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www.gourmetnews.com n JUNE 2019 GOURMET NEWS 7 6 Distributor Acquisition Aims to Grow American Market for Dutch Cheeses By Lorrie Baumann Dutch dairy giant FrieslandCampina altered the distribution landscape for European cheeses last December with its purchase of both Jana Foods and Best Cheese Corpora- tion USA. The acquisitions were part of a strategy to expand distribution of the dairy cooperative's portfolio of Dutch cheeses in the American market and to provide a larger market for the milk produced on Dutch dairy farms, so FrieslandCampina is not currently planning to acquire any American cheese producers, said Gert Jan Poort, President of FrieslandCampina Dairy U.S. FrieslandCampina originated as a local farmers cooperative in the Netherlands, and through several mergers has become the largest dairy cooperative in the world, with more than 18,000 dairy farmers in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium and an average farm size with less than 200 cows, Poort said. "If it has 200 cows, it's a big farm," he said. "We have a fantastic sustain- ability policy – it's a normal way of work- ing." The FrieslandCampina cows are on pas- ture at least 120 days a year, Poort said. "Cows have the same habits as humans look- ing at the weather. When it's snowing or raining, they want to be in the barn," he said. "It's always a very festive event when they go outside in the spring." "What we do with our customers from all over the world is to advise them to come to the Netherlands and see the farms, see the creamery," he added. "They love it, and they want to buy. They love seeing the cows in the meadow, having the transparency and sourcing from the origin that is the most im- portant thing. Buyers of the biggest retailers in the country are demanding this trans- parency, and we can deliver it." Delivering Dutch Cheeses to the American Market FrieslandCampina acquired Jana Foods after working with Jana as an American importer and marketing partner for more than 20 years, and with the acquisition, the company is planning to build on the strength of its brands, A Dutch Masterpiece and Kroon, and to grow the Gouda segment in the United States. In its acquisition of Best Cheese Cor- poration, FrieslandCampina assumes Amer- ican distribution of brands including Parrano, DeWaag, Melkbus and its expan- sive portfolio of Gouda styles made from cow, goat and sheep milk. "As a part of our transformative strategy, we continue to focus on delivering the best product to serve con- sumer needs," said Roel van Neerbos, Pres- ident of FrieslandCampina Consumer Dairy, in the company's announcement of the Best Cheese acquisition. "The Americas is a strategic growth market for us. By acquiring Best Cheese and Jana Foods, we will be able to grow our cheese business in the region further." In addition, the company will focus on ed- ucating the American market about other Dutch cheeses, including the classic Edam and other Dutch cow milk and goat milk cheeses, Poort said. "We want to expand and educate Americans about the cheeses them- selves and also expand the occasions." New Products Launching Under Frico Brand This year, FrieslandCampina is launching new convenient snack cheeses under its Frico brand, including Gouda Snack, pack- aged in eight 20 gram portions per resealable bag that will retail for $3.99 to $4.99 as well as a line of Cracker Cuts featuring cracker- sized Gouda, Mediterranean Herb and Goat Cheese. The Cracker Cuts will be merchan- dised in a display-ready case holding eight 7.05-ounce easy-peel and resealable trays. They'll retail for $4.99 to $5.99. "We are going to make great progress in the snacking segment," Poort said. In addition to providing convenient snack- ing formats for consumers, the Frico brand is considering convenience in the merchandis- ing options it provides to retailers, according to Debbie Seife, Marketing Director at Fries- landCampina. The new Frico Cheese Slices will be offered in easy-peel resealable trays sold in display-ready cases of 12 packages. "It's a little different from what some of the other groups are doing," Seife said. "It's easy to stock and easy for consumers to shop." The Frico Cheese Slices line includes Gouda Mild, Edam, Emmental and Goat Cheese. The packages will retail for $3.99 to $4.99. Frico will also be offering its Goat Cheese in a 5-ounce cup of freshly shaved cheese for consumers to add to salads, soups or flat- breads. The slightly crumbly cheese is made from 100 percent pasteurized goat milk nat- urally matured for 20 weeks. The cup will re- tail for $5.99 to $6.99. The expanded Frico line will also include Cheese Loaves to slice behind the counter in Gouda, Maasdam, Emmental and Goat Cheese. The Gouda and Goat Cheese are both mild and creamy versions of the cheeses, while Maasdam and Emmental are Swiss-style cheeses with a firm bite and nutty flavors. Elements Truffles Brings Balance to Indulgent Chocolate By Greg Gonzales Stopping to take a breath now and then can help us pay attention to our inner voices. That's how Alak Vasa, co-Founder of Ele- ments Truffles, says she found her way to making chocolate. She left a career on Wall Street to follow her passion, and now she and her team make truffles and chocolate bars with a mission in mind. Vasa spent more than a decade on Wall Street before she quit to train at Financier Patisserie in Manhattan. A friend had intro- duced her to meditation, which enabled her to understand herself better, she said. While she appreciated the chance to learn a new craft, she still didn't feel at home. That inner voice kept getting louder, she said, telling her she had to create something of her own. In 2015, she got to work finding the right prod- uct. "I never thought I would be making chocolate," said Vasa. "When I quit my job I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I did know I wanted to do something with food and with good food – food that you can trust, food that you can give to your child and not worry about what they're eating – and to build a company with values, in terms of the partnerships, the sourcing of ingredients, the packaging, the people. When we decided we wanted to build the company, we wanted to be mindful, to make it a human-centric com- pany." The brand makes chocolates in small batches that are raw, organic, dairy-free, with no refined sugars, preservatives or emulsi- fiers. Each of its products is made in its New Jersey facility, where they're sweetened with local honey that makes each bite melt slowly. Elements Truffles mixes in essential oils, ginger, black pepper, beet root, turmeric and lavender into its products. The result is a new kind of flavor experience, and a bar that's less likely to end in a sugar crash. Much of the inspiration for these flavors comes from Ayurvedic eating, something Vasa and her husband learned as kids in Ahmedabad, India. She explained that where most diets are about do-and-don't thinking, Ayurveda is about bringing balance to the diet. "For example, in the fall the air element is dominant, which means that element can go off balance in you very quickly," she said. "So that's when you eat more grounding foods, like beets, sweet potatoes, foods that grow in the ground. You eat warm spices too." Beyond providing nutrient-dense, deli- cious chocolate to customers, Elements Truf- fles also donates 25 percent of its profits to the Care for Children project by the Art of Living Foundation, a non-profit. The project helps educate underprivileged kids in India. It's not just chocolate bars at Elements Truffles. The company also sells Turmeric- Infused Drinking Chocolate, truffles infused with flavors like turmeric or cardamom or lavender, and gift boxes that contain an as- sortment of all the company's products as well as smaller bars in the Pantry Edition line. All the bars come in a cardboard box, with a fabric label hand-stitched onto the box, col- ored with vegetable ink. On the back, con- sumers can read about Ayurveda and Ayurvedic doshas, right above the nutrition facts. Suggested retail prices are $6.99 for the bars, $4 for Pantry Edition bars, $12 for drinking chocolate, $12 for a small box of truffles and $35 for a large box of truffles. Rumiano Launches First Products in New Performance Line The Rumiano Cheese Company, California's oldest family-owned cheese company, contin- ues its centennial celebration with the launch of a new line of nutrient-rich products de- signed to boost energy and cognitive perform- ance. From Natural Products Expo West, the company introduced the first two products in the line: Grass-Fed Ghee and Regen Butter. Whether following the trendy low-carb ke- togenic diet or just looking to make healthier choices, both organic, non-GMO products offer key nutrients and natural anti-inflamma- tory properties that support overall health and body function. Ingredients for Rumiano Grass-Fed Ghee and Regen Butter are sourced from family farms and foragers in the Pacific Northwest. Year-round access to pastures and natural grazing of coastal grasses in North- west California allows the cows to roam freely. This environment makes for happy cows and some of the best-tasting, highest quality dairy products that have increased amounts of nutrients and are higher in both omega-3 fatty acids and beta-carotene. Rumiano Grass-Fed Ghee, available in three flavors: plain, turmeric black pepper, and honey, is made from organic, highly- clarified, grass-fed butter. The clarified but- ter is slowly simmered until it reaches a rich, golden color and nutty aroma. During the process, casein and lactose are removed, making it suitable for those that are dairy in- tolerant. Each flavor- infused ghee is packed with vita- mins, nutrients and healing properties. The shelf-stable su- perfood has a high smoke-point, which makes it ideal for both frying and sauteing. Rumiano Regen Butter is a pure, organic, grass-fed butter that boosts energy, focus and brain function. The nutrient-dense butter is infused with functional and detoxifying in- gredients including Lion's Mane Mushroom, collagen and MCT oil to reduce inflamma- tion, to improve joint health and to increase nutrient absorption. The product can be added to coffee, tea and smoothies, spread on snacks, or eaten directly from the jar. Rumiano Grass-Fed Ghee and Regen But- ter will come in 10-ounce glass jars and will be available in late spring. "Ghee is an ancient staple that is gaining in popularity for its tremendous health benefits and versatility. And Regen Butter has incredible fat-fuel- ing properties that greatly im- pact energy and clarity. We entered this new category due to the in- creased emergence of the high performance lifestyle and healthy, high-fat diets," said Joe Baird, Rumiano Cheese Company's Chief Executive Officer. "We have big plans to ex- pand our portfolio of organic products and will be filling out our performance line later this year." Rumiano also recently launched two new products in its Organics line: Rumiano Raw Organic and Rumiano Organic Grated and Shredded Cups, and an entirely new line, Ru- miano Redwood Coast.

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