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News & Notes GourmET nEWS oCTobEr 2016 www.gourmetnews.com nEWS & noTES 6 BRIEFS Howard E. butt, Jr., Work/ life Pioneer, Dead at 89 Howard E. Butt, Jr. has died from complications related to Parkinson's. The former president of The H. E. Butt Foundation and H-E-B board vice chair was 89. Born Sept. 8, 1927 in Kerrville, Texas, Butt grew up in the food business founded in 1905 by his grandmother, Florence. Butt's parents, Howard E. Butt, Sr., and Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Butt, greatly expanded the family business through the years. Today, H-E-B is one of the largest food retailers in the United States, with annual sales of more than $23 billion. With over 380 stores and 96,000 employees, H-E-B is one of the largest privately held companies in the nation, serving families in more than 300 communities throughout Texas and northern Mexico. Korean Food and Culture to be Showcased at nyC Wine & Food Festival The flavors and colors of Korea will be on dazzling display at Koreatown Eats presented by the Korean Food Foundation hosted by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard on Saturday, October 15. This late-night party taking place at Union Fare, a new modern gastrohall spanning a full city block in Union Square, will feature 13 of the country's most talented Korean American and American chefs introducing a "New Korean" food experience through their bold innovations with traditional Korean ingredients. For this one exceptional evening they will create modern interpretations of the delicious and authentic foods of Korea. The line-up includes Cooking Channel personality and London-based chef Judy Joo; Erik Bruner Yang of Maketto in Washington, D.C.; Forbes 30 Under 30 chef Deuki Hong; esteemed pastry chef Belinda Leong of b. Patisserie in San Francisco; James Beard Award-winner Tory Miller of Sujeo in Madison, Wisconsin; and from New York City, Esther Choi of Mokbar; Robert Austin Choi of Kimchi Smoke; Amanda Cohen of Dirt Candy; Daniel Holtzman of Meatball Shop; Sohu Kim of The Good Fork I Insa; Yvan Lemoine of Union Fare; Flynn McGarry of Eureka Pop Up and Justin Smillie of Upland. Foodie Tour offers Experience in Peru's Culinary Traditions Due to New World history, Peru is rich in cultural diversity. Combining this with being one of the 10 most biologically diverse destinations in the world, you get a perfect blend for creating a delicious food culture. This year the country was awarded South America's Leading Culinary Destination by the World Travel Awards. In response to the long-standing tradition of superb food, Southwind Adventures has designed an original, first-class tour featuring the gastronomic traditions of this historic nation. The 9-day tour "Flavors & Culinary Traditions" hosts a variety of experiences, including delightful lunches and dinners at top and historic restaurants, Andean crops and interaction with local farmers, tastings and cooking demonstrations and classes hosted by leading chefs in the region. Together with its industry partners and em- ployees, this summer Schuman Cheese raised $230,000 in support of St. Jude Chil- dren's Research Hospital. The contribution was made possible in part by the Schuman Cheese 70th Anniversary Charity Event, a golf tournament that raised money through various donations and auction items. In ad- dition, the company recently launched an employee-giving program that allows em- ployees to contribute to St. Jude through automatic payroll deductions, with their donations augmented by a corporate match. "Living our core values each and every day is an important responsibility for us as a company and for each of us individually," said Ian Schuman, fourth-generation family member and Specialty Cheese Business Manager for Schuman Cheese. "All of our values are important, but ensuring the well- being of the people involved in our work and the well-being of our communities is truly essential." At recent staff meetings, Schuman Cheese employees expressed an interest in becoming more involved in community outreach programs. That led several mem- bers of the leadership team to develop a more formal social giving program. "We brainstormed issues that are important and we could rally around," Schuman said. "Children's health is something that affects everyone. It's global and tangible. We all immediately agreed it was the right cause." "We like knowing that our contributions are going to an organization that is doing some of the best work and advancing in the areas of child health, with a system that keeps the focus on family and not on the financial burden a childhood illness can create," Schuman added. "The hospital's national presence was also a great fit with our national footprint, so employees across the country can feel connected to the cause." In addition to various causes in its local communities, Schuman Cheese and its em- ployees also proudly support community food banks through food and monetary do- nations, as well as employee volunteer events; the Susan G. Komen North Jersey chapter and the Junior Achievement stu- dent mentoring program. GN Schuman Cheese and Friends Raise Money for St. Jude Consumer demand for product trans- parency is on the rise, and brands that ful- fill this demand by providing comprehensive product information are poised to grow market share and revenue. In fact, Label Insight's "2016 Transparency ROI Study" reveals that nearly nine in 10 consumers say transparency is important to them across every food product category, and 40 percent say they would switch to a new brand if it offered full product trans- parency. The study by Label Insight, a cloud- based data refinery for product data, exam- ined the specific information consumers seek from brands, how they want to access that information, and how that information affects purchase behavior and brand loyalty. The study surveyed more than 2,000 con- sumers and reveals an overall desire for more product information, as well as an in- clination to be more loyal to brands that provide more detailed insights. "Label Insight has long believed that there is a tangible return on investment with transparency of product information between brands and consumers," said Patrick Moorhead, CMO of Label Insight. "This study reveals what matters most to consumers in terms of the products they use and consume, and draws a clear corre- lation between transparency and improved consumer trust, enhanced brand loyalty, and overall long term value in repeat pur- chase." The report addresses the impact of trans- parency on consumer loyalty and purchase behavior, and provides guidelines for brands on how to develop trust among consumers. Key findings include that 81 percent of consumers said they would con- sider a brand's entire portfolio of products if they switched to that brand as a result of increased transparency and that 56 percent reported that additional product informa- tion about how food is produced, handled or sourced would make them trust that brand more. Almost three quarters of the respondents said they would be willing to pay more for a product that offers complete transparency in all attributes, and 94 percent said they are more likely to be loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency. A bit more than three quarters said they are very likely or somewhat likely to use SmartLabel tech- nology and 44 percent said they would trust a brand more if it participated in the SmartLabel initiative. "For brands to succeed in today's mar- ketplace, they must understand that con- sumers place transparency above many other factors, and switch to competitive products that provide detailed product in- formation," added Moorhead. "By provid- ing information consumers want in one place, brands have the opportunity to cre- ate lasting trust and valued relationships with their customers." GN Study Finds Growth in Consumer Demand for Transparency Experts from Kashi, Amy's Kitchen and the Organic Trade Association will shed light on the newest initiative in the organic food sector – the Certified Transitional label – at this year's Organic & Non-GMO Forum, November 14-15 at the Hyatt Regency Min- neapolis, Minnesota. Hundreds are expected to turn out for a panel session that will address Certified Transitional, a new third party certifica- tion process that monitors and approves farms that are transitioning from conven- tional to organic. Panelists Anna Jesus, Senior Director of Quality Systems at Amy's Kitchen, Inc.; Tina Owens, Senior Manager of Sustainability at Kashi; and Nate Lewis, Senior Crops and Livestock Specialist for the Organic Trade Associa- tion, will cover the various Certified Tran- sitional initiatives currently affecting the marketplace as well as review the pro- grams available to farmers and the impact on organic supply. They also will take a look at what's coming next. "This session will address what these programs mean for the entire value chain (from producers to food companies) and the innovative ways CPG players are get- ting involved with Certified Transitional initiatives," said Sarah Day Levesque, event chair and Senior Director at HighQuest Group, the hosts of the Organic & Non- GMO Forum. "In particular, Certified Tran- sitional means potentially more sourcing options for the estimated $39 billion mar- ket for organic foods that is now serviced only by the one percent of U.S. farms that are certified organic." Day Levesque ex- plained that Certified Transitional reduces the barriers to converting to organic by al- lowing farmers to sell their products at a premium price – somewhere between con- ventional and organic pricing – during the three-year transition period that's required for a transition from conventional farming to organic. Learn more at www.highquest group.com. GN Conference Introduces Certified Transitional Initiatives

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