Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/887673
Produce Show Daily 3 7 Saturday, October 21, 2017 An interview with Anthony Mongiello, The Big Cheese™, President and Chief Executive Officer, Formaggio Brand. PSD: What are your plans this year and beyond? AM: What Formaggio is trying to do in the produce department is what we've successfully done in the deli department, which is walk the stores, find the voids and see what we can make as new and innovative products in a way to keep the category alive and fresh for customers. Formaggio Brand – A Mounting Presence PSD: Do you have a formula for this or a special approach of some kind? AM: My mission and my company's mission is to find products that sell well, then attempt to add what I call the 'Formaggio Twist' to them to make them better. An example of that is our product line of salad mixers, Just Add Lettuce. Another example is Creative Crumbles. We're also making lunches better by developing a fresh and healthy lunch to go in a two compartment tray. Fresher, healthier, more convenient and ready-to-go. We think people will love them. PSD: The produce department is generally known as the section where you would buy fresh fruits, vegeta- bles and other produce. How do these fresh and healthy lunches to go fit in? AM: In this case, the Formaggio Twist is put into play by offering this absolutely fresh item by including the very ingredi- ents a customer would normally see around them in the produce department. These are the sources of freshness that the customer expects from the produce department packaged in an incredibly convenient two compartment tray including fresh produce and either a gluten-free cracker thin or one featuring a healthy grain aspect. PSD: You seem to have a clear direction where you'd like to see your company in the produce department. AM: The produce department is growing every day and Formaggio wants to be part of that growth. For more information, go to www .formaggiocheese.com or www.just addlettuce.com. By Elis Owens, Ph.D., Birko Corporation The food borne pathogen listeria mono- cytogenes is a major challenge for ready-to-eat food processors. Unlike other disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella which are usual- ly transient, LM has the potential to become resident in a processing facility contaminating products over an extend- ed period of time. Having a pathogen take residence in your plant can cost anywhere from $850,000 to upwards of $20 million, not to mention significant damage to your company's brand and Taking a Proactive Approach to Sanitary Design reputation. Taking a proactive approach to food safety can help prevent such a devastat- ing event from occurring. To start, con- sider these principles of sanitary design when updating and maintaining your equipment. While there are a variety of ways contamination can occur, these principles help us understand how crucial equipment design is to reducing food safety risks. The 10 principles of sanitary design include: cleanable to a microbiological level; made of compatible materials; accessible for inspection, maintenance, cleaning and sanitation; no areas where product or liquid can collect; hollow areas should be hermetically sealed; no niches; sanitary operational performance; hygienic design of maintenance enclosures; hygienic compatibility with other plant systems; and validated cleaning and san- itizing protocols. Manufacturers of food processing equipment have used, and continue to refer to, these 10 principles to better serve customers and improve sanitary design inside facilities. Look to these manufacturers to provide you with equip- ment built with both efficiency and sani- tary design in mind. This industry is always changing and standards of food safety are ever improving, which means it's our responsibility as equipment manufacturers, chemical companies and food processors to keep evolving and adapting to that change. A commitment to food safety is certainly a major investment of time, resources and budget. However, updating a facility is undeniably worth- while. Choose to change before you are forced, and you will be much more like- ly to avoid a contamination event that brings your operation to a grinding halt, damaging your brand as well as your bot- tom line. For more information on produce pro- cessing equipment and sanitary design recommendations, visit www.birkocorp .com/produce-fresh-cut. Learn more at booth #4739. By Jules Buehler, Business Development Strategist We've all been there – those days we struggle to wake up. It seems the coffee can't come fast or strong enough. Then other days, we bound out of bed! With purpose and tenacity! Ready to seize the day! Or those experiences that refresh each of your senses and expand, perhaps forev- er, your expectations of what's possible. That's living, my friends. It's far bet- ter than the alternative. And it's with that same intention – to maximize nature's purest intentions – that North Shore Greenhouses created a thriving business by offering only Living Herbs and Microgreens. North Shore not only features a highly sought-after potted line of culi- The Living vs. Cut Herb Difference nary herbs, but the only Living Herbs in a clamshell package. Boasting triple the shelf-life over any cut herb, it offers the consumer the chance to make every home cooked meal a special occasion. Thanks to an innovative and propri- etary growing method developed by Founder Leo Overgaag, each plant is hand-harvested with its life-giving roots still attached, then packaged in a careful- ly crafted clamshell retaining all of the flavor, freshness and fragrance Mother Nature intended. There's good reason for all that. According to the Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, an herb has 4-6 hours after harvest to be used before the healthy oils, enzymes and medicinal properties evapo- rate. For this reason, North Shore Greenhouses dedicates its growing method to perfecting the "Living Herb." The con- sumer is essentially the farmer harvesting the herb in their kitchen and reaping all the health benefits as well as the unparalleled fla- vor and freshness. Thanks to those life-giving roots, each plant offers 100 percent yield for consumers. North Shore fans are accus- tomed to using the tender, delicious stems rather than having to work around the dead, tough, woody stems of cut herbs. As though delivering an industry- leading culinary herb weren't enough, North Shore's Living Clamshell is a remarkable statement of innovation in and of itself. In simple terms, it's a mini- greenhouse, keeping the plant healthy and vibrant, as it's carefully delivered to the consumer via the nation's most dis- cerning retailers who search rigorously to procure the finest produce for their valued customers. With consumers ask- ing for more freshness, more authenticity, more yield from their produce, North Shore Living Herbs stands alone, atop the herb category. Thanks to these revelations, North Shore Sales & Marketing is embarking on a complete company rebrand and Living is the centerpiece of its strategy. Keeping true to its roots, it is educating consumers on the power of living authen- tically, enjoying nature's finest creations and expecting more from its food. And we can all expect a lot more from North Shore Living Herbs + Greens. Visit North Shore at booth #3300. For more information, go to www.northshore.farm or call 760.397.0400. Sutter Buttes Natural and Artisan Foods Wins 11 Olive Oil Competition Medals in 2017 Sutter Buttes Natural and Artisan Foods has announced several new additions to the company's many award-winning olive oils. Garlic Herb Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil is new for 2017. It offers the fresh flavors of garlic and herbs com- bined with quality extra virgin olive oil for use in pesto sauces and marinades or drizzled over thick slices of tomatoes and goat cheese before roasting. Salad dress- ings, Caprese salads, meats, chicken and pasta will be enlivened with this infused oil, which received silver awards this year at the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition, the Yolo County Olive Oil Competition and the Napa Valley Olive Oil Competition 2017. Citrus Habanero Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil is smooth and rich with the right amount of spicy intensity. Fresh habanero peppers were hand-picked and then slowly infused into Sutter Buttes Meyer Lemon Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil to create this award-winning blend. Use it to turn up the heat on almost any dish. It's perfect for sautéing or grilling your favorite meats, vegetables, chicken and fish, and it's great as a finishing oil on grilled shrimp, scallops or fresh oysters. This oil was recognized with silver awards this year at each of the same three competitions named above. Sutter Buttes Vanilla Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil offers a subtle flavor of vanilla that adds a touch of seductive sweetness to the natural bitterness of extra- virgin olive oil. Used as a replacement for butter or shortening when baking cakes, muffins, scones, cookies or anything that calls for vanilla flavor, Sutter Buttes Vanilla Bean Infused Olive Oil lends a one of kind flavor to any recipe in which it's used. This oil won a silver award at the Yolo County Annual Olive Oil Competition 2017 and a bronze award at the Napa Valley Olive Oil Competition 2017. Meyer Lemon Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil is very distinct, light and refreshing, and it's wonderful to use on grilled foods, sautéing or steaming for favorite vegetables. It's a three-time bronze award winner this year. For more information, visit www.sutter buttesoliveoil.com.