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Produce Show Daily Saturday, October 20, 2018 4 2 Soom Foods Offers a Smoother Tahini By Lorrie Baumann Soom Foods really started with a ques- tion about why the tahini that Shelby Zitelman tasted in Israel was so much better than the tahini she'd tasted in the United States. Today, she and her two sis- ters are answering that question by bring- ing their own brand of tahini pressed and manufactured in Israel so that Americans can taste the difference for themselves. Soom Foods offers two products to the American market. Its Tahini is the tra- ditional paste made from roasted and pressed sesame seeds that's one of the main ingredients in traditional hummus. Its Chocolate Tahini is a direct competi- tor with spreads made with cocoa and nut butter. Zitelman is the oldest of three sis- ters, and she had the chance to taste the tahini that Israelis were eating when she went to Israel to visit her middle sister, who was living in Israel and dating a man who sold tahini. He introduced the prod- uct to her. "I had never had tahini quite like this," she said. "I wanted to know why it was so good and why it tasted like peanut butter." She discovered that the tahini she was enjoying was made from a particular variety of white sesame seed grown in Ethiopia and processed in Israel. "Like coffee, the seeds can have a very differ- ent effect depending on the varietal," she said. These particular seeds could be ground into a very smooth paste with no bitter flavor. Once she had the answers she was looking for Zitelman used her business school education to form a company with her two sisters, Amy and Jackie. Jackie is now married to Omri, the date who introduced Zitelman to the product, and she's also now Soom Foods' Vice President of International Sourcing as well as a company co-Founder. She's responsible for managing Soom's manu- facturing relationships and coordinating exports from Israel. Amy, the youngest of the three sis- ters, is the company's Vice President of Business Development as well as a co-Founder. She is responsible for managing client and customer relation- ships and the sales cycle and process. Zitelman is the company's CEO, over- seeing the company's finances and rela- tionships with contractors and develop- ing strategy for the business. Their two products are made and packaged in Israel from sesame sourced in Ethiopia. The tahini is then shipped from Israel to the U.S., where the compa- ny is headquartered in North Philadelphia. Soom Foods Tahini is sold in 11-ounce jars that retail for $6.99. As well as its use as a primary ingredient in hummus, it's also used in marinades and in salad dressings. "It's also appearing in baked goods as an alternative to nut but- ters," Zitelman said. "Anywhere you'd see almond butter or peanut butter, you could consider tahini instead." That's particularly true because sesame is both a drought-resistant crop that uses less water than almonds, and one of the best non-animal sources of protein, calcium and iron, she added. "In this world of being very sensitive to nut allergies, it can be a wonderful substitute for nut butters for allergy purposes as well as for flavor purposes." Soom Foods Chocolate Tahini is sold in a 12-ounce jar that retails for $8.99. Dairy-free, nut-free and with no added oils, it also has half the sugar of competing nut butter-chocolate spreads, according to Zitelman. "That's a big sell- ing point, especially for families with young kids and those who are concerned with sugar intake," she said. For more information, visit www .soomfoods.com. Seal Certifies Coolness Under Pressure By Lorrie Baumann Manufacturers of products pasteurized with High Pressure Processing, HPP, instead of heat are adopting a High Pressure Certified Seal to assure con- sumers that they're buying products that offer more than a fresh appearance – they're also safe to consume. The first products bearing the High Pressure Certified Seal are fruit juices; with other certifications rolling out into the con- sumer market this year. "It's actually in the marketplace now. You'll see it on a lot of the Evolution Fresh products now through- out the nation. ... It's going to establish a standard to which a lot of products are going to be held," said Jeff Williams, Chairman of the Cold Pressure Council, which is the organization behind the High Pressure Certified Seal and General Manager of JBT/Avure Technologies, which manufactures HPP machines that are used in HPP processing. HPP is a food pasteurization tech- nique recognized by the federal Food and Drug Administration and used world- wide. Originally invented in France in 1895, it's been in commercial use for almost 30 years. The process uses ultra- high pressure purified water to destroy bacteria so food stays fresher longer. Foods like meat, fruits, vegetables and juices are subjected to 87,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, which kills Listeria, E. coli and Salmonella bacteria without destroying the foods' natural vitamin and mineral content. Foods processed with HPP have better taste, texture and nutritional value than foods processed with traditional high-heat pas- teurization. The High Pressure Certified Seal on a product's packaging means that the product was processed in compliance with guidelines established by the Cold Pressure Council's founding members to ensure that the equipment was used prop- erly– that no food safety short cuts were taken along the way. "It's a quality state- ment in terms of how the product was manufactured," Williams said. "One of the key qualifiers is that they've been independently audited and that they are following the guidelines." The guidelines are intended to protect both consumers and the high pressure technology itself from the effects of a breach in food safety, according to Williams. "It's like any- thing — if you're not following the rules, bad things can happen," he said. "We hate even thinking about those kinds of things. We want to make sure that our people aren't misusing the technology; that there's proper use of high pressure process- ing, so food safety stays intact; that the proper parameters and settings are being used – it does all go back to food safety." Juices bearing the seal are the first products to reach grocers because theirs was the first set of guidelines to be devel- oped, but guidelines for sauces and salad dressings are in the works, and there are other sets of guidelines in development for the range of products suitable for the technique. In general, those are products that have a high water content, are acidic and have a cold chain of distribution. Brands are lined up and waiting for the release of their guidelines, so grocers and consumers can expect that they'll start seeing the High Pressure Certified Seal on more products this year, according to Williams. Manufacturers have been eager to adopt the technology because the HPP process brings compelling benefits, including bet- ter taste, texture and nutritional value than foods processed with traditional high-heat pasteurization as, well as, extension of the shelf life for products. For instance, gua- camole that's made and stored at home can last about one or two days, but guacamole that's been pasteurized through High Pressure Processing gets a 40-day shelf life without the addition of any preservatives, resulting in a cleaner label for the consumer. Along with the seal's roll-out, the Cold Pressure Council will be engaging in a social media campaign to educate consumers about the benefits of the process. The Cold Pressure Council is also hosting an annual conference in June to continue to educate the industry itself about the technology and its benefits as well as the marketing value of the new High Pressure Certified Seal. Flax4Life Adds Two Cakes to its Gluten Free Bakery Products By Lorrie Baumann Flax4Life is a family-owned and operat- ed bakery specializing in flax-based products that are certified gluten free, dairy free, nut free and non-GMO. Its bakery products are high in fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids, protein and lignans and are made with all-natural, high qual- ity ingredients. The company was founded after a family relative began having mysterious health problems that were finally diag- nosed as celiac disease. Finding a lack of options on the market that met the newly discovered need for a diet free of gluten, the family decided to open a certified gluten free bakery so they could be sure of baked goods that would be safe to eat for people who can't tolerate gluten in their diet. "It was just through trial and error that they came on flax," said Flax4Life Marketing Coordinator Sarah Bishop. In flax, the family discovered a flour that was high in fiber and Omega 3s and was a good source of protein. The bakery's first Flax4Life products were its Muffins, which are now offered in six varieties: Wild Blueberry, Carrot Raisin, Chocolate Chip, Cranberry Orange, Apple Cinnamon and Hawaiian Pineapple. They were followed by Toaster Buns, sandwich rolls offered in three flavors: Original, Everything and Cinnamon Raisin; Brownies in four fla- vors: Chocolate, Toasted Coconut, Dark Cherry and Cappuccino; and Granola in five flavors: Apple Cinnamon, Chunky Chocolate, Hawaiian Pineapple, Banana & Coconut and Cranberry Orange. Flax4Life is launching its Cakes, in Chocolate Shaving and Carrot Cake vari- eties. The 8-inch square cakes will be sold fresh from the bakery case for $10.99 to $12.99 at retail. The Chocolate Shaving Cake is a devil's food cake with a fudge frosting finished with a topping of dark chocolate curls, while the Carrot Cake has the traditional warm cinnamon spice with raisins and carrot chunks baked in. It's frosted with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting topped with toasted coconut. The company's next venture is likely to be an entrant into the snack food market, possibly with cookies and protein bites, since the grab and go snack category is cur- rently lacking gluten free options, Bishop said. "Everyone's life is so hectic, and you need that little treat to keep you going through the day – that's what we're trying to fill," she said. The company is also listening to its customers and is researching sugar alter- natives to sweeten products from its cur- rent range. For further information, visit www.flax4life.net.