark Mexican Chocolate Pudding + Churro Pieces, Vanilla Pudding + Chocolate Brownie Pieces, Flan Pudding + Salted Caramel Crumble, Rice Pudding + Granola and Key Lime Pie + White Chocolate Crumble. Our second new-to-the-world inno- vation is Raymundo's Mini Churro Dippers. The two-compartment snack segment is on fire, and Mini Churro Dippers brings a Millennial favorite to the party. Dark Chocolate and Carmel Dipping Sauces make for a delicious on- the-go snack. We also have several new flavors and varieties of Raymundo's Yogurt Smoothies and Greek Yogurt Cups. For more information, contact Paul Nojaim at 513.560.8189, go to www .raymundos.com or email contactus @raymundos.com.