Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS FEBRUARY 2017 www.gourmetnews.com NEWS & NOTES 6 Introducing the Dash Robotic Shopping Cart Dash Robotic Shopping Cart was designed with the frustrated shopper in mind. The consumer simply walks up to Dash and transfers a shopping list from a phone or creates a new list using the store search fea- ture. Then the robot leads the way, map- ping out the most effective route to the listed items. Dash is equipped with a scanner and payment system so the customer can scan and pay for their items at the cart. After paying for items, the cart follows the cus- tomer to their car for unloading. Once empty, the cart returns itself to the store and its docking station. If that isn't cool enough, Dash features a Virtual Reality interface which shows the store to the customer as she walks down the aisles. Looking up, the customer sees the store. Looking down, the customer sees the VR representation of the store and aisle they are in with their next item highlighted on the screen. "The Dash Robotic Shopping cart will absolutely transform the way we do shop- ping. Once these robots are in the stores, we will not be able to imagine how we ever shopped without them," says CEO Wendy Roberts. Five Elements Robotics is ex- pecting these to be in stores in 2017. For more information, visit www.5erobotics.com. GN Schuman Cheese Employees 'Say Cheese' to Holiday Giving Schuman Cheese and its employees across the country spent much of the last holiday season demonstrating acts of caring and sharing in numerous ways. The annual hol- iday giving activities are one way Schuman Cheese and its employees put the com- pany's core values, including a commit- ment to community, into tangible practice. For the past several months the team in Elgin, Illinois, has been participating in a unique program that combines weight loss motivation with charitable giving, affection- ately known as the Spare Tire Reduction Program. In addition to donating approxi- mately 350 pounds of non-perishable food to a local food bank, employees lost more than 60 pounds during the course of the program. The company matched the food donation, and employees were so encour- aged by the results that they are launching a new session after the holidays. Employees at the company's headquar- ters location in Fairfield, New Jersey, and the nearby office in Woodbridge collected more than $1,000 worth of toys for the an- nual Toys for Tots donation. Lake Country Dairy, located in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, and its employees con- tributed nearly $1,400 to the community through donations to local school and civic groups, as well as a 50/50 raffle to support two local families in need. Holiday giving is just one way Schuman Cheese gives back to the communities it calls home. In addition to various local school and civic causes, Schuman Cheese and its em- ployees also proudly support St. Jude Chil- dren's Research Hospital through its employee giving program and other initia- tives; community food banks through food drives, monetary donations and employee volunteer events; the Susan G. Komen North Jersey chapter and the Junior Achievement student mentoring program. GN KeHE Continued from PAGE 1 Acquisition In February, KeHE acquired Monterrey Provision Company, a San Diego-based dis- tributor of fresh perimeter products. The Monterrey acquisition aligned two compa- nies with complementary assets and skills, advancing on KeHE's vision to expand its footprint in this cool growth category. Expansion KeHE broadened its reach with the arrival of its 17th distribution center. Located in Aurora, Colorado, near Denver, this state- of-the-art 270,000-square-foot facility was built from the ground up to meet LEED Gold certification for energy-efficient prac- tices. KeHE celebrated the opening of the site in August with a philanthropic activity that provided 1,000 boxes of food to area families in need. Show Growth KeHE experienced double-digit growth across its award-winning trade shows. The Natural Spring Show saw a 27 percent in- crease in attendance from 2015, and the Natural Fall Show saw 35 percent atten- dance growth since 2014. KeHE looks for- ward to welcoming suppliers and retailers to the Summer Selling Show in New Or- leans on February 7-8, 2017. New CFO KeHE also expanded its leadership team with the appointment of Timothy J. Wig- gins as Chief Financial Officer in July. In his role, Wiggins leads all aspects of KeHE's finance function and strategic planning, as well as business unit and subsidiary per- formance. GN Technomic Market Research Finds 5 Key Consumer Trends for 2017 Technomic has identified five themes that will define consumer foodservice behavior this year, and presented them at Tech- nomic's annual Consumer Insights Plan- ning Program meeting, January 11-12, 2017 in Newport Beach, California. A com- prehensive analysis of evolving consumer lifestyles paired with exclusive industry, menu, operator, and consumer data signals that 2017 will see an accelerated fragmen- tation of consumer attitudes and purchase drivers. "Overarching trends related to increased demand for high-quality, better-for-you fare and unique yet convenient foodservice ex- periences will not subside," said Kelly Weikel, Technomic's Director of Consumer Insights. "However, the way that con- sumers define these important elements and their willingness and ability to pay more for them increasingly varies from one consumer to the next. This year it will be especially important for operators to un- derstand niche consumer groups and meet expectations at a range of value tiers." Among the other conclusions from its re- search, Technomic is predicting that in- creasing uncertainty in the marketplace will lead lower- and middle-class con- sumers to curb foodservice spending until the instability subsides, while more affluent consumers are less likely to cut back. The Technomic research indicates that just 38 percent of Americans surveyed believe that the economy will improve in 2017. Technomic predicts that we can expect restaurants to be selling themselves more often as places for people and communities to connect, give back, recuperate, foster di- versity and inclusivity and to make healthy choices in a balanced approach to support an overall healthy lifestyle. Almost half of those surveyed said that they believe that it's important that restaurants contribute to their communities, and almost half said that their definition of what's "healthy" has changed since 2014. They're now looking for food that's rich in antioxidants, helps the immune system or offers other benefits that support spiritual, mental or physical health, and restaurant operators are likely to respond by touting food as the best med- icine for a healthy life. Restaurants can also be expected to offer modern, unique twists on classic fare to ap- peal to consumers who crave new foods and experiences but seek the comfort that familiar options provide. Restaurant oper- ators will be highlighting their sources, em- phasizing local ingredients when they can, and offering authentic ingredients in new ways. We can also expect to see restaurants working hard to capture more of the busi- ness from consumers who prefer to eat at home. More than 40 percent of Millennials surveyed said that they're ordering take-out more often now than they did in 2013. Restaurant operators are likely to respond by offering better online ordering and de- livery services, including the possibility of delivering food by drones. GN FDA and EPA Issue Final Fish Consumption Advice to Consumers The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have issued final advice regarding fish con- sumption. This advice is geared toward helping women who are pregnant or may become pregnant – as well as breastfeeding mothers and parents of young children – make informed choices when it comes to fish that are healthy and safe to eat. To help consumers more easily under- stand the types of fish to select, the agen- cies have created an easy-to-use reference chart that sorts 62 types of fish into three categories: "Best Choices," "Good Choices," and "Fish to Avoid."The agencies recommend consumption of two to three servings per week from fish and shellfish on the Best Choices list and one serving per week from fish and shellfish on the Good Choices list. Fish in the Best Choices cate- gory make up nearly 90 percent of fish eaten in the United States. An FDA analysis of fish consumption data found that 50 percent of pregnant women surveyed ate fewer than 2 ounces a week, far less than the amount recom- mended. Because the nutritional benefits of eating fish are important for growth and development during pregnancy and early childhood, the agencies are advising and promoting a minimum level of seafood consumption for these groups. The advice recommends two to three servings of lower-mercury fish per week, or 8 to 12 ounces. However, all fish contain at least traces of mercury, which can be harmful to the brain and nervous system if a person is ex- posed to too much of it over time. The maximum level of consumption recom- mended in the final advice is consistent with the previous recommended level of 12 ounces per week. The new advice is consis- tent with the 2015 - 2020 Dietary Guide- lines for Americans. For adults, a typical serving is 4 ounces of fish, measured before cooking. Serving sizes for children should be smaller and ad- justed for their age and total calorie needs. It is recommended that children eat fish once or twice a week, selected from a vari- ety of fish types. GN

• Cover