Food & Food Equipment News

KitchenAid Commercial Introduces Immersion Blender for Seriously Inspired Kitchens

KitchenAid Commercial has announced the launch of the KitchenAid Commercial 400 series immersion blender, a brand-new, first-of-its-kind kitchen tool for easy blending and mixing in today's biggest and busiest commercial kitchens. For the first time ever, attendees of the 2016 NRA Show can view the blender in-person at McCormick Place.

"By premiering the new 400 series immersion blender, KitchenAid Commercial is continuing to arm chefs and bakers with state-of-the-art commercial-grade products, allowing them to increase their versatility and productivity in the heart of restaurants – the kitchen." said Jeff McClure, Global Director at KitchenAid Commercial.

The NSF-certified 400 series immersion blender offers these features:

• Stainless steel removable blending arm that ranges from 12 to 20 inches in length for a volume up to 26 gallons
• Multipurpose blade to blend, crush, chop and purée
• Bowl clamp for hands-free operation
• Continuous run for unassisted blending
• Top speed of 18,000 rpm for puréeing, whipping cream and emulsifying
• Second handle and protective grip to assist in blending control and leverage

"We're thrilled to premiere the 400 series immersion blender at the landmark NRA Show, which we've exhibited at for the past three years," said McClure. "NRA offers the perfect blend of energy and excitement for the launch of this exciting, new product to market. The food world will learn that this blender is the only match for serious culinary artists who want to create inspired dishes."

KitchenAid Commercial aims to assist kitchen professionals in advancing their craft by providing top of-the-line food-preparation equipment that performs with power and unmatched reliability. To learn more about KitchenAid Commercial, visit http://www.kitchenaidcommercial.com/.

The 400 series immersion blender is immediately available to interested buyers for purchase here: http://www.kitchenaidcommercial.com/dealer-locator.

Mariani Packing Company Announces Exclusive Partnership with Ganeden Biotech

Mariani Packing Company, the world's largest independent producer of dried fruit, has partnered with Ganeden Biotech, a recognized leader in the manufacturing and marketing of probiotics. This partnership will allow Mariani to build upon the company's legacy of innovation through the development of a new portfolio of dried fruit snacks and ingredient products utilizing GanedenBC30 Probiotic Cultures.

"As consumers continue to demand more from the snacks and food that they are eating, dried fruit partnered with the benefits of probiotics is an ideal combination," says Miranda Ackerman, Director of Innovation and Business Development. "We are very excited for our upcoming launch of consumer products, initially focused on digestive health and overall wellness, as well as the portfolio of fruit ingredients in development that we will be able to provide for our global customers."

Dried fruit is a natural source of dietary fiber, which is shown to support digestive health. Combining the natural health benefits of dried fruit with a highly stable probiotic culture will allow consumers to add probiotics to their everyday snacking and eating occasions in a more versatile and convenient way. As the market and education on probiotics increases, consumer awareness continues to grow - currently about 80 percent of consumers know what probiotics are and associate them with a health benefit.  

"This dried fruit innovation combines prebiotics and probiotics into a truly functional health product that is complemented by antioxidants," says Dr. Holly Petty, Director of Technical Services and Innovation. "Our partnership with Ganeden has enabled us to bring a product to market that delivers active cultures 10 times more effectively than yogurt – but in a shelf stable form."

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Debuts UnBEETable Berry Smoothie

 Tropical Smoothie Cafe is unveiling its latest innovation in its signature Superfood Smoothie series, the UnBEETable Berry, starting August 25, 2014.

Available for a limited time only, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, with 385 locations across the U.S., is the first national restaurant chain to release a beet smoothie of its kind in the marketplace. Unlike offerings at other smoothie chains, Tropical Smoothie Cafe's new UnBEETable Berry smoothie is made with fresh whole beets—not beet concentrates or juices—expertly blended with ripe strawberries, blueberries, bananas and cranberries, ensuring its customers get the highest nutritional benefit out of this tasty superfood smoothie.  

"We have taken the beet in its raw, natural, crimson form and expertly blended it with four fresh fruits to create an unexpectedly delicious flavor profile packed with all the vitamins, nutrients and fiber this amazing vegetable has to offer," said Lisa Wenda, CMO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

The Sterling-Rice Group reports that beets are one of the top trends in the natural and organic space in 2014. With beets packing a nutrition and flavor punch that consumers are craving, this trendy superfood is a great source of folate, potassium, vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants and nitrates.

 

Wolfgang Puck Commercial Blender with Tritan Carafe

The Wolfgang Puck^® 1050-watt Commercial Blender — the newest application from Wolfgang Puck’s line W.P. Appliances, Inc. — has a blender carafe made with Eastman Tritan^™ copolyester. Making its debut Oct. 12 on HSN^®, where is it is exclusively available for purchase, the blender is ideal for making everything from steamy hot soups to iced smoothies. 

Eastman Tritan^™ copolyester is a new-generation plastic with excellent toughness, dishwasher durability and impact resistance. Tritan, which does not contain bisphenol A, retains clarity after repeated washing cycles, without hazing or cracking. The superior clarity of the material allows the user to easily view the blender carafe’s contents.

Although Eastman Tritan^™ copolyester has the look and feel of glass, it comes without the weight and shatter risk that can make handling slick, wet glass products a challenge in the kitchen.

W.P. Appliances has used Eastman Tritan^™ copolyester in other products launched earlier this year — including a high-end blender and a food steamer — and the company has a goal of using the material for 100 percent of its product line.

For more information about Eastman Tritan^™ copolyester, visit www.eastman.com/tritan.

Suggested retail price: $159.95 on HSN.com

Company name: W.P. Appliances, Inc.

Phone number: 1-800-275-8273

Website: www.wpcookware.com

 

Drink Chia! Meets High Demand and is Coming to Vitamin Shoppe Nationwide

In a market saturated with synthetic, sugar-filled "health" drinks, Drink Chia is quickly building an energized fan base. This week, the best omega-3 superfood beverage made for healthy lifestyles hits shelves at all 622 Vitamin Shoppe store locations in across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Ontario.

Amongst all chia seed beverages, Drink Chia is the lowest in calories and sugar, making it the perfect choice for Vitamin Shoppe devotees who will love the product with its combined benefits of enhanced hydration, endurance and recovery, heart health, and brain health.

For co-founder and marathon runner Chandra Davis, the rapid growth represents the realization of a long-time dream. While struggling to find a truly healthy drink, she read how ancient Aztec and Mayan warriors used chia seeds to fuel daily 100 mile runs. If it worked for them, it would surely work for her. So, she began mixing delicious energy-building blends of her own.

"This drink was born in my kitchen from my own need for a healthy way to stay hydrated during workouts and in daily life," said Davis. "With the support of my partners, we bottled my beverage in hopes of making it available to frustrated athletes everywhere. To see Drink Chia distributed nationwide is truly amazing."

From those-on-the-go to children to professional athletes, Drink Chia is the perfect addition to active and healthy lifestyles. The all-natural, great-tasting beverage alternative to sugary sports drinks that are laden with artificial ingredients contains just 50 calories and 5 grams of sugar per serving. 

Infused with whole, soft chia seeds, the drink has 1,100mg of omega-3 essential fatty acids and is also rich in fiber, antioxidants, and B-complex vitamins. Thanks to the incredible power of chia seeds, Drink Chia promotes sustained hydration without the peaks and valleys of high-sugar and artificial energy boosters.

"Americans are increasingly aware of the dangers of sugar consumption and are starting to take a stand against sugary drinks," said Davis. "At Drink Chia, we're pleased to offer a solution that is healthy, natural, and delicious. Through our partnership with the Vitamin Shoppe, it can now be enjoyed by Americans everywhere."

The expanded distribution also presents an opportunity for Drink Chia to spread its health-conscious "Shake it, Baby" active lifestyle message to consumers across the nation: Shake the drink up and get out to make things happen, to make a difference.

Drink Chia is available in four delicious flavors – Strawberry Citrus, Honeysuckle Pear, Mango Tangerine, and Lemon Blueberry. For more information or to order a product sample, visit www.drinkchianow.com.

The Power Of Pink: Juice It Up! Unleashes The Dragon With New Pitaya Superfruit

Juice It Up! the nation's largest raw juice bar and hand crafted smoothie franchise have once again added a powerful player to their healthy lifestyle options and offerings. The 82-store chain (who was first to introduce the benefits and flavor of the Acai super fruit) has now announced a new line of bowls and smoothies featuring the colorful and exotic Pitaya fruit, commonly referred to as Dragon Fruit.

Pitaya, (Pee-tah-yah) is native to Mexico, as well as Central and South America and is considered to be a super fruit by many, packed with antioxidants, Omega-3's, Vitamin C and a key source of magnesium. As with the launch of their famous Acai products, Juice It Up! is staying focused on the development of products that support a healthy lifestyle and provide consumers with delicious functional options to improve their overall well-being. 

"We were one of the first to introduce the health benefits of the Acai berry to the public" says Carol Skinner, Senior Director of Marketing for Juice It Up!. "With the addition of our new Pitaya line, and the infusion of the Pitaya super fruit into our smoothies and bowls, we have strengthened our platform of functional, delicious and healthy options for our customers."

The Pitaya fruit will be infused with other natural ingredients and presented in three great new Juice It Up! products; The Pitaya Sunset Smoothie, The Pitaya Passion Bowl and The Tropical Pitaya Bowl, each with its own unique flavor profile and each offering amazing health functionality. The low-sugar, high-fiber superfruit showcases a wealth of vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients found to strengthen the immune system, neutralize cancer-forming radicals, improve healing and help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and arthritis.

"It simply is another powerful ingredient in our focus on healthy options for our customers." Says Frank Easterbrook, CEO and President of Juice It Up!. "We are excited to be bringing this amazing fruit into the public eye and making it part of our healthy line up."

The newly developed Pitaya products will be available at all 82 store locations for a limited time from September 1^st through October 30^th. For the nearest Juice It Up! location nearest you, or for more information on Juice It Up! and Juice It Up! products, please visit them on the web at www.juiceitup.com.

Kate Farms Functional Whole Foods Gains National Distribution

Kate Farms, the creator of Komplete Ultimate Shakes — the world's first organic dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free ready-to-drink meal replacement shake — is excited to announce that the first Komplete flavor, Vanilla Bliss, will be present in all 622 of The Vitamin Shoppe locations nationwide as well as online starting yesterday, Sunday, August 18th, 2013. The remaining two Komplete flavors from their flagship line including Cocoa Fudge and Jav'a Latte will be available for purchase at The Vitamin Shoppe and online starting Sunday, September 15th, 2013.

As a former tennis professional and the cousin of world famous tennis legend Rod Laver, Richard Laver and his wife Michelle founded Kate Farms for the sole purpose of their daughter, Kate Laver. At the age of four, Kate was failing to "thrive" and was faced with numerous difficulties. The meal replacement beverage her doctors prescribed was overloaded with sugar and dairy for calorie enhancement. As a result, Kate had many complications, including bottle rot, sleep apnea and digestive problems. The Laver's then decided it was time to take matters into their own hands and started to develop their own hypoallergenic meal replacement shake in their very own kitchen. Together they blended 21 superfoods (including but not limited to acai, mangosteen, black currants, raspberries, green tea extract, etc.) with antioxidants, high plant based proteins and vitamin rich ingredients to fuel the body with the nutrition it needs and removed all the things that the body doesn't need like sugar and dairy. Within weeks Kate's condition improved greatly and she no longer needed breathing treatment for sleep apnea, her digestion problems were a thing of the past and her mouth was once again healthy.

"The Vitamin Shoppe is known for offering health conscious consumers a variety of high quality products and supplements and I'm thrilled that Kate Farms Komplete Ultimate Shakes will now be stocked on their shelves." says Richard Laver, CEO and Founder of Kate Farms. "When I was creating the Komplete formula I dreamed that it would end up in The Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements stores worldwide."

Kate Farms Komplete Ultimate Meal Replacement Shakes can also be found and are available for purchase in more than 30 Super Supplements locations as well as many other fine grocery stores and retailers all over the United States. Please visit www.KateFarms.com for additional information and to find a local retailer.

Jamba Juice Hosts Free Kids Smoothie Day On July 27

Jamba Juice Company, a leading healthy and active lifestyle brand, will be hosting a Jamba Kids^™ Free Smoothie Day on Saturday, July 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at select participating Jamba^® locations. To bring awareness to the Jamba Kids Meal and to provide kids with nutritious and delicious on-the-go choices this summer, participating Jamba Juice^® stores will give away a free 9.5oz Jamba Kids smoothie to all children ages 8 and younger.* Jamba Kids Meals were designed in partnership with the Jamba Healthy Living Council^™ and conform to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate dietary guidelines.

Healthy and nutritious, Jamba Kids smoothies have the highest whole fruit servings of any leading quick service restaurant kids meal, providing a fun and delicious way to enjoy 2.5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables.  Kids can choose from four delicious flavors:

• Strawberries Gone Bananas^™ is a wild blend of strawberries, bananas and apple-strawberry juice.
• Blueberry Strawberry Blast-off^™ features bunches of blueberries and strawberries blended with a bit of banana and mixed berry juice.
• Poppin' Peach Mango^™ is a tropical twist of peaches, mangos and bananas blended with passion mango juice.
• Berry Beet It!^™ is a party of strawberries, mangos, bananas and berry juice with a hidden surprise of veggies like carrots, beets, broccoli, spinach, kale and lettuce.

"At Jamba Juice, we are deeply committed to providing great-tasting, nutritious options to help everyone in the family get their daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables—from mom and dad to the older siblings and kids," said Julie S. Washington, senior vice president and chief brand officer, Jamba Juice Company. "This summer, in celebration of good nutrition and our new Jamba Kids Meals, we will be hosting a Free Kids Smoothie Day exclusively for our youngest fans to help inspire them to Live Fruitfully^™."

For a full list of Jamba Juice locations participating in this promotion and for more information on nutrition, product offerings and coupons, please visit the Jamba Juice website.

*Limit 4 per party. While supplies last. No purchase necessary.

Boom in Healthy Flavors in US Soft Drinks Market

Innova Market Insights will report on the latest soft drink trends and emerging flavors at its Taste the Trend Pavilion [booth #1576], at this year's IFT Food Expo in Chicago (July 14-16). Daily live presentations at the booth will include the topic "Health Drives Flavor Hits."

See video:

http://vimeo.com/user18238697/review/69455625/a9a3a74351

Healthy flavors, such as herbs and spices, honey, and new-generation superfruits will be the next hits in the global beverages market.

While flavor trends can vary markedly by region, research data from Innova Market Insights indicates that rising interest in superfruits is evident globally, with pomegranate still leading the field. It accounted for over 40% of tracked beverage launches featuring superfruit flavors over the June 2008 to May 2013 period, well ahead of açai and lychee, with 12.5% and 12%, respectively. Emerging or new-generation superfruits are led by guanabana/soursop, cactus/prickly pear, and marula.

"Cactus/prickly pear is one of the emerging superfruit flavors in the North American beverage market," says Lu Ann Williams, Head of Research at Innova Market Insights. "US launches over the past year including Cactus Juice and Cactus Tea from Nopal and Prickly Pear Cactus Tea from Hunter & Hilsberg, as well as Martinelli's Prickly Passion Lemonade juice drink, featuring prickly pear puree," she notes.

Vegetable flavors are also featuring strongly, Williams reports, often in combination with fruit flavors, in juices, smoothies and teas, adding health-giving phytochemicals, as well as a new flavor element. The number of beverage launches featuring celery rose six-fold in 2012, while those featuring cucumber and beets doubled. Kale also started to feature in the beverages market in 2012.

The generally rising level of interest in hot and spicy flavors in the US food market as a whole has also spread through to beverages. This has led to the emergence of hot and spicy variants featuring ingredients such as black pepper and chilis, including Habanero, Jalapeno and Chipotle.

Taste the Trend 2013 (Chicago)

Innova Market Insights' Taste the Trend Pavilion at this year's IFT Food Expo in Chicago [booth #1576] will wow visitors with hard-hitting data on new product activity. The booth will feature a series of essential presentations on consumer trends taking product development forward, with insights on flavor, packaging and technology drivers.

Bumbleroot Foods Launches Indiegogo Campaign

Bumbleroot Foods, a Denver-based healthy snack company, has launched an online crowdfunding campaign though indiegogo.com with a goal to raise $30,000 to fund the production of their first product line, a powdered drink mix containing the African superfruit Baobab.

Just as the Amazon superfruit acai was relatively unknown to the US market ten years ago, Bumbleroot is looking to make Baobab the next household word when it comes to nutrition. Bumbleroot Baobab Drink Mix combines wholesomely hydrating coconut water and immune-boosting fruit from the African baobab tree. Together, this pair makes a delicious drink packed with antioxidants for enhanced immunity, 14 amino acids (including all nine essential amino acids) for energy and muscle recovery, electrolytes for natural hydration, prebiotics and dietary fiber for optimal digestive health, and loads of vitamins and minerals. Bumbleroot Baobab Drink Mix is available in pineapple vanilla, blueberry and lemongrass flavors.

In addition to being thrilled about the launch of their first product, entrepreneurs Sarah Andrews and Currie Corbin are most proud of the impact Bumbleroot will have on contributing to a healthier food system. Andrews first discovered Baobab while she was working in Zimbabwe, designing systems to integrate smallholder farmers into the agriculture value chain. Sara started Bumbleroot to provide a way to connect these farmers to consumers in developed markets, thereby increasing incomes and a paving a better life for the farmers while offering healthier and better tasting beverage and snack food choices to consumers. For this reason, a portion of each product sale will go back to the communities from which the ingredients are grown. "A contribution to Bumbleroot goes beyond getting a beverage that keeps you healthy. It's a contribution to a movement toward a sustainable food system and supports hardworking entrepreneurs in other parts of the world," says Andrews.