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GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2016 www.gourmetnews.com SUPPLIER BUSINESS 1 5 Choctal Single-Origin Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Creams BY LORRIE BAUMANN Choctal is a brand behind chocolate and vanilla ice creams made with single-origin ingredients. "Single-origin, especially in ice cream, has its very own niche," says Choctal Co-owner and Chief Strategy Of- ficer Nancy Hytone Leb. The current own- ers bought the company and the concept in 2013, and since then, they've updated the packaging, refined the recipe to remove chemical stabilizers and made some changes in the suppliers, then relaunched the brand at the 2014 Winter Fancy Food Show. "We loved the product. It was a re- ally high quality outstanding product," Leb said. "We loved the fact that it was a whole line. So much of ice cream is about the newest, coolest flavor or about inclusions." Its eight varieties are now in 400 to 500 retail outlets in the western U.S, Minnesota and St. Louis, Missouri. The origins in- clude Ghana Chocolate, Kalimantan Chocolate, Costa Rican Chocolate, Do- minican Chocolate, Indonesian Vanilla, Papua New Guinea Vanilla, Madagascar Vanilla and Mexican Vanilla, all available in both cups and pints. In 2015, the Kali- mantan Chocolate was a sofi Award finalist in the frozen dessert category. Each variety depends on a unique flavoring ingredient that reflects its origin. "We have been for- tunate to travel to Costa Rica, where we have met our farmers. Our focus is on di- rect trade and building those relation- ships." Leb said. "We also have direction connections with our farmers in the Do- minican Republic and Ghana. We're al- ways on the search for new and different suppliers." While the single-origin concept might have been ahead of its time when the brand was founded almost a decade ago, consumers are now familiar with the con- cept, especially those who appreciate gourmet food, wine and coffee. "Like wine as well as coffee, where it grows has an in- fluence on the flavor of the product," Leb noted. In addition to the main flavor in- gredient, each ice cream includes only about half a dozen other ingredients. The pints retail for $6.99 to $7.49. "It's priced competitively with other super-premium ice creams despite the single-origin ca- chet," Leb said. "We use two to three times more chocolate or vanilla than other manufacturers, so it's a much richer fla- vor." There are plans to expand the product line, but those are nascent. Choctál re- cently launched four-packs of 4-ounce cups of each of the four chocolate flavors and each of the four vanilla flavors. The Chocolate Tour and the Vanilla Tour four- packs will sell for about $8.99. "We've had huge interest in those on the retail level," Leb said. The company is also researching poten- tial products other than ice creams that will also incorporate chocolate and vanilla flavors. "It'll be something that wouldn't be subject to the challenges of shipping a frozen product – it might be a sauce that highlights single-origin ingredients." Leb said. Choctal is a member company of One Percent for the Planet, which means that the company donates 1 percent of its sales every year to benefit nonprofit environ- mental organizations around the world. "They're nonprofit organizations based in those countries for which their mission is at least 50 percent environmental, which can include empowerment and education. We're very proud of that," Leb said. "For 2015, Choctál is donating to the East Bali Poverty Project in Indonesia and the Bright Generations Community Founda- tion in Ghana." GN Alaskan Taste Treat Comes to the Lower 48 BY ROBERT J. BOUMIS Though most people in the lower 48 only think about reindeer around the holiday season, reindeer meat, particu- larly reindeer hot dogs, sell year-round in Alaska. And given the meat's unique flavor, nutritional profile and history, reindeer could break through to a wider market at any time. In fact, some retail- ers in the continental U.S. have already begun selling reindeer dogs and meat. One such retailer, Beez Neez Gourmet Sausage of Portland, operates a high-end hot dog stand and a catering service. Owner Bryan Veal offers reindeer dogs, as well as a variety of types of sausages ranging from vegan to wild boar. Veal grew up with reindeer dogs. "I was raised in Anchorage, Alaska," he said. "It's a big summer tourist thing in downtown Anchorage, so I started doing that with a friend and took it with me when I left Alaska." Reindeer meat has a unique flavor for a red meat. The flavor is similar to ante- lope, with a tiny hint of gaminess, and almost resembles a cross between beef and pork, but it is lighter and sweeter than this combination would suggest. Additionally, reindeer sausages and hot dogs often have added spices which complement the sweetness well. Cuts of reindeer meat have a smooth, veal-like texture. Though reindeer meat itself is quite healthy, Veal is careful to avoid over- selling this, as reindeer sausages usually have pork and beef in them to help hold the links together. "I do mention it's grass fed, and it's definitely a good quality meat," Veal said. "And I do have a wild reindeer sausage as well that I definitely push as a healthier sausage." In fact, reindeer meat has much to rec- ommend it to the health-conscious din- ner. In 1990, the University of Alaska Fairbanks published Circular 78, a monograph on the nutritional value of reindeer meat. According to that study, the saturated fat content of reindeer is comparable to poultry or fish. The au- thors of the study, R.B. Swanson and his team of researchers, state: "Consumers who eat reindeer rather than an equal- sized portion of beef, lamb or pork will consume much lower levels of saturated fats due to the lower total fat content." With all reindeer has to recommend it, Veal encounters a range of customers seeking out his reindeer dogs. "I have a lot of recurrent customers and lot of tourists who come into town and get it as a novelty," he said. Not all of them react positively: "A lot of people don't think reindeer exist, so that's a conversa- tion I've had a lot," Veal said. "I've been called a liar." GN McCormick Announces Spring New Product Lineup McCormick & Company is introducing 16 new products. Offerings include new spicy, global tastes for the grill, packaging inno- vations that deliver fresh herb flavor and single-use cooking sauces for easy chicken dinners. New products include Herb Grinders: McCormick Herb Grinders offer the taste of fresh herbs without the time it takes to chop them. Larger herb pieces are gently dried to protect color and essential volatile oils, locking in the fresh herb flavor to be released upon grinding. They are available in four new varieties: Basil Herb Grinder, Italian Blend Herb Grinder, Oregano Herb Grinder and Parsley Herb Grinder. Grill Mates' first-ever single-use liquid marinades help home cooks experiment with seriously smoky flavors without any waste from leftover marinade bottles. They are available as Grill Mates 7 Spice Teriyaki Single Use Marinade, Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon Single Use Marinade and Grill Mates Montreal Steak Single Use Marinade. Other new marinades include Grill Mates Brazilian Steakhouse Marinade, Grill Mates Smoky Applewood Marinade, Grill Mates Smoky Montreal Steak Season- ing, Grill Mates Hot Pepper Blackened Sea- soning, Lawry's Mojo Criollo Marinade with Lawry's Garlic Salt and Lawry's Signa- ture Italian Marinade with Garlic, Onion & Herbs. New oven bake and skillet sauces are sin- gle-use liquid pouches that boast all the fla- vor and seasonings needed for a complete meal for the family. They include Herb Roasted Chicken Oven Bake Sauce, Italian Parmesan Chicken Oven Bake Sauce and Bourbon Chicken Skillet Sauce. GN Amplify Snack Brands, Inc. Acquires Boundless Nutrition Amplify Snack Brands, Inc. has acquired Boundless Nutrition, a rapidly growing bet- ter-for-you snack food company based in Austin, Texas. Boundless Nutrition, the makers of Oatmega protein snack bars and Perfect Cookie joins the Amplify portfolio alongside SkinnyPop Popcorn and Paqui Tortilla Chips. Boundless Nutrition's cornerstone brand, Oatmega protein bars, is a brand that is very much on-trend as consumers are increas- ingly looking for great tasting, convenient, on-the-go protein snack options. Oatmega stands for "Nutrition Shared," aiming to give good to both your body and community. Made with the highest quality ingredients, including grassfed whey protein (14g) and a daily dose of Omega-3s, Oatmega offers consumers eight delicious flavor varieties in- cluding chocolate mint crisp and chocolate peanut crisp. Oatmega is currently sold na- tionwide across natural, grocery, mass and foodservice retailers. "Boundless Nutrition is the perfect addi- tion to our expanding portfolio of better-for- you snack brands," said Tom Ennis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Amplify Snack Brands. "Oatmega's delicious protein-packed snack bars and 'Nutrition Shared' mission reinforce Amplify's snacking without compromise promise, and we're thrilled to welcome them to our family to further define what good snacks should be." "At Boundless Nutrition, we have a strong passion for making great-tasting, great-for- you products and are equally passionate about giving back to the community," said Trevor Ross, Boundless Nutrition Founder. "We're excited to join a family of brands that has a shared vision and values.". GN

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