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While conventional grocers are scrambling to form digital relationships with their con- sumer customers, Amazon already has that relationship, he pointed out. "They've got $20B of food that they're shipping in mid- dle-of-store products. That would be the equivalent of replacing 800 center stores of traditional grocery," he said. "I think we'd all agree that Amazon is just getting started." "Whatever you know about Amazon, you need to know that they're three steps ahead of you," he added. "However we're thinking about Amazon, they're further ahead of that." Other factors affecting the retail grocery market include America's changing demo- graphics, with Baby Boomers aging and younger Millennial shoppers who are shop- ping very differently from their elders and with increasing ethnic diversity among American consumers. "Diversity factors have impacted the way we eat. The flavor profiles, the numbers of products we have to have in the stores and the way we curate those products have changed," he said. He noted that those changing demographics are also reflected in greater demand for fresh products in the grocery store. Consumers are also expressing greater de- mands for knowledge about the foods they're buying, and they've gone from want- ing to know everything about the food itself to wanting to know everything about the company that's producing the food. "They are literally willing to put their money where their mouth is," he said. "There are people who think it's all about the environment, and they're going to buy for that. They want to know about the footprint and what that's doing to the society around it. More and more are coming in this direction." If consumers can't find that information on the product's label, they'll demand it in other ways, going so far as to ask legislators to regulate around their concerns if they don't feel that food producers are complying voluntarily, according to Barnholt. "You need to know that the entire food market is going to move in this direction, whether they want to or whether it's legislated," he said. "Trust is going to be what drives how con- sumers buy food, what they buy and where they buy it. This is going to be one of the biggest issues as we go forward." n calcium potassium, sodium — and vita- mins A, B, C, D and E — are all present and accounted for in quality cocoa. And while the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests everyone ought to keep saturated fats limited to 10 percent of daily intake, a little chocolate might help. Not all of the fats in cocoa are associated with raised cholesterol and heart disease. Marilynn Schnepf, Emeritus Professor of Nutrition and Health Sciences at the Uni- versity of Nebraska, Lincoln, said only about a third of those fats in are associated with heart disease, and that limited intake can help combat negative effects. "Turn the package over and look at the label," she said. "The first ingredient in chocolate is sugar, so be aware of that. Many products which you think are good chocolate have different fats in them. Sometimes it won't be cocoa butter, but coconut oil or hydro- genated oil. My advice would be to enjoy very high quality chocolate, so you don't have to eat very much of it to really enjoy it." She then explained that chocolate with the highest cocoa powder content that has- n't been Dutch processed is best, since Dutch processing destroys antioxidant properties of chocolate. The more bitter, the better. "The bitterness of chocolate comes from the flavonoids, the antioxi- dants," she said. To reap the benefits of the cacao plant to the fullest extent, consumers have to seek out minimally-processed, high-cocoa products. Gourmet chocolate producers have no shortage of such products, offering a lit- tle something for every need. At Rain- bow Grocery in San Francisco, shoppers can select from a variety of ultra-dark chocolate bars, with some brands offer- ing a full 100 percent cocoa bar. "People who shop for health reasons seek more than 65 percent cocoa," said Kristen Connelly, Grocery Buyer for Rainbow Grocery. "It's extremely bitter, but peo- ple have developed a palate for ex- tremely dark chocolate." She also mentioned that a lot of brands will use a blend of cocoa sourced from multiple re- gions. Other specialty chocolate compa- nies source their cocoa from single regions, such as Chocolate Santander, showcasing the individual flavors from each country and crop like "third wave" specialty coffee. "We see a lot more sin- gle origins than blends," Connelly said. "People want to taste the nuances of the product. They want to taste the differ- ence between a Madagascar chocolate bar and an Ecuadorian bar. These might even taste different year to year, based on the crop. Now, the producers try to bring out the flavor of the bean." n 3 Sneak Peek SNACKINGNEWS nearly half (47 percent) who are willing to open their wallets a bit further. As for where adults are going to shop, about half (49 percent) agree they would shop more at a retailer that offers a wider selection of multicultural products. These multicultural products are even more tempting for Mil- lennials, with 65 percent agreeing they would shop more where there is a wide se- lection of multicultural products. n Multicultural Continued from Page 1 to kids. The best part is that we're learning that cocoa can be quite good for us in moderation. Health is the last thought on anyone's mind in the candy aisle, but dark chocolate can be considered a functional kind of treat. The cacao plant has been considered a heal- ing and boosting supplement for thousands of years, thought to aid in liver function and feelings of well-being. Researchers now are calling cocoa a nutraceutical, a food that contains physiologically active compounds that promote health, might prevent disease and goes beyond nutrition to aid in cogni- tive and aerobic activities. The stimulants caffeine and theobromine account for the waking boost, while phenylethylamine has a similar effect to oxytocin, the love chem- ical, and lifts mood. Cocoa also contains anandamide, a cannabinoid naturally pro- duced in the human body that opens up synapses in the brain to allow for more neu- ral activity and feelings of bliss. Combined, these chemicals ramp up serotonin and en- dorphin production in the brain, with effects similar to a "runner's high." Chocolate also provides the building blocks for these feel-good neurotransmit- ters, and a mix of fats. Magnesium, iron, Specialty Chocolate Continued from Page 1 KeHE Continued from Page 1 KIND Publishes Added Sugar Content Across Its Portfolio Earlier this year, KIND Healthy Snacks published the added sugar content of the 60+ snacks across its portfolio, furthering its commitment to transparency surround- ing its products and their nutritionals. The announcement came two years in advance of the deadline recently set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for food companies to break out the added sugar content in their products. "Our approach at KIND is to provide consumers with straightforward informa- tion about what they're putting into their bodies, so for us, publishing the added sugar content in our snacks is a natural next step in our ongoing commitment to transparency," said Daniel Lubetzky, Founder and CEO of KIND. KIND shared the information on its newly launched web page, KIND Prom- ises, which for the first time, publicly out- lines the overarching health and nutrition principles that guide the company's inno- vation. "Always using a nutrient-dense food like nuts, whole grains or fruit as our first ingredient and striving to make products that are low glycemic are among the standards that guide our product innovation," said Stephanie Perruzza, MS, RD, CDN and Health and Wellness Specialist at KIND. "As we look to the future, we'll continue to stand by these principles when creating new snacks made with wholesome, rec- ognizable ingredients." Over the years, the company has taken significant steps to use as little sugar as possible in its snacks without compro- mising taste or adding artificial sweeten- ers or sugar alcohols. These include reducing the sugar in seven of its Fruit & Nut bars to contain between 14 and 56 percent less added sugar compared to prior recipes. Made with only fruit and chia or fruit and vegetables, KIND's Pressed by KIND™ bars contain no added sugar and provide two full servings of fruit, equiva- lent to one cup. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines suggests an intake of one to two cups of fruit per day. And, with 5g of sugar or less, all of the bars in KIND's best-selling Nuts & Spices line contain 50 to 60 percent less total sugar compared to the average nutri- tion bar. n M&M'S Unveils New Guardians of the Galaxy Advertising Mars Chocolate North America un- veiled a new commercial and merchan- dise to promote the release of Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2," which premiered in theaters on May 5, 2017. The new M&M'S commercial, M&M'S "Movies," aired online and in cinema, fea- tures iconic characters, Red and Yellow, in a movie theater. Red stumbles upon Yel- low sitting with a raccoon that Yellow be- lieves is Rocket, the beloved character from the Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy" series. "M&M'S reaches moviegoers not only at the concession stand, but also on screen, in a fun, colorful way," said Tanya Berman, Brand Director, M&M'S Brand. "We knew our beloved spokes- candies together with the light-hearted, fun characters from Guardians of the Galaxy would bring the partnership to life in a creative way that we know fans will enjoy." n

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