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GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JANUARY 2018 n GOURMET NEWS 1 0 0 34 Degrees and Fresca Foods, Inc. Expand 10-Year Business Partnership 34 Degrees, the company behind 34° Crisps, announced a deepened relationship with Fresca Foods, Inc., its supply chain partner of more than 10 years. Specifically, Fresca has made a $3.4 million investment in 34 Degrees in exchange for a 10 percent share of the company. The expanded partnership and investment will allow 34 Degrees to in- crease investments in brand-building pro- grams and product innovation to fuel continued growth. For the past 10 years, Fresca and 34 De- grees have been business partners, with Fresca managing product development, ma- terials purchasing, manufacturing and ware- housing functions for 34 Degrees. Fresca and 34 Degrees are both entrepreneur-owned companies based in Colorado. The Fresca investment will accelerate the growth for an already healthy and profitable business. The decision to partner in this way was driven by shared values more than fi- nancial value; both companies are recog- nized for their values-driven leadership approach. "Since day one, our team has looked for creative ways to grow our business, from how we produce 34° Crisps, to where we chose to sell our product in the store," said Craig Lieberman, Founder and President of 34 Degrees. "As we considered potential in- vestors, we once again saw the opportunity to do things a bit differently, expanding an existing partnership with our supply chain partner rather than creating a new partner- ship with a financial institution. For us, it came down to our beliefs and mission. This is more than a value-based partnership, it's a values-based partnership. We're excited to continue building our business with a partner who places just as much significance on peo- ple, community and healthy growth as we do." "We at Fresca have a goal to increase ac- cessibility to snack foods that are good for our bodies and the planet," said Todd Dutkin, Chief Executive Officer of Fresca. "We chose to partner with Craig years ago be- cause we recognized his energy, passion and commitment to building a successful busi- ness that delivered a strongly differentiated product. Today, 34 Degrees is at the precipice of accelerated growth and by com- bining the strengths of each of our teams, the potential is boundless." The expanded partnership will allow 34 Degrees to increase investments in brand- building programs and product innovation. Specifically, this holiday season, 34 De- grees will launch its first-ever comprehen- sive national consumer marketing campaign. Additionally, through increased access to Fresca's operations, management and innovation teams, 34 Degrees will ex- pand its research and development efforts to further leverage its unique product form to create new flavors, products and packag- ing formats that fit consumer needs and the changing retail environment. 34 Degrees will continue to operate as a Denver-based independent company led by its existing leadership team and with increased access to Fresca's operations and management ex- pertise. Health Concerns Add Sparkle to Growing Craft Beverage Market By Lorrie Baumann Encouraged by growth in the American market for nonalcoholic beverages, the nat- ural products industry is jumping in with both feet. According to market research firm Lucintel, the global beverage industry is expected to reach an estimated $1.9 tril- lion by 2021 and is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 3.0 percent between now and then. The trend to natural flavors and sweetener to meet consumer health concerns and in- creased interest in exotic flavors are helping to drive this market growth, according to Lu- cintel. Mooala, for instance, is introducing two lines of organic almond milk and two lines of dairy-free banana milk to its range of organic plant-based milks. The Dallas, Texas-based company makes its Bananamilk in Original and Chocolate flavors from pureed bananas, cinnamon, sea salt and sunflower seeds. Its Almondmilk is offered in Original and Vanilla Bean flavors. The company's products are organic, kosher and vegan, and 48 fluid-ounce bottles retail for $5.99 from the refrigerator case. The dairy-free milk products contain 60 calories per 8-ounce serving, and the Original Ba- nanamilk contains no added sugar. Aiya's Matcha to Go offers convenience as well as an appeal to both the health- conscious and adventurous consumer. Matcha to Go comes from a 130-year-old company that's the largest supplier of matcha powdered green tea in the world. The Matcha to Go is packaged as a box of 10 sachets, with each sachet containing enough hand-rubbed ceremonial matcha to flavor a 500-ml (or 16-ounce) bottle of water. The user just opens the packet, drops the tea into the water bottle and gives the bottle a shake. The box of 10 sa- chets retails for $14.99. Up Mountain Swizzle and Sparkling Switchel are four flavors of switchel, the tra- ditional beverage made of water mixed with vinegar. It's often seasoned with ginger, as is the company's Original flavor, which is made with organic ginger root, organic maple syrup and raw organic apple cider vinegar. Additional flavors are Yerba Mate, Lemon and Cayenne. The Sparkling Switchel is made to the same recipe as the Original, except that it's carbonated for bub- bles. The four flavors of Switchel are sold in 16-ounce bottles that retail for $3.99, while the Sparkling Switchel is sold in a 12-ounce can that retails for $2.99. Each contains 54 calories per 8-ounce serving. Powell & Mahoney Craft Cocktails offers four non-alcoholic sparkling cocktail mixers that also work as beverages drunk right out of their 12-ounce cans. Original Ginger Beer, Original Sparkling Mojito, Original Sparkling Tonic and Blood Orange Ginger Beer are all handcrafted from natural ingre- dients and retail for $5.99 for a four-pack. Limitless Coffee & Tea is bottling craft cold brew coffee in 10 fluid-ounce bottles that retail for $3.49. The coffee beans are air- dried indoors, dehusked and roasted for a brew that delivers fewer toxins and cleaner flavor than conventional coffee drinks. The company offers Vanilla, Salted Caramel and Original flavors as well as Sweetened Matcha green tea. The Chicago-based Limitless Coffee & Tea company is just a year and a half old, and it was started by a founder who wasn't pleased to learn that the beans for conven- tional coffees are generally dried out in open fields, where they're susceptible to contam- ination by local livestock, according to Hilal Tabsh, the company's Executive Vice Presi- dent of Marketing & Brand Strategy. In the Limitless process, the beans are wet-washed and then air roasted with a machine that's rather like a giant popcorn popper. The result is a brew that's free of off flavors that can be introduced by contamination from the envi- ronment, Tabsh said. "When we talk healthy, we walk the talk," he added. "We're here for the long haul and not just to be another cold brew." Diabolo is a line of French sodas offered in six flavors packaged in 16-ounce cans. The sodas are fortified with B vitamins and are all natural, with no sodium and no artifi- cial sweeteners – they're sweetened with cane sugar and stevia. "It has to do two things important to the French – it has to taste good, and it has to be low calorie," said Michel Langlais, the company's Owner and Founder. Langlais started the company six years ago, but he reformulated all of its products three years ago to be all natural as well as un- compromising on taste, he said. The sodas are moderately carbonated and contain just 30 calories per serving, with two servings per 16-ounce can. Flavors are French Lemonade, Mint Lemonade, Tangerine Pomegranate, Blueberry Lemonade, Dragon- fruit Plum and Acai Berry Guava. The French Lemonade and Acai Berry Guava are labeled Diabolo Loco and contain some caf- feine to be energizing. Diabolo retails for $1.49 per can. "It's a quality product at a price point which is affordable for more peo- ple," Langlais said. Finally, TREO is a brand of organic birch water infusions. The company points out that birch water, which comes from hand- tapping birch trees, much as maple syrup comes from tapping maple trees, is a unique ingredient that brightens flavor, contains naturally occurring micronutrients and antioxidants and contains naturally oc- curring xylitol, which adds sweetness. The TREO birch water beverage is offered in four flavors: Strawberry, Peach Mango, Blueberry and Coconut Pineapple. It's sold in 16-ounce bottles and each serving con- tains just 1 g of sugar for a 10-calorie count. To make the beverage, hand-tapped birch water from Vermont trees is added to fruit juice concentrates. There are no arti- ficial flavors or colors, and they're USDA- certified organic as well as Non-GMO Project Verified. The 16-ounce bottle re- tails for $2.49 to $2.79. Mondelez International Employees Learn and Serve in Cocoa Farming Communities in Ghana Mondelēz International sent a team of em- ployees to Ghana for a two-week skills-ex- change program last month to learn about the challenges and opportunities in securing a sustainable cocoa supply, while sharing their diverse business skills with farmers. In its fourth year, the "Joy Ambassadors" program is part of the company's ongoing commit- ment to grow its impact for people and the planet. The 14 Joy Ambassadors from coun- tries around the world visited communities that are a part of Cocoa Life, the company's holistic, third-party verified program that aims to create a sustainable cocoa supply by transforming the lives of farmers and com- munities at scale. "This is a unique opportunity for our col- leagues to gain a deeper understanding of the cocoa supply chain and share their business skills to help accelerate the impact of our Cocoa Life sustainability efforts," said Sarah Delea, President of the Mondelēz Interna- tional Foundation and Senior Director for Well-being and Community Involvement. "Each year, the Ambassadors return with fresh perspectives and energy that helps us grow our people, business and positive im- pact we have in the world." This year's Joy Ambassador program fo- cused on strengthening communities through enhanced partnerships across the cocoa value chain – a critical factor to help build thriving cocoa communities. As such, the develop- ment and delivery of community workshops to build capacity and collaboration among local farmers and stakeholders was central to the experience. The Joy Ambassadors offer a wide range of expertise, including research and develop- ment, marketing, manufacturing, strategy and finance. They hosted workshops on key topics such as networking and alliance build- ing, planning and organization, coaching and mentoring and managing people and teams. The project is funded by the Mondelēz Inter- national Foundation through a partnership with VSO (formerly Voluntary Service Over- seas), the world's leading independent inter- national development organization working through volunteers to tackle poverty in de- veloping countries. As one of the world's largest chocolate companies Mondelēz International is com- mitted to ensuring a sustainable cocoa sup- ply chain through Cocoa Life. Launched in 2012, the program is investing $400 million USD by 2022 to empower at least 200,000 cocoa farmers and reach more than 1 mil- lion community members in six key cocoa- growing origins: Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, India, the Dominican Republic and Brazil.

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