Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS AUGUST 2016 www.gourmetnews.com Supplier Business SUPPLIER BUSINESS 1 2 BRIEFS Lotus Foods is extending its line of excep- tional heirloom, organic and specialty rices with an authentic Indian basmati – Dehraduni basmati. Dehraduni's famed fla- vor, fragrance and elongation are what ele- vated basmati rice to one of the world's most recognized and best-loved rices. Dehraduni basmati is a long slender, aromatic grain that almost doubles in length when cooked. The word "basmati" comes from the Sanskrit word for fragrant. Dehraduni bas- mati is recognized as the "mother of all basmati." It is a lan- drace, which means it is a locally adapted variety with a distinct identity of historical origin and lacks any formal crop improve- ment. Landraces are often genetically di- verse and associated with traditional farming systems. They are closely associ- ated with traditional uses, knowledge, habits, dialects and celebrations of the peo- ple who developed and continue to grow them. Dehraduni basmati gets its name from the city of Dehradun, capital of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, in the foothills of the Himalayas, where it has been grown for centuries on small family farms. How- ever, in recent years, farmers have been abandoning the rice to get higher yields from hybrid rices. To coun- teract this trend, Lotus Foods is sourcing Dehraduni basmati from farmers who have adopted More Crop Per Drop™ (Sys- tem of Rice Intensifi- cation) methods. With this method of organic rice intensification farmers can increase their yields 40-50 percent with 30-40 percent less water. And because they need 80-90 percent less seed than with conventional practices their actual yield is even higher and their production costs significantly lower. "Providing these in- novative farmers with a market and or- ganic premiums will make Dehraduni basmati production profitable," says Ken Lee, Lotus Foods Co-Founder/Co-CEO. "We hope that consumers will join us in helping to preserve this traditional bas- mati and at the same time scale adoption and spread of More Crop Per Drop prac- tices, which reduce women's toil, con- serve water and cut methane emissions." The company's introduction of the Dehraduni basmati coincides with the launch of its "Do the Rice Thing" campaign, which will draw attention to the benefits of More Crop Per Drop growing methods for water and women. It will be available in bulk ini- tially, and in both polished white and whole grain brown rice options. Since 1995, Lotus Foods has been part- nering in fair trade with small family farmers around the world who are grow- ing rice more sustainably and preserving heirloom and specialty rices. Lotus Foods' product line is unique in deliver- ing consumers healthier, versatile rice and rice-based foods that respect their multiple concerns for the highest stan- dards of taste together with social and en- vironmental ethics. GN Lotus Foods Seeks to Preserve Traditional Dehraduni Basmati Rice As consumers seek ways to determine au- thentic extra virgin olive oil from the fake, Bellucci, headquartered in Grosseto, Italy, is offering a multi-pronged solution: trace- ability and sophisticated tasting skills. The company offers precise, detailed informa- tion to empower customers in choosing true EVOO products, while ensuring the authenticity of Bellucci EVOO at all levels of production. Bellucci keeps digital track of each olive grower's contribution throughout the coop- erative milling and bottling process, so any bottle of Bellucci EVOO can be traced to its origin in rural Italy. In addition to its trace- ability function, the Bellucci App teaches users how to evaluate for freshness and taste for flavors unique to EVOO. Ad- vanced instruction in discerning flavor nu- ances based on harvests, regions and olive cultivars offers an experience of EVOO as an expression of terroir. The value of the Bellucci App in commu- nicating with consumers was recognized at the 2015 Anuga International Food Show. Bellucci has also received several awards for its line of EVOO. The Los Angeles In- ternational Extra Virgin Olive Oil Compe- tition awarded silver medals to both the 2016 Toscano PGI Organic and the 2015 100% Italian Organic, and the 2016 harvest of 100% Italian won a gold medal at this year's New York International Olive Oil Competition. A brand less than three years old, Bellucci is already being widely recog- nized for its flavor and contribution to the industry. CEO Gerard Jara said, "Our trace-to- source technology allows us to fulfill con- sumer demand for authentic, fresh, healthy, and honest EVOO at a time when integrity is what matters. The app enables us to con- nect our customers to the source of their EVOO in small family groves in rural Italy and gives users the skill they need to taste for freshness and flavors distinct to genuine EVOO. They'll learn how to authenticate EVOO." GN Bellucci Extra Virgin Italian Olive Oil Fights Fraud What originally began as a homebrew quest to develop an herbal beer instead led to the birth of Top Note Tonics. Mary Pellettieri, a chemist, botanist and craft beer veteran who spent a number of years in product de- velopment at Goose Island Brewery, was experimenting with botanicals when she produced an herbal concentrate that in- trigued her. It was a flavor profile that paired bitter, sour and sweet and was rem- iniscent of the curative tonics used in Eu- rope in the early 1800s. Over the course of several years, Pellettieri and her partner, Noah Swanson, refined her original recipe and in 2014 debuted Top Note Tonics – a classic line of complex herbal concentrates that create an amaro soft beverage or sophisticated hard drink when mixed with seltzer water and spirits. "There's a certain elegance to assembling a cocktail that's purposely built with re- freshing flavors and not overpowered by sweet. Top Note Tonics are simple to use and provide flavor complexity without extra steps," says Pellettieri. The tonics are available in five concen- trates – Bitter Orange, Bitter Lemon, Gen- tian Lime, Indian Tonic and Ginger Beer. Each is made from carefully sourced whole roots, barks, fruits, herbs, spices and real cane sugar. No artificial colors or preserva- tives are used and all varieties are gluten free, made with non-GMO ingredients and contain half the sugar of standard mixers. Top Note Tonics are available in 10- and 25-ounce bottles. They retail for approxi- mately $10 and $22 and can be purchased online attopnotetonic.com and Amazon or at select grocery and spirit stores. GN Top Note Tonics Revive European Flavor Profile Newman's Own Introduces Five New Organic Salad Dressings Newman's Own, donates all profits to charity, announced the launch of a new line of organic salad dressings that will give families five delicious new choices to dress their salads. All five varieties of the new Newman's Own Organics salad dressing use the highest quality cold- pressed organic extra virgin olive oil, blended with organic herbs and spices to create an exceptional taste for any salad. The Newman's Own Organics salad dressing lineup includes five family favorites: Olive Oil & Vinegar, an organic version of Paul Newman's original dressing, Balsamic; Italian; Ranch and Caesar. Pete and Gerry's Launch Egg Donation Program Pete and Gerry's Organics, LLC, producer of Certified Humane egg brands Pete and Gerry's Organic and Nellie's Free Range have launched an egg donation program that will provide dozens of food banks throughout the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern regions of the U.S. with a weekly supply of fresh, Free- Range, Certified Humane eggs. The program is already off to a strong start, with more than 5 million eggs donated to nine food banks throughout six states in June alone. BelGioioso Introduces New Snacking Fontina, Mini Mascarpone and Mini Ricotta BelGioioso Cheese, Inc. is introducing three new items that meet consumer's needs for individual sized, portion-controlled snacks. In addition to Fontina Snacking Cheese, BelGioioso has created a 3-ounce Mini Mascarpone™ cup designed for freshness and convenience and a 5-ounce Mini Ricotta™ single-serve cup. Bonne Maman Expands Line with Spreads for Cheese Bonne Maman is introducing Bonne Maman Spread for Cheese in three delicious flavors, all specially created to spread beautifully and to pair perfectly with all types of cheese. Black Cherry, Purple Fig and Quince Spreads for Cheese are all made with simple, high-quality ingredients from a homemade-style recipe. Bonne Maman is also introducing a new flavor in its regular fruit preserves line: Mango Peach, a unique flavor in the preserves category. barkTHINS Expands Product Line Introducing barkTHINS – Fair Trade Ingredient Certified dark chocolate paired with real, simple, non-GMO ingredients for a completely original way to snack. With seven unique flavor combinations such as dark chocolate with roasted almonds and sea salt, dark chocolate with toasted coconut and new dark chocolate and roasted peanut, barkTHINS are the perfect snack for any occasion. Limited edition holiday flavors also include dark chocolate with gingerbread cookie and dark chocolate with peppermint and pretzels.

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