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GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2016 www.gourmetnews.com NEWS & NOTES 1 1 James Faison took a chance when he aban- doned his corporate law career to become a purveyor of quality meats. It looks like his move is starting to pay off. At the Summer Fancy Food Show, Faison was declared the winner of the show's Shelf Showdown: A Specialty Food Pitch Com- petition. The show is the largest market- place for specialty foods and beverages in North America. Faison, founder and owner of Milton's Local based in Hopewell, Virginia, success- fully pitched his company's uncured bacon sausage to a panel of four specialty food buyers who heard pitches from three other first-time exhibitors at the show. The sausage is made with hickory smoked bacon that is cured for eight hours and is an "incredibly healthy product," says Faison, who bested three other contenders to win. The sausage, available online and at re- gional supermarkets, sells for $6.99 - $7.99 for a 12-ounce package. "It has a really bold flavor profile," says judge Kristen Hogan, Vice Presi- dent, Gourmet and Ethnic Channel for UNFI, distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods. Milton's Local buys its meat directly from 35 local farms in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. and distributes it to a growing number of retailers and restaurants. The win, on the day before the Summer Fancy Food Show, helped Faison attract strong in- terest from dozens of buyers at the show from top names in retailing such as Whole Foods, Costco, Central Market, and even QVC. For his win, Faison, 34, a Harvard-edu- cated lawyer, took home a prize of a pro- motional package from the Specialty Food Association, owner and producer of the Summer Fancy Food Show. Launched at the 2016 Winter Fancy Food Show, the event, inspired by "Shark Tank," gives specialty food entrepreneurs the chance to give their best pitch, and to get valuable feedback from players on the front lines of retailing. The contest was open to all first-time exhibitors and the contenders were selected through an initial round of judging by members of the Spe- cialty Food Association's Retailer Network Committee. The products were evaluated on four criteria: innovation, packaging, quality and consumer appeal. In addition to Faison, the Shelf Show- down contenders were Scott Unkefer, Just Panela artisan cane sugar, Shubhra Bhatna- gar, Karmalize.me Morning Joe Spread and Spin Mlynarik, Black Market Gelato Sorbet Fresh Mint Gelato. "Each of the products that made it into the finals was a spin on a more traditional food item," says Gretchen VanEsselstyn, Education Program Director for the Spe- cialty Food Association, who organized the event. GN Attorney Turned Meat Purveyor Scores at Summer Fancy Food Show The protein industry is experiencing sub- stantial growth marked by an unprece- dented increase in consumer awareness. Ips Snacks™ has recently hired two industry veterans to aid in the company's growth to meet this demand. Since CEO Adam Ka- menstein took over the brand in 2015, he has been focused on bringing Ips Snacks to the top of the protein snack world. With 63 percent of U.S. consumers valuing the taste of their salty snacks over their nutrition, Ips Snacks bridges this gap by offering both taste and nutrition for the consumer. The brand is already a category leader and is now equipped for even more growth with the addition of these two new team mem- bers. Dan McElwee, newly named Vice Pres- ident of Sales, and Christyne Baxter, Director of Sales, bring over 50 years of combined industry experience to the brand. "I am thrilled to have Dan and Christyne on the team. Their experience in the industry is exactly what we need at Ips Snacks to really see exponential growth," Kamenstein said. "Dan and his team have a great reputation of success and hard work. We are fortunate to have them on board and to bring their passion and drive to the Ips Snacks brand." "Ips Snacks has exactly what the buyer and the consumers are looking for right now," McElwee said. The company also plans to expand to its current line of sweet and savory chips made with non-GMO corn powered by whey protein. Ips chips are avail- able in four delicious varieties: Sea Salt & Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Barbeque, and White Cheddar. The company is also now launching its first line of protein popcorn, which will be available in delicious Classic Salted and White Cheddar varieties. GN Ips Snacks CEO Welcomes 50 Years of Industry Experience to the Team NPEE Preview Continued from PAGE 1 Style Sausage & Chickpea Stew, both of which were introduced to the market ear- lier this year at the Summer Fancy Food Show, while Brio Ice Cream will be offering its better-for-you ice cream. Made with cal- cium-rich organic whole milk (from pas- ture-raised cows), Brio has only 150 calories per serving and offers protein plus a healthy balance of omegas. Brio is certi- fied gluten free, kosher and non-GMO. Against the Grain will be exhibiting with new 100 percent plant-based Ginger Cook- ies and Chocolate Chip Cookies that are both gluten free and grain free for an indul- gent treat that the company says is better for the planet. Alpine Valley Bread will be introducing organic bakery-style breads that come from its SQF-certified bakery in Mesa, Arizona. Alpine Valley Bread products are Non- GMO Project Verified, USDA certified or- ganic, kosher and whole grain. The product assortment includes nine flavors: Multi Grain with Omega 3, 21 Whole Grains, Super Grains, Sprouted Honey Wheat with Flaxseed, Nine Grain, 12 Grain with Omega 3, Honey Whole Wheat, Honey Chia and Raisin Cinnamon Whole Wheat. SuperSeedz is expanding its family of products with a convenient, new 1-ounce size mini pouch available in six flavors in- cluding: Maple Sugar & Sea Salt, Sea Salt, Somewhat Spicy, Cinnamon & Sugar, Coco Joe, and Super Spicy. The mini pouches are expected to be priced between $1.49 and $1.99 and will ship in a display-ready, 12- count caddy. Alchem International is introducing AlchemLife, the platform for its line of all- natural, botanical complexes that includes Liverubin, a highly water-soluble sily- marin, an antioxidant derived from the milk thistle plant that has been used to support overall liver function. Liverubinis available in orange-flavored tablets. Flex- iQule is a blend of concentrated Boswell Serrata Extract and ginger and is designed to promote joint mobility and flexibility, while PhytoRelief-CC lozenges provide temporary relief for coughs and sore throats. They contain a synergistic blend of menthol, pomegranate, ginger and turmeric. Vital Earth will be offering its Fulvic Minerals, an all-natural source of over 70 naturally occurring ionic minerals derived from plant matter. Fulvic Minerals boost the body's natural defenses, super- charge the immune system and increase energy, according to the company, and Vital Earth uses a gentle, proprietary ex- traction process that assures that 100 per- cent of the fulvic is retained and undamaged. GloryBee will once again be calling the Natural Products Expo community's atten- tion to the plight of America's honey bees, which are falling victim to Colony Collapse Disorder. CCD has wiped out some 10 mil- lion beehives over the past six years. The death rate for colonies hit 45 percent annu- ally in recent years, resulting in nearly one- third the number of honey bee colonies in the U.S. as there were in 1947, according to Glory Bee, which launched its Save the Bee social initiative program in 2012. GloryBee Honey, Beekeeping and HoneyStix brand s donate 1 percent of annual retail and select bulk to help fund honey bee health re- search. As part of its mission to support ongo- ing education about this issue, GloryBee supports the Oregon State University Honey Bee Lab's research on bee nutri- tion and health, and works closely with beekeeping associations across the na- tion to facilitate education about the care of bees. This past April, GloryBee pre- sented a check for over $65,000 to the OSU Honey Bee Lab, a donation nearly 50 percent larger than last year's contri- bution. GN

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