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R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s Tu e s d a y, M a y 1 9 , 2 0 1 5 5 0 COORS DEBUTS GLUTEN-FREE COORS PEAK Coors Brewing Company has entered the gluten-free beer market with Coors Peak, a new, naturally gluten-free copper lager made with 100 percent all natural ingre- dients. The bright and balanced beer is now available exclusively in the Seattle and Portland metropolitan areas. "With more drinkers pursuing a gluten-free lifestyle, we were inspired to create Coors Peak so that everyone can enjoy a great beer drinking experience," said David Kroll, MillerCoors Vice President of Insights and Innovations. Recognizing that drinkers had only sorghum-based gluten-free beers or chemically-treated gluten-reduced beers to choose from, the brewers at Coors set out to create the world's first great tasting and naturally gluten-free beer. After nearly five years scouring bar- ley alternatives and perfecting the recipe, Coors Peak is unlike many of the other gluten-free options available today. Brewed using a unique process of malt- ing brown rice, rather than barley, Coors Peak has the taste, depth and complexity of regular beers while still being natural- ly gluten free. Hops and caramel sugar add to its distinctive character and bright- ness. The result is a full-flavored and cer- tified gluten-free beer that's worthy of the Coors name. "Coors Peak continues the Coors tradition of driving superior taste while highlighting our commitment to quality innovation," noted Kroll. "Our unique brewing process allows us to brew an inherently all natural gluten-free beer that is brewed separately from our other beers." Coors Peak is available in six- and 12-pack bottles at grocery stores and also select bars and restaurants in the Seattle and Portland metropolitan areas. Marketing support for the regional launch will include TV spots, out-of- home and digital advertising, chef part- nerships and targeted sampling initia- tives. Product packaging will feature yellow and blue tones with the iconic Rocky Mountains landscape and Coors script logo, reinforcing the more than 100 years of brewing experience from the Coors family of brands. For more information about Coors Peak, visit www.CoorsPeak.com and www.Facebook.com/CoorsPeak. U.S. DAIRY MANUFACTURERS CALL FOR REPLACEMENT OF JAPAN'S IMPORT SYSTEM In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the International Dairy Foods Association recently called for the replacement of Japan's current import administration program in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, calling it a potential Achilles heel in the negotiations. Japan's Agriculture and Livestock Industries Corporation is the state-trad- ing enterprise that administers the coun- try's manufacturing milk quotas and imports of dairy products under tariff rate quotas. IDFA believes that ALIC oper- ates in a trade-distorting and inconsistent manner that makes it difficult for U.S. dairy exporters to access the market. "Suffice it to say that its administra- tion of Japan's import constraints on dairy products is the antithesis of free and open trade. ALIC is in total control of Japan's dairy imports," said Connie Tipton, President and CEO of IDFA. "The financial benefits of the system flow entirely to the government, after which those financial 'gains' are shared with Japanese dairy producers. It would be difficult to imagine an import man- agement system that is more trade dis- tortive than this one." IDFA sent the letter in advance of bilateral meetings and the TPP Ministerial held recently in Sydney, Australia. IDFA urged the officials to seek to replace the current ALIC system with a tariff rate quota system as part of the bilateral negotiations with Japan. IDFA supports significant and real market access into Japan for all dairy products that would reach across all tariff lines and ultimately bring tariffs to zero within a reasonable transition period. Based in Washington, D.C., the International Dairy Foods Association represents the nation's dairy manufactur- ing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 550 companies within a $125-billion a year industry. IDFA is composed of three con- stituent organizations: the Milk Industry Foundation, the National Cheese Institute and the International Ice Cream Association. IDFA's nearly 200 dairy processing members run nearly 600 plant operations and range from large multina- tional organizations to single-plant com- panies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States. JOVIAL REVIVES EINKORN, NATURE'S ORIGINAL WHEAT, FOR THE GLUTEN SENSITIVE Founder of jovial Foods, Carla Bartolucci, is reviving einkorn wheat for the gluten sensitive. After learning about her daughter's gluten sensitivity, Bartolucci was determined to find a solution that did not involve cutting wheat out of her life completely. Her extensive research led to the discovery of a nearly extinct ancient grain called einkorn. Her family embarked on their very own private clinical study, with their daughter Giulia as the patient. To her astonishment, Carla found that by replacing modern wheat and spelt with einkorn, her daugh- ter's symptoms complete- ly subsided. Today, jovial's mis- sion is to change the future of farming by creat- ing consumer demand for ancient and heirloom vari- eties of food. The jovial brand also specializes in the production of certified organic, artisan-crafted gluten- free foods. Jovial has been able to achieve national distribution for its einkorn products, including whole grain pasta, wheat berries, flour, and cook- ies. For more information, visit the company online at https://jovialfoods.com/einkorn. ORGANIC TRADE ASSOCIATION GEARS UP FAR-REACHING STRATEGY FOR 2015 TO BOOST EXPORTS If Taka Yamaguchi has his way, athletes competing in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will be eating organ- ic – an ambitious plan that more than 100 of Japan's top grocery retailers, food importers and distributors learned about at a recent Organic Trade Association-sponsored seminar in Japan. Yamaguchi, Executive Officer of Organic Japan, was part of a roster of agricultural, organic and food industry experts and policy officials taking part in two OTA programs that brought industry and government leaders togeth- er in Tokyo and Osaka to learn about the range and quality of U.S. organic prod- ucts, to get up to speed on a bilateral trade deal that will help feed Japan's growing appetite for organic and to sam- ple organic treats. With a grant for $784,902 from the USDA's Market Access Program to pro- mote U.S. organic products abroad in 2015, OTA is gearing up a far-reaching strategy for next year that will include more organic promotional and education programs in Japan and around the globe. This year, OTA plans to showcase the American organic brand at the largest food shows in the world, to con- duct international seminars on organic regulatory issues, to host trade missions to connect foreign buyers and domestic suppliers, to help retailers in the world's biggest markets sell the value of organic and to continue to assist U.S. organic exporters with OTA's online U.S. Organic Export Directory and its Global Organic Trade Guide. "Exports are increasingly important to U.S. producers and handlers. The organic industry is invested in building the relationships and U.S. organic brand awareness required for long-term export growth," said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of OTA. "The indus- try is poised to fully utilize the much- welcomed grant assistance from USDA provided through its Market Access Program." OTA will return to Japan in November of 2015, where the organiza- tion will conduct targeted promotion of organic products to consumers and con- tinue to build relationships with retail- ers. Beyond Japan, OTA will be busy with events in Nuremburg, Germany; Seoul, South Korea; Cologne, Germany and Anaheim, California. In addition, in cities across Europe, OTA will be coor- dinating a large-scale promotion effort, with the focus on retailers to increase the awareness of the range, quality and consistency of U.S. organic products available for import. A recent OTA survey of the U.S. organic industry shows a growing num- ber of organic stakeholders involved in the export market. Just over 60 percent of respondents surveyed last year said they export all or some of their organic products with an additional 20 percent reporting that they plan to get into the international arena. Many of today's organic exporters are new to the export business, with some 50 percent selling their products on the global stage for five years or less, and almost 20 percent just two years or less. "Healthy growth in organic demand is occurring in all regions, from Japan, South Korea and China, to Canada and the European Union and the Middle East," said Monique Marez, OTA's Senior International Trade Manager. "It is our goal to help organic producers and distributors explore and connect with these developing and often untapped markets and educate consumers every- where about the benefits of organic." The Organic Trade Association is the membership-based business associa- tion for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing over 6,500 organic businesses across 49 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distrib- utors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others.