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GOURMET NEWS MAY 2017 www.gourmetnews.com SUPPLIER NEWS 1 6 Global Warming Continued from PAGE 1 and climate change. They found a ready au- dience among the Natural Products Expo West attendees, which include many com- panies that had already set themselves goals for energy conservation and reduction of their carbon footprints and who were eager to make their commitments with respect to climate change public in this forum. "We clearly have a consensus for action – maybe not a unanimous agreement," said Tobias Schultz, the Manager of Corporate Sustain- ability Services for SCS Global Services, which provides third-party certification and auditing for companies pursuing sus- tainability objectives. "If you think of tack- ling the climate change puzzle that has to be solved, we have begun to put together some of the pieces." Schultz noted that scientists across the globe agree that the Earth has been warm- ing since the Industrial Revolution began around 1750, and that warming accelerated around the time of World War II, leaving us today with average temperatures shat- tering all records. They also have a strong consensus on what we can expect the Earth's climate to do over the next few decades, he said. "We probably have five or 10 years at the most" to control greenhouse gas emissions before desperate measures would be required to stop the Earth from becoming unlivable, he suggested. The Climate Collaborative is urging companies to take action on climate change in nine areas: agriculture, energy efficiency, food waste, forestry practices and defor- estation, packaging, engagement in climate policy, renewable energy, emissions of cli- mate pollutants and transportation. Each of those areas has been identified as an area in which natural products business leaders can make decisions and take actions that have an impact on the future of climate change, according to the Collaborative. Schultz noted that globally, agriculture is responsible for about 35 percent of green- house gas emissions, freight transport ac- counts for about 6 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and food waste is estimated to create about 2 to 3 percent of greenhouse gases, mainly as methane resulting from food decomposition. SCS Global Services recommends a five- step process relative to climate change, starting with measuring a company's carbon footprint, Schultz said. Once a company has collected data and calculated the magnitude of its carbon footprint, it's in a position to set targets for reduction and to set policies to reduce emissions. SCS Global Services generally recommends that companies con- sider using carbon offsets to achieve carbon neutrality and then to verify neutrality and report that to the public as part of a corpo- rate transparency initiative that can drive business value. "You have to be able to con- nect it to business values," Shultz said. "There's no reason you can't do that." Companies have three avenues for en- hancing their business value with public commitments to action on climate change, according to Schultz. They can use climate- friendly marketing to boost sales, they can use climate-friendly messages to enhance brand recognition, and they can anticipate and mitigate supply chain disruptions that result from climate change. Examples of companies using their greenhouse gas emission planning to enhance their brand include Delta Airlines and Biogen, a phar- maceuticals manufacturer, while Guayaki, a producer of yerba mate, is gaining recog- nition for its commitment to restore 200,000 acres of rainforest by 2020, which will produce 1,000 new jobs in the areas of South America in which its yerba mate is grown. Target issued responsible sourcing goals just last November that include a cli- mate change plank, and the mass market retailer is currently developing plans to align its global supply chain with that pro- gram, said Jennifer Silberman, Target's Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility. Stonyfield Farm, Inc. has measured more than $40 million in savings due to invest- ments in climate change, Hirshberg said. Those investments include redesigning product packaging to reduce weight and measures to improve supply chain security, he said. "It isn't just supply availability – it's price," he said. The savings also come from improved employee retention and recruitment, Hir- shberg said, adding that data suggest that 70 percent to 80 percent of Millennials make their purchasing decisions based partly on issues like climate change. Those values are also reflected in their decisions about where they'll make a living, he said. "They want to work for companies that are part of the solution," Hirshberg said. "This is a very powerful retention tool." GN Davidson's Organics Refreshes the Cup that Cheers BY LORRIE BAUMANN Davidson's Organics celebrates its 40th an- niversary with rebranded packaging, a new line of tea jellies and a new line of specialty tea chocolates. "Consumers today live very busy lifestyles. They're looking for simplicity, value and health benefits – all in a simple format," said Kunall Patel, Davidson's Or- ganics Owner and Director. "Our new package design meets all those needs while providing a very visual, trendy and high- profile look." While Davidson's Organics has been in business since 1976, Patel and his family bought the brand in 2007 after the com- pany, which had been growing organic teas in India since the 1920s, decided to verti- cally integrate by acquiring a business ac- tive in the North American market. Today, the same farmer cooperative of third-gen- eration tea growers grows the tea leaves in India, and Davidson's Organics imports them to its plant in Sparks, Nevada, where the teas are blended, manufactured, pack- aged and shipped to retailers. "We're the only tea company today that's 100 percent vertically integrated from farm to cup," Patel said. "This is different from the majority of other operations who out- source sourcing, blending, manufacturing and distribution. We do everything under one roof." The company currently offers about 300 flavors of USDA-certified organic and kosher-certified tea – the largest product range of organic teas on the market. They include 11 distinct product categories: black, green and white teas; dessert teas that mimic the flavor profiles of classic desserts without the calories; honey teas that contain real organic honey inside the teabag that dissolves out into the cup as it's infused; tulsi "holy basil" teas; rooibos- based red teas; holiday teas inspired by the season but available year-round; decaf- feinated teas, chai; and traditional favorites – the Darjeeling, Ceylon and Irish Breakfast teas. They're available in tea bags, as loose leaf tea and as brew bags designed for iced tea. "The brand's new packaging is designed to stand out on the shelf and portray the products' clean-label health benefits, com- pany story, key certifications and simple in- gredients that are easily and quickly assimilated to influence buying decisions," Patel said. "The consumer has very little time to analyze a product," he said. "To en- gender loyalty you need something more than just price." The celebration continues with a new line of tea jellies, the first of their kind on the market. The tea jellies are made by in- fusing real tea leaves, grown by the farmer cooperative of third-generation tea farmers in the Darjeeling region of India who grow the company's other tea products. Pectin and cane sugar are then added to make the jelly. The jellies come in four flavors that reflect the four best-selling Davidson's Or- ganics teas: Earl Grey, White Pomegranate, Classic Chai and Coconut Vanilla. "The jellies reflect the true flavors of the tea blend," Patel said. "There are a lot of jel- lies out there. There's no other real tea jelly that's made out of infused organic tea." The Earl Grey Tea Jelly pairs very well with meat or cheeses, according to Patel. "It's a wonderful addition to any backyard barbecue or dinner," he said. "It makes a perfect combination of salty and sweet at the same time." Consumers would use the Chai Tea Jelly as they might use a pumpkin butter in a holiday feast – as a complement to bread or cheeses. White Pomegranate Tea Jelly is a tart and fruity spread that pairs well in spring-time treats, and the Coconut Vanilla Tea Jelly is perfect as an addition to scones or croissants. Following along with the thought that tea need not be just for drinking, David- son's Organics is also introducing a new line of specialty tea chocolates made with certified organic dark cacao chocolate sprinkled with loose leaf tea, molded into bars, and then sprinkled with more tea. The chocolate comes from a cooperative of 400 third-generation cacao farmers from the Esmeraldas region of Ecuador. "It's a perfect marriage and celebration of three generations of organic agriculture," Patel said. He noted that although there are cultural differences between the two groups of farmers – the tea growers in India and the cacao growers in Ecuador —the partnership has benefited from a shared re- spect for each other's agricultural tradition. The 70g bars are 65 percent dark choco- late in three flavors: Earl Grey Lavender, Classic Chai and Coconut Vanilla. They re- tail for about $6.99. GN Higher Potassium Diet May Lower Blood Pressure Eating potassium-rich foods like sweet pota- toes, avocados, spinach, beans, bananas — and even coffee — could be key to lowering blood pressure, according to Alicia McDo- nough, PhD, Professor of Cell and Neurobi- ology at the Keck School of Medicine of University of the Southern California (USC). "Decreasing sodium intake is a well-estab- lished way to lower blood pressure," McDo- nough says, "but evidence suggests that increasing dietary potassium may have an equally important effect on hypertension." Hypertension is a global health issue that affects more than one billion people world- wide. The World Health Organization esti- mates that hypertension is responsible for at least 51 percent of deaths due to stroke and 45 percent of deaths due to heart disease. McDonough explored the link between blood pressure and dietary sodium, potas- sium and the sodium-potassium ratio in a review article published in the April 2017 issue of the American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism. The re- view looked at population, interventional and molecular mechanism studies that in- vestigated the effects of dietary sodium and potassium on hypertension. McDonough's review found several pop- ulation studies demonstrating that higher dietary potassium (estimated from urinary excretion or dietary recall) was associated with lower blood pressure, regardless of sodium intake. Interventional studies with potassium supplementation also suggested that potassium provides a direct benefit. "When dietary potassium is high, kid- neys excrete more salt and water, which in- creases potassium excretion," McDonough says. "Eating a high potassium diet is like taking a diuretic." But how much dietary potassium should we consume? A 2004 Institute of Medicine report recommends that adults consume at least 4.7 grams of potassium per day to lower blood pressure, blunt the effects of dietary sodium and reduce the risks of kidney stones and bone loss, McDonough says. Eating ¾ cup of black beans, for example, will help you achieve al- most 50 percent of your daily potassium goal. McDonough recommends developing public policies to increase intake of dietary potassium from plant-based sources. She also advocates adding potassium content to nu- trition labels to help raise consumers' aware- ness of economical sources of potassium. GN

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