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News & Notes BRIEFS GOURMET NEWS MAY 2019 www.gourmetnews.com NEWS & NOTES 6 Organic Center Benefit Raises Record Amount Almost 500 organic visionaries, activists and businesses from around the country gathered on March 6 for The Organic Cen- ter's 16th annual benefit dinner in Anaheim and raised a record $485,000 to further the important work of the non-profit research and education organization. "This year's benefit dinner was critical for fostering the important work of The Organic Center to take the scientific understanding of organic's benefits to new heights," said Dr. Jessica Shade, Director of Science Programs for The Organic Center. "The Center is con- necting the science on soil and climate and organic to farmers and farmworkers in ways that allow them to succeed." "We're advancing groundbreaking re- search that deepens the understanding of organic benefits to the eaters and the peo- ple who work on our farms and in our fields," said Shade. "We are thankful for the organic community's deep support of our work. Our serious research portfolio will result in published advancements in the science of organic in 2019." In addition to an update on The Organic Center's accomplishments, dinner attendees heard firsthand from a mom whose quest for nutritious convenient food for her fam- ily resulted in the creation of an organic fast food restaurant chain, honored an environ- mental health scientist who has devoted his career to studying the impacts of pesticides and other environmental components on the health of children, and were treated to a scrumptious all-organic feast from a chef and well-known food media personality. The event featured entrepreneur and or- ganic food advocate Shannon Allen as keynote speaker. Wife of two-time NBA champion Ray Allen, she is the creator and owner of grown™, a 100 percent certified organic fast food restaurant on the East Coast. The event also honored Dr. Asa Bradman who received The Center's Award of Excel- lence. Bradman, who co-founded the Cen- ter for Environmental Research and Chil- dren's Health (CERCH) at the University of California at Berkeley, helps direct expo- sure and health studies as part of the Cen- ter for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) partnership in the Salinas Valley in Califor- nia. CHAMACOS is the longest running longitudinal birth cohort study of pesti- cides and other environmental exposures among children in an agricultural commu- nity. CHAMACOS means "small children" in Mexican Spanish, which reflects the population served. Bradman has co-authored some of the most important work on the impacts of pesticides on the health of pregnant women and children in agricultural communities, with several studies showing links between higher organophosphate pesticide exposure during pregnancy and poorer neurodevel- opment in children. GN Orion Food Systems and Land Mark Products Join Forces Orion Food Systems, LLC and Land Mark Products, Inc. have entered into a definitive merger agreement to create a leading and fully comprehensive foodservice company to serve convenience store operators. Fi- nancial terms of the transaction, which is backed by an affiliate of One Rock Capital Partners, LLC, were not disclosed. Founded in 1983, Orion is a manufac- turer and distributor of food products as well as a provider of foodservice solutions to the convenience and specialty retail chan- nels worldwide. The company supplies lo- cations in the United States and abroad with a complete portfolio of foodservice solutions from ingredients to pre-made entrees and snacks under a variety of brands, including: Hot Stuff Pizza, Gourmet Grub, Chix Chicken, CHOPZ, Paavo's Pizza, and Papa Primo's Italian Kitchen. Orion is headquar- tered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with an additional facility in Kimball, Tennessee. Land Mark is a manufacturer and distrib- utor of pizza and sandwich solutions that has served the retail and foodservice indus- tries since 1977. The company is a leading provider of pizza products to the conven- ience store industry, and has expanded its solutions into the grocery, private label, and other markets. Headquartered in Milford, Iowa, Land Mark manages the Piccadilly Circus Pizza and Day'N Night Bites brands. "We are delighted to unite two long- standing businesses with such well-known brands in this strategic partnership," said Frank Orfanello, Chairman of the Board of Orion. "As a combined business, we will be able to offer a tailored solution to meet the needs of convenience store operators, from turnkey foodservice franchises that include equipment and post-sale consulting, to cus- tom-designed programs for distributors." Land Mark owners Jason Farrell and Randy Johnson will be investors in the combined entity alongside Land Mark founder Rod Simonson and One Rock. Far- rell and Johnson will also continue in their leadership roles as President and Chief Ex- ecutive Officer and Executive Vice Presi- dent of Finance and Distribution of Land Mark, respectively. Farrell commented, "Joining forces with Orion and expanding our geographic foot- print will allow us to serve as a fully com- prehensive one-stop-shop for convenience store operators of all sizes and locations. We are pleased to provide a broader offer- ing of high-quality products and foodser- vice solutions to more customers across more markets." One Rock Managing Partner R. Scott Spielvogel added, "We are committed to building the leading foodservice company serving the convenience channel, and the combination of Orion and Land Mark is a significant step forward in that journey." GN Cheating Gourmet Announces Rebrand to Scott & Jon's Cheating Gourmet, makers of premium frozen seafood products, has renamed the brand Scott & Jon's ® . Now named after co- Founders and brothers Scott and Jon Demers, the rebrand is accompanied by a fresh look and innovative new line of pasta and noodle bowls. Like the brand's flagship frozen shrimp and rice bowls- the new pasta and noodle bowls feature sustainably-sourced shrimp and are all under 300 calories. Cheating Gourmet was founded by the Demers brothers, who recognized a lack of high-quality, on-the-go seafood options. With convenience in mind, they introduced a popular line of microwavable shrimp and rice bowls. Now available in the frozen seafood section of retailers nationwide, the rebrand is intended to reinforce the Demers' commitment to quality and transparency. Scott & Jon's Shrimp Rice Bowls are available in seven flavors including: Garlic Butter, Creamy Parmesan, Coconut, Jamba- laya, Shrimp Risotto, Sweet Chipotle and Cilantro Lime. Shrimp Noodle Bowls are available in Ramen and Spicy Ramen. Shrimp Pasta Bowls are available in Shrimp Alfredo and Shrimp Scampi. GN Rhode Island Invests in Food Hub Project Rhode Island Commerce Corporation recently approved $2.2 million in tax incentives for the $15.5 million Farm Fresh Rhode Island Food Hub project in Providence, RI. The 3.2 acre food hub and permanent indoor farmer's market will co-locate the Farm Fresh organization along with a cluster of local food and farm businesses, in the hopes to work together and boost the food industry and production within the state. The Food Hub is set to create an environment that stimulates job creation and small business success while providing opportunities for nutrition education and job training i.e. housing Farm Fresh RI Harvest Kitchen, a culinary arts training and production center that works with unemployed Rhode Islanders. The $2.2 million Rebuild RI tax incentives will go toward the development of a new 61,500-square-foot building at 498 Kinsley Avenue in Providence. The project is expected to create 284 construction jobs and 117 permanent jobs initially. Frank Zampardi Joins PECKISH Frank Zampardi, previously a partner at AccelFoods, has joined the PECKISH team as Vice President of Sales. Zampardi is returning to the Sonoma Brands team with whom he played a crucial role in the building of KRAVE Jerky through the company's acquisition by Hershey. Prior to KRAVE Jerky, Zampardi was part of the leadership teams at Glaceau and Pirate Brands. PECKISH PECK Packs launched in January 2019 and have already become a coveted product for health-conscious consumers. Each PECK Pack contains two individually wrapped Perfectly Boiled™ organic, free-range eggs accompanied by one flavorful crunchy dip. They're available in five delicious flavors: Salt & Pepitas, Everyhing, Maple Waffles, Fried Rice and Rancheros. Urban School Food Alliance Names Dr. Katie Wilson As Executive Director The Urban School Food Alliance (Alliance), a coalition of the largest school districts in the United States, has named Dr. Katie Wilson as its first Executive Director. Wilson formerly served as Deputy Under Secretary of Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and as Executive Director of the Institute of Child Nutrition. Member school districts of the Urban School Food Alliance (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami-Dade, Orange County [Orlando], Broward County [Fort Lauderdale], Philadelphia, Baltimore and Boston) share best practices and leverage their purchasing power to continue to drive school food quality up and costs down while incorporating sound environmental practices. They collectively provide their nearly 3.3 million students access to much needed healthy meals for improved health and academic success.

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