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GOURMET NEWS OCTOBER 2017 www.gourmetnews.com SUPPLIER NEWS 1 4 Latin Food Continued from PAGE 1 we can come up with programs and initia- tives that benefit the industry." Early corporate sponsors include Pepsico and Coca Cola, and Lizárraga expects ad- ditional corporate support from other na- tional brands that recognize the impact that the Hispanic market has on their sales. "We also want to serve as a conduit between major brands and this community. They generally have their own marketing depart- ment, but because we're entrenched, we want these companies to see us as a conduit for their outreach and marketing efforts," Lizárraga said. According to a 2017 study by the Latino Donor Collaborative, the U.S. Latino Gross Domestic Product is growing 70 percent faster than the country's non-Latino GDP, and Latinos accounted for 70 percent of the U.S. work force's increase in the first half of this decade. As Latinos enter the work force and older non-Latinos leave it, the Latino GDP is expected to account for an increasing portion of the total U.S. GDP growth, pro- jected to be $24.4 percent of total U.S. GDP growth by 2020, according to the study. The strength of the Latino market is al- ready having a noticeable effect on Ameri- can culture, particularly with respect to food, Lizárraga pointed out. "Salsa has now surpassed ketchup. Tortillas are outselling hot dog and hamburger buns. Tortilla chips are on track to surpass potato chips," he said. "Tacos and nachos have been inte- grated into the American culture." The new organization will draw on the strength of the network that's already been established through SABOR LATINO, a se- ries of annual trade shows focuses on Latin food and held in Los Angeles, Orlando, Chicago and New York. Lilly Rocha is the CEO of Space 67 Productions, which owns SABOR LATINO. "We have strategic part- nerships, including SABOR shows, which have more than 4,000 associates who come to the show and have knowledge. Many of them have been with SABOR LATINO for many years," she said. The shows are ac- tively recruiting members to the associa- tion from the areas where they are held, which are key to the demographics of the entire U.S. Latino population, she added. "It's been very, very fruitful, and people are excited about it." For further information, go to www.latino foodindustry.org, where the contact infor- mation for the organization is listed. The site also has a membership section where you can download a form and learn about the various membership categories. GN Barry Callebaut Unveils Ruby Chocolate First there was milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Then white chocolate came along. Now Barry Callebaut is revealing the fourth type of chocolate, ruby, which is made from the ruby cocoa bean. Ruby chocolate has an intense taste and charac- teristic reddish color. The ruby bean is unique because the fresh berry-fruitiness and color precursors are naturally present. The cocoa beans are sourced from different regions of the world. The bean has a specific set of attributes, which Barry Callebaut managed to unlock through an innovative process that took many years to develop. According to quantitative research per- formed by independent international market and consumer agency, Haystack, ruby chocolate meets a consumer need no choco- late ever did before. It's expected that ruby, like dark, milk and white chocolates, will be introduced in different product categories. The invention of ruby chocolate is the work of global research and development centers of Barry Callebaut, based in France and Belgium - part of a global network of 28 research and development centers - , the Jacobs University, and over 175 years of ex- pertise in sourcing and manufacturing. This fourth type of chocolate offers a to- tally new taste experience, which is not bit- ter, milky or sweet, but a tension between berry-fruitiness and luscious smoothness. No berries, berry flavoring or color is added. Ruby chocolate has been tested and val- idated through extensive consumer re- search run by independent global research agencies Haystack and Ipsos in the UK, US, China and Japan. As part of these studies, ruby's consumer appeal and purchase intent have been tested, indicating consumers would buy ruby chocolate at differ- ent price points. Peter Boone, Barry Callebaut's Chief Innova- tion and Quality Officer, said: "Barry Callebaut has established itself as a pioneer and inno- vator in chocolate and cocoa, globally. Con- sumer research in very different markets confirms that ruby chocolate not only sat- isfies a new consumer need found among Millennials, hedonistic indulgence, but also high purchase intent at different price points. We're looking forward to working with our partners on introducing this inno- vative breakthrough to the market and making the new ruby chocolate category available to chocolate manufacturers and consumers around the world as the fourth reference next to dark, milk and white chocolate." Ruby chocolate was revealed at an exclu- sive launch event in Shanghai, China, on September 5, 2017. GN Pipeline Foods to Provide Supply Chain Services Pipeline Foods LLC, the first supply chain solutions company focused on non-GMO and organic food and feed, has set up shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With a vision to accelerate the availability of healthy and regeneratively grown food and feed, Pipeline Foods is making significant invest- ments in assets to support growth in or- ganic and non-GMO grains, provide professional expertise to farmers and food companies, and partner with like-minded individuals and organizations. Though the organic food industry is fast growing and highly competitive, the ma- jority of companies focus on specific seg- ments or individual commodities. In contrast, Pipeline Foods specializes in a wide range of services throughout the sup- ply chain – making it the first company positioned to support both farmers and food companies in a more holistic, trans- parent way. "Pipeline Foods is eager to invest in sup- ply chain solutions that bring value to the organic and non-GMO grain and oilseed industry," said Eric Jackson, CEO of Pipeline Foods. "We will put more profits back into the hands of the farmers, create dependability and transparency for food companies, and offer unique investment opportunities for financial partners." In support of the broader team in Min- neapolis and as part of its commitment to establish a local presence in all markets in which it operates, Pipeline Foods has also established regional headquarters in Win- nipeg, Canada; and Buenos Aires, Ar- gentina. Collectively, the global team cur- rently numbers over 40 employees. "In order to capitalize on the opportunity to invest $300-500 million in this sector over the next three to five years, we must have a strong team in all operational areas. Hav- ing been in agriculture for almost 35 years, I have been very impressed with the quality of the individuals we've recruited to participate in our important mission," said Jackson. GN Industry-Wide Standards for Broiler Chicken Welfare Roll Out The National Chicken Council (NCC), the United States' oldest and largest national as- sociation representing the U.S. broiler chicken industry has rolled out a set of in- dustry-wide standards for broiler chicken welfare – the "Chicken Guarantees." The standards are part of NCC's Chicken Check In program, which serves as a resource for consumers to get the information they are seeking about how meat chickens are raised. "NCC and its members remain wholly committed to advancing chicken welfare, continuous improvement and consumer choice," said Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., NCC Senior Vice President of Scientific and Regu- latory Affairs. "But consumers today are con- stantly being bombarded with negatives on labeling – no preservatives, no hormones, no additives, no this, never that. Through our Chicken Guarantees, we want to provide the baseline principles that always hold true, no matter what chicken you eat." With U.S. chicken consumption at an all- time high, the Chicken Guarantees repre- sent a set of consumer assurances to ensure people have simple, clear and accurate in- formation regarding how their chicken is cared for and raised, regardless of whether they're buying conventionally raised, or- ganic or free range chickens. The National Chicken Council is hoping to make consumers understand that the majority of broiler chickens in the U.S. are raised in large, climate-controlled and ven- tilated barns, where they're free to move about, interact with other chickens and have 24-hour access to fresh food and water, and that they're free of added hor- mones and steroids. The U.S. government has banned the use of hormones and steroids in poultry since the 1950s. A recent survey found that 76 percent of Americans still mistakenly believe that there are added hormones or steroids present in most chicken meat, and 70 percent believe that most chickens raised for meat are raised in cages. Further, nearly two thirds (62 per- cent) of consumers said chicken labels and packaging were confusing. "As chicken farmers, we understand that it is more important than ever to help define the basic standards for chicken care in a simple way for consumers, to provide them with more information about their food and clarify misconceptions," said Jenny Rhodes, a chicken farmer who raises 500,000 broilers per year in Mary- land. "We're always seeking ways to im- prove the lives of the birds, because without healthy birds, there would be no chicken industry. Whether it's looking at space and housing, studying different nu- trition programs, breeding for the health- iest birds or working to eradicate diseases, we're committed to continual improve- ment to do what is best for the bird, and ultimately, the consumer." "In addition to the industry's comprehen- sive chicken welfare guidelines that chicken producers use and are audited against, and other available welfare programs, the Chicken Guarantees are a simple set of base- line welfare standards that people can expect and understand when they buy and eat any chicken," NCC's Peterson continued. "We support choices in the meat case for con- sumers, but the data clearly show that with so many options, consumers can become confused. We believe that by providing our consumers with facts about chicken care, their choices can become easier. No matter what chicken they choose to buy and feed their families, they can be assured that their chicken was well cared-for." GN

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