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SNACKING NEWS 4 SNACKING NEWS December 2018 WWW.SNACKINGNEWS.COM PUBLISHER Kimberly Oser SENIOR ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jules Denton-Card jules_d@oser.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lorrie Baumann EDITOR Robin Mather ASSOCIATE EDITORS Jeanie Catron Greg Gonzales JoEllen Lowry ART DIRECTOR Yasmine Brown GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jonathan Schieffer CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGERS Caitlyn McGrath Susan Stein DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Tara Neal tara_n@oser.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Jamie Green subscriptions@oser.com PUBLISHING OFFICE 1877 N. Kolb Road Tucson, AZ 85715 520.721.1300 Fax 520.721.6300 SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Snacking News P.O. Box 30520 Tucson, AZ 85751 520.721.1300 OSER COMMUNICATIONS GROUP FOUNDER Lee M. Oser Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ, and additional mailing office. Snacking News is published bi-monthly by Oser Communications Group, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715; 520.721.1300. Publisher as- sumes no responsibility for unsolicited material or prices quoted in newspaper. Contributors are responsible for proper release of proprietary classified information. ©2018 by Oser Communications Group. All rights re- served. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is expressly pro- hibited. Back issues, when available, cost $7 each within the past 12 months, $12 each prior to the past 12 months. Back orders must be paid in advance either by check or charged to American Express, Visa, or Master Card. Snacking News is distributed without charge in North America to qualified professionals in the retail and distribution channels of the chain drug, convenience, grocery, and specialty foods trade; paid subscriptions cost $65 annually to the U.S. and Canada. All foreign subscriptions cost $150 annually to cover air delivery. All payments must be made in U.S. funds and drawn on a U.S. bank. For subscriber services, including subscription information, call 520.721.1300. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Snacking News, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715. As we draw near the end of 2018, my thoughts are already turning toward what we'll see in 2019. This issue of Snacking News has a great deal of food for thought, as it were, that gives us some hints of what lies ahead. Plant-powered snacks are big and going to get bigger, judging by what I heard as I interviewed people for a story on vegan jerkies, and for a story on social justice- minded snacking, both of which are in this issue. Consumers, especially younger con- sumers, are demanding – and getting – snacks that satisfy their desire for good nu- trition, but not at the expense of the other humans and animals which inhabit our planet. Nut-based snacks are another part of the snack market showing solid growth. In my 35-plus years as a food journalist, I've never seen consumers so savvy about what they're eating, and how it affects their health, both physical and mental. Gluten- free continues to be a thriving market, and nut-based snacks – crackers made with al- mond flour, and other creative approaches to removing wheat from products – are keeping that market segment happy. That our lives are a blur of busy-ness couldn't be clearer, as our national thirst for energy drinks and more-more-more caffeine to help keep us going demon- strates. You'll find a story on functional beverages and what's happening in that segment of the beverage market, which is growing at triple-digit rates, in this issue, too. The trend for clean labels and more transparency has led to an uptick in the Non-GMO Project's certifications. But there are some companies out there that are perfectly comfortable using, and ad- vocating for, genetically modified organ- isms. I talked to a couple of them and found their reasons intriguing. It was in- teresting to learn from a Canadian apple grower that all genetic engineering processes aren't alike, and I hope you'll be interested, too. Naturally, we conferred with some pun- dits on their ideas about what products and flavors are on-trend for 2019. The 2019 Winter Fancy Food Show in January in San Francisco, California, will let us glimpse whether their crystal balls are clear or cloudy. Lots of snack makers work hard to give back to the communities they serve, though they don't always talk about it much. In this season of giving, it seemed sensible to look at a few who do, and to learn about what their charitable projects are doing. Learning about the companies on both sides of the retail counter is one of the best parts of my job. I loved talking to the folks at Dockside Market about the tropically flavored cakes and cookies that have kept them in business for several decades down in Miami, Florida. It was just as much fun to talk to the people at Sheetz, the mid-At- lantic convenience store chain that has grown from just one store to more than 500 on the strength of its founder's single good idea as a teen. The coming year looks to be lively with innovation, excitement and buzz in the snack industry. But I'm never too busy to listen to snack makers and retail- ers tell their stories, in all their variety. If you have some news to share, reach out! Let's agree to connect in 2019, whether at a trade show, by phone or via email. Your news is, after all, my bread- and-butter. n FROM THE EDITOR

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