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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n SEPTEMBER 2017 n GOURMET NEWS N H 7 8 Droga Chocolates Money on Honey Grab and Go 4-Pack Droga Chocolates, maker of Money on Honey, the first line of wildflower honey caramels, features a POS 4-pack of its sofi award-winning caramels for on-the-go snacking. Money on Honey, the brainchild of Founder and President Michelle Crochet, who began making these caramels with honey sourced from her local farmers market in 2010, has quickly grown into a nationally recognized brand with distribution globally. The confections, which are sweetened only by pure honey and Certified Fair Trade cane sugar and blended with real cream and but- ter, are finished with Certified Fair Trade Guittard dark chocolate and a sprinkling of fine French sea salt, creating a premium, del- icate and more wholesome alternative to other caramels in the market. "We are delighted to feature this small grab-and-go size of Money on Honey in our best selling Dark Chocolate French Sea Salt flavor," says Crochet. "We have been overwhelmed by the response to our products since we rolled out our revamped and complete line of Money on Honey Caramels in casual pouch bags for everyday snacking. With this new POS 4-pack, we are so excited to be giving more consumers access to our confections by offering them in this convenient size and accessible price point." Additionally, a portion of all sales will be donated to Project Apis M., a non-profit or- ganization whose mission is to fund and direct research to enhance the health and vitality of honeybee colonies and improve crop produc- tion. The Money on Honey 4-pack is now available at Starbucks nation- wide. The snack pouch bags have gained distribution with major retail- ers Wegmans, Whole Foods, Wal- greens and Wakefern. For more information, contact Rosie Mattio/Rosie Mattio Public Relations at 917.583.6349 and rosie@rosiemattiopr.com. Nocciolata and Nocciolata Dairy Free from Rigoni di Asiago In Asiago (Northern Italy), the Rigoni family has been keeping the long-standing traditions of organic honey and fruit spread production alive for decades. Now, it has perfected a recipe for Nocciolata (pronounced no-cho- lata), a healthier, higher-quality, better-tast- ing chocolate-hazelnut spread. Made with organic ingredients completely free of GMOs, preservatives, colors, addi- tives or artificial sweeteners, Rigoni di Asi- ago's Nocciolata combines top quality hazelnuts, fair trade cocoa and cocoa butter, natural Bourbon Vanilla extract, raw cane sugar and skimmed milk from outdoor farms, for a chocolate-hazelnut spread with undeniably superior flavor and smooth, creamy texture. Unlike other brands, which use palm oil (high in saturated fat and whose cultivation devastates the environment), Nocciolata is made with environmentally-responsible cold-pressed sunflower oil. It also contains far less sugar than other brands and is free from hydrogenated fats. Each batch takes a slow and gentle arti- sanal preparation to develop its rich and complex flavor and easy-to-spread texture. Nocciolata is perfect for snacking, a wonder- ful addition to breakfast spreads, an alterna- tive to other nut butters and is a wonderful accompaniment for breads, croissants, crepes and fruit. Nocciolata Dairy Free has the same qual- ity of Nocciolata, but is completely free of milk. This new, exclusive, extra-addictive recipe has a deep chocolate flavor and is bal- anced by the generosity of hazelnuts. Perfect if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy, if you follow a vegan diet or simply if you prefer a more intense taste! Nocciolata Dairy Free is a 2017 sofi Award winner for Best New Product in the Nut Butter/Seed Butter category. "In the 1960s, every child in Asiago dreamed of buying the finest and most delicious choco- late from our village pastry chef local store," recalls Rigoni di Asiago Chief Executive Officer and Presi- dent Andrea Rigoni. "The memory of this ar- tisanal treat inspired us at Rigoni di Asiago to perfect a classic indulgent chocolate- hazelnut spread." Nocciolata and Nocciolata Dairy Free are available in stores nationwide in a 270g (9.52-ounce) glass jar. About Rigoni di Asiago Founded in 1923, Rigoni di Asiago is a fam- ily-owned business based in the Altopiano di Asiago, a mountain plateau in Northern Italy. Committed to sourcing the finest ingredients, its certified organic prod- ucts include Fiordifrutta fruit preserves (the leading jam in Italy), Nocciolata and Nocciolata Dairy Free hazelnut and chocolate spreads, Dolcedì natural sweetener and Mielbio, 100 percent Italian raw honey. The company was one of the first in Europe to turn to organic farming in the early '90s and merit the Certified Or- ganic label. Rigoni di Asiago has been own- ing its own supply chain for over 15 years, thus controlling all the production processes from raw materials to finished jars to guar- antee safe and delicious products suitable for all the family. The company is also commit- ted to respecting the environment, favoring biodiversity and developing best practices to guarantee conscious choices for ourselves and our future generations. For more information, go to www.rigonidi asiago-usa.com or call 305.470.7583. Hitting the Sweet Spot with All-u-Lose For the past two years, Santiva International has been focused on the creation of the healthy sugar alternative. Its mission is to bring to consumers the ultimate sweetener with a great taste, nearly calorie-free and low carbs. All-u-Lose ® is finally available for the health-conscious consumer in non-metabo- lizing crystalline and liquid. It is also offered in a variety of flavors – Maple, Maple Bacon, Honey and S'mores – and comes in a baking blend pouch. The sweetener can be used for baking, cooking and beverages. All- u-Lose delivers the satisfying taste without all the calories and carbs. All-u-Lose tastes like sugar because it is a non-GMO plant-based rare sugar. Most im- portantly, the sweetener has 90 percent less calories than traditional sugar and is low glycemic, with little impact on blood glucose or insulin levels. It's a perfect sweetener for health-conscious consumers who also may have some dietary restrictions. Some sweeteners have an unpleasant af- tertaste and contain sugar alcohol which may cause bloating and distress. All-u- Lose is made of natu- ral ingredients and is perfectly safe for con- sumption. People of all ages from 2 to 102 can enjoy the benefits of All-u-Lose. Santiva International offers a broad line of healthy gourmet foods with superior flavors – seasonings, desserts, herbs, oils, soups and much more. It is committed to bringing innovative healthy gourmet prod- ucts to the marketplace. Santiva Interna- tional is the first company to make All-u-Lose products available directly to the consumer. Multiple patents are pend- ing on its ground- breaking propri- etary blends and more products are just around the cor- ner. The company's focus on innovation touches everything it does, whether creating new culinary de- lights or promoting and advertising great products for worldwide distribution. Taste it to believe it! For more information, visit www.santivaint.com, email sales@ santivaint.com or call 888.988.2900. Affecting Change in a Disposable Society By Anna Marie Stauss, Chief Executive Of- ficer, Sinko Corp. Wow! What a year! We finally made it to Expo East after years of hoping to find a spot and being able to afford it. I'm hoping it is the opportunity we have waited for to reach more retailers in the eco-friendly and so- cially conscious market. We have grown in other channels, but this is the one my heart belongs to. I'm exhausted and excited, but very grate- ful for the honor of working with more than 800 women in 10 villages near Kolkata, India that we have organized into a co-op to make our products. We are Fair Trade Fed- eration Members, and I feel like we are here as a voice for them all. We have really grown this year, and again nearly doubling our sales thanks to our wonderful retailers and the cus- tomers. Big thanks if you are here reading this. I have to tell you all: I'm so surprised to see how far we have come, despite everyone telling us it couldn't be done, and that we would never get anywhere for the long list of reasons most small business don't make it. I can't believe we started in 2008 with an idea, and a passion to do some- thing about poverty, land- fills and the poor quality plastic products so many of us buy and bring into our homes because there is nothing better or acces- sible. I'm so proud of offering handmade quality products made from natural fibers to the U.S. market. How often do you walk into a grocery store or specialty store and find something that will work hard for you and last? I know I'm a very small voice in the ocean of commercial products, and that it will take more than "little me" to affect change in our disposable society, but in the many years I have been fighting the good fight, I am see- ing the tides turning. I am hopeful that one day the amount of waste we pur- chase, knowing it will end up in our oceans and land- fills, will be so in- significant that our earth can bear it, and that the large pro- ducers of it give way to craftsmanship. Hope. As I'm writing this, I wonder if anyone ac- tually reads it. I have to admit, I usually just look at the beautiful ads to find something I can take back home for my kids, but if you're out there and reading this message, please visit me at www.toockies.com, and let me know if what I'm seeing is real or just wishful thinking. For more information, visit booth #8623.

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