Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JANUARY 2018 n GOURMET NEWS 6 0 Consumers Demand Trust Through Traceability Picture this: You dash into your favorite gro- cery store, enter the aisle of world-class extra virgin olive oils and then have to make a swift yet healthy choice. What is honest and 100 percent authentically Italian? So many choices, right? Wrong! What consumers are missing is the lack of transparency and traceability of extra virgin olive oil, as well as other foods they put their trust in. "The truth is in our label," says Susan Testa, Director of Culinary Innovation and Corporate Branding at Bellucci. "Putting the needs of our mindful consumers first, we are now proudly certified with the Bureau Veritas ISO 22005 seal. It's extremely spe- cific and designed to ensure the traceability of any food system. Bureau Veritas has cer- tified Bellucci's Extra Virgin Olive Oil trace- ability model down to the rural growers, down to the olive trees." In the growing fight against food fraud, Bellucci has heard the demands of its con- sumers – loud and clear – by adding this extra level of authentic- ity and credibility. It is setting a new standard. You would be sur- prised as to how many "Italian" brands are not so Italian, but are a blend of oils from other countries to cut costs. It's important to care- fully read the label, look for the country of origin and the harvest season to ensure freshness. Bellucci's "Trust Through Trace- ability" legacy embodies a philos- ophy that trust has to be earned. Giving consumers confidence in knowing the source and origin of their extra virgin olive oil is vital. Consumers now have the assurance that they're purchasing a guaran- tee of quality, flavor and freshness, all while maintain- ing social and environmental compliance. The Bureau Ver- itas ISO 22005 seal gives Bel- lucci a step forward in raising the bar for EVOO industry standards. For more information, visit booth #1652 or go to www.belluccipremium.com or www.facebook .com/belluccipremium. Create the Perfect Entertaining Experience with Elegant Brie Founders and sisters, Linda and Leslie have always loved entertaining. "Entertain like you mean it!" They put their corporate ca- reers on pause and started their entrepre- neurial partnership in 2009 in the California Bay Area. Their goal is the same today, to bring the best things out of their kitchen into yours. Elegant Brie is their claim to brie fame, a frozen bake-at-home appetizer that combines creamy brie cheese – rind removed, fresh fillings and flaky puff pastry crust, to create the perfect en- tertaining experience. They have done all the hard work to create the perfect brie-en- croute, a showpiece appetizer and always a fan favorite. Elegant Brie has a gorgeous presentation, and is delicious and conven- ient. Linda and Leslie started their business passionately selling their gourmet product at local Farmers Markets. Their brie appetizers were a hit, handcrafted with love and indi- vidually decorated with creative designs, so it was time to expand their tent. Their dedi- cation and hard work continues to pay off as their business expands. Now you too can sim- ply pop this gourmet delight into the oven and watch this amaz- ing appetizer puff up. Tell your guests you made it, because you did. Don't think you have to wait for a holi- day to enjoy Elegant Brie. Life is short, so create your own occasions. Really impress your guests and bake your Elegant Brie on the barbeque in the summer. Now that's how to entertain like you mean it! These two sisters have come a long way from selling brie at mar- kets in rain or shine con- ditions and shipping out of their garage. Yet their goal remains the same: quality gourmet good- ness and convenience. You can find Elegant Brie on QVC, Goldbely, Sur La Table and Ama- zon or www.elegantbrie.com. Follow the company on Facebook and spread the word to cheese-lovers everywhere. Cheers to melted brie goodness and making memories year round! For more information, visit booth #4931. Hitting the Sweet Spot with All-u-Lose For the past two years, Santiva International has been focused on the creation of the healthy sugar alternative. Its mission is to bring to con- sumers the ultimate sweetener with a great taste, nearly calorie-free and low carbs. All-u-Lose ® is finally available for the health-conscious consumer in non-metabo- lizing crystalline and liquid. It is also offered in a variety of flavors – Maple, Maple Bacon, Honey and S'mores – and comes in a baking blend pouch. The sweetener can be used for baking, cooking and beverages. All- u-Lose delivers the satisfying taste without all the calories and carbs. All-u-Lose tastes like sugar because it is a non-GMO plant-based rare sugar. Most im- portantly, the sweetener has 90 percent less calories than traditional sugar and is low glycemic, with little impact on blood glucose or insulin levels. It's a perfect sweetener for health-conscious consumers who also may have some dietary restrictions. Some sweeteners have an unpleasant af- tertaste and contain sugar alcohol which may cause bloating and dis- tress. All-u-Lose is made of natural ingre- dients and is perfectly safe for consumption. People of all ages from 2 to 102 can enjoy the benefits of All-u-Lose. Santiva International offers a broad line of healthy gourmet foods with superior flavors – seasonings, desserts, herbs, oils, soups and much more. It is committed to bringing in- novative healthy gourmet products to the marketplace. Santiva International is the first company to make All-u-Lose products avail- able directly to the con- sumer. Multiple patents are pending on its ground- breaking proprietary blends and more products are just around the corner. The company's focus on innovation touches everything it does, whether creating new culinary delights or promoting and advertising great products for worldwide distribution. Taste it to believe it! For more information, visit www.santiva int.com, email sales@santivaint.com or call 888.988.2900. Cumberland Farms Raises More Than $56K to Help Those Affected by Hurricanes Cumberland Farms' recent fundraiser to support communities affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma raised more than $56,000 for the American Red Cross. During the fundraiser, which ran from Sep- tember 18 through September 24, 10 cents from every fountain or frozen Chill Zone beverage purchased at Cumberland Farms' nearly 600 retail locations was donated di- rectly to the American Red Cross. The do- nations will be split equally to enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help communities recover from the two disasters. "We are honored to be able to help provide aid to the communities that have been greatly devastated by these catastrophic hurricanes," said Ari Haseotes, Chief Executive Officer of Cumberland Farms. "We are grateful to our customers who have supported the fundraiser, as well as our team members in Florida, who helped us reopen 100 percent of our stores in only four days after Hurri- cane Irma struck." According to the American Red Cross, more than 195,000 homes across Florida were estimated as either destroyed or se- verely damaged after Hurricane Irma struck. The Red Cross is continuing to work to provide shelter, food, relief sup- plies, health services and emotional support for those who have been affected by the disaster. As of October 9, the non-profit has also authorized payment of $400 to more than 477,000 households severely affected by Hurricane Harvey alone, which is more than $190 million in direct financial assis- tance. Albertsons Companies Now Offering Apple Pay Across All Stores Apple Pay is now available in all Albertsons Companies banners and more than 2,300 stores nationwide. Apple Pay is transforming mobile payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay that's also fast and con- venient for customers. Apple Pay is a new feature at check stands in the company's Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Tom Thumb, Randalls and Carrs stores. Apple Pay has already been available to customers at Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Star Market, Haggen and United stores. "We are focused on meeting our cus- tomers wherever and however they like to shop," said Anuj Dhanda, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Albertsons Companies. "We are pleased to enhance that experience by offering Apple Pay across all of our stores. Customers want faster, time-saving options that are stable and secure. Apple Pay satisfies that need and fits in well with our omni-channel shopping solutions." Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When you use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique device account number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the secure element on your device. Each transaction is authorized with a one- time unique dynamic security code. Apple Pay is easy to set up and users will continue to receive all of the rewards and benefits offered by credit and debit cards. In stores, Apple Pay works with iPhone SE, iPhone 6 and later and Apple Watch.

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