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GOURMET NEWS DECEMBER 2014 www.gourmetnews.com Retailer News RETAILER NEWS 1 2 BRIEFS Whole Foods Market Takes Stand on Key Agricultural Issues with Responsibly Grown Produce Ratings Whole Foods Market recently launched Responsibly Grown, a tiered produce rat- ing system that assesses growing practices that impact human health and the envi- ronment. The new rating system labels fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers as "good," "better" or "best" to help shop- pers make more informed choices in the produce and floral departments. In addi- tion, Responsibly Grown prohibits some of the most hazardous neurotoxins still al- lowed in agriculture. Prohibited pesticides include several organophosphate insecticides, which re- cent studies indicate can impair neurolog- ical development in children born to mothers exposed in diet or by working in agriculture and living in nearby communi- ties. A full list of prohibited and restricted pesticides may be found on the Responsibly Grown web page. A "better" rating indicates advanced per- formance and a "best" rating indicates ex- ceptional, industry-leading performance in a scoring system covering multiple topics in a number of key categories, including pest management (e.g. using beneficial in- sects to control pests), farmworker welfare (e.g. providing protective equipment for workers), water conservation and protec- tion (e.g. using efficient irrigation tech- niques), enhancing soil health (e.g. adding compost to soil and planting cover crops), ecosystems and biodiver- sity (e.g. planting wildflowers to re- store natural bee habitat for pollinator protection), waste reduction (e.g. recy- cling plastics used in the field) and air, en- ergy and climate (e.g. solar panels for renewable energy). "After three years of research and plan- ning, Responsibly Grown is the result of our collaboration with suppliers, scientists and issue experts to continue our strong commitment to organic, while embracing additional important topics and growing practices in agriculture today," said Matt Rogers, global produce coordinator at Whole Foods Market. "We are excited to broaden the conversation to recognize ad- ditional growing practices and drive more transparency in the industry." To earn a "good" rating, a farm must take 16 major steps to protect air, soil, water and human health. Growers must also comply with the Responsibly Grown pesticide pol- icy, which restricts growers to using only U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency-registered pesti- cides, regardless of the country of origin. In other words, farms out- side the U.S. cannot sup- ply Whole Foods Market with fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers grown using pesticides not al- lowed in the United States, with very lim- ited exceptions. Growers also cannot use biosolids or irradiation and must commit to GMO transparency. "I applaud the courage and conviction of Whole Foods Market, and its growers and suppliers, for taking decisive action on more than a dozen high-risk pesticides. The next generation of Americans will be the primary beneficiaries of this bold step," said Dr. Charles Benbrook, research profes- sor and program leader for the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Washington State University. GN Vedica Organics Launches New Website Vedica Organics LLC, one of the world's largest online certified organic stores, has launched a comprehensive, user-friendly new website at www.vedicaorganics.com. The website showcases the company's vast array of products available to the consumer market. Vedica Organics is bridging the gap between organic farmers in India and health-conscious consumers in the United States. This new website will give Vedica Organics customers total access to the company's premier marketplace of certified organic products, as well as the ability to buy spices, cereal grains, pulses and rice online at the click of a button. Vedica Organics is committed to delivering goods that reflect the intimate care instilled by conscious Indian organic farmers. These products include rice, flour, lentils, chutneys, pappadum, spices, teas, coffees and authentic ready-to-eat exotic dishes from India. Nothing Bundt Cakes Celebrates 100th Bakery Nothing Bundt Cakes recently celebrated the opening of its 100th bakery in the United States with the grand opening of its San Marcos, California location. The company also announced plans for continued national expansion over the next five years. Nothing Bundt Cakes, which was founded in Las Vegas in 1997 and now has locations in 22 states from coast to coast, says it will target 30-40 new bakery openings annually through 2019 in existing and new markets. TASTE Continued from PAGE 1 Among TASTE's specialty food selections, by far the most popular with the stores' cus- tomers are the company's housemade and private label items. Shoppers have been flocking to TASTE for years to pick up the company's locally famous house dressing. More recently, TASTE has garnered positive attention for its pimento cheese. In addition there is also a full TASTE lineup of pack- aged nuts, including 10 different nut vari- eties – perhaps the company's top-selling specialty food offering. However, not every product sold at TASTE is made in-house or available as part of the company's private label offerings. The company pays special attention to filling its shelves with unique local and regional products. "Beyond the products that carry our name, we've embraced everything local and just happen to be fortunate that we're in such a vibrant food part of the country in eastern Virginia," said Pruden. Particu- larly popular among TASTE shoppers are the hams from Edwards of Surry, Virginia Ham Company, granola from Good News Granola Company (Pruden calls it the best granola he has ever tasted), Fresh Batch Jams and the spreads from Durham, North Carolina-based Big Spoon Peanut Roasters. Although the six TASTE locations offer a similar shopping experience, the Pruden fam- ily strives to give each store its own identity. "In terms of their product offerings, they are very similar, but each has its own unique footprint and store lay- out," said Pruden. "That's something we like. We like to have unique atmos- pheres at each location." One store that is particularly special is the recently re- modeled Bayville Farms location on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach. Located on the grounds of the now-defunct Bayville Dairy Farm, TASTE has truly embraced the surrounding landscape, constructing a singular barn-like struc- ture for the store, adorned with natural reclaimed wood, barn doors and other place-specific re- minders of bu- colic living. In summer, cus- tomers can grab a sandwich or a scoop of gelato and wander out onto the pictur- esque grounds to sit at a picnic table and enjoy the scene. Operating in an area that sees a tremendous influx of tourists each summer presents TASTE with some unique opportunities. "From a tourist perspective, it's great to be able turn them on to foods that they may have had no exposure to before, even specific food types like Surry country hams. A lot of people from the North may have never tried that before," said Pruden. "People like to have something to take back home and give them something distinctive with a regional flavor to it. We do have a lot of housemade items and private label TASTE items and a rich array of locally produced gourmet food items." In recent years, TASTE has taken advantage of its summer tourist business to help grow the com- pany's online retail presence. Visiting shoppers return to their homes around the country and visit the TASTE website to purchase items they miss from Virginia. Still, TASTE does not rely on summer visitors as its only customer base, and the company has its share of loyal local shoppers as well. The Pruden family likes to reach out to locals with special events and classes that appeal to Virginia foodies. For example, the company operates a monthly Chef's Table Cooking Series at its Norfolk location, where attendees have the opportunity to get up close and personal with well-known area chefs. And in the summer months, the music series at the Bayville Farms stores brings acoustic musicians to the grounds every Friday afternoon. As the Pruden family finishes out its first decade as owners of TASTE, it is their goal to continue serving as an important part of their local community and to keep creating a unique shopping experience for their cus- tomers. "I think that TASTE is genuine and unique and multifaceted. It really is a true spe- cialty food experience – not just a shopping trip or a trip to a restaurant," said Pruden. GN

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