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GOURMET NEWS MAY 2017 www.gourmetnews.com Supplier News SUPPLIER NEWS 1 3 BRIEFS Emmi Roth USA Launches New Roth Organics Cheese Line Emmi Roth USA is making a big impact in the specialty cheese case with its new line of Roth ® Organics. The innovative collec- tion of four new cheeses features many award-winning Roth favorites now made using fresh, certified organic milk from local dairy farms. The organic line features Roth's flagship Grand Cru ® Original now available in or- ganic, as well as Organic Van Gogh ® Gouda, Organic Havarti and Organic Sharp Cheddar. Each variety is also naturally gluten-free, non-GMO, rBST-free and veg- etarian friendly. Roth Organic Grand Cru Original, avail- able in 18-pound wheels and 6-ounce retail cuts, is an award-winning Alpine-style cheese made from a combination of the finest organic milk and Swiss traditions. The smear-ripened cheese is crafted in au- thentic copper vats and cured by Roth cel- lar masters for a minimum of four months in order to achieve a complex and full-bod- ied flavor unlike any other. Roth Organic Van Gogh Gouda is avail- able in 10-pound wheels and 8-ounce retail cuts. This cheese features Roth's signature Van Gogh Gouda, a quintessential Dutch cheese with a straw-yellow body and mel- low and mild sweetness. Roth Organic Havarti is available in 9- pound loaves and 8-ounce retail cuts. Havarti is a versatile cheese with a mild and buttery flavor, perfect for cooking and melting. Roth Organic Sharp Cheddar is offered in 1-pound blocks and 8-ounce retail cuts. It's crafted from the freshest organic milk and aged for a minimum of six months to develop a classic, rich and tangy flavor. "There is a strong demand for organic products that has grown significantly over the past few years," says Tim Omer, Presi- dent and Managing Director at Emmi Roth USA. "We are fortunate to live in a part of the world where fresh, organic milk is available in our backyard. The farmers we work with follow certified organic dairy farming standards." Cows milked on organic dairy farms are not treated with bovine growth hor- mones, are not given antibi- otics while they're part of the dairy herd, are fed grass and feed that has not been treated with pesticides or grown from genetically modified seeds and always have access to pasture. The new Roth Organics line was intro- duced at the Winter Fancy Food Show January 21-23 in San Francisco. Roth Or- ganic Grand Cru Original can be found at select Whole Foods Markets. The en- tire line is now available to retailers na- tionwide and will be rolling out in specialty shops and grocery stores throughout 2017. GN Sargento Foods Introduces Sweet Balanced Breaks Snacks Sargento Foods is giving cheese lovers a balanced way to satisfy their sweet tooth with the release of Sweet Balanced Breaks ® Snacks. This new product com- bines the savory flavors of creamy, natural cheese with sweet ingredients like dried fruits and dark chocolate. Sweet Balanced Breaks Snacks add to the wide range of Sargento ® cheese snacks. The four Sweet Balanced Breaks Snack varieties fea- ture 5-7 grams of protein and fewer than 200 calories per serving. "We have been thrilled with the re- sponse to Balanced Breaks Snacks, and we wanted to give our loyal fans even more variety and convenience in their snacks," said Ryan Hemsing, Director of Marketing for the Sargento Foods Consumer Prod- ucts Division. "The Sweet Balanced Breaks line lets people embrace their sweet side with the perfect balance of in- dulgence and real goodness." The tempting new combinations are Natural Cheddar Cheese, Raisins, Sea- Salted Roasted Almonds and Greek Yo- gurt-Flavored Drops; Monterey Jack Natural Cheese, Dried Cranberries, Ba- nana Chips and Dark Chocolate Chunks; Natural Cheddar Cheese, Raspberry Flavored Dried Cranber- ries, Graham Crackers and Milk Chocolate Chunks; and Monterey Jack Natural Cheese, Dried Cranber- ries and Dark Chocolate-Coated Peanuts. Sargento Sweet Balanced Breaks Snacks are available in packages of three 1.5-ounce snacks for a sug- gested retail price of $3.69. They can be found at retailers nationwide in the dairy aisle. For more information and product availability, visit www.sargento.com. GN William Flynn Named CFO of World Finer Foods World Finer Foods (WFF) has chosen William Flynn, a senior executive with more than 20 years of experience leading global finance teams, as its Chief Financial Officer, according to company President and CEO Susan Guerin. This latest addition to World Finer Foods reinforces the company's commitment to bringing together an award-winning team of exceptionally talented professionals and industry experts, offering unparalleled expertise in brand management, sales, marketing, finance, distribution and logistics. Little Red Dot Kitchen Completes Move to Larger Facility Little Red Dot Kitchen's move to a larger headquarters and production facility in the San Francisco Bay area is now complete following a successful USDA inspection of its production and co-packing facility. The new facility also houses an FDA inspected commercial kitchen that began operation earlier this year. KeHE Opens Newest Distribution Center KeHE Distributors celebrated the grand opening of its newest LEED-certified distribution center in Douglasville, Georgia, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the 450,000-square- foot facility on April 12. Joining KeHE's leadership team were business and community leaders, fellow employee-owners, Georgia- based vendor and broker partners, local customers and Douglasville city officials. Built from the ground up, the state-of-the- art facility employs energy-efficient practices, including HVAC system and lighting, and has 100,000 square feet of dedicated freezer and cooler space. It replaces KeHE's former facility in Kennesaw. Guests also had the opportunity to participate in a volunteer "pick & pack" activity, packing 1,000 meal kit boxes for distribution to local families in need in partnership with Children's Hunger Fund. Refreshments and samples were provided by Amazing Herbs, Bell Plantation, Bhuja Snacks, Georgia Olive Farms, Honeysuckle Gelato, Joe's Gourmet, Milka, NaturAlmond, Protein Energy Power, Smarter Starter Fluid, Southern Art Company, Vidalia Brands, Williamson Bros. Bar-B-Q Sauce and The Wine RayZyn Company. Organic Valley Farmers Meet in March More than 450 farmers from across the nation converged on La Crosse, Wisconsin for Organic Valley's annual meeting. Over the past year, the nation's largest organic cooperative has grown to 2,013 farmer-owners and posted record sales topping $1.1 billion. In 2016, Organic Valley enjoyed 15 percent growth in membership and 5.8 percent growth in sales. Even so, the co-op faced many challenges. In 2016, Organic Valley farmers accepted a reduction in the price paid for their milk due to a nationwide oversupply that's put enormous pressure on dairy farmers across the country. Granola maker Purely Elizabeth has re- ceived a minority investment of $3 million from 301 INC, the General Mills new busi- ness development and venturing unit. Sup- port from 301 INC will propel Purely Elizabeth's continued new product devel- opment and will further expedite the brand's growth trajectory in natural and conventional grocery channels. 301 INC's minority investment is the first and only outside funding the brand has ac- cepted to date, and will allow Purely Eliza- beth to launch new lines at a faster pace and continue to stay ahead of the curve on new product innovations. In addition, the capital, assets and expert knowledge from the Gen- eral Mills team will further aid in the brand's success and rapid growth pattern. GN Purely Elizabeth Secures Funding from General Mills Unit

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