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www.gourmetnews.com n JANUARY 2020 GOURMET NEWS 9 2 New Coffee Creamers Appeal to the Dairy-Cautious By Lorrie Baumann Austin, Texas-based Picnik is launching from its foodservice origins into the retail market with a line of creamers designed to provide those with concerns about dairy products to enjoy a creamy coffee again. The launch, helmed by consumer packaged goods veteran Andy Malloy, includes Dairy-Free Collagen and Vegan Creamers along with a fresh look for the line, which also includes Picnik's unsweetened Original Creamer. All Picnik Creamers are keto-certified, Non-GMO Project Verified, and contain zero sugar or net carbohydrates. Like Picnik's Original Creamer, the two new options are unsweetened, powered by MCT [medium- chain triglycerides] oil for an energy and brain boost, and have a similar flavor profile to half-and-half. "This allows people to in- dulge in a way that people with dietary re- strictions can't otherwise do," Malloy said. "Many of Picnik's values fall into that bet- ter-for-you category that I'm passionate about." The Picnik's new Vegan Creamer is made with coconut cream, cashew milk and MCT oil for a silky dairy-free creamer that's paleo- friendly and keto-certified. The Picnik's new Collagen Creamer features grass-fed colla- gen and rich cashew cream to offer an added boost for hair, skin, gut and joints. It's paleo- friendly and keto-certified. The products, like the Picnik's Original Creamer, are now offered in vibrant and modern packaging that puts a spotlight on the ingredients that appeal to paleo-, keto- and other nutrition-conscious shoppers while creating a strong and attractive brand block on shelf. The recipes for the products were developed by brand Founder Naomi Seifter, who opened Picnik in a food trailer made from a repurposed shipping container in Austin in 2013. From her food trailer, she of- fered grab-and-go lunch items along with the butter coffee that developed a cult following for her the brand. In 2016, she opened her first brick-and-mortar cafe full-service restaurant in Austin. "My initial reaction was a bit of awe because it was extremely crowded and busy, and you could tell that people just loved being there," Malloy said of his first visit to the cafe. "It has healthy food that tasted amazing." Seifter expanded with a second food trailer and developed her first ready-to-drink coffee in 2017. Malloy joined the brand just this year after a career that included 20 many years with Frito-Lay and, most recently, as chief executive officer of Hail Merry. He's made a specialty of growing brands in the CPG industry and has partnered with Seifter on this end of the business. "Naomi created Picnik after a life-changing difference in what the fats did for her physical health and mental clarity. Now they're getting back to where they started with functionality for physical and baking needs," he said. "She is the gatekeeper to innovation and built all the recipes. We have a chef in our restaurant who helps as well, but the making of our products comes through her and her physical health and mental clarity." "I created Picnik after discovering the life- changing difference that high-quality fats and other functional ingredients could have on physical health and mental clarity," Seifter said. "Based on the response we re- ceived to our Original Creamer, we knew we wanted to expand the line so it was more in- clusive of all dietary needs. Inclusiveness is a core value we live by, so I've worked hard to create our new offerings keeping in mind consumers who are vegan or prefer plant- based food as well as the millions out there who are already putting collagen in their cof- fee daily." For more information, visit www .picnikaustin.com. Bono Extra-Virgin Olive Oils Offer Quality, Transparency By Lorrie Baumann Bono's premium Sicilian extra-virgin olive oils represent some of the most traceable on the market. At least for now, those oils are not subject to tariffs on a wide variety of other European food products, including the extra virgin olive oil coming onto the market now from Bono's new production facility in Spain. In addition, the company also oper- ates an oil factory in Tunisia, and that oil also is not subject to tariffs. Bono USA is the American satellite of the vertically integrated producer and trader of extra-virgin olive oil producer Bonolio. It's been operating in the U.S. since 2015 under the leadership of Salvatore Russo-Tiesi, General Manager and President of the U.S. office. "Since then, we've been having great success in this country, both in private label and with the brand," he said. In those four years, Russo-Tiesi has taken the U.S. brand presence for Bono to distribution in all 50 states. The brand is now sold at more than 5,000 locations across the country. The product lines offered in the U.S. include Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil, pro- duced in Italy, Spain, Greece and Tunisia and packed in Italy; 100% Product of Italy Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil produced in Sicily, Calabria and Puglia; PDO Val di Mazara Organic Olive Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil PDO– Val di Mazara, among oth- ers. Each oil has its own certifications, de- pending largely on the origin of the olives from which it was made. "Our distribution is led by our Sicilian- certified product that comes with PDO and PGI certification," Russo-Tiesi said. The PDO- and PGI-certified oils guarantee that the origin of the olives as well as the factory that produces the oil is grown, harvested and processed exclusively in the Val di Mazara region of west- central Sicily, which includes the province of Palermo and western Agrigento Province. "Those certifications guaran- tee quality and traceability," Russo-Tiesi said. To attain the certifications, the company worked with a third-party auditor that "came in and tracked everything from the first day the olive grows on the tree to the day we bot- tle the oil," which provides full transparency, according to Russo-Tiesi. "We have a very high-quality product, a very traceable prod- uct. Each bottle has its own serial number that kind of acts like a VIN number on a car, so you can trace each bottle of olive oil back to the producer, which is us, and where it comes from – the Sicilian land." In addition to the certification standards, the PDO and PGI bodies contribute their store of accumulated wisdom about oleiculture, which Russo- Tiesi says helps the company to grow the highest-quality olives and thus to produce the highest- quality olive oil. "The PDO and PGI [which also certifies pro- tected designations] bodies are with us every step of the produc- tion and selling way," Russo-Tiesi said. The success of their efforts is measured by the more than 50 awards that Bono has taken home for its oils over the past decade. "The Bono family has done a great job," Russo- Tiesi said. "It's four brothers from a very close-knit family that have taken this factory to new levels. They're now one of the top five premier extra-virgin olive oil traders [by volume of extra-virgin olive oil] in Italy. They're now expanding and investing greatly into Spain and Tunisia." For more information, visit www .bonousainc.com. Rigoni di Asiago Launches New Nocciolata Bianca Hazelnut Spread Rigoni di Asiago, a 96-year-old family- owned Italian foods brand, has launched its newest organic spread, Nocciolata Bianca. The all-hazelnut flavor joins Rigoni di Asi- ago's popular Nocciolata range of hazelnut and cocoa spreads, including its classic and dairy free offerings. Born in 2008 from a traditional Italian pas- try recipe, Nocciolata is a range of organic sweet spreads made from the finest ingredi- ents for a better-for-you hazelnut spread al- ternative without palm oil. Nocciolata Bianca is the only product in the range to not contain cocoa. It's unique and intense hazel- nut flavor is ideal on toast or in desserts for a natural snack. Meeting the needs of the modern food consumer, Nocciolata Bianca offers an indul- gence with health benefits. Made with more hazelnuts than other spreads, Bianca is gluten-free and high in protein with 45 percent less sugar than the average hazelnut spread on the market. "For Rigoni di Asiago, organic production has always been the Rigoni family's number one mis- sion," said Andrea Rigoni, Chief Executive Officer of Rigoni di Asiago. "Our company aims to preserve and maintain the flavors of the past, respect the environment, and up- hold a strong relationship with its local re- gion and traditions. Nocciolata Bianca has been carefully created to fit these values." Founded in 1923, Rigoni di Asi- ago is a family-owned and operated company from Italy and leader in the organic honey and organic fruit spread market. Located in Altopiano di Asiago, a mountain plateau in northern Italy, the company was one of the first in Europe to turn to or- ganic farming in the 1990s and merit the Certified Organic label. The com- pany's production facilities operate with low power consumption, using renew- able sources such as wind while re-circulat- ing its own water supply after treatment and purification. Belle Chevre Launches Single-Serve Cream Cheese for Foodservice Belle Chevre has added a convenient, 1.5- ounce single-serve package to its roster of chevre cream cheese products for foodser- vice operators. Two of the brand's favorite cream cheese flavors at retail, Original and Fig, are now available in this smaller format. Belle Chevre's handy 1.5-ounce portion cup will maximize convenience and elimi- nate waste for bakeries which provide cream cheese with their freshly-baked bagels, while hotels with breakfast bars which will be de- lighted to distinguish themselves by offering their patrons a hip and healthy alternative to regular cream cheese and butter. The fresh tang of Belle Chevre's Original cream cheese and the brand's Fig flavor made with real fig puree, combined with the products' ultra-creamy texture, make them perfect for spreading on bagels, toast, muffins or even on pancakes. "With the tremendous popularity of cream cheese for bagels and other classic breakfast items, it made sense to offer our 'better cream cheese' in a portion size for those vendors seek- ing a healthier and tastier alternative for their customers," says Tasia Malakasis, Belle Chevre Chief Executive Officer and Chief Cheese. Belle Chevre's full line of all-natural cream cheeses for foodservice professionals also includes 4-pound and 8-pound tubs of its Original product. As with all Belle Chevre cream cheeses, these products have 2.5 times more protein, less fat, less cholesterol, and are easier to digest than regular cheese.