Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/825192
Restaurant Daily News Monday, May 22, 2017 5 8 STERNO LAUNCHES BUTANE SAFETY ENHANCEMENT David Amirault, Vice President of Marketing for Sterno Products, answers a few questions about the company's lat- est butane safety innovation. RDN: Why did Sterno decide to look for new safety technology for its butane can- isters? DA: Our customers' safety is our primary concern. Towards that goal, we are always looking for ways to improve our product line in both safety and perform- ance. The safety innovations we intro- duced to our butane canisters a couple of years ago continue to exceed industry standards; however, we wanted to make this product even safer. As soon as this groundbreaking technology became available in 2016, we began making the necessary changes to launch the improved product by June 2017. RDN: How does the new safety tech- nology work? DA: Our new butane canisters feature the world's first dual safety system offering explosion/fire prevention and suppres- sion. The primary feature is the Temperature Sensing Valve (TSV). The TSV automatically blocks the gas flow when temperature and pressure thresh- olds are exceeded. The secondary feature is called Rim Vent Release (RVR). As the temperature reaches critical levels the RVR releases the gas to prevent explo- sion. As this is happening, the TSV cuts off the gas supply to prevent fuel igni- tion. RDN: Essentially, if the butane canister reaches a point where it might catch fire or explode, this dual safety system will shut everything down? DA: That's correct. Our goal is to create the safest environment for our customers and their guests. RDN: What would cause a butane canister to explode and/or catch fire? DA: In general, problems occur with butane stoves and standard butane canisters. The stove can be old or dam- aged and this can cause problems with the canister. Another issue is when an oversized pan is used, causing the heat from the burner to reflect back onto the can. In both cases the results can be cata- strophic. With Sterno's new safety fea- tures, our customers have one less thing to worry about. RDN: Is this new safety technology uni- versal on all butane canisters, or is it exclusive to the Sterno Brand? DA: Starting in June 2017, it will be exclusive to all butane fuel produced and sold by Sterno Products. RDN: How will a customer know that the Sterno butane canister they're using features this new safety technology? DA: Sterno butane canis- ters featuring this new safe- ty technology will have a prominent TSV logo on the face of the can. RDN: Will the new canister be compatible with all commercial butane appliances or just Sterno branded products? DA: We recommend using only Sterno branded butane appliances with Sterno branded butane fuel. RDN: When will the product be avail- able? DA: The new butane will be available in June. We'll be showing it and our entire line of butane appliances at the show. Be sure to stop by and see us at booth #6223. For more information, go to www.sternopro.com, call 951.682.9600 or stop by booth #6223. TAPPING INTO THE HOMEBREW MARKET By Micah Cheek Home brewing kits are becoming a pop- ular gift for hobbyists, but marketing and selling the kits poses some unique chal- lenges. Patrick Bridges, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Cooper's DIY, notes that holiday sales for the Mr. Beer kit are reflecting strong interest in the hobby. "It was a tremendous response, we experienced better sell though this year than many past years. By really identifying with the craft beer movement, I think it really resonated with con- sumers," says Bridges. "People do it because they can create new beers and share. Beer is made for special occasions, holidays and birthdays. Typically, the purchaser is the foodie, they're interested in cooking and natural ingredients." Part of the appeal of these kits is pre- mixed ingredient sets that not only allow home brewers to make classic favorites like IPAs and stouts, but replicate award- winning and hard to find brews as well. "Many craft beers, they can't distribute outside of their state, with a commercial system that isn't always able to bring beers to where you live," says Bridges. "We took a couple gold medal winners and cloned their beers. It's a collabora- tion. If you can't get it, make it." Bringing home brewing to retail spaces has presented some unexpected insights. "We sell in liquor stores and they don't do very well. People are there for instant gratification. Any kind of kit doesn't do well at liquor stores," says Bridges. "Our kits are usually sold in the kitchen or housewares department. They're often in the top 10 selling prod- ucts during the holidays." But the brick and mortar space still presents some mar- keting issues. "It's a long process. You can't make the beer there, plus you can't serve it. It has unique challenges in that regard," says Bridges. "Where possible we have videos we can loop to show how easy it is. The way to get people interest- ed is to taste the beer, but we're unable to execute that at retail for obvious rea- sons." With expanding home brewing inter- ests, options other than beer are getting attention. "Last year we introduced Hacked Root Beer. Things like that and some of these hard sodas are trending now. Those seem to be really driving the trends rather than ciders," says Bridges. "The big trend now is barrel-aged beers. We add wood chips, so you don't have to put it in a barrel." DEMAND TO GROW FOR MEAT PACKAGED IN POUCHES Demand for pouches used in meat pack- aging is forecast to climb 5.3 percent per year to $220 million in 2021, with unit gains expected to advance 3 percent per year to 1.6 billion units. Above average gains will be driven by the growing pref- erence for products that make meal preparation more convenient. These and other trends are presented in "Meat Packaging Market in the US," a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm. Stand-up pouches are well-posi- tioned for growth in the frozen meat and jerky sectors, while retort pouches will continue to see more use in the packaging of processed meat. However, many con- versions have already occurred, mitigat- ing gains somewhat going forward. According to Analyst Katie Wieser, "Pouches have a number of advantages and disadvantages that impact their posi- tion in meat packaging." For processed meats, the ability to be easily displayed is a key benefit, resulting in greater use of stand-up and peggable formats and high- quality printing. Additionally, the ability to integrate value-added features has allowed pouches to gain share in all major markets for meat packaging. However, cost and slower produc- tion speeds will limit gains for many processed meat applications. Furthermore, the packaging of ready-to- eat meat products in pouches is not feasi- ble in many cases due to the fact that these often must remain upright in their packages. ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES WITH BARLEAN'S NEW BUTTER FLAVORED COCONUT OIL Barlean's new dairy-free Butter Flavored Organic Coconut Oil offers all the bene- fits of organic coconut oil, along with the rich taste of real butter – a recipe for end- less culinary possibilities. Delicious on toast and muffins or melted over popcorn, baked potatoes or cooked vegetables, it's hard to believe that a healthy, vegan, non-hydrogenated oil can taste so incredibly good. It's an ideal 1:1 substitute for butter in all of your baking recipes. With its high smoke point, it's also perfect for cooking and frying under 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Made exclusively from sustainably harvested coconuts, Barlean's Butter Flavored Coconut Oil is both organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. Plus, the all- natural butter flavor comes from botani- cal extracts only, so you can rest assured there are no artificial flavors or colors – just pure buttery goodness for your whole family. Coconut oil is known as a healthy fat because it con- tains medium-chain triglyc- erides (MCTs), which are associated with healthy heart and brain function, weight management and more. But not everyone wants to add the taste of coconuts to every- thing. Enter Barlean's Butter Flavored Coconut Oil. As versatile as it is delicious, here are a few creative ways to use Barlean's Butter Flavored Coconut Oil: wrap with corn on the cob in tin foil and put on the grill; sauté with fresh spinach and garlic; rub on chicken along with seasonings before roasting; scramble with eggs and vegan sausage or bacon; and fry with bananas, cinnamon and your favorite sweetener. Equally happy warm or cool, Barlean's Butter Flavored Coconut Oil doesn't require refrigeration. It will start to melt at around 76 degrees Fahrenheit, so keep it refrigerated for a solid consistency, or leave it out for a soft or liquid consistency. Available where natural foods are sold, or on www.barleans.com. For more information, go to www .barleans.com.