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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2017 n GOURMET NEWS N H 1 9 0 Sky Family Farms brand, shares why cage free is not enough – and why its free range and pas- ture raised egg production creates more hu- mane, ethical and higher quality eggs. "This is another major milestone for us to lead the industry in the humane production of free range ethical eggs," said John Brun- nquell, Founder and President of Egg Inno- vations and the Blue Sky Family Farms brand. "Because all of our chickens get out- doors on pasture, customers keep telling us that our eggs look and taste better. This in- spired us to help educate America on making the more humane choice by creating the 'Think Outside the Barn' campaign, because cage free hens just can't." Driven by consumer demand, an increas- ing number of companies, such as McDon- ald's, Starbucks and Costco, are embracing the transition to cage free eggs over the next five to 15 years. While this is a more humane approach than caged, the hens spend their entire lives inside a barn with an average of 1 square foot of space. Egg Innovations and Blue Sky Family Farms employ true certi- fied humane free range and pasture raised egg production that allows hens to live natu- rally in safe environments where they perch and nest with plenty of room for flapping, dust-bathing and social interaction. In addi- tion to a nutritious vegetarian feed, the hens are free to enjoy roaming inside and out on pasture getting fresh air under open skies while foraging for tasty proteins and greens. While Egg Innovations is committed to humane egg production, free range and pas- ture raised eggs also look and taste great as a result of their thicker shells, high orange yolks and thick egg whites. With its tag line, "Ethical Eggs for the Hu- mane Race," the Blue Sky Family Farms brand holds to the highest Humane Farm An- imal Care (HFAC) "Certified Humane" stan- dards for free range and pasture raised eggs. In addition to great tasting eggs, families can feel good that their purchase supports family farmers in America, as Egg Innova- tions is an industry-leading partner providing some of the longest farmer contracts and best financial returns. Visit Egg Innovations/Blue Sky Family Farms at booth #4082. For more informa- tion, visit www.egginnovations.com, www.blueskyfamilyfarms.com or call 800.337.1951. For sales assistance, call Steve Hagopian at 314.392.3835 or email shagopian@egginnovations.com. Egg Innovations (Cont'd. from p. 1) that make baking goodies anyone really wants to eat harder to do? All put together, it's easy to see why fewer people today try their hand at baking homemade treats for their families. That's why Atlantic Natural Foods is es- pecially excited to announce its new line of Neat ® gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free cookie, brownie and pancake/waffle mixes. Made with all natural ingredients, measured and tested for the absolute best texture and flavor, they make whipping up craveable home-baked goodies a snap. The Neat line features three different cookie mixes: Mocha Dark Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Pecan Raisin and Cowgirl Cookie (made with chocolate chips, cherries, oat- meal and pistachios), as well as a Black Bean Brownie and Cinnamon Pecan Pancake and Waffle mix. All are absolutely free of gluten and dairy, and because they feature Neat's Neat Egg natural egg replacement, they're free of eggs as well. Just add water or non- dairy milk (and, in some cases, vegan butter or coconut oil), and bake. Neat products are made with a propri- etary blend of nuts and legumes, and the Neat Egg natural egg replacement is made with chia seeds and garbanzo beans. They're not only a natural source of clean protein, they also have a deliciously irre- sistible dense, rich flavor and delectable texture that even people without food sen- sitivities will love. Like all Neat products, they're conveniently shelf-stable, so they're perfect for keeping on hand in the pantry until the urge to nurture strikes. Because they require the addition of only one or two easy-to-find ingredients, it takes just a few minutes to mix and bake them up. There are plenty of ready-to-eat, but "not- quite-the-way-you-remembered it" gluten-, dairy- and egg-free packaged treats out there. But thanks to Atlantic Natural Foods and Neat, now there's a quick and easy way to recreate those happy childhood memories – delicious, fresh-baked goodies made with love – and at the same time, make plenty of sweet new memories of your own. Visit Atlantic Natural Foods at booth #3097. For more information, go to www.atlantic naturalfoods.com, call 252.462.0355 x130 or email trhein@atlanticnaturalfoods.com. Atlantic Natural Foods (Cont'd. from p. 1) agricultural business. The Ricchiuti family has long been known worldwide for its almonds, and more re- cently, for its organic almonds under the P- R Farms, Inc. label. P-R Farms, Inc. is a grower, huller, packer and shipper in addi- tion to being qualified in all export regula- tions, which has earned it an excellent international reputation. As members of the Almond Board of California, P-R Farms, Inc. abides by prescribed grower practices that are sustainable, economical and environ- mentally friendly. With a strong commitment to stay abreast of technological advance- ments, the family continually reevaluates and upgrades equipment and production methodologies to ensure exceptional prod- ucts, efficiency and food safety. In a quest to continue diversification while responding to consumer demands, the Ric- chiuti family took on a new venture in 2008, drawing upon old world expertise and four generations of farming in the heart of Cali- fornia's San Joaquin Valley to craft 100 per- cent estate-grown organic extra virgin olive oil. The Ricchiuti's ENZO Olive Oil Com- pany remains steadfast in its pursuit to up- hold the family's 100-year tradition of excellence by planting each and every tree, harvesting the crop, milling the fruit and bot- tling the oil under the direction and supervi- sion of Patrick and Vincent Ricchiuti. This meticulous, hands-on approach is what Patrick and Vincent believe it takes to pro- duce the finest oil. Most recently, the Ricchiuti family took another step to expand its product line by in- troducing the perfect complement to its ENZO organic extra virgin olive oil with the addition of ENZO organic balsamic vinegar. This prized Italian classic from Modena, Italy is fashioned in the Old World style where time-honored traditions and tech- niques yield a rich, complex and flavorful ar- tisanal treasure. There are three varieties of handcrafted, barrel-aged vinegars: Tradi- tional, Apple and Fig. As a proud member of the California Olive Oil Council, ENZO Olive Oil Com- pany adheres to the most stringent standards in the world and shares in the organization's mission of promoting fresh, certified extra virgin olive oil. ENZO Olive Oil is also sanc- tioned organic by the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture, certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers, kosher certified by Kosher Supervision of America, as well as Non-GMO Project Verified. With its nationally and internationally ac- claimed, award-winning line of varietals and infused ENZO organic extra virgin olive oil, ENZO organic balsamic vinegar, and pre- mium P-R Farms, Inc. California almonds, one could easily agree that Founders Vin- cenzo and Pat Ricchiuti would be most pleased to see the direction and progress that Ricchiuti Family Farms has realized since its inception back in 1914. Visit ENZO Olive Oil at booth #5773. For more information, go to www.prfarms.com or www.enzooliveoil.com, email info@ prfarms.com or info@enzooliveoil.com or call 559.299.7278. Ricchiuti (Cont'd. from p. 1) individual product categories, unlocking coveted ad claims for retail giants like Post ® , Bertolli, Dannon and Goya. "More than ever, people are searching for products with more complex ingredient com- binations, products that represent different cultures and diverse tastes," said ChefsBest President and Chief Executive Officer Lisa Liguori. "In response to that cultural shift, boutique brands have emerged that don't necessarily garner a national presence but still pique the interest of thousands of re- gional customers. Our new Quality in Craft Award is geared toward helping those prod- ucts stand out to customers and retailers who may be considering a number of products for their shelves." Under new guidelines created by Chefs- Best, brands that have under $1 million in an- nual sales may pursue the new Quality in Craft Award. Those who qualify will be eval- uated by Certified Master Tasters using Sen- sory Attribute Quality Analysis ® , the same proprietary judging method used when deter- mining prestigious and nationally recognized ChefsBest Best Taste and Excellence awards. "Our goal with the Quality in Craft Award is to make our coveted ChefsBest recognition accessible to brands that operate on a smaller scale as our traditional licensees," Liguori said. "It represents a different path for us, but it's guided by the same quantifiable, reliable recognition for flavor and quality that we have always used. Now different brands can access awards that help them garner shelf space from retailers, and attention from customers who are looking for great-tasting products." About ChefsBest ChefsBest identifies and honors the best tast- ing grocery products in order to support the companies that make them and the people who choose to select them. Through its head- quarters in San Diego and the Center for Taste in San Francisco, the organization has judged thousands of grocery products and bestowed its Best Taste and Excellence awards on the highest-quality products since 2000. Through ChefsBest, brands can unlock coveted ad claims and consumers can garner insight they need to purchase the best-tasting and highest quality ingredients. ChefsBest awards are a nationally recognized trust mark used by numerous brands, both in and out of the grocery aisle. For more information, visit www.chefsbest.com. ChefsBest (Cont'd. from p. 1) fruits, nuts and vegetables. One out of every three bites of food Americans consume comes from a plant visited by bees or other pollinators. Recently, honey bees have been dying by the tens of millions. These deaths are caused by Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a phenomenon linked to the drastic rise in the number of disappearances of west- ern honey bee colonies in North America. Although there are many theories as to the cause of CCD, there is still no specific cause identified by researchers. CCD has wiped out some 10 million bee- hives over the past six years. The death rate for colonies hit 45 percent annually in recent years, resulting in nearly one-third the num- ber of honey bee colonies in the U.S. as there were in 1947. With such a strong commitment to saving the bees, it is no surprise that GloryBee is passion- ate about honey. Most of GloryBee's honey va- rieties come from the Pacific Northwest and are produced by local beekeepers. The imported Non-GMO Project Verified organic honeys are purchased from cooperatives of beekeepers that are very conscientious about the treatment of their bees and the quality of the honey. New for 2017, GloryBee is proud to an- nounce its Save the Bee Honey, which is specifically created to raise awareness among consumers about the dangers honey bees are facing. This delicious high-quality GloryBee honey is already creating a buzz, with 10 percent of sales going directly to fund honey bee research. Visit GloryBee and try a free sample of Save the Bee Honey at booth #3660. For more in- formation, go to www.glorybee.com. To find out how you can partner with the Save the Bee Program, visit www.glorybee.com/savethebee or call 800.456.7923. GloryBee (Cont'd. from p. 1)

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