Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/331889
Fo o d M a g i c D a i l y Tu e s d a y, J u n e 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 1 0 Middle Eastern and native Malay flavors. "Why do Americans need Malaysian cuisine?" asked Christina Arokiasamy, chef, author and Malaysia's Food Ambassador to the United States. "America has given Thailand a chance. America has given Japan a chance. America has given India a chance, China a chance, Vietnam a chance. America is a country that is multicultural. America is close to tradi- tions. And Americans are also very innovative. We Malaysians are also very close to our culture, just like Americans. We are very traditional, yet we are so innovative that we can make this kind of food for the American kitchen." The most popular Malaysian dishes represent the melting pot that is the com- pany's eclectic food culture. Hokkien Mee, for example, is a Chinese style noodle dish cooked with crispy cubes of deep fried pork lard. Nasi Kandar is a popular rice dish, seasoned with Thai- inspired curry sauces. Malaysia also offers its own unique take on satay, a dish popular throughout Southern Asia, from India to Indonesia. With bottled Malaysian sauces, packaged spice pastes and pre-pack- aged heat-and-serve meals available in many grocery stores, cooks who never before attempted a Malaysian passport meal at home are now beginning to experiment with the exotic flavors of this Southeast Asian kingdom. Meanwhile, those less likely to whip up their own Malaysian feast are experi- menting with the flavors of the country at popular restaurants, such as San G lobal Cuisine ( Cont'd. from p. 7) Francisco's Banana Leaf, New York's Nyonya and Las Vegas' Satay. Home Cooks Experimenting with Flavors of India Although Indian food is relatively well established in this country and thus does not necessarily fall into the category of up-and-coming global cuisines in the way Malaysian or Polish food might, the fare of the Indian subcontinent is grow- ing as a mainstream cuisine of choice in this country. According to market research company Mintel, retail and foodservice sales of Indian food have jumped 35 percent in recent years. As a result, more and more home cooks today are experimenting with Indian flavors and ingredients in their own kitchens. Today many Americans who never before touched a plate of chicken tikka masala, palak paneer or vegetable jalfrezi are carefully dipping their toes into the pool for the first time. This is in part due to the work of gourmet food companies that are attempting to make Indian dishes and flavors more accessible to the aver- age American. Whereas one once had to visit a specialty grocery to pick up the staples necessary for preparing an Indian meal, today the average supermarket offers a selection of Indian ingredients and heat-and-serve dishes. "It's getting a little bit easier [to appeal to Americans], because people have become more adventurous in what they want to eat. They want new spice profiles. They want higher spice pro- files. And Indian food provides that," said Mike Ryan, Vice President of Marketing for Deep Foods, a manufac- turer of Indian foods. FMD: What is it that distinguishes you from other companies that provide simi- lar services? MP: You need us for two specific rea- sons. We have auditors who have actu- ally worked in the food and food pack- aging business. Each of them has more than 25 years of experience in the field, and obviously, you need good experience under your belt before you can provide a good audit. We provide training to certify your employees in GFSI standards, and we can even certi- fy your packaging materials suppliers, so we're a one-stop shop to help you assure your customers that your prod- uct is handled safely from the time it comes into your plant to when it's shipped from your docks. FMD: Tell us something about how you actually go about this. What's your first step? MP: What we do is provide training to you and assess your facility for possible risks prior to certification under GFSI standards. Training is offered on site for as many people as you would like to have there for one fixed price. You can have every foreman and every supplier UL DQS ( Cont'd. from p. 1) in there to get them certified for the year. Then when your staff is trained, we don't leave you. If there's any change in the GFSI standards or their interpreta- tions, we're available to answer your questions free of charge. FMD: You also provide auditing servic- es. Tell us more about what that might cover. MP: Auditing food safety systems and quality systems, including training, management commitment, plant mainte- nance, hygiene, complaint handling, security, plant production floor and equipment. We identify risk factors in the plant and then train your staff and suppliers in how to identify and mitigate those risks. FMD: How do people find UL DQS? MP: The company is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, with offices in 46 countries worldwide. In the U.S., ULDQS is headquartered in Chicago, Ill. with field offices in LA, Seattle, Chicago, N.C. Dallas, Columbus, Ohio, and NYC. You can find us online at http://ul-dqsusa.com or you can just call or email me, Mike Pearsall, at 847-393-5644 or email michael.pearsall@us.dqs-ul.com. NatureBox, Inc., one of America's fastest growing food brands, announced plans to expand its popular delivery service inter- nationally, naming Canada as its first global destination. Canadian consumers can now visit www.naturebox.com/canad- abeta to join NatureBox's community. New members will receive their discovery box of delicious, nutritionist-approved snacks delivered to their doors. "Although we've always dreamed of expanding NatureBox internationally, we never imagined it would happen so soon. Our ability to undertake such a bold move is thanks to our thriving member community, who has been the driving force behind our 20X growth," said Gautam Gupta, Co-founder and CEO of NatureBox. "After receiving countless requests from Canadian fans hungry for our snacks, it was a natural decision to begin our global journey in Canada. We are thrilled to bring Canadian consumers easier access to better options." NATUREBOX ANNOUNCES INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION Following a short beta rollout, NatureBox will officially launch its full site – including access to its full catalog of more than 100 options, its customiz- able Snack Pantry and the NatureBox Market, which allows consumers to pur- chase snacks without a membership – in the coming weeks. NatureBox's entrance into the Canadian market marks the first internation- al foray for the rapidly expanding startup. The move comes on the heels of its $18MM Series B funding news and several major recent rollouts for the young company: NatureBox Snack Pantry Powered by data science, this new func- tionality empowers NatureBox to make snack recommendations based on a member's taste preferences and dietary needs. It also allows members to choose what snacks they receive in their month- ly NatureBoxes. NatureBox Market This feature lets consumers access and enjoy NatureBox snacks without a monthly membership. 40,000-square-foot Operations Hub This new Indiana facility expands the com- pany's current California-based operations network, allowing NatureBox to more effi- ciently serve East Coast consumers. SWEETNESS THE WAY MOTHER NATURE INTENDED Suzanne's Specialties, Inc. is a manufac- turer and marketer of natural and organic sweeteners. Its customers consist of dis- tributors, manufacturers and retailers in the health/organic markets as well as the conventional industrial food markets. What was once a small Mom and Pop operation has now grown to become a full service provider of natu- ral and organic sweeteners. Since 1984, and now celebrating its 30th year, Suzanne's has established an ever- growing presence in the natural/health foods market. The company is well qualified to assist its customers in open- ing new markets and new applications. Its products are nationally distributed throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, through the company's warehouses on the east and west coasts. Suzanne's is a well known institu- tional supplier of organic sweeteners, including Organic Brown Rice Syrup, InfantSafe™ Rice Syrup, Clarified Rice Syrup, Organic Rice Maltodextrin and Rice Solids, Organic Tapioca Syrup and Starch, Organic Agave Syrup, Organic Inulin, Organic Sugar and ECJ Crystals, Organic Invert Syrups, Organic Molasses, Organic Honey and Organic Barley Malt Syrup. Products are conveniently available packed in pails, drums, totes and tank wagons to suit your specific needs. The company is uniquely positioned to pre- pare account-specific proprietary blends of natural sweeteners meeting defined application requirements. It can help a company go from refined sweet- eners to completely natural and/or organic. Suzanne's well known retail line of traditional favorites includes its best selling tubs of Ricemellow, 10-ounce jars of Spreadable Fruit in the flavors Raspberry, Strawberry, Apricot and Blueberry. Its 16-ounce retail line of Rice Nectars are produced in the Original form of Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Genmai, Organic Maple, Chocolate, Maple and fruited varieties of Raspberry, Strawberry and Blueberry. Traditional favorites packed in 16-ounce retail jars include Just- Like-Honey, Organic Agave Syrup, Organic Wildflower Honey, Organic Blackstrap Molasses and Organic Barley Malt. All of the company's retail line is also available in one-gallon jugs. Suzanne's is a 100-percent Woman- Owned Business incorporated in 1984. Suzanne's is certified kosher by Kof-K, certified organic by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and food safety audited by AIB. For more information about any product line, please call 800-762-2135. To speak to someone in sales, ask for James Restivo. Also visit online at www.suzannes-specialties.com for more complete information and the online store where all retail products may be purchased. Visit Suzanne's Specialties at booth 1040.