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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n SEPTEMBER 2017 n GOURMET NEWS N H 1 2 8 Salud Refresco is also debuting all new pack- aging. Inspired by the traditional refrescos of Mexico and Latin America, Salud Refresco was born from a love of authentic Mexican and tropical beverages as well as a constant search for products that aren't filled with things most people don't want, such as high calories and sugar, and artificial preserva- tives, chemicals and colors. At Salud Refresco, only all natural ingre- dients are used, with no artificial preserva- tives, colors, sweeteners or artificial anything. Salud also sources only Organic Fair Trade cane sugar to better the environ- ment and some of the communities that in- spire this very product. It has combined Organic Fair Trade cane sugar with natural, non-GMO and zero-calorie monk fruit ex- tract to lower the sugar content and retain all of the full flavor of an authentic Mexican re- fresco, as well as the original product. Containing half the sugar and half the calories of comparable and conventional soft drinks and sparkling beverages (70 calories and 17 grams of sugar per 12 ounce can) isn't the only beneficial aspect of Salud Re- fresco. It is also GMO free, vegan and gluten free, with no high fructose corn syrup and no caffeine, and none of the natural alternative sweeteners that have come to be known for their bitter aftertaste. Salud Refresco is inspired by the delicious and trending flavors of Mexican and Latin American cuisines, and is also recognizing a growing consumer demographic within the natural and specialty food market. It is a prod- uct that is perfect for every kind of retailer, from large grocery stores to small natural mar- kets, C-stores to fast casual restaurants, online retailers to co-ops. Perhaps more importantly, it is perfect to have with your favorite tacos on a hot summer day. The flavor will make you feel like you have found paradise. For more information, visit booth #8519. Salud Refresco (Cont'd. from p. 1) and natural alternatives available today, modern consumers are much more aware of their individual dietary preferences, sensitiv- ities and allergies, and they not only demand more choices, they want those choices to be better-tasting, more convenient and more versatile. Atlantic Natural Foods has happily re- sponded to those demands. From its classic Loma Linda line, the company offers low- fat, shelf-stable, soy-based meat alternatives, including both canned and microwaveable pouched complete meal solutions (like deli- ciously spicy and satisfying vegan Pad Thai) that are perfect for storing in the pantry, ready to grab when you need a quick nutri- tious meal. For those with soy sensitivities, Atlantic Natural Foods' newer neat line features gluten-free, soy-free, nut and bean-based mixes in four internationally inspired fla- vors: Italian, Mexican, Southwest and Orig- inal. Each versatile, easy-to-prepare, vegan mix can be shaped and cooked into patties for vegetarian burgers, "neat" balls for pastas and pizza, or crumbles for tacos, chili and Sloppy Joe sandwich fillings. Now, because they include vegan neat egg in the mix, all you have to do is just add water. Atlantic Natural Foods knows that con- sumers today are cutting back on meat for a lot of different reasons – from dietary and health considerations to personal philosophy to environmental and budgetary concerns. The company also knows that no matter what the reason, the meat alternatives they choose should be nutritionally complete, de- liciously satisfying and incredibly conven- ient. Atlantic Natural Foods is proud that on all three fronts, the company has that cov- ered. Visit Atlantic Natural Foods at booth #845. For more information, call 252.462.0355 x130, email trhein@atlanticnaturalfoods.com or visit www.atlanticnaturalfoods.com. Atlantic Natural Foods (Cont'd. from p. 1) brands in the refrigerated snack, dairy and dessert segments. We innovate with ethnically- inspired, delicious and wholesome food prod- ucts for modern families. Our collection of brands is designed for consumers seeking sound choices in snacking. Our products fea- ture authentic flavor profiles that foster a sense of cultural connection, while also serving busy lifestyles with convenience. The clean label Noga brand collection of Greek yogurts, drinkable yogurts, yogurt dips, other specialty and ethnic dairy prod- ucts is made with no artificial, colors, flavors or sweeteners. Our portfolio of Raymundo's branded gelatins, flans, puddings, crème parfaits and other ready-to-eat products has strong connec- tivity to the growing Hispanic population with crossover appeal into the general market. NH: How have you redefined the company this year? RA: We have redefined our identity based on four principles of our foundation: Global/Ethnic Flavors, Innovation, Feel Good Food, and being Wholesome. Global/Ethnic Flavors – Our family of products is focused around celebrating tradi- tional food customs and authentic flavor pro- files. We strive to tell authentic food stories that urge consumers to connect. Wholesome – Our brands are wholesome food choices that are reflective of a health- ier and modern lifestyle. We want our brands to connect consumers with a feeling of well-being. Feel Good Food – We make food products that consumers feel good about feeding their families. Our brands connect people with each other and cultural tradition. Innovation – We are re-inventing the pre- sentations of traditional flavors to bring va- riety and convenience to modern lives. NH: What new, clean label products are you launching? RA: All of our Noga branded products are clean label, containing no artificial anything or GMO ingredients. They are also rBST- free and kosher. Aloe Vera Smoothies: This unique Aloe product is not only on-trend, but also appeals to a wide variety of consumers. The smooth- ies are available in three unique flavors: Guanabana, Mango and Strawberry. The 7- ounce smoothies come 12 per case. Organic Greek Style Yogurt Dips: This product will be available right after the show and we are excited about the launch. All three flavors (Tzatziki, Vegetable and Sun Dried Tomato) are made with fresh vegeta- bles. The 12-ounce dips come 12 per case. Dahi – Indian Style Yogurt: Dahi is an Indian style yogurt. This whole milk product is a per- fect base for curries, lasi, tandoori and more. The product comes in 2-pound or 5-pound con- tainers that are 12 and 6 per case respectively. Visit Raymundos at booth #8426. For more information, go to www.raymundos.com, call 708.344.8400 or email contactus@ raymundos.com. Raymundos Food Group (Cont'd. from p. 1) like Kasuri Methi. All of them are certified organic and undeniably delicious. Himalayan salt was chosen for the blend because it has a higher mineral count and lower sodium content than run-of-the-mill table salt, allowing the rest of the delicious spices in Y-organic to truly stand out. This salt comes from the Himalayan mountain range of Asia. As the mountains formed millions of years ago, they trapped between them a shallow inland sea, which slowly dehydrated and became buried deep be- neath the earth. It's believed this has pro- tected Himalayan salt from pollutants as human life developed around its rich de- posits. The packaging, like the spices, is also carefully sourced. It was designed with two focuses in mind: for the customer, the tin container means convenient and air- tight storage; and for the planet, it's reusable, it means less plastic and paper waste. The next time you're looking to spice up a meal, think Y-organic. "Why organic?" Be- cause it's healthy, tastes great and works with any dish you dream up. Online ordering is provided for your con- venience. If you're looking to add organic spice blends to your business or product of- fering, you can order bulk quantities. To learn more, go to www.yorganics.ca or stop by booth #1500. Y-organic (Cont'd. from p. 1) upon which the employee-owned company brings compelling products to market, which convey the founding values from more than 40 years ago when it began. This program represents a company-wide commitment towards an attitude that has been its essence since the beginning, but for- malizes strategy and logistics to achieve its goals and convey its message more effec- tively. "We have strived for certifications that validate our intent, including fair trade and other fair initiatives," said Gael Orr, Com- munications Director. "But our Honest in Trade mission is our most effective means of sharing our commitment to our partners, our employee-owners and our customers." Once Again Nut Butter was founded in 1976 by Connie Potter and Jeremy Thaler and grew from a three-person basement operation to the 70-plus employee-owner company that it is today. With the original plant in Nunda, nestled near the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, Once Again celebrated the ribbon-cutting of its new state-of-the-art peanut facility last year. The focus of the internal community as- pect is upon nurturing employee-owner en- gagement, worker well-being and a positive atmosphere. Long before the dot-com utopian work environment was conceived, Once Again founders Connie and Jeremy were famous for baking a homemade cake for employee birthdays, and for treating the entire crew to an annual pancake breakfast outing at a nearby maple farm, a tradition that continues today. The external community component fo- cuses on social responsibility and supply chain sustainability, along with event and charity support, and economic development. Since 1995, Once Again Nut Butter has been helping Jubilee House Community, a charity developing an expanding economic base for cooperative farming in Nicaragua. Beginning with sesame seeds planted in a four-acre plot provided by Once Again, the cooperative effort between the worker- owners in Nunda and the worker-owners in Nicaragua has resulted in 11 separate Nicaraguan co-ops supporting 2,000 fam- ilies. Since the Nicaraguan climate allows three growing seasons, a cotton crop grows between sesame seed rotations. Once Again provided equipment for Jubilee House to develop a sewing cooperative based on organic cotton. In 1998, when Hurricane Mitch devastated Nicaragua's economy and farmland, Once Again pro- vided micro-loans to restore farmers' fields and re-establish crop rotation. The success of projects like this and the cooperative model attracts more farmers into the pro- gram every year. Another facet of the Honest in Trade ini- tiative is respect for the environment. Via sustainable commodities and resource man- agement, plus advocacy for organic farming practices, Once Again has maintained a lead- ership position and affectation for sustain- ability. The final expression of Honest in Trade are the products, themselves. With exem- plary food safety processes and compliance monitoring to ensure consistency, the em- ployee-owners take ownership of the quality of their products. Instead of an approach of corporate risk management, it's the people making the product that ensure that every jar, tub, barrel and squeeze pack that leaves the factory are the tastiest and of the highest quality possible. For more information, go to www.oanb.com or visit booth #1013. Once Again Nut Butter (Cont'd. from p. 1)