Oser Communications Group

NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2018 n GOURMET NEWS N H 1 0 0 Mars Takes a Bite of KIND Mars, Incorporated will take a minority stake in KIND. As part of the agreement, the two companies will partner to grow KIND's product offerings and business globally, uti- lizing each other's strengths. The partnership will allow KIND to con- tinue to drive positive change in the food in- dustry while fulfilling – on a worldwide scale – its KIND Promise, a set of nutrition principles that have guided the company's innovation since its founding. KIND will provide Mars with a pioneering and trusted brand to anchor a newly formed global health and wellness platform, while Mars will provide KIND with its proven interna- tional model to expand into new markets. KIND will continue to operate independ- ently, led by its majority stakeholders, Founder Daniel Lubetzky and the KIND team, with its existing headquarters in New York, New York. As part of the agreement, Mars will lead the growth of the business outside the U.S. and Canada, partnering with KIND in accordance with the KIND Prom- ise. The partnership will enable KIND to ac- celerate its dual mission to make its healthy and tasty foods available to more people across the globe and make the world a little kinder through meaningful social impact ini- tiatives. It will also enable KIND to expand into new categories. "When we introduced our first whole nut and fruit bar in 2004, we set out on an am- bitious mission to do things differently and challenge false compromises by offering snacks that were healthy and tasty as well as wholesome and convenient. It's been ex- citing to see the reach and impact of our mission, and with our partnership with Mars, we're looking forward to continuing on this journey as we empower more peo- ple to make healthy eating decisions across the globe. We remain fully committed to our guiding principles, including our com- mitment to always use a nutritious food as the first and predominant ingredient in every food product," Lubetzky said. "We're proud to partner with Mars, a fam- ily-owned, principles-driven company with a proven track record of holding a long- term view, and look forward to working with them to make this a better world for future generations." "This is a partnership built on mutual admiration and a shared vision for growth," said Grant F. Reid, Chief Exec- utive Officer and President of Mars. "We believe there is tremendous opportunity to build on the success of KIND's product portfolio in new markets. As we continue to expand our business and broaden our portfolio to address evolving consumer needs, we're delighted to partner with a respected leader in the health and wellness space." NestFresh Helps Grocers Meet Demand for Humanely Raised Eggs By Lorrie Baumann Consumer demand for humanely produced eggs is increasing, and producers like Nest- Fresh are responding with eggs that meet consumer demands for transparency in how the hens laying those eggs are treated. Nest- Fresh is a brand based in Denver, Colorado, that specializes in cage-free eggs. "At the very minimum, all of our hens are cage free. ... They're free to move about the barn. All of our barns are built with furnishings and enrichment to encourage the natural behav- iors of the hens: perches, nest boxes, dust- bathing areas," said Brandy Gamoning, Marketing Manager for NestFresh. "They can socialize, preen, run, jump -- all of those things." According to the American Egg Board, cage-free hens are a growing segment of American flocks, with the trade group esti- mating that the percentage of cage free hens in American flocks grew by 31 percent be- tween October 2016 and October 2017 and, as of October, represent almost 16 percent of American flocks of laying hens. Retail sales of fresh eggs have remained nearly flat this year, according to data compiled by Nielsen, but sales of cage free eggs were up sharply while sales of eggs from caged hens were down almost as sharply, suggesting that con- sumers shifted their egg-buying preferences in favor of cage-free eggs over the past year. NestFresh, founded in 1991 as a family- owned company dedicated to the production of eggs in a way that reflected their values of humane animal care, sources and distrib- utes organic-certified eggs, Non-GMO Proj- ect Verified eggs and pasture-raised eggs from more than 20 small family farmers. "We work with family farms all over the country," Gamoning said. "That allows us to produce eggs that are regional, that are as local as possible for retailers and con- sumers." The company is the first to market with a Non-GMO Project Verified egg. "The major- ity of hen feed is corn and soy, and GMOs are prevalent in those ingredients. We worked with the Non-GMO project and with federal regulators on egg labeling. We worked with suppliers to make sure that they could source the food and that farmers could meet the standards for avoiding con- tamination," Ga- moning said. "We were the first to do it and the first to have that third-party certification." Third-party certification that reassures consumers that they're getting eggs that reflect their values has always been an em- phasis for NestFresh, according to Gamon- ing. "When we look at all the claims in the egg category, there were a lot of claims that didn't have clear definitions. Con- sumers were confused," she said. "We have always been committed to third-party verification and certification of our claims." NestFresh's organic eggs are certified or- ganic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Humane care certification for pasture-raised eggs is provided by Humane Farm Animal Care, which audits each of the farms to en- sure that the farms meet standards for minimum square footage of pasture space for the hens, adequate food and water and space in- side the barn as well as no use of added hormones or antibi- otics. All NestFresh hens are free of any antibiotics of added hormones, Gamoning said, who added that the company is ab- solutely committed to validation of its claims and the resulting tranparency that adds to what the consumer is getting. The result is a product range that enables NestFresh to provide grocers with custom product mixes to ensure that they're able to give their shoppers exactly what they want – evolving what that means as their shoppers' demands change. "With all of our work being the leader in humane and sustainable egg production, we're really experts in the egg category," Gamoning said. "We're al- ways evolving and innovating what humane and sustainable really mean. ... We're always learning about what that means and what the next step is." Two New Seasonings from Salty Wahine Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts now offers two new no-salt seasonings that are full of super fruits and premium pepper: Passion Fruit, Orange, Guava and Peppercorns and Star Fruit, Lemon and Peppercorns. Salty Wahine takes pride in the fact that 84 percent of its product is Hawaii origin. In 2016, Salty Wahine re- ceived kosher certification from the Or- thodox Union. For more information, contact Salty Wahine at 808.378.4601/4089 or go to www.salty wahine.com. The Daily Crave Quinoa Chips The Daily Crave is launching a new line of Quinoa Chips. The chips come in four fla- vors and offer 3-4 grams of plant-based pro- tein and 2 grams of fiber per serving. These crunchy, wholesome snacks are non-GMO, gluten free and kosher. Flavors include Himalayan Pink Salt, Bourbon BBQ, Spicy Thai Chili and Gouda & Romano Cheese with Cracked Pepper. These chips start with quinoa as the first in- gredient and include superfoods: lentils, chickpeas and peas. The Daily Crave snacks are always free of preservatives or artificial flavors. For more information, contact The Daily Crave at 916.358.9509 or amy@naturalinten tionsinc.com, or go to www.thedailycrave.com. Formaggio Brand Sliced Fresh Mozzarella with Balsamic Glaze Included Formaggio Brand's fresh mozzarella is well known for its superior taste, flavor and tex- ture. This product's famous butter cream re- tention delivers a flavor that is truly artisan. It's won them many awards over the years, but they're always striving for greater excel- lence. Formaggio is now pre-slicing much of its product line. Arguably, the company's most welcomed change is the decision to pre-slice and shingle its 14-ounce fresh mozzarella log and to include, in the MULTIVAC package, a packet of imported balsamic glaze. Add a little fresh basil and sliced tomato and you're at a picnic – no slicing required. Most foodies will agree that an exquisite balsamic glaze is often the accompani- ment to so many oft- served fresh mozzarella dishes. Having the conven- ience of this deli- cious glaze packet included with deli- cious, creamy fresh mozzarella – pre-sliced and shingled like dominoes – is not only attractive in its new package, but it's a real time-saver, too. The easy-to-serve cheese medallions are a breeze to remove from the easy-peel pack, so if you're lunching in the park, then you don't have to concern yourself with carrying the afore- mentioned cutlery, having the cut- ting board on hand, etc. Plus, the inclusion of the imported balsamic glaze means you don't have to schlep any extra product along with you. Formaggio Brand has made it easy by taking care of it for you. For more information, contact Formaggio Brand at 845.436.4200 or go to www .formaggiocheese.com.

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