Oser Communications Group

NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2020 n GOURMET NEWS N H 4 0 Dream Pretzels Meets Consumer Demand Through Innovation An interview with Gilad Zilberberg, Chief Executive Officer and Owner, Dream Pret- zels. GN: What is the mission of Dream Pretzels? GZ: The mission of Dream Pretzels as a company and brand is to bring innovation and better-for-you products to the tradi- tional snack market. We offer everything the consumer wants – great taste, better nutrition, more accessibility and trans- parency. GN: What drove the decision to add a pro- tein-based product to your portfolio? GZ: At Dream Pretzels, we are constantly following nutrition new trends in the world and saw increased emphasis on plant-based diets as well as a marketplace need for pro- tein, which drove the idea of creating a legume-based pretzel for our product portfo- lio. New Protein Pressels and Pretzel Twists feature 5 grams of plant-based protein per serving in a snack that's as perfect for ath- letes as it is for lunchboxes, busy lifestyles and board rooms. GN: How did you come up with the idea for Protein Pressels and Pretzel Twists? GZ: We saw a very large marketplace need for this type of product. Consumers – everyone from those engaged in sports to parents looking to give their kids a snack with higher nutritional value – are looking for new and innovative ways to get protein into their diet, but without compromising on taste. We saw the opportunity and are very happy and proud to have succeeded in developing a product that will meet this need. GN: What drove your innovation in this area and how long was the prod- uct development phase? GZ: It took two years to develop this prod- uct. During the process we tried many types of legume flour, high-protein flours and other ingredients to ensure not only excellent nutrition quality, but good shelf life and great taste. We do not compromise on taste or quality. GN: What are your plans to further expand the protein-based product line? GZ: We are very excited about this product and are already working to expand our offer- ing. We're looking at both new and innova- tive ingredients such as other high-protein flours as well as new flavors. GN: What marketplace need do you see this new product filling? GZ: Dream Pretzel takes pride in of- fering products that are high quality and accessible. Our products offer great value and are also uncompro- mising when it comes to ingredients and fla- vor. We are excited to greater expand our footprint in the U.S. – through retail like gro- cery, superstore and convenience stores, and through innovative channels such as vend- ing, foodservice, workplace markets and home delivery. GN: What's next for Dream Pretzels? GZ: We are always looking ahead and work- ing on new and innovative ways to bring spe- cial snacks to the marketplace. We have some big things in the works and look for- ward to bringing wonderful new snack prod- ucts to market in 2021 and beyond! Visit Dream Pretzels at booth #N1834. Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts is an award-winning, family-owned Kauai Made Company that specializes in Hawaiian sea salts, seasonings and tropical cane sugar using fruit infusions such as mango, coconut, guava, passion fruit, lychee and pineapple. Salty Wahine's goal is to "Make Eating Healthy Fun." Salty Wahine was founded in 2008, and its products can be found at over 200 stores and restaurants worldwide, including Hawaii Commissaries, Navy Exchange, Safeway, Foodland, ABC stores, Lamont's, Whalers General Stores and Accents throughout Hawaii, the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan. Owner Laura Cristobal Anders- land promotes her products at Specialty Food Association's Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco and the Tokyo Food and Bev- erage Show. Salty Wahine promotes its prod- ucts at Hawaii Aloha Festivals in California, Nevada and Arizona. Salty Wahine has grown from a small part- time business to a nationally recognized fam- ily owned and operated company. Laura has used her business experience to prepare her children to expand the Salty Wahine brand worldwide. Laura's children are the fifth generation to live on Kauai, have graduated from college and have become full time em- ployees assuming all pro- duction responsibilities, al- lowing Laura and her husband David to travel to food shows to further mar- ket the business. Salty Wahine has gained the reputation of being a premier Hawaiian sea salt seasoning company with 44 international awards. Salty Wahine was se- lected as the best Kauai made product by the Garden Isle newspaper "Best of the Best Peoples Choice Awards" for 2013-2019, 2017 Pacific Edge Best Hawaii Family Busi- ness, 2017 SBA Hawaii Exporter of the Year, Hawaii's 2017 Ho`okela Awards for Retail Merchant of the Year and Fastest Growing Retail Merchant of the Year, and 2017 & 2019 Pacific Business News Fastest Fifty award. Salty Wahine's founder, Laura Cristobal Andersland's, dream of having her own store and commercial kitchen has become a reality. Salty Wahine gives factory tours every Friday via Tasting Kauai. Salty Wahine can provide any quantity of Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts to retail, food service and wholesale customers, with Salty Wahine's 7,400 square feet retail factory out- let in Hanapepe Hawaii. Visit Salty Wahine at booth #M411. For more information, email info@saltywahine.com, call 808.378.4601, or go to www.saltywahine.com or www.facebook.com/saltywahine. Eco-friendly Packaging from La Preferida Celebrating 70 years in the Mexican food business in 2019 was no small feat, and La Preferida is proud to attribute that to its base of loyal customers. Listening to changing marketing demands has been the cornerstone of the company's business and it plans to do it again with its push for more sustainable packaging. At the forefront of its eco-friendly pack- aging initiative is the Tetra Recart ® line which will feature organic enchilada sauces – a red variety and green variety with a mild flavor profile. These sauces were expertly designed by La Preferida's corporate chef and have robust flavors from organic tomatillos, roasted green chiles and poblanos. Soon to follow will be organic pinto beans, black beans, lentils and chick- peas. All Tetra Recart items are certified gluten free. La Preferida's beans in Tetra Re- cart are the first of their kind in the Hispanic food category, packed in the U.S.A. La Preferida's unique packaging is made with recyclable materials, is easy-open and resealable and has space-saving features (30 percent increase in shelf space). These products will complement La Preferida's growing assortment in key cat- egories, such as organic, low sodium, veg- etarian and kosher while maintaining the company's commitment to authentic Mex- ican ingredients. By offering competitively priced organic products and BPA-free can lining, its goal is to empower the consumer to be able to make healthier choices without paying more to do so. Spearheading this surge in product development is La Preferida's corporate chef, who is hands-on in the manufactur- ing process. His adaptations on traditional Mexican dishes focus on fresh produce, lean proteins and low-fat alternatives, helping to breathe new life and flavors into these old classics. You can find his many innovative ideas like Piña Colada Yogurt Bars and 7 Layer Mexican Dip (made with greek yogurt and kale) on the company's website. Despite bouts of economic uncertainty in the CPG business, the resiliency of La Preferida continues to shine through. Its pinto beans, sea- sonings and sauces are the fastest growing in their cate- gory according to IRI data from the past nine months. The ver- satility of its products as ingre- dients means customers can incorporate these items into a variety of dishes outside the Mexican food realm. Building upon its strong roots in the Midwest, La Preferida is contin- ually working to strengthen its relationships on the East and West coasts, so distributor/broker inquiries are always wel- come. Visit La Preferida at booth #1921. For more information, go to www.lapreferida.com or call 773.254.7200. PJC Offers Functional Beverages At the forefront of the recent "all things pickle" movement is the Texas-based Pickle Juice © Company. Founded in 2001, the Pickle Juice Company, LLC (PJC) has become a global leader in the functional beverage space. Recognized as one of the top 10 fastest grow- ing food and beverage companies in North America and the No. 1 global product to stop muscle cramps, PJC has led the way in creat- ing hyper functional beverages that have be- come staples for everyone from the casual consumer to elite sports teams and athletes. PJC's flagship product lines, Pickle Juice Sport and Extra Strength Pickle Juice Shots are purpose-built products that have nothing to do with pickles or pickling. The name Pickle Juice ® is a registered trademark that was selected for the product because the proprietary grain of vinegar that is used to block the neural receptors that cause muscle cramping lead it to taste sim- ilar to pickle brine, the stuff from the jar. Studies dating back to 2010 indicate that muscle cramps are a neurological issue rather than a physiological one so, contrary to pop- ular belief, the cramps are not stopped by the high level of electrolytes in pickle juice; it's the proprietary vinegar that functions as a neu- ral inhibitor. Other features of Pickle Juice in- clude that it is certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sugar free, caf- feine free, contains 10 times the electrolytes of common sports drinks and is made in the USA using only locally and domestically sourced component parts and ingredients.

• Cover