Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2017 www.gourmetnews.com Naturally Healthy NATURALLY HEALTHY 1 4 Simple Mills Expands 'Clean Food' Portfolio Good-for-you snacking just got simpler with new Simple Mills Crunchy Cookies and Sprouted Seed Crackers – the latest ad- ditions to the company's top-selling lineup of grain-free, gluten-free, GMO-free, noth- ing-artificial-ever baking mixes, crackers and frostings. Since the launch in 2013, Simple Mills has been a leader of the clean food move- ment. Simple Mills began out of the neces- sity and desire for food that is simple, healthy and delicious. Chief Executive Of- ficer and Founder Katlin Smith made the very first Simple Mills muffin mixes one- by-one in her kitchen in North Carolina, using only ingredients that made her feel great. Eliminating processed foods has had an impact on Smith's own health, in- cluding getting rid of her chronic joint pain, keeping colds and allergies at bay and increasing her energy. These positive changes in- spired her to create 'clean' baking mixes to help oth- ers find their own health bliss. Simple Mills' new ready- to-eat Crunchy Cookies go easy on the sugar by using coconut sugar that limits the glycemic impact while also helping reduce sugar content by 25 to 40 per- cent compared to most cookie brands. Other ingredients include a naturally gluten-free base-flour blend consisting of almonds, coconuts and high-fiber prebiotic root vegetables called tigernuts, plus co- conut oil, tapioca, arrowroot, vanilla extract and sea salt. The cookies are vegan, paleo- friendly, crisp to the bite and available in Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, Cinnamon and Toasted Pecan vari- eties. Bonus: each cookie has just 40 calories. Simple Mills' new 2-inch-round Sprouted Seed Crackers feature a high- bioavailability sprouted seed blend that de- livers more nutritional bang per bite, real cracker crunch that makes them a perfect foundation for your favorite toppings, and the same gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, paleo-friendly, lower-carb, non-GMO good- ness found in all Simple Mills products. Offered in Original, Everything, Jalapeno and Garlic & Herb flavors, the new crackers are made from a blend of sunflower, flax and chia seeds that have been sprouted for greater nutrient absorp- tion. This seed base also lowers the carbo- hydrate level by 20 to 50 percent compared to leading cracker brands, supplies 3 grams of protein per serving, is a good source of Vitamin E and manganese, and provides more than 1,000 mg of ALA (alpha-Linolenic acid) Omega 3s. GN Satisfying Rice Snacks in On-Trend Flavors KAMEDA USA's three signature products – Kameda Frosted Rice Snacks, Rice Goes Crispy and Kameda Crisps – are perfect for consumers looking for a satisfying, healthy snack throughout their day. Kameda Frosted Rice Snacks are lighter in texture than a cookie and more satisfy- ing than a cracker. Available in three deli- cious flavors – Original, Ginger, and Maple – Kameda Frosted Rice Snacks are baked, not fried, gluten free, include no trans fat, no preserv- atives and no artificial flavors or colors. Rice Goes Crispy rice snacks offer big and bold tastes in a light, bite-size cake. Rice Goes Crispy rice snacks are available in three consumer-preferred flavors: Sea Salt, Black Pepper, and Chili & Tomato (a spicy ketchup taste). The eye-catching graphics reinforce the bold flavors and con- venience of the bite-size snacks. Kameda Crisps are certified gluten free, baked, not fried, contain no trans fats, no preservatives and no artificial flavors. They're available in a range of consumer- endorsed flavors, some with and without peanuts: Sweet Chili with and without Peanuts, Wasabi with and without Peanuts and Black Pepper with Peanuts. GN Goya Foods Launches Better for You Product Line Goya Foods, America's largest Hispanic- owned food company, launches the Better for You product line, categorizing its current product portfolio in addition to new Goya products. The line features over 300 prod- ucts with over 40 variations of low sodium and organic beans, organic olive oil, organic rice, brown rice, quinoa, chia, amaranth, frozen vegetables, fruits, coconut water, diet beverages, and low sodium condiments. "For over 80 years, we have always pro- duced high quality, authentic Latin prod- ucts. The creation of our Better for You product line allows us to improve market- ing of our current line and add even more products that cater to consumer demands for healthier options," says Joe Perez, Sen- ior Vice President of Goya Foods. "Con- sumers are smarter and buying trends are changing. We're listening and taking action in providing even more nutritious products because we care about the overall well- being of our consumers." In 2012, Goya collaborated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and First Lady Michelle Obama to promote the MyPlate/ MiPlato campaign among Hispanic and general market consumers as well as with Mayor Bloomberg's Low Salt initiative. Both campaigns have provided Goya the oppor- tunity to expand and market its product portfolio as well as provide the necessary tools and education to meet the health needs of consumers. Goya has produced and distributed over 1 billion products marked with the MyPlate/ MiPlato logo and created more than 250,000 copies of two editions of the MyPlate/ MiPlato cookbook, brochures, posters and lesson plans that have been distributed to consumers, super- markets, schools, and events nationwide. In addition, Goya has reached millions by integrating healthy eating into its overall communications campaigns. GN United Fresh VP of Nutrition and Health Retires After more than a decade at the United Fresh Produce Association and a career that spans 40 years, Lorelei DiSogra, Ed.D., R.D., Vice President, Nutrition and Health, will retire at the end of May. Dur- ing her tenure, she helped shape federal nutrition policies to increase fruit and vegetable consumption for children and their families. She joined the association in 2005. "The only word that describes Lorelei and her work and commitment to the fresh produce industry is – passionate," said Tom Stenzel, President and CEO of United Fresh. "She has been a life-long advocate for fresh produce and healthy eating and she is a living example of someone who truly 'walks the walk.' The impact and ben- efit of her work will be felt for many years to come, and I can say that our industry is truly better because of her." Prior to joining United Fresh, DiSogra was the Director of the National 5 A Day Program at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, from 2001- 2005 and Vice President of Nutrition at Dole Food Company from 1991-2001. DiSogra's top accomplishments at United Fresh include the expansion of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to schools in all 50 states, revising WIC Food Packages to include fresh fruits and vegetables as rec- ommended by the Institute of Medicine, and increasing fruits and vegetables in school meals to benefit more than 32 mil- lion students a day. The consistent theme of DiSogra's career has been increasing chil- dren's consumption of fresh fruits and veg- etables. As one of the creators of Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools, DiSogra worked closely with the Obama White House, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention, the program's salad bar founding partners, United Fresh members and health foundations to make salad bars the norm in schools nationwide to ensure children have access to a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day at school lunch. At the time of her retire- ment, more than 5,000 salad bars had been donated to schools across the coun- try. DiSogra holds a doctoral degree in nutri- tion education and a master's degree in public health nutrition and nutrition edu- cation from Columbia University and is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Public Health Association. GN

• Cover