Oser Communications Group

GourmET nEWS SEPTEmbEr 2017 www.gourmetnews.com SuPPliEr nEWS 1 5 1 Million Bison Continued from PAGE 14 other philosophically aligned brands. "The consumer wants to be part of the solution," Ibarra-Howell said. "The fork is one of the greatest tools in transforming agriculture." The Savory program is different from the USDA Organic seal in that it audits for out- comes on the land rather than a checklist of farmers' practices. "It's not practice- based, but it allows us to help the farmer with practices that create the outcomes we are looking for," she said. Ibarra-Howell be- lieves that because holistic management has been shown to increase agricultural productivity while also nurturing the land, the products that earn the Savory Land to Market seal won't cost more than conven- tionally raised premium products. "When you manage holistically, it costs you less money," she said. "At the end of the day, when we sort it all out, there shouldn't be a price impact to consumers." The Market for Bison Meat The bison ranchers who are plotting to in- crease the numbers of bison on the range are also plan- ning to sell a share of these bison to consumers who are looking for a healthy red meat al- ternative to beef. Increasing the North American bison population to 1 million animals won't do much to in- crease the food supply or change Ameri- cans' dependence on beef, according to National Bison Association Executive Di- rector Dave Carter. The average American currently eats about 50 to 52 pounds of beef a year, compared to 0.08 pound of bison meat. If bison herds were tripled across the U.S. and Canada, then bison consumption could go up to an average of about a quarter of a pound per year, he said. Across the U.S., about 62,000 bison were processed last year in state- and fed- erally-inspected facilities. "That's what the beef industry does before noon on an av- erage day," Carter said. That means that even if the ranchers who produce bison for the meat market are successful in in- creasing their herds to meet this goal, bison meat will remain a niche product, but they hope it will be one that will ap- peal to Americans hungry for premium red meat with a healthy fat profile, gen- uine authenticity and the taste of adven- ture. A growing number of consumers are a little suspicious of red meat, but they do want healthy protein, high quality and au- thenticity, and bison producers believe that their product aligns well with those desires. "All the consumer trends that are going on – bison is squarely aligned with most of those," said market researcher Laurie Demeritt, CEO of The Hartman Group. Interest in premium products and expe- riences, health and wellness and sustain- ability is growing in the marketplace, and all three of these drivers are strategic plat- forms for bison producers, she said. She noted that premium quality is increasingly characterized by fresh ingredient profiles and specialized, high-quality production and sourcing. This category already repre- sents more than 9 percent of the total retail food and beverage market and is growing at three times the rate of the overall food and beverage market, according to De- meritt. She noted that consumers are upgrading their choices of what they want to eat on a day to day basis – they're not waiting for a special occasion to enjoy a little bit of lux- ury. "Bison fits squarely in that camp," she said. "It's just a little bit better than some of the other options they have on a day-to- day basis.... Bison is absolutely seen as a premium product." Bison is also perceived by consumers as more nutrient dense than some of their other food options, and because it's pas- ture-raised and typically subject to limited processing, bison appeals to those con- cerned about their health and wellness, ac- cording to Demeritt. She noted that the number of Americans who say they're prac- ticing the Paleo diet is increasing and that about 82 percent of consumers buy organic products at least occasionally. "They're looking for things that are grown natu- rally," she said. "What they continue to look for are products they see as fresh and as minimally processed as possible." Bison is also an attractive choice for those who are concerned about the pres- ence of antibiotics or growth hormones in their food, according to Demeritt. "Meat is the very top of the list for things we'll con- sider for organic and natural," she said. "This idea of avoidance of certain things, especially when it comes to their kids, is very important to consumers.... Protein can do no wrong." GN Stonewall Kitchen's Organic Miso Ginger Dressing Wins Best Condiment Award Stonewall Kitchen's Organic Miso Ginger Dressing has received the Best Condiment Award in the oils, vinegars and dressings category from The Dallas Market Center. "It's an honor to receive this award," said Janine Somers, Director of Marketing at Stonewall Kitchen. "For more than 20 years, we continue to stand by our commitment to producing the highest quality and most in- novative foods. Our Organic Miso Ginger Dressing is a huge hit and is receiving great industry recognition. Made with wholesome organic ingredients, including white miso, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, wildflower honey and candied ginger, it's simply deli- cious and the perfect addition to any salad." This is the second award Stonewall Kitchen has received for its Organic Miso Ginger Dressing. In April, the product received the sofi Bronze Award in the Salad Dressing Category from the Specialty Food As- sociation. GN New Jellies Bring the Taste of Tea to the Jar by lorriE bAumAnn Davidson's Organics brought out a new line of tea jellies late last year as part of the company's celebration of its 40th year in business. "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 products in Davidson's line of tea jel- lies are the first of their kind on the market. The tea jellies are made by infusing real tea leaves, grown by the farmer cooperative of third-generation tea farmers in the Darjee- ling region of India who grow the com- pany'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 Organics 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. GN

• Cover