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Naturally Healthy GOURMET NEWS MAY 2019 www.gourmetnews.com NATURALLY HEALTHY 1 5 Plant-Based Beverages Claim Growing Market Share gums and no stabilizers. Creamy, rich and delicious, it tastes great by it- self, steams with no splitting and works well for latte art. It also has 50 percent more cal- cium than cow's milk. The Barista Blend comes in 32- ounce cartons and has a sug- gested retail price of $3.99. The Unsweetened Oatmilk version comes in a 48-ounce carafe with a suggested retail price of $4.49. Califia's newest product, Übermilk, packs in 8 grams of protein, Omegas and vitamins, all from plant sources like peas and sunflower. For more information, email sales@calfia farms.com. Pacific Foods offers another milk alter- native with its hemp-based beverage. It of- fers five flavors: Original, Unsweetened Original, Vanilla, Unsweetened Vanilla and Chocolate. Each variety de- livers a smooth, creamy tex- ture and mild nutty taste, and all are natural sources of plant-based nutrition, in- cluding Omega-3 ALA, cal- cium, protein and all the essential amino acids. It's an excellent dairy-free alterna- tive for consumers with nut allergies. Each flavor comes in a 32-ounce BPA-free carton, sold indi- vidually and in 12-carton cases, with a sug- gested retail price ranging $3.49–$4.49. For more information, call 503.783.6533 or email consumeraffairs@pacificfoods.com. Bryner is a savory drink from Render Foods that's made from upcycled pickle brine from a local Sonoma brinery, toma- toes, vegetables, vegan Worcestershire and spices. The brine adds flavor and body to this elevated, sustainable beverage. It can be enjoyed on its own, or as a cocktail mixer. Bryner comes in 10-ounce glass bot- tles for a sug- gested retail price of $3.79 or $19 for a case of six. For more information, email sales@renderfood.com. Sapp's Birch Water is an all-natural bev- erage harvested in the forests of Vermont and New York. Birch water contains three times less sugar than coconut water, con- tains natural minerals and electrolytes, and has no added sweeteners. The infused ver- sions, Strawberry Lavender and Apple Gin- ger, contain chaga, an adap- togenic mush- room that grows on the bark of birch trees. Each fla- vor comes in 12-ounce, BPA-free PET bottles, at a sug- gested retail price of $3.49. For more infor- mation, email info@sapplife.co. KiiTO provides protein and other nutri- ents along with basic hydration. Designed with plant protein to build muscle, the drink combines super- foods and MCTs for a fit mind and body. It's organic, and free of added sugar, soy, dairy, artificial flavors, gluten and gums, with only 1 gram of sugar and 20 grams of pro- tein per bottle. KiiTO comes in three flavors: Vanilla Ashwan- gandha, Chocolate Maca and Matcha Moringa, all in 12-ounce bottles. The sug- gested retail price is $4.99 per bottle. For more information, call 310.955.1332 or email sales@drinkkiito.com. Mamma Chia's beverage is made with whole, organic chia seeds rich in nutrients. The company recently introduced a line of Chia Protein Smoothies in Tropical Mango and Strawberry Banana fla- vors. Packaged in 12- ounce bottles, each serving includes 1,600 milligrams of Omega-3, 13 grams of plant-based protein, 2,100 mil- ligrams of medium-chain triglycerides and 9 grams of sugar. The sug- gested retail price is $3.99 per bottle. For more information, call 855.588.2442 or email sales@mammachia.com. GN BY GREG GONZALES Plant-based beverages are really taking root in the marketplace. According to Fona In- ternational's March 2019 report on plant- based foods, the number of new food and drink products that include "plant-based" in descriptions climbed 268 percent from 2012 to 2018. The same report found that more than half of all consumers are eating more of these foods, and beverages are no exception ― the category saw a 95 percent growth in releases between 2014 and 2018. Beetology is a beet-based beverage that comes in five varieties that combine beets with superfoods: Beet/Lemon/Ginger, Beet/Veggie, Beet/Tropical Fruit, Beet/Berry and Beet/Cherry. Each variety is non-GMO, certi- fied organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and certified fair trade. Beetology is soy free, dairy free and certified kosher, with no preservatives, addi- tives, artificial colors or flavors. It comes in 8-ounce bottles with a suggested retail price of $3.99. For more information, email customercare@kayco.com. This year's big new dairy alternative is oat milk, and Califia Farms offers one made in North America with whole rolled, gluten-free oats with no sweeteners, no Tofurky Relaunches Pockets, Branches Out with Frozen Desserts Line Tofurky branched out from its plant-based meat alternatives product range this year with the introduction of a new line of plant-based, dairy-free frozen cheesecakes under the brand, Moocho, at Natural Prod- ucts Expo West. At the same time, Tofurky has relaunched its frozen Pockets line as its latest addition to the product range for which its brand is known. Moocho, a sub-brand of Tofurky, will bring delicious, plant-based, dairy-free desserts to market for everyone, as demand for vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian foods skyrocket and become mainstream. Moo- cho Cheesecakes by Tofurky will launch with three fan-favorite flavors, including Triple Berry Swirl, New York Style Vanilla and Chocolate. Moocho Cheesecakes will be available in select natural and conven- tional retailers starting May 2019 and will retail for $3.50–$3.99 as a single serve unit; multi-pack units will also be available. "After including a plant-based espresso cheesecake in our limited-edition holiday feast kits this past year, we received over- whelming feedback from consumers and retailers asking to include the product in chilled bakery and frozen dessert cases year-round," said Jaime Athos, Tofurky's Chief Executive Officer. "After revisiting the branding, pack and recipe, Moocho Cheesecakes was born. We have called the sub-brand Moocho because we felt a creamy, sweet product like a cheesecake would be better suited to dairy-inspired branding than the savory, protein-anchored Tofurky brand." In tandem with the launch of Moocho, Tofurky frozen Pockets will be reintro- duced in three quick and easy, satisfyingly melty flavors, including Ham & Ched- dar, Turk'y, Broccoli & Cheddar, and Pepp'ronni Pizza. Tofurky Pockets previously had great success in a re- gional distribution test, and will now be available to a national audience this spring with a reformulated recipe and packaging that positions the meal solutions more like hearty calzones. Pockets will be available in select natural and conventional retailers starting spring 2019 and will retail for $3–$3.99. "Pockets have been in development for several years," said Athos. "With our recent double-digit year-over-year growth, we had to prioritize p ro d u c t i o n to core exist- ing product lines but are very excited to be bringing this line to market nationally now." Moocho Cheesecakes and Tofurky Pockets will join the existing portfolio of Tofurky products in fueling the growth of the plant-based category, which is pro- jected to reach $6.43 billion by 2023. Like all Tofurky foods, the new chef- crafted Moocho desserts and Tofurky Pockets are 100 percent non-GMO and use organic, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. As a B Corp with a zero-waste goal, Tofurky and the Moocho brand also compost food scraps, keeping 2,750 pounds of food a week out of the trash can. GN

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