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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2016 n GOURMET NEWS N H 6 4 Coco Libre Elevates Coconut Water to Platform for Innovation For fresh ideas in coconut water beverages, look to the brand that promises to "liberate your thirst." Coco Libre, the first organic coconut water in the U.S. market, has expanded its fam- ily of healthy, purposeful beverges – with more products in the research pipeline. Pioneering products that deliver on nutrition and taste, plus new packaging formats and a contemporary brand refresh, are all giving retailers and shop- pers more reasons than ever to reach for Coco Libre. Candace Crawford joined the company as Chief Executive Officer in March 2015, bring- ing with her a well-established set of beverage industry experiences. As Chief Financial Offi- cer of ZICO, she managed sale of the company to Coca-Cola. As Chief Financial Officer of Bossa Nova Superfruit Beverages, she man- aged the sale of the company to Sunny Delight. She explained the company's progress, which has included a brand refresh and relocation of the headquarters to Los Angeles as well as prod- uct and package innovation. "2015 was a pivotal year for us," Crawford said. "We had to face the fact that the coconut water as a cat- egory has matured. Everything looks like a 'me- too' product. So how do you create something new and exciting? We took a big step back to think about coconut water's broader nutritional potential. What other times of day are those electrolytes useful to your body? We know peo- ple mix our Organic Coconut Water into smoothies, so how else would you want it to be- come part of a daily routine? We also thought about the people beyond the natural channel who might want coconut water in a different package type or size. We thought about those channels where coconut water would be welcome but still hasn't found a way in. Everyone in the company came together to talk about our poten- tial as a company and what we could do for our retailers and customers who buy Coco Libre. It was a sort of organizational soul searching. Out of it, we found a refocused mission and our in- novation priorities. It's a whole new day for Coco Libre, with much more to come." Catch up with Candace Crawford and find out firsthand what's new with Coco Libre at booth #5306. For more information, go to www. cocolibreorganic.com or stop by booth #5306. Introducing Dolcedì: The Brand New Sweetener from Organic Apples Many sweeteners on the market are chemi- cally processed or nutritionally void, while others have a bitter aftertaste or spike our blood sugar. The Rigoni family from Asiago, Italy (90 miles north of Venice) has launched a new, all-natural liquid sweetener called Dolcedì (pronounced dohl-che-DEE) that's made from 100 percent organic apples and is a low-glycemic alternative to sugar and other sweeteners. Dolcedì is rich in fructose, has a Glycemic Index of 22.5 (glucose has a GI of 100) and therefore, it is suitable for those on specialized diets who want to eat well, fol- lowing a balanced diet for a healthy lifestyle. With 25 percent fewer calories than table sugar, Dolcedì is made from the concentrated and filtered sugar extracted from organic ap- ples. It is certified USDA organic, non- GMO, gluten-free, vegan and Star Kosher. Dolcedì can be used any way you would use traditional table sugar or honey and in the same proportions; one teaspoon of sugar equals one teaspoon of Dolcedì. Its neutral flavor enhances the taste of food and drinks without altering them. Dolcedì is also per- fectly soluble in both cold and hot drinks and can be enjoyed with pancakes, on yogurt, in fruit salad and in baking. "Though our business is driven by tradi- tion and our family's heritage, we are also in- spired by innovation and current healthy food trends," says Rigoni di Asiago Chief Executive Officer Andrea Rigoni. "Dolcedì is a wonderful marriage of old and new. We source our apples with the same organic farming practices that we have mastered for years but are processing the bounty in a new and exciting way to bring the world a great-tasting, better-for- you sweetener." About Rigoni di Asiago Founded in 1923, Rigoni di Asiago is a fam- ily-owned business based in the Altopiano di Asiago, a mountain plateau in Northern Italy. Committed to sourcing the finest ingredients, its certified organic products include Fiordifrutta fruit preserves (the leading jam in Italy), Nocciolata hazelnut and chocolate spread, Dolcedì natural sweetener and Miel- bio, honey from the best production areas of Italy. The company was one of the first in Europe to turn to organic farming in the early 90s and merit the Certified Organic label. Rigoni di Asiago has been owning its own supply chain for over 15 years, thus controlling all of the pro- duction processes — from raw materials to finished jars — to guarantee safe and delicious products suitable for all the fam- ily. The company is also com- mitted to respecting the environment, favoring biodiver- sity and developing best practices to guaran- tee conscious choices for ourselves and our future generations. Rigoni di Asiago Dolcedì is available in stores nationwide in a 350 gram (12.34 ounce) squeezable bottle with a dripless cap. To learn more about Dolcedì, visit booth #2430, go to www.rigonidiasiago-usa.com, like Rigoni di Asiago USA on Facebook, fol- low @RigoniAsiagoUSA on Twitter and @rigoniasiagousa on Instagram or call 305.470.7583. The Interpress Secret to an Expedient Product Launch In the crazy "gotta have it now and gotta have it fresh" world, new products are grow- ing in the convenience marketplace in double digits. Develop a product, get it packaged, get it on the shelf and sell, sell, sell. Sounds like a very good plan; however, what does one do to make this happen without breaking the bank, when speed to market is critical? The financial implications of missing a launch could be debilitating, especially for a small or start-up company. Well, Interpress Technologies and InterPac Technologies has the turnkey solution for your successful launch. Introducing the Interpress and InterPac Headquartered in Northern California, the two sister companies combine package print- ing and co-packing to many different cus- tomers looking to launch new products or reinvent old ones. Interpress has three pack- aging manufacturing plants located in Cali- fornia, Texas and Wisconsin. Interpress is based in Sacramento, California and the co- packing plant, InterPac, is conveniently lo- cated 15 miles away in Woodland. How Interpress Does It Interpress specializes in formed cups and canisters with a variety of barrier and mi- crowavable single serving options for the "single-serving" size and "ready to eat" mar- ketplace. With specialized printing presses, cup forming machines and cup wrapping machines, Interpress offers packaging with high definition graphics meeting the needs for many products including oatmeal, soup, pasta, dried fruit, snacks, nuts and ice cream. Interpress has an in-house graphics and pre- press department, as well as ink formulating to expedite your project launch and to ensure that your packag- ing will look great. Once the printed cups or cartons are com- plete, Interpress will arrange for complementary no-hassle ship- ment to InterPac. How InterPac Does It InterPac, is a certified organic co-pack facil- ity offering blending and distribution serv- ices. InterPac has separate areas of the plant to fill dry foods in cups, bags and pouches in one section, and a separate area for coconut, olive, flax and other specialty oils. Its quality assurance team maintains a multi-layered system of quality control processes to protect your product integrity even prior to entering the building. Ingredients and packaging ma- terials are documented and stored according to allergen characteristics and protective re- quirements. Simply arrange for ingredients and packaging to be sent to InterPac and leave the co-packing to the team of experts. In this growing "want it now" and "need variety of flavors" world, Inter- press and InterPac is the secret to an expedient launch, han- dling the entire process from A to Z. Celebrating more than 25 years of experience and innova- tion, Interpress Technologies is a food packaging industry leader specializing in formed paperboard containers, wrapped cups, printed sidewalls and folding cartons with high impact graphics. Interpress Tech- nologies has three locations producing pack- aging "Made in USA" with SFI, FSC and PEFC certified sustainable paperboard. In- terPac Technologies is an organic and gluten- free certified co-pack facility, filling cups, oils (coconut, olive and flax), bags and pouches. For more information about Interpress and InterPac, stop by booth #788 at Expo West or call 800.929.9771, email inquiry@ iptec.com or go to www.interpresstechnologies.com. Ariston Introduces New Line of Organic Balsamic Vinegars The new Ariston line of organic balsamic vinegars is characterized by a perfect bal- ance between sweet and sour. This product is made exclusively with organically farmed grapes, without pesticides in- volved. The entire production process is certified in order to guarantee consumers the compliance with the highest organic farming standards, guaranteed by the CCPB certifying body. The grape must, cooked over a direct heat in an open vessel, simmers slowly and is concen- trated until it is reduced to about one third of its original volume. It is then placed in the attic, in a series of casks of oak wood. Here the balsamic vinegar passes the years acidifying, aging until it has reached a bal- ance that only the alchemy of time can master, prodded along by the masterful hands of artisans. This balsamic is naturally dark and dense, with a five percent acidity content. Add some over strawberries, or on your favorite salad to add complexity. For more information, visit www. aristonspecialties.com.