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OCG Show Daily 2 9 Monday, June 11, 2018 Lollicup USA, Inc. Helps Customers, Distributors Prepare for Impending Plastic Bans Lollicup ® USA, Inc. is helping its cus- tomers and distributors prepare for the impending plastic bans by offering alter- native products. Some of the products include paper and plant based (PLA) plastic straws, utensils, food containers, cups, etc. Lollicup has had an eco-friendly line called Karat Earth™ for over 10 years. It has been adding products to its existing line to meet the changing needs of cus- tomers and the marketplace. Chief Executive Officer and Lollicup Founder Alan Yu said, "I saw the need in the disposable food industry, and how these products could lessen our carbon footprint. That is why we started producing products that were responsibly sourced and could be recycled or com- posted. With all of the plastic bans springing up, the industry is now ready for the line we have been carrying for almost a decade." Yu is referring to the more than 126 cities that have banned expanded poly- styrene across the nation in an effort to eliminate the ever growing amount of waste. The bans directly affect the food- service industry because of the food containers, cups and other items they use to serve customers daily. The next items that will be affected are plastic straws and plastic utensils. So far, four cities have banned the straws, and Malibu has banned the plastic utensils. It is only a matter of time until other cities follow. This is due, in part, to the domino effect that is occurring over banning plastics and all the attention plastic straws are receiving on social media with cam- paigns such as the "Last Plastic Straw Movement" and the "No Straw Challenge." "The bans will continue and we are prepared and have been informing our distributors and customers about the products they can use that will serve their needs, comply with the bans, and most importantly, be better for our environment," said Yu. About Lollicup USA Lollicup USA, Inc. is a premier beverage and disposable goods supplier and manu- facturer, a one-stop shop to the foodser- vice industry. Lollicup has developed four distinct brands: Karat ® , Karat Earth (eco- friendly), Tea Zone ® and Total Clean. It has also expanded production and distri- bution to ensure that customers have superior customer service, fast delivery and the latest industry innovations. For more information, go to www .lollicupusa.com. Old World Traditions Meet the Modern Table There are definite links from Old World craftsmanship to today's fast-paced, demanding marketplace. Fontanini Italian Meats has a full line of ethnic sausages that are made with high-quali- ty, tender cuts of meat and use the same time-tested methods a sausage maker may have used in Italy. In fact, the recipes and methods that Fontanini uses were perfected by the family through generations. Its sausage begins with selected cuts of fresh pork and beef that are cut into small chunks, blended with spices, marinated overnight for the flavor to best permeate the meat, and then prepared using authentic time- tested processes. To protect the quality while extending shelf life, the sausages are blast chilled and prepared for final processing in state-of-the-art manufac- turing facilities. Its product line – much like a family with a rich heritage, includes profiles with unique characteristics. The brand's sausages are available in both sweet and spicy flavors, which meet the expanding tastes of today's consumers. According to Technomic's recent Flavor Consumer Trend report, 60 percent of consumers find savory flavors the most desirable, while 58 percent crave sweet flavors and 54 percent crave spicy flavors. While Fontanini authentic meats are crafted in a traditional method with great care, the products can easily and quickly be used to make tasty sandwiches, pizzas or pasta dishes, and lasagna. Fontanini's family of recipes includes other classic favorites, like fully-cooked Italian beef. It begins by selecting the best mus- cle cuts from a limited number of trusted sup- pliers, then carefully trims the meat to assure maximum flavor and minimum fat. It's then oven roasted to perfec- tion, sliced wafer-thin, packed in an air-tight vacuum bag, and flash- frozen for optimal quality and convenience for the cus- tomer. Bringing it back to Grandma's kitchen, Fontanini is proud to share its Nonna's Sunday Gravy Sauce. It evokes a weekend meal at Nonna's house, with the accompanying aroma of garlic and meats gently simmering in a tomato sauce. The recipe is made with oven- roasted pot roast, spicy Italian sausage and meatballs for a taste that's truly memorable. Finally, the Fontanini flavor and craftsmanship extends to your front-of-the-house oven roasted pot roast. Perfect for a Sunday buffet or special, the roast can be served as a meat selection or tossed in a marinara or alfredo sauce and pasta. A product that works well in a hearty beef sandwich or for center-of- the-plate meals accompanied by potatoes and vegetables, the fully roasted product – never casing- formed – has a natural shape, and color for both eye and appetite appeal. No matter the day of the week, time of day and who is at the table, Fontanini Italian Meats and Sausages are the link between artisanal preparation, conven- ience and ultimately satisfaction and sales. For more information, go to www.fontanini.com or call 800.331.MEAT. Food Values, Technological Innovations, Savvy Consumers Will Power Major U.S. Food and Nutrition Trends Food waste, digital and online innova- tions, and consumer values are expected to drive some of the major food and nutrition trends in 2018, according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation. "The rise of the connected consumer and technological advances will help redraw the food landscape in 2018," said Joseph Clayton, Chief Executive Officer of the IFIC Foundation. "As our values move to the forefront in our decisions about what to purchase and consume, we will find a marketplace that is enhanced by innovation and is more aligned with our individual needs and desires." Drawing from its in-house survey research and health professional expert- ise, along with other data and observa- tions, the IFIC Foundation has identified several hot topics: Waste Not, Want Not By some estimates, about 40 percent of food produced for our consumption never reaches a human stomach. IFIC Foundation research suggests that food waste is both an educational challenge and opportunity among consumers that more players in the food system appear poised to embrace, with food purveyors stepping up their own commitments to address the problem. Growing awareness and concern about sustainability in general and the impacts of food waste in particular — environmental, economic, humanitarian — are indicative of broader interest in food values. Seafood sustainability is a specific area of concern, as consumers better appreciate the health benefits of seafood but also want it to be produced responsi- bly and sustainably. Virtual Shopping an Increasing Reality While the food sector as a whole notes relatively modest gains year over year, business is booming online. There are more ways than ever before to buy gro- ceries. New players and familiar retail- ers are rushing to meet the demand. Vertical integration and consolidation, along with the startup culture and a strong economy, will yield new choices and added convenience for consumers. Some of the key trends include more diversity and continued evolution in home-delivered meal kits; the use of con- nected, voice-controlled digital assistants to facilitate consumer decisions and pur- chases; the increasing speed of food deliveries with a wider variety of options from packaged to perishable; and even recipes on demand. Blockchain Promises Total Transparency "Blockchain" is an emerging buzzword in the digital realm. The technology leverages data to improve business effi- ciencies and supply chains, and it holds great promise for the food system, espe- cially food safety. Harvard Business Review calls it a "foundational technology" that is poised to remake many of our financial and social transactions and industries. Blockchain will help give consumers unprecedented information about where their food comes from. Nutrigenomics: The Impacts of Food at the Molecular Level Nutrigenomics, broadly speaking, studies how our diets influence our genes. A growing body of evidence and scientific interest in the field have put us on the brink of revolutionary advances in per- sonalized nutrition. Nutrigenomics has begun giving us answers about why people respond dif- ferently to different diets — especially why some people and not others become obese — which are factors that have long bedeviled nutrition research. New insights will help improve the quality of future scientific studies – not to mention the quality of our diets and health. Flavor Savorers Take a Walk on the Wild Side Taste has been the top driver of Americans' food purchases for the entire history of the IFIC Foundation's annual Food and Health Survey. In 2018, our palates will be treated to ever more exotic and esoteric options. Restaurants and retailers in urban areas in particular are seeing the prolifer- ation of choices from areas in the world where taste is abundant but Americans' familiarity is lacking. As social media and our daily lives become more and more inextricable, expect to see your friends and family chasing the "next big thing" when it comes to flavors.