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GOURMET NEWS MARCH 2018 www.gourmetnews.com SUPPLIER NEWS 8 Expo West Continued from PAGE 1 heated in about 90 seconds and enjoyed on-the-go right out of the pouch, according to company CEO Ken Plasse. Fishpeople's seafood entree kits are de- signed to meet the needs of consumers who don't trust seafood or don't trust themselves with seafood, either because they don't know where the fish is coming from and how it's caught or because they think that fish is difficult to prepare. "You spend a lot on a nice piece of fish, and people are afraid of screwing it up," Plasse said, adding that these factors help explain why two thirds of the seafood consumed by Americans is ordered in restaurants. Fishpeople seafood kits are offered in four varieties: Meyer Lemon & Herb Panko Wild Alaskan Salmon Kit, Cajun Shrimp & Sweet Pepper Wild Alaskan Salmon Kit, Chipotle & Lime Wild Alaskan Cod Kit and Garlic Parmesan Po- tato Wild Alaskan Cod Kit. Sold from the grocer's freezer case, they're designed to solve all those consumer fears. The com- pany's website offers traceability informa- tion for each product, so consumers can go to the website to find out more about how, where and by whom the fish was caught, and the kits offer all the components nec- essary to turn the kit into an entree for two. "We've taken that fish and provided a custom topper and foolproof instructions so you get great results every time," Plasse said. "In addition to two portions and the recipe card, we provide a foil for each fish to keep the mois- ture inside for a tented baking – you stop the dry- ing and over- cooking. You get a lot of flexibility [on the exact cooking time]." "The entire experience from the minute you open the box is about 20 minutes," he added. Actual baking time for the kit after it's thawed is about 10 to 12 minutes, and although the company recommends cook- ing the thawed fish, the kit can also be pre- pared right out of the freezer. Each of the two servings is packaged individually, so the consumer can cook the kit one serving at a time if desired. The seafood kit is the most recent addi- tion to the Fishpeople range of products that also includes a line of chowders and bisques packaged in single-serving pack- ages that can either be microwaved for 90 seconds or heated in a boiling water bath. In either case, the soups can be eaten right out of the pouch. Varieties include Wild Crab Bisque, Alder Smoke Wild Salmon Chowder, Wild Seafood Bouillabaisse and Razor Clam Chowder. A dairy-free soup will be launched this fall. The suggested retail price for the single- serve soups is $4.99, while the seafood kits that serve two retail for $9.99. Wild Garden Ziyad Brothers Importing will be exhibiting its Wild Garden products in Hall E at Expo West. The company has a new line of sim- mer sauces and marinades that will capture the interest of Millennial consumers who are looking for convenient ways to bring authentic ethnic fla- vors to their tables. The line includes Tunisian Shakshouka Simmer Sauce, Cher- moula Marinade, Chicken Shawarma Marinade and Beef Shawarma Marinade. The Tunisian Shak- shouka Simmer Sauce is packaged in an 8.8- ounce pouch and is made from ripe toma- toes, onions, red pep- pers, garlic and spices with simple instruc- tions for preparing the breakfast dish that has a cult following among New York hip- sters and food bloggers. The cook pours the contents of the pouch into a small skillet and brings it to a simmer, then uses a spoon to create wells in the sauce in which to drop in eggs for poaching. A few minutes later, breakfast is served. The sauce is also an excellent base for poaching fish or shrimp, according to Ziyad Executive Chef Maher Chebaro, who developed the recipe for the Wild Garden sauce. Munk Pack Munk Pack is also among the exhibitors in Hall E at Expo West, where the company will be showcasing its lines of Protein Cookies and Oatmeal Fruit Squeezes. Both product lines are manufactured in the U.S. with several nu- trition and safety cer- tifications: they're gluten free certified, kosher, Non-GMO Project Verified and vegan certified. Munk Pack targets its products to active adults, said co-Founder and co-CEO Michelle Glienke. "The brand is meant to elicit a love for the outdoors and appeal to people's love of nature, as well as encourage active and healthy living. Our products are also for any on-the-go purpose," she said. "You can keep them in your purse or grab them on the way out the door." The Oatmeal Fruit Squeeze, which is available in five varieties, was the first product line for the company that launched into retail in April 2015. Co- Founders Michelle Glienke and Tobias Glienke were living in New York City at the time and felt like they didn't have a good option for a quick grab-and-go breakfast that was made with real food in- gredients. "At the time we were making a lot of smoothies and oatmeal, but it was time-consuming and messy," Michelle said. "We discovered the pouch packag- ing, which enabled the cooked food to be packaged without fillers or preservatives, and it would keep for a long time. We decided that the innovation we wanted to bring to the market was an adult nutrition product, in this packaging format, to be eaten on the go." Munk Pack Oatmeal Fruit Squeeze is sold nationally in major grocery retailers and is available in Apple Quinoa Cin- namon, Maple Pear Quinoa, Peach Chia Vanilla, Blueberry Acai Flax and Raspberry Co- conut. They retail for $2.49. The company's Protein Cookies, launched last year at Natural Products Expo West, are available in four varieties: Double Dark Chocolate, Coconut White Chip Macadamia, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Raisin Spice. They retail for $2.79. Chosen Foods Chosen Foods will be bringing a new flavor of Avocado Oil to Hall E, extending its product line into the flavored oil space as well as a "very allergy-friendly" mayon- naise. Specifics will only be available closer to show time, so keep an eye on Gourmet Newswire for more details. Gourmet Newswire will also offer its readers the first look at Naturally Healthy, the Gourmet News special supplement covering a much wider range of the products and brands ex- hibiting this year at Expo West. If you're not already a subscriber to Gourmet Newswire, which arrives in email in-boxes each Tuesday, you can subscribe at www.gourmetnews.com – just tell the web- site that you want the weekly Gourmet Newswire. Toufayan Toufayan will be bringing gluten-free chips, gluten-free cookies and organic items to Hall E. Those will include Toufayan's Or- ganic Pita Bread, Organic Naan, Organic Garlic Naan and the brand-new Smart Pockets, which are square "bread wallets" for sandwiches. "There really isn't anything like it in the marketplace," said Richard Gilfert, National Sales Manager for To- ufayan. A package of six Smart Pockets will retail for $2.99 to $3.99. Lundberg Family Farms Grounded Snacks' Baked Grain Bites will be in the Lundberg Family Farms booth in Hall C at Expo West. These snacks made from brown rice, sorghum and amaranth are made in Richvale, California, and of- fered in 4-ounce bags in five flavors launch- ing at Expo West: Vanilla Chai, White Cheddar & Jalapeño, Smoky Sweet BBQ, Aged Parmesan and Garlic & Herb. The 4- ounce bag retails for $3.49. Single-serve packaging for Baked Grain Bites will also be reaching store shelves this summer. They join a Grounded Snacks product range that already includes whole grain chips in a variety of flavors made from rice and quinoa and sold nationwide. Brooklyn Crafted In Hall A at Expo West, Brooklyn Crafted will be showing its ginger beers, including the line's new extension, packaged in 7 fluid-ounce bottles, in the BCGA Concept Corp. booth. Brooklyn Crafted is a line of ginger beers that launched last year with Extra Spicy Ginger Beer, Sugar Free Extra Spicy Ginger Beer and Sugar Free Ginger Ale in 12-ounce bottles. The ginger beers are spicier versions of the company's Bruce Cost Ginger Ale, BCGA Concept Corp's ini- tial product line. "All of our products carry fresh, unfiltered ginger, so when you look at the bottle, it looks like there's sediment in the bottle, which is the fresh ginger," said Keli Roberson, the company's Market- ing Director. The Brooklyn Crafted ginger beers kick up the ginger flavor a notch with the addi- tion of organic ginger extract. They create great cocktail mixers that work well in recipes for a Dark and Stormy or a Moscow Mule – a cocktail trend that's still spreading across the country. "They're very refresh- ing, while offering the healthy components of ginger," Roberson said. As the name suggests, the Brooklyn Crafted products are made in Brooklyn, New York. Last October, the company launched Brooklyn Crafted Mini Bottles, a line of the craft ginger beers packaged in 7- fluid ounce bottles. They're available in four flavors: Traditional, Earl Grey, Lemon & Lime and Mango. The Mini Bottles retail for $1.49 per bottle. GN

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