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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2017 n GOURMET NEWS N H 1 2 temper the bitterness, so even people who do not like 72 percent chocolate love it. Good Health Cocoa is creating its own cat- egory of chocolates. There are five varieties to choose from: Super Antioxidant, Lasting Energy, Digestion, Heart and Passion. In its Super Antioxidant, the company in- corporates tart cherries, cocoa nibs and acai berry to the chocolate to create a flavor that helps support the body's defense system. The Lasting Energy contains real blueber- ries, goji berries and ginseng to help support energy and stamina. This will not make you nervous like drinking coffee and energy drinks, but will keep you energized for hours. The Digestion variety is designed for peo- ple with weak digestive systems. The com- pany adds coconut and almonds, along with ginkgo biloba to help support the digestive system. Doctors have recommended dark choco- late for years, so the company took this knowledge and added Hawthorn to its Heart chocolate to create a product that helps to support the cardiovascular system. Guys, do you have a stash of little blue pills? You should try Passion. The company uses orange, ginger, maca and passion flower which are beneficial for both men and women. Don't take it late at night though, or you will stay up. Eat it during the day for a couple of days, and men, you will have a smile on your face for sure. The chocolates are available in bite-size squares in colorful gable boxes or bars in a point-of-purchase display. All of the ingredi- ents are non-GMO, making this the perfect product for the natural and specialty food channels. If you are passing through Denver, tour the 15,000 square-foot chocolate factory. You are sure to love it! Now you can enjoy your chocolate and the health benefits it provides! For further information, visit booth #9663. After the show, go to www.goodhealth cocoa.com and www.centennialbrands.com or call 303.708.0300. Contact Sharon Adams, President, Centennial Brands at 303.909.3107 and sharona@centennialbrands.com or Patti Shepard, Senior Vice President, Centennial Brands at 303.708.0300 and pattis@ centennialbrands.com. Good Health Cocoa (Cont'd. from p. 1) Clover Sonoma Transitions Conventional Fluid Milk Products to Non-GMO Project Verified by 2019 Clover Sonoma, a third-generation family owned and operated leader at the forefront of the dairy industry, has pledged its commit- ment to convert its conventional fluid milk products to be Non-GMO Project Verified over the next two years. Clover Sonoma is also one of the first Non-GMO Project Veri- fied conventional milk products produced in California on a large scale. The first Non- GMO conventional half gallon milk products will be on shelf soon. "We've always taken an innovative ap- proach to elevating dairy through driving in- dustry progress, building trust with consumers and setting our own high stan- dards," said Clover Sonoma President and Chief Executive Officer Marcus Benedetti. "Our focus on non-GMO reaffirms our com- mitment to invest in the future of our dairy cows, family farms and communities. Our hope is to lead the way by creating an indus- try-wide movement towards more non-GMO feed options for our dairy cows. We look for- ward to working closely with our dairy part- ners to make this goal a reality." Clover Sonoma has been a long-standing leader in the industry, and is driven to pio- neer and elevate dairy. Clover Sonoma was one of the first dairies to support organics with its Clover Organic Farms brand of prod- ucts and was one of the first dairies in the U.S. to say no to Monsanto and the use of the rBST hormone. Clover continuously puts the health and wellness of its consumers as a top priority. The Non-GMO Project Verified seal pro- vides clear and trusted third-party testing and the highest standard in the world for non- GMO avoidance. Over the next two years, Clover Sonoma will work with its conven- tional dairy farmers to convert their dairy cow feed to non-GMO and align with the Non-GMO Project Verified requirements. The number of dairy farms in California's North Bay has declined from 135 in 1996 to 83 in 2016. Clover Sonoma's dairy farms have survived because they are forward thinking and quick adaptors (i.e. rBST-free, Clover Promise of Excellence quality, Amer- ican Humane Association certified). Clover Sonoma has worked with its family farms for years to give them a competitive advantage and to help them build suc- cessful businesses, that in most cases, sustain multiple generations. As Clover Sonoma has grown, the company has been able to attract new dairies in the North Bay and beyond. Clover has demonstrated the ability to build sustainable business models around added-value dairy: premium conven- tional, organic and now Non-GMO Project Verified conventional. Clover's commitment to non-GMO feed will continue to ensure a competitive advantage for the family dairy farms that supply Clover Sonoma milk, and help meet consumer demand for trans- parency and third-party verified non-GMO avoidance. Visit Clover Sonoma at booth #2117. Fruit Bliss Expands with Addition of Rehydrated Tomatoes, Goldenberries Fruit Bliss is proud to announce the expan- sion of its dried fruit line to include #deli- ciouslyjuicy rehydrated tomatoes and goldenberries. "After the success of our dates, figs, plums and apricots, we are thrilled to add tomatoes and goldenberries to our offerings," said Susan Leone, Founder and Owner of Fruit Bliss. "Our products are great for snacking and using in a wide array of recipes, from smoothies to baked goods, and now in pizza, pasta, sandwiches and salads." Fruit Bliss' tomatoes are grown in Turkey, while the goldenberries come from Peru. These fruits are picked at the height of ripeness and dried, then exported to Turkey, where they undergo a rehydrating process that leaves them juicier and sweeter than tra- ditional dried fruit. Like all of Fruit Bliss' products, the toma- toes and goldenberries are just fruit (yes, tomatoes are a fruit!) and water – no added sugar, preservatives or GMOs. They will be available in 4- ounce (tomatoes) and 5-ounce pouches (goldenberries) at su- permarkets around the coun- try. "Compared with other dried fruits, ours are juicy and natu- rally sweet, with no sulfites or other chemicals," said Leone, a Brooklyn mom who decided to start Fruit Bliss to fill the gap in 100 per- cent healthy snacks on the supermarket shelves. "Fruit Bliss is literally dried fruit reinvented and a truly healthy snack or addi- tion to many dishes." About Fruit Bliss Established in 2011, Fruit Bliss' pouches and snack-size minis are sold nationally and can be found in Whole Foods, Safeway, Sprouts, King's, Rosauers, Jimbo's Naturally, Kowalski's Markets and many other regional natural food stores. Fruit Bliss is the first company to bring rehydrated dried fruits, a common snack and cooking ingredient throughout Europe, to the United States. Visit Fruit Bliss at booth #5579. For more in- formation, call 646.225.6565, go to www.fruit bliss.com or email info@fruitbliss.com. Assure Customers You Understand Their Gluten-Free Concerns Consumers have demonstrated a growing in- terest in gluten-free food products over the past decade, and this trend is far from wan- ing. The gluten-free food category grew 136 percent from 2013 to 2015, reaching $11.6 billion, according to market intelligence agency Mintel. Extending well beyond the approximately one percent of the population that has celiac disease, the appeal of gluten- free products likely plays into the overall growing interest in ingredient disclosure and "free-from" labeling, as well as general in- terest in eating foods that consumers per- ceive to be more healthy. There is an obvious interest among food product marketers to tap into this trend by claiming their products are gluten-free. However, this raises the risk of confusion among consumers over what such claims mean. This potential for confusion led the FDA in 2013 to issue a rule that any product labeled "gluten-free" must contain a gluten limit of less than 20ppm (parts per million). While the FDA rule improved clarity in the marketplace concerning the meaning of gluten-free (GF) claims, the FDA does not actively police whether food manufacturers follow adequate safeguards to ensure that their GF claims are accurate. Establishing sufficient production procedures, appropriate testing methods and other safeguards are re- sponsibilities left to food manufacturers themselves. Mistakes in labeling foods as GF can be costly to manufacturers and the retailers stocking their products, as well as potentially dangerous for consumers. Brand reputation and the potential for litigation are at risk should a consumer get sick or even be misled because of a product mislabeled as gluten free. Most retailers have little con- trol over the internal practices and safeguards of the food man- ufacturers providing them with products, or the level of transparency of those manufac- turers concerning their operations. However, retailers can gain important reassurance about a manufacturer's GF claims if those claims are certified by a reputable third-party certification program, such as Gluten Intol- erance Group's (GIG's) Gluten-Free Certifi- cation Organization (GFCO). GFCO defines minimum product, equip- ment and raw material testing requirements for the manufacturer. To receive GFCO's GF certification, there must be no more than 10ppm of gluten present in a food product receiving certification. This standard is higher than the FDA's mandated 20ppm. Moreover, GFCO conforms with ISO 17065, which means its certification relates to the management system and the products of the company receiving certification, as opposed to being lim- ited to a certification pertaining to the certified company's management sys- tem, as is the case with other third party certification programs adhering to ISO 17021. In other words, a certification organ- ization conforming to ISO 17065 specifies the ppm standard to which products must conform to be certified, giving retailers ad- ditional reassurance about what they are put- ting on their shelves. Retailers of premium food products want to do everything they can to ensure the qual- ity and integrity of the items they sell. Choosing products with GFCO's GF certifi- cation is an excellent way to show con- sumers interested in GF foods that you understand their concerns and are looking out for them. For more information, visit booth #4465.

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