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WORLD OF BAKING www.gourmetnews.com n SEPTEMBER 2019 n GOURMET NEWS WB 1 2 Mona Lisa: The Essential Palette for Holiday Magic Deck the halls with chocolate decorations this holiday season! You can feed your inner artist and delight your patrons with whimsi- cal chocolate decorations from Mona Lisa. From snowflakes and Santas to colored shavings, gingerbread men and more, the full palette of iconic elements lets you incorpo- rate exceptional taste, texture, color and shape into your holiday desserts. Created by a pastry chef with visionary dreams, Mona Lisa decorations inspire culi- nary artists everywhere with finely crafted elements that are ripe for flights of fancy. Imagine Santa seated atop a cupcake on a bed of fresh-fallen snow, or a classic candy cane in a bed of red and ivory marbled curls. Think of a chocolate gingerbread man nes- tled in the creamy swirled top of a chocolate mug-shaped dessert cup. Let your own holi- day dreams take form. Mona Lisa works together with leading trend agencies and influential chefs to lead the way in culinary creation. The easy-to-use Mona Lisa collection includes an artfully de- signed variety of chocolate molded decora- tions, shavings and curls, along with dessert cups, chocolattos (pencils) and seasonal spe- cialties. Perfect for Pastry Chefs, Bakers, Caterers and More Transforming your holiday desserts from or- dinary to extraordinary makes your customers happier and the holidays merrier. Stand out from your competition, boost your sales and generate buzz this holiday season with your own unique photo-worthy cre- ations customers will want to share. The taste, textures, colors and shapes of Mona Lisa com- bine to help you weave your own holiday magic. Mona Lisa decorations are used by pastry chefs, bakers, caterers and expressive chefs across the globe. For retail or foodservice ap- plications, single treats or a holiday array, Mona Lisa helps you deliver a memorable experience. Sustainability All Mona Lisa chocolate decorations are made with Horizons sustainable cocoa under the Cocoa Horizons program. For more in- formation on this pro- gram, visit www .cocoahorizons.org. For the Artist in Every Chef Your imagination is the limit when crafting chocolates, pastries and desserts. Your intri- cate attention to detail drives the company to apply the same attention to the design, pro- duction and finishing of decorations, and it packs and ships them with the same great care. Explore the full product line at www .monalisadecorations.com. Keeping the Perimeter Fresh Foods that are fresh and meals that are con- venient are two consumer demands that have until recently been all too often in conflict. Increasingly, shoppers visit the store's perimeter expecting to feel good about their careful selection and find foods that require minimal effort or expertise to prepare. Savvy grocers find innovative packaging to be a powerful tool to satisfy both requirements, while driving greater revenue. Power of Packaging Packaging in the fresh department can affirm the consumer's choice toward healthy living and help overcome any apprehension about the potential chore. Now, special packaging for bakery items gives shoppers fresher flavor and texture at home. Produce departments overwrap fruits and vegetables to present a freshly picked look. Deli counters are joining grab and go programs once reserved for meat or seafood teams. "Food retailers who market to those who care about expediency, health and sustain- ability will harness the power of fresh," said Anne-Marie Roerink, Principal at 210 Analytics and frequent food-industry speaker. "Convenience-focused shoppers look for quick and easy. Nutrition-focused shoppers look for smart and healthy. Both are gener- ally willing to pay more to satisfy their needs," Roerink said. She agreed effective packaging is key to attract and engage these groups, and to un- locking fresh-department sales growth. Packaging with Purpose Packaging is a crucial component of any CPG marketing mix and can play a major role in a supermarket's experiential market- ing, too. "The best food packaging protects, pre- serves, presents and promotes product," said Glen Adamik, a marketer for packaging manufacturer Elkay Plastics (dba LK Pack- aging), "but it's most effective when fitted with a store's overall brand experience." Fresh Packaging in the Fresh Department The freshest innovation in packaging this year could be material made from renewable sources and even fully com- postable. Both Adamik and Anne-Marie Roerink agree fresh-department shoppers may be particularly impressed by sustainable packaging. "Certainly, the more circularity-conscien- tious consumer will be swayed by sustain- able packaging," Roerink says, referring to the oft-mentioned goal of a circular econ- omy. Big brands and private labelers are leading the way, having announced commitments to sustainable packaging. Retailers can also act now, according to LK Packaging. "LK welcomes the opportunity to help anyone committed to addressing demand for sustainable packaging," says Adamik. Sustainable packaging appeals to the fresh-department shop- per's dual desires for fresh and convenient, much in the way made- in-store meal kits have. The Meal-Kit Revolu- tion Meal kits in the fresh de- partment mean supermar- kets compete with online retailers and often improve on the traditional model with made- in-store, ready-to-cook meals. Some packaging, like Ready. Chef. Go! ® , even allows consumers to cook in-store pre- pared meals right in the packaging, while giving category managers a new way to move product. "We expect continued adoption of pack- aging used for locally assembled meal kits," said Adamik, "and a new wave of de- mand for packaging that helps grocers ad- dress environmental concerns, while still providing solutions that are fresh and con- venient." For more information, go to www.lkpkg.com. Sweetened Condensed Milk from Santini Foods Santini's California Farms sweetened con- densed milk is manufactured in the USA, using fresh milk for a fresh dairy flavor and milky white color. The sweetened condensed milk is kosher certified by the Orthodox Union, halal certified, Real California Milk certified, gluten free and select products are also certified organic. Santini Foods has been producing sweet- ened condensed milk on the west coast since 1995. It is a full line supplier of all types of sweetened condensed milks. Santini Foods is certified to make organic sweetened con- densed milk and can produce rBST-free sweetened condensed milk for customers re- quiring it. It offers sweetened condensed milk in every size container, ranging from the small 14 ounce can you see at your local grocery store to 40,000- pound tanker trucks to fit the needs of industrial users. Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk California Farms Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk is the perfect choice for any- one wanting to increase the amount of organic food in their diet without sacrificing flavor or quality. Formulated to do just that, California Farms Organic Sweetened Con- densed Milk is Santini Foods' most assertive step forward to- wards a more health-conscious future. Organic Evaporated Milk A timeless baking staple, creamy California Farms Evaporated Milk is just the ingredient to make a recipe for any occasion extra special. For more information, go to www .santinifoods.com. Europastry Combines European Heritage with American Spirit Europastry is obsessed with providing value to its partners. Its commitment is to make the lives of customers better every day by adding easy, profitable solutions for bakeries, restau- rants and convenience stores. As one of the pioneer companies in the frozen bakery sec- tor, Europastry has based its leadership in be- coming one of the most innovative players of the industry. Its goal is not to be consid- ered the largest but the fastest company in the sector, always seeing customers as a pri- ority. In the U.S. market, Europastry delivers the best of both worlds as it combines European heritage with American spirit. Its unique, best in class product portfolio allows cus- tomers to fulfill and en- hance its bakery offer- ing. Its extensive range of thaw-and-sell deco- rated, filled doughnuts has more than 100 items, with different shapes, sizes, colors and flavors to delight the senses. The artisan ciabattas and premium breads com- bine tradition and innovation, bringing bak- ery to the highest level. Its hand-tied knots are its artisanal signature roll, made every day by a dedicated team of specially trained associates. The up- scale European pastries, GMO-free premium butter croissants, savory and sweet Danish and puff pastry and its new authentic brioche cate- gory round out its offering to en- compass a unique portfolio within the same product catalog. A one- stop shop experience that makes customers' lives easier by adding value to their business.