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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2020 n GOURMET NEWS N H 1 3 4 in the fall of 2019, encouraging kindness and empathy by donating Buddy Fruits Buddy Benches to local elementary schools. Parents can feel great about giving their children Buddy Fruits, not only because of the natural fruit health benefits, but because the company believes deeply in kindness through helping others. Through the Be a Buddy program, Buddy Fruits works with communities to champion friendship and healthy eating, while supporting causes that make the world a more inclusive and friend- lier place, including initiatives against bully- ing. The company is so proud the Be a Buddy program came to life through a series of inaugural Buddy Benches events at ele- mentary schools in its backyard, not far from its headquarters in Mount Jackson, Virginia. It is also thrilled to be expanding its distri- bution platforms in 2020, as it continues to broaden its Buddy Fruits communities. Buddy Fruits knows fruit is perfectly good by nature. That's why its fruit-first recipe is clean and simple, using only the highest- quality ingredients and superior processing standards. Its fruit is sealed in BPA-free, pre- formed pouches that limit the risk of air ex- posure and allow the fruit's natural sweetness and freshness to shine through, without any- thing added in the process. All Buddy Fruits products are made without any preservatives, concentrates, colorings, artificial flavors or corn syrup. That means minimal processing and zero grams of added sugar. Buddy Fruits is certified by the Non-GMO Project and Smart Snack compliant. Its prod- ucts are also allergen-free, and contain no dairy, no gluten and no nuts, making it a safe option for most children who love apple sauce. Perfect for on-the-go snacking, Buddy Fruits offers the ideal healthy option in back- packs or in hand, great for any time of the day. In addition to its convenient size, the modern redesign features uplifting words of encouragement so kids don't ever forget how awesome they are. New, playful illustrations are sure to make kids smile as they enjoy the freshest, purest products possible from Buddy Fruits. Buddy Fruits aims to help nationwide re- tailers meet the demand of supplying their communities with the healthiest snack op- tions possible, while also encouraging less food waste at home and schools alike. Visit Buddy Fruits at booth #N217. For more information, email sales@buddyfruits.com or go to www.buddyfruits.com. Buddy Fruits (Cont'd. from p. 1) Particularly in the egg category, consumers have put companies under a microscope. However, for those already operating under ethical standards, this shift has helped to open up an important conversation about food na- tionwide. As a leader within the egg category, Nest- Fresh has leveraged these conversations to further encourage shoppers to take a closer look at the products and brands they regu- larly support. For the Colorado-based com- pany, this means drawing much deserved attention to its national network of regional family farms, the humane treatment of its happy, healthy hens and its commitment to sustainability. As a result of this increased awareness, we see consumers pushing beyond tradi- tionally cage free eggs and instead priori- tizing the health and wellbeing of the bird by choosing pasture raised eggs. Con- sumers are no longer taking the claims made about their food at face value. Rather, they are looking for justification, often in the form of third-party certification. This heightened pressure on the food industry has encouraged many retailers to require that the animal products in their grocery stores serve this need, both private label brands and otherwise – ultimately reaching beyond the egg category and into other parts of the grocery store, from desserts to condiments. On trend with this shift towards ethically sourced ingredients, NestFresh is proud to deliver a line of new Pasture Raised eggs that appeal to today's consumers who are seeking humane, sustainably produced products. We offer Pasture Raised Organic Eggs, Pasture Raised Non-GMO Eggs and Pasture Raised Organic Soy Free Eggs. Our entire line of Pasture Raised Eggs has also been Certified Humane by Humane Farm Animal Care as we've increased our standards for humane animal care. Whether consumers are concerned with a clean nutritional label, non-GMO claims or humane standards, NestFresh has made the conscious decision from its founding to bring each community it serves the best in ethi- cally sourced eggs. This has guided deeper conversations with our consumers and has encouraged them to take greater considera- tion in their purchasing decisions. With a ro- bust Pasture Raised line at the helm of our product line, we've continued to do so suc- cessfully. About NestFresh NestFresh Eggs is a specialty egg company that produces a full line of shell, liquid, dried and hard cooked egg products. Its organic, pasture raised and free range eggs are avail- able in branded, private label and bulk pack- aging. The company was the first to develop eggs certified by the Non-GMO Project. Visit NestFresh at booth #1768. For more in- formation, go to www.nestfresh.com or fol- low the company on social media. NestFresh (Cont'd. from p. 1) in both PET and HDPE plastics, has ex- panded our portfolio of sustainable packag- ing solutions to include more light-weighted containers, bottles made of plant-based bio- resins and bottles made with certified ocean- bound PCR. Certified ocean-bound plastics are bottles and jars collected from communities in de- veloping countries where a commercial re- cycling stream has not previously existed. To be certified ocean-bound, these commu- nities must lie within 30 miles of an ocean or major tributary, and the region must lack a reliable recycling stream for #1 and #2 plastics (PET and HDPE, respectively). The plastic collected from these regions is then certified, cleaned, repelletized and made into new bottles that perform just like the plastics we trust every day. We are proud to partner with Bantam Materials and its OceanCycle line of Certified Ocean Bound post-consumer resins. Both the recycled PET and HDPE resins supplied by Bantam carry FDA Letters of Non-Objection, which means these PCR sources are approved for food contact. As a respected manufacturer of plastic packaging for the pharmaceutical, nutri- tional, personal care and food industries, Alpha brings unmatched expertise, influ- ence and passion to the sustainable packag- ing space. We work diligently with brand owners to define their sustainability objec- tives and identify the options that can work for their products. Our goal is to provide a sustainable packaging solution that meets the cost parameters and performance objec- tives for each product launch. Within our core portfolio, we can offer recyclable, re- cycled, plant-based or source-reduced pack- aging and decorating for a wide variety of industries. We are also stocking select SKUs in 100 percent post-consumer PET resin and making those bottles and jars available with low minimum order quanti- ties. Alpha will be featuring its sustainable packaging options in booth #4557 and filling orders for sample packs. Visit Alpha Packaging at booth #4557. For more information, go to www.alphap.com, call 800.421.4772 or email marketing@ alphap.com. Alpha Packaging (Cont'd. from p. 1) bakeries and cereal manufacturers alike, more recently a demand for a fresh new brand in the retail space has encouraged the company to pursue just that. The year 2018 saw GROM take its retail product selection to over 100 SKUs, and it has received spectacular support from cus- tomers and distributors. The company intro- duced a brand-new line of products ranging from Super Fine Almond Flour and Hemp Protein Powder to French Green Lentils and everything in between. Great River Organic Milling has its or- ganic certified products which it is best known for, along with a line of certified gluten-free products, as well as a natural line of products. Now everyone can enjoy having GROM's quality products in their pantry. GROM's selection of organic, gluten free and natural oat products are tested rigorously to en- sure they are safe and free from glyphosate. It understands the responsibility it has to help the consumer protect their family's food supply. Great River Organic Milling continues to service the baking and cereal world with or- ganic, non-GMO stone ground flours and blends, with the motto 'Nothing Added, Nothing Removed' at the heart of its quality ethics. The company would like to take this opportunity to thank its partners, suppliers and friends for their support. If you want to Bake Great, call on Great River! Visit Great River Organic Milling at booth #2634. For more information, go to www.greatrivermilling.com or email contact@greatrivermilling.com. Great River Organic Milling (Cont'd. from p. 1) "The sauce came from my Grandma's recipe on my Dad's side that was then mod- ified by my uncle. The name of the sauce was inspired my Grandma on my Mom's side. My mom, Sandi Ford, named the sauce Bone Suckin' Sauce, because she was re- minded of her mom eating chicken down to the bone," said Patrick Ford, Vice President of Ford's Gourmet Foods. And so, Bone Suckin' Sauce (BSS) was born. A Western North Carolina style, tomato- based sauce sweetened with real honey and molasses, BSS also has a hint of apple cider vinegar, a hint of mustard, real bits of onions and garlic and little bit of horseradish. It has developed a substantial cult following. What's the real secret of the secret sauce? "It comes down to simple, honest ingredi- ents. We offered a gluten free, no high fruc- tose corn syrup, non-GMO, delicious sauce long before it was the trendy thing to do," said Ford. "And in every product since, we have stuck to that philosophy, and that mat- ters to our customers." BSS has been rated No. 1 by Food and Wine Magazine, Newsweek Magazine and recognized by countless other competitions and news outlets. The product offering has expanded over the years to include variety of sauces and marinades, seasonings and rubs, and a spicy and a sweet mustard, both of which were recently named National Cham- pions by Illinois Barbecue Society. "The accolades from the industry and the press are nice, but what really matters to us is what our customers say," adds Ford. "We get messages from customers all the time – multiple generations enjoying BSS at a fam- ily barbecue or customers with celiac disease being able to enjoy barbecue for the first time because our original BSS is truly gluten free. Those real stories from real customers are everything to us." The Ford's decades-long commitment to quality products and exceptional service is netting great results. Sales of BSS have ex- panded into over 80 countries around the world and offered consistent growth and re- peat customers year to year and through to partner distributors. The Fords have no in- tention of stopping there. Said Ford, "We know there are markets and customers we still have not met. And we know there are ways to extend the reach of BSS through continued innovation and evo- lution of our products. We are excited to see where the future will take us." Bone Suckin' Sauce is distributed by Ford's Gourmet Foods – a fourth generation, Raleigh, North Carolina-based family busi- ness that creates some of the world's greatest tasting gluten-free foods, including the inter- nationally acclaimed Bone Suckin' Sauces, Fire Dancer Jalapeno Nuts and Southern Yum. For more information, visit booth #5321 or set up an appointment with the BSS team by calling 919.833.7647 or emailing sales@bonesuckin.com. Ford's Gourmet Foods (Cont'd. from p. 1)

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