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GOURMET NEWS FEBRUARY 2016 www.gourmetnews.com News & Notes NEWS & NOTES 5 BRIEFS American Vegetarian Association Again Awards Eggland's Best Eggs Certification For the 12th consecutive year, the American Vegetarian Association (AVA) has awarded Eggland's Best eggs its Global Certification, assuring vegetarians that they can trust Eggland's Best products to be certified vegetarian based on the highest of standards. "At the American Vegetarian Association, we take our responsibility to give vegetarian- minded people the confidence in their food selections very seriously," said Len Torine, Executive Director of the American Vegetarian Association. "This means we only honor healthy, quality products that meet our strict vegetarian guidelines. We have continued to certify Eggland's Best because their commitment to providing customers with the best quality products supports what we believe in as an organization." Group Finds Authentic Olive Oils on Supermarket Store Shelves The North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA), a nonprofit group that promotes the health, versatility and authenticity of all types of olive oil for North American consumers, is working to ensure that all olive oils in North America are free from adulteration. For more than 25 years, the NAOOA, which represents two thirds of the olive oils sold in the U.S., has been collecting samples off of store shelves as well as from distributors and evaluating them against a full battery of scientific laboratory tests, as outlined in the global trade standards maintained by the International Olive Council. The NAOOA tests for both quality and purity. Quality refers to the grade and state of the oil and may change over time. Authenticity, or purity, refers to whether the oil has been mixed with non-olive oil or lower grade olive oil. Authenticity of olive oil will not change over time. Based on approximately 200 samples per year, the NAOOA tests show that over 98 percent of olive oil available in North American supermarkets is authentic olive oil. The happy egg co. Announces Banner Year Free-range egg brand happy egg co. has announced that, from retail expansion to enhanced product offerings, the company's distribution has grown by 62.5 percent to make it the fastest growing and most widely carried free range egg brand in the country. The company plans to continue its growth momentum in 2016 by doubling its egg production. Since its launch in October 2012, the happy egg co. has surpassed a brand value of $30 million in just three years. Mary Waldner, Co-founder of gluten-free cracker and snack company Mary's Gone Crackers ® , announced the appointment of food industry veteran John C. Sheptor to the position of CEO. Sheptor has led global strategic business initiatives in more than 80 countries and is recognized as a visionary leader. "John ar- rives at a pivotal moment in our history," said Waldner. "We're poised to grow signif- icantly and are confident that the customer focus, supply chain intelligence and man- ufacturing excellence John brings will add greatly to our future successes." President and COO, Joe Glorfield added, "John's var- ied-category background enables him to bring new perspective and insight to our brand." Sheptor's business career spans diverse industries including agriculture, food in- gredients, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare among others. He is a leader of change- building enterprise capacity through strat- egy, business process effectiveness and ex- ecution. Most notably, Sheptor's career has been dedicated to social and economic develop- ment. "The opportunity to create and im- plement sustainable improvement systems at Mary's Gone Crackers excites me," said Sheptor. He considers his ability to opti- mize a product's supply chain in order to elevate the brand and positively benefit farmers' core to both his business and per- sonal missions. He continued, "In my opin- ion, profit with purpose initiatives is the fu- ture of this business." Sheptor played an essential role as Chief Executive Officer and President of Imperial Sugar Company, responsible for all opera- tions, commodities management, logistics, sales, marketing, customer service, product development, financial reporting and pub- lic/investor relations that support Imperial Sugar's evolving go-to-market and con- sumer outreach strategies. He received an undergraduate degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an M.B.A. from Tu- lane University and an Advanced Director Certificate from the American College of Corporate Directors. GN Mary's Gone Crackers Names John C. Sheptor as CEO Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, has begun a new clinical research trial to help low-in- come Americans better manage and con- trol type 2 diabetes. The trial is taking place at three Feed- ing America member food banks: the Houston Food Bank in Texas, the Alameda County Community Food Bank in Oakland, California, and Gleaner's Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan in Detroit. Feeding America is partnering with the Center for Vulnerable Populations at the University of Califor- nia, San Francisco, and the Urban Insti- tute to conduct the trial. Diabetes affects over 29 million adults and children in the U.S. today, and re- search shows that individuals who are low-income and food-insecure have an increased risk of developing diet-sensi- tive chronic diseases, like type 2 diabetes, and are at higher risk for poor manage- ment of these chronic diseases. The clinical trial—named the Feeding America Intervention Trial for Health— Diabetes Mellitus (FAITH-DM)—is being overseen by Dr.Hilary Seligman, lead sci- entist and senior medical advisor at Feed- ing America. Seligman is one of the nation's foremost experts on the health implications of food insecurity. Her work focuses on the intersection between food insecurity and health, particularly on the prevention and management of chronic disease. "This is a giant step forward for our or- ganization. Recent studies show us that millions of low-income Americans need our grocery and meal programs on a con- sistent, ongoing basis to help feed them- selves and their families. Research also tells us that low-income and food-inse- cure households have significantly higher rates of nutrition-related diseases than the general public," said Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America. "Our study 'Hunger in America 2014' found that 33 percent of the households we serve include at least one person with diabetes. We be- lieve the time has now come that we must address the health needs of those we serve." FAITH-DM is a two year, randomized controlled trial that spans from 2015- 2017. This new research trial builds on the results from a previous observational study conducted by Feeding America be- tween 2011 and 2014. The findings of that study were recently published in the November issue of "Health Affairs." The goal of FAITH-DM will be to de- termine to what extent food bank-based interventions can improve glycemic con- trol for clients living with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. The study will also inves- tigate how effective the intervention is on improving other diabetic outcomes. There are four major components of the FAITH-DM intervention: Screening for diabetes and monitoring of glycemic control; distributing diabetes-appropri- ate food, amounting to enough food to last one or two weeks per distribution; referring clients who lacked a usual source of medical care to primary care providers; and providing diabetes self- management support and education. The clinical trial is funded by a grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. GN Feeding America Begins Clinical Trial of Diabetes Intervention Gourmet Guru, the first all natural and or- ganic food retail distribution company in New York City, celebrates its 20th anniver- sary this year. Launched as a sole-propri- etor, one-truck operation in 1996, Gourmet Guru distributed mostly local items and imported cheese exclusively to independent accounts in the New York City market at that time. The organization has steadily grown to be an award-win- ning, vertically integrated sales, marketing and logistics company now covering ter- ritory from Washington, D.C. to Maine. Since its inception, Guru has focused on bringing only the most innovative and high-quality natural and organic products to market with a proud track record of having launched several emerging (and now major) categories such as: USDA or- ganic, Greek yogurt, natural/organic deli and meats and functional beverages for companies that have become the leading CPG brands in those categories. As Guru embarks on the upcoming year, the company will be launching a number of events that demonstrate its ho- listic approach to business and the world around us. The themes will highlight Guru's passion for innovation and mutu- alism as well as an appreciation for cus- tomers and producer partners. These will include 20 new lines or line extensions in natural, organic categories, customer and producer appreciation awards for those maintaining 20 years of loyal partnership and 20 community give-back events as well as a 20th anniversary food show. For more information, visit Gourmet Guru at www.GourmetGuru.com. GN Gourmet Guru Celebrates 20 Years

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