Food & Food Equipment News

Kontos Foods Announces New Gluten-Free Wrap

Kontos Foods, Inc., a U.S.- based manufacturer and distributor of traditional artisan breads and Mediterranean specialty foods, has launched 12-inch Gluten-Free Pre-Grilled Wrap, primarily targeted to foodservice customers. The new product, recently accepted for sale by Restaurant Depot, is certified wheat-free and gluten-free.

“The request for gluten-free wraps initially came from one of our larger foodservice distributors in Toronto, Canada. With many consumers severely sensitive to gluten, we decided that it was an important product to add to our line of delicious wraps for restaurants and foodservice establishments across North America,” said Steve Kontos, Vice President of Kontos Foods. “Since initially showing the new 12-inch wrap to our U.S. customers, we were delighted when Restaurant Depot chose to carry it.”

The Kontos Gluten-Free Pre-Grilled Wraps have been specifically developed to fit the unique needs of individuals who are looking for wheat and gluten-free options, but still want to enjoy delicious wrap sandwiches.

“The product contains grill marks on one side, to create an interesting café-style meal. Or, food purveyors can flip the wrap and hide the grill marks if desired,” said Warren Stoll, Kontos Marketing Director. “At 12 inches across, they are large enough to make a hearty sandwich wrap that can be easily sliced in two pieces.”

The wraps, which contain tapioca starch, water, rice flour, soybean flour and other wholesome ingredients, contain no trans-fat and are 100% vegetarian.

New Startup Offers NYC Foodies Authentic Dishes Cooked and Delivered by Refugees

When Manal Kahi moved to New York City to attend the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, she immediately set out to stock her apartment with her favorite staple: hummus. Accustomed to the fresh, homemade variety in her native Lebanon, however, Manal quickly became disappointed with the prepackaged selection she encountered in American supermarkets. "It didn't even come close to what I get back home — the kind my grandmother makes, or my aunt's," she says. "That's when I started making my own."

Manal's homespun hummus soon became a hit among her friends — and looked like a market opportunity to her brother,Wissam Kahi, a graduate of Columbia Business School.  The siblings got to thinking: In Lebanon, some of the best hummus was made by Syrian expats; what if they could employ Syrian refugees in New York City to cook and deliver the hummus to individual customers, providing work opportunities for the refugees while offering adventurous foodies an authentic experience? The two then expanded their concept, realizing that the market for authentic ethnic food was much broader than just hummus — and Eat Offbeat was born.

Eat Offbeat employs refugees from around the world to cook their own family recipes and deliver the meals to customers in NYC. Hungry clients place same-day orders online by 4 p.m. and the fresh food is delivered in reheatable containers by dinnertime. Each meal consists of an appetizer, entrée, and side dish, and costs about $20.

Wissam and Manal say the startup aims to provide customers not just with authentic ethnic food, but with genuine cultural experiences. "[We want you to] feel like you're in downtown Baghdad, for instance, or that you've been invited to a chef's own home," Manal says.

Eat Offbeat recently won $25,000 in seed money from the new Tamer Fund for Social Ventures, which provides early-stage Columbia–affiliated social ventures with financial grants as well as access to the resources — such as one-on-one guidance — of the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise. The business currently employs three refugees from Iraq, Eritrea, and Nepal, and has plans to expand to 10 refugees this year and up to 30 by 2019.

To learn more about Eat Offbeat, visit http://eatoffbeat.com.

New Sodium Reduction Solution to Launch at New York Restaurants

Concern about excessive sodium intake in FF/QSR restaurant foods has been rapidly growing, with calls for mandatory regulation and other initiatives directed toward the reduction of salt consumption. In response, Salt of the Earth Ltd. makes its Umamix flavor-enhancement product available to restaurants. Umamix is a proprietary, savory mix of quality sea salt and vegetable extracts. It is rich in umami, and the all-natural formula is designed to reduce sodium and MSG use in food applications and recipes.

"We developed Umamix to answer the growing demand from consumers to reduce sodium in food without compromising on flavor," explains Dror Levy, Retail & Food Service Export manager for Salt of the Earth. "Umamix can help chefs reduce sodium up to 45 percent in various recipes and food applications, providing a vegan, natural and GMO-free solution for restaurants in New York and the rest of the U.S."

Salt of the Earth collaborated with MBA candidates at Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, Chicago, in a study to better understand what professional and casual chefs really want and how they might use Umamix in their recipes. The study took place in The Chopping Block culinary school in Chicago. "The research showed Umamix to be especially effective in replacing salt in a variety of food products including vegetarian dishes, sauces and meat-based products, such as hamburgers," Levy adds.

"Restaurant patrons want a great dining experience, and this translates to healthful food, with full flavor," says Revital Ben Shachar, Marketing Manager for Salt of the Earth. "People want to eat healthy, and they demand transparency when it comes to what's in the food they consume. The challenge for chefs is to make food healthier, with great taste and without preservatives or synthetic ingredients. Umamix lets them stir in or shake on flavor. Salt of the Earth is able to help chefs develop or adapt recipes to take full advantage of Umamix's substantial flavor enhancement and sodium-lowering benefits," Shachar adds.

With innovation and quality as its driving principles, Salt of the Earth has been producing sustainable sea salt solutions for the global food industry since 1922. Salt of the Earth's customers span more than 30 countries on five continents. The company controls and tracks sustainable salt resources and works to promote balanced salt consumption through innovative sodium reduction solutions.

Gluten-Free Trend Hits Peak, Has Room To Diversify

By Greg Gonzales

 

Gluten-free dog food, signs for gluten-free haircuts and even gluten-free lap dances are some of the jokes floating around these days, but the gluten-free market is serious business. Gluten-free options are everywhere now, and they're not going away anytime soon. Even so, the market is set to shrink a little as a result of high prices and trendy eaters quitting the diet.

Research from NPD Group revealed that most consumers see gluten free as a fad, while they still seek natural, wholesome products. In addition, Packaged Facts reported that 53 percent of shoppers consider gluten-free foods overpriced, while 41 percent said they'd purchase gluten-free items if they were more affordable.

Though the trend may be at a peak, there's plenty of support for the market. According to research from Mintel, 37 percent of consumers eat gluten free because they consider it good for overall health. Fifteen percent of U.S. consumers in a Nielsen survey said gluten free is a very important factor in purchasing decisions.

“The gluten-free trend is not disappearing,” said Kim Holman, Marketing Director of Wixon. “However, we are seeing a greater emphasis on transparency and consumers being able to easily identify gluten-free products on the shelves versus new formulations of gluten-free products.” Plus, consumers are increasingly expecting to know where their food came from, how it was made and if the product offers extra nutrition. Meanwhile, food producers are still moving to add “gluten free” to their labels. “When a formula is already gluten free or contains easily removable gluten, we are seeing many of our customers deciding to make the move to gluten free in order to be able to put the claim on their packaging,” Holman said.

Moreover, 80 percent of respondents in a global Nielsen market research survey said they're willing to pay more for foods with health attributes, and the Mintel research showed that 26 percent of consumers believe gluten-free foods are worth the price bump. Not everyone in that group, however, has reason to believe gluten-free items are for them. “Consumers are making choices for their lifestyle, the way they want to live,” said Holman. “Consumers are looking for foods that eliminate unneeded and unwanted ingredients, and gluten is one of those ingredients for many people. I do think the trend may be peaking, as almost all research firms are declaring. And why is it peaking? Because eliminating gluten does not cure everything.”

According to a Wixon food scientist, Renee Santy, stories of medical miracles spreading through social media was what drove the trend. “Stories of medical miracles made people believe that a gluten-free diet was best and gluten was the devil,” she said. Consumers and experts alike are calling those stories misguided.

Gluten free is a trend for the majority, but the diet and products are a legitimate medical need for at least seven percent of the population, if not much more. An estimated one percent of the population has celiac disease, and anywhere from 0.5 percent to 70 percent of the population could be non-celiac gluten-sensitive, according to Dr. Allesio Fasano, Founder and Director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“Fifteen years ago, people didn't know how to spell gluten,” Fasano said. “Now, in 2015, the pendulum has swung way over ... any comedian includes gluten in their acts. People understand what it is, and it's one of the most popular markets in the United States. The pendulum will come back a little bit, but not like the other diet trends; this diet is also driven by a real medical necessity and [that] will continue to drive the market.”

Fasano added that a gluten-free diet is a medical intervention, and that anyone considering going gluten free should seek advice from a dietitian. “You don't inject yourself with insulin and then ask if you have diabetes or not,” he said. “Don't give it a try just because someone told you that you have symptoms, and don't do this by yourself.”

As new health research is released and gluten myth-busting becomes more visible — such as Fasano's December 18 article in the Washington Post — consumers who don't see results and expect transparency from companies are turning away from gluten-free foods. And until medical researchers like Fasano figure out how to diagnose non-celiac gluten sensitivities, gluten-free foods are potentially a necessity for anywhere from 1.5 percent to 70 percent of the population. While that's being figured out, people have some diet choices to consider.

“The vendors need to let them know how things are done, to give the consumer a choice,” said Barry Novick, President of Kitchen Table Bakers. “You're going to see free-from trends continue; that's very very important. What is natural? Is baking in an oven natural? Is baking in a microwave natural? The consumer should know how the product is made. We have a patient's bill of rights, and I believe the consumer should have a bill of rights.”

Novick identified poor nutrition content and low quality as reasons people are moving away from gluten-free products. In the rush to formulate products that taste like their gluten-containing counterparts, many of those products failed to measure up in taste and texture.

“If the product is good, it should diversify,” said Novick. “If it's just gluten free because that's what people made, it's going to end up in the same position as the low-carb fad products,” adding that companies are finding success using real people for tasting, and not just formulas, to mimic gluten.

Chris Licata, President and CEO of Blake's All Natural, reiterated Novick's point: “I think the products and the brands that are truly committed to making super-high-quality gluten-free meals will continue to grow. There's a reason why we don't have 10 or 12 gluten-free items; that's because if we make a gluten-free item, it truly has to be as good as a similar item that's not gluten free. It's not enough to just have it be labeled gluten free; it has to have taste, texture and flavors that are comparable.”

Novick said his gluten-free products, cheese crisps, work because everyone can enjoy them, that, “You need something universal, that the kids can eat and the parents can have with a glass of wine.… Wherever you go, whatever your diet, you can have our product at the party. You're never left out.”

With so much time, effort and dollar amounts spent on adding gluten-free options to their lineups, producers within the industry won't be taking the label off their products. And continued and increased consumer interest in free-from and natural products, nutrient-dense superfoods, along with the many alternatives to gluten, leaves room for the market to grow.

“Many manufacturers want the added value of being gluten free and a small additional cost, but in the end, consumers will decide if gluten free stays or goes,” Santy said. “They will speak with their wallet. In the meantime, companies need to stay in touch with their customers and understand their changing needs around gluten free.”

“Many consumers had hoped that gluten free would help them lose weight or help some medical issue. When this does not transpire, they will lose interest in gluten free,” Santy added. “But those consumers, that just feel better because they live gluten free, will continue to live gluten free.”

-- Originally published in the February, 2016 issue of Gourmet News.

 

Sheetz to Invest More Than $15 Million in 2016 to Increase Employee Wages

To further a commitment to offer employees a great place to work and a competitive total compensation package, Sheetz, one of America's fastest-growing family-owned and operated convenience store chains, will invest more than $15 million to raise the wages of store employees across the company without cutting back on hours for full-time employees. 

"While other businesses in the industry might have to cut back on employee hours or new hires as a result of wage increases, Sheetz is working hard to provide full-time hours to as many employees as possible, providing them with an opportunity to earn more and secure health benefits," said Stephanie Doliveira, Vice President of Human Resources at Sheetz. "As a family-owned business, we're committed to attracting, retaining and developing the best people. We believe that paying wages at the upper end of the retail scale is necessary to achieve that goal. In addition to paying competitive wages, we provide our employees with increases based upon tenure, access to health insurance, quarterly bonuses, college tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance and paid time off, among many other benefits, continuing to prove that Sheetz strives to be a great place to work."

Great Place to Work® and Fortune recently recognized Sheetz as one of the "20 Best Workplaces in Retail" based on the quality of the company's pay and benefits, opportunities for advancement, support for employees' personal lives, management ethics and day-to-day respect for staff. Sheetz was ranked #8 on that list. 

U.S. Tea Industry Growth Makes Specialty Tea Accessible to Consumers

By Greg Gonzales

Tea markets are growing, and growth won't be slowing down any time soon, thanks to a multi-generational boost. The U.S. tea market has grown 15 times its size since 2009 and was worth $10.8 billion in 2014, according to the Tea Association of the USA's “2014 State of the Industry” report. Loose-leaf tea in particular has gained popularity as a specialty product, hydration alternative and health product, while ready-to-drink tea has seen similar success on supermarket shelves. The report also said that tea is the second-most consumed beverage in the world, after water.

The same Tea Association of the USA report, compiled by Tea Association President Peter Goggi, cited Millennials as the major demographic driving market growth. “Several aspects of the market are driving Millennial interest in tea,” Goggi said. “The access to tea has been easier and much more common for them; they've grown up drinking tea, as preteens, and they also gravitate toward products that appeal to them. Tea fits in because Millennials want to be engaged with the products they buy — where it comes from, how it's made, its naturalness — tea fits into this beautifully because it comes from different countries and it's an agricultural product, so Millennials can get involved.”

Read more at GourmetNews.com. 

Meatless Monday Advocates Rally Support at Paris Climate Talks

 At the COP21 in Paris from November 30 to December 11, while the world's focus will be on the goal from nearly 200 nations to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, scientists warn that if global trends in meat consumption continue, global warming will more than likely exceed those 2 degrees – even with dramatic emissions reductions across non-agricultural sectors.

"Unfortunately, the connection of meat consumption to climate change is not garnering the serious attention it deserves," says Roni Neff, PhD, Attending Director of the Food System Sustainability Program at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) and an Assistant Professor with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Much of the talk at COP21 will be focused on government policies in energy and transportation, but we can't get from here to there without also changing diets. That's a win-win for climate and for public health."

Representatives from 15 Meatless Monday countries including the US, Israel, Korea, Denmark, Nigeria and Kuwait, will join leading scientists, politicians and chefs at COP21 to underline the link between meat and climate change and the impact that simple changes in our diet, like going meatless one day a week, can make in slowing global warming. CLF researchers will present a review of peer-reviewed research that suggests GHG emissions in 2050 from agriculture alone will total over 20 gigatons (Gt) if current meat consumption grows with GDP as the FAO predicts. This accounts for almost the entire emissions budget of 21 Gt, leaving little room for emissions from other sectors.

As an illustration of the impact of simple dietary changes like going meatless on Monday, studies suggest that the annual savings in GHG emissions in 2050 if everyone went meatless one day a week could be 1.3 Gt, the equivalent of taking over 273 million passenger vehicles off the road or closing 341 coal-fired power plants.

Meatless Monday was started in 2003 by former ad exec Sid Lerner to promote the health and environmental benefits of cutting out meat one day a week, but has since grown to include other global benefits like reducing climate change. The global movement picked up steam in 2009 when Sir Paul McCartney started Meat Free Monday in the UK, and followed by grassroots initiatives in 40 countries, from Brazil's "Segunda Sem Carne" to "Luntiang Lunes" in the Philippines. The initiative has proven successful in shifting people to a plant-based diet in a variety of settings including schools, cafeterias and restaurants. Chefs like Mario Batali, who offers Meatless Monday in most of his restaurants, have also played a role in demonstrating that going meatless one day a week can be an easy, delicious way to eat healthier while helping the planet.

The Meatless Monday COP21 session will be held on December 9, 15:00 – 18:30, Nelson Mandela Auditorium, Climate Generations Area.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Teams with DoorDash

Kentucky Fried Chicken meals are becoming available for on-demand delivery from DoorDash. Customers are now just a few clicks, swipes and taps away from a valuable, whole meal replacement from KFC delivered straight to their door by DoorDash. DoorDash will initially deliver from KFC restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and Orange County, with delivery expanding to other cities in the coming months.

The Colonel believed that families deserve a break from the kitchen and that meal replacements should be plentiful and valuable when made "the hard way" by KFC cooks. Now busy families can enjoy the world's best chicken, which is hand prepared in-store every day, without having to leave the comfort of home. Via DoorDash, KFC is offering delivery of complete meal replacements, such as the $20 Family Fill Up which comes with eight pieces of chicken, two large mashed potatoes and gravy, one large coleslaw and four biscuits; making dinner time for a family of four even easier.

"Decades ago, people traveled from miles around to visit Colonel Sanders' original Corbin, Kentucky restaurant to taste his now world famous Original Recipe Chicken. Through our partnership with DoorDash, customers will now be able to order an affordable meal combination like the $20 Family Fill Up or individual $5 Fill-Up, or choose from the menu a la carte style," says KFC US Chief Information Officer, Chris Caldwell. "When we began exploring delivery options for KFC, we quickly found DoorDash was the right choice. Both companies believe the customer comes first and DoorDash's commitment to customer experience made them the best partner for us to get the world's best fried chicken directly to our customers' doors."

Today's partnership with KFC highlights DoorDash's growing momentum leading the on-demand delivery space as it continues to work with top-tier brands and expand into more cities across the country. Coming on the heels of DoorDash's successful test and partnership with Taco Bell this summer, KFC marks the second YUM! Brands restaurant to power their delivery offerings with DoorDash, further strengthening the relationship between the two companies.

"Just two years ago, DoorDash was in one market and three cities. Today we're in 18 markets, more than 250 cities, and forging strategic partnerships with national brands like KFC," said Tony Xu, CEO and Co-founder of DoorDash. "Thanks to our data-powered routing algorithm and our innovative machine learning technology, we're proud to be bringing fast, simple and affordable on-demand delivery of people's favorite food to every corner of the country."

"KFC is a perfect partner for our business," said Prahar Shah, Head of Business Development for DoorDash. "Their focus on fast, convenient and valuable family meals aligns perfectly with DoorDash's vision for easy and delightful delivery. We're proud that our partnership with YUM! Brands continues to expand and excited to be bringing an incredible variety of food -- from tacos to chicken and more -- directly to people's doors."

To get started with KFC delivery, download the DoorDash app for iOS or Android app, or visit www.doordash.com.

Chefs Predict the Hot Trends for 2016

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) annually explores the top menu trends for the coming year. For this year’s What’s Hot culinary forecast, the NRA surveyed nearly 1,600 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) – to find which foods, beverages and culinary themes will be hot on restaurant menus in 2016.

Top 20 food trends for 2016:

1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Chef-driven fast-casual concepts
3. Locally grown produce
4. Hyper-local sourcing
5. Natural ingredients/minimally processed food
6. Environmental sustainability
7. Healthful kids’ meals
8. New cuts of meat
9. Sustainable seafood
10. House-made/artisan ice cream

11. Ethnic condiments/spices
12. Authentic ethnic cuisine
13. Farm/estate branded items
14. Artisan butchery
15. Ancient grains
16. Ethnic-inspired breakfast items
17. Fresh/house-made sausage
18. House-made/artisan pickles
19. Food waste reduction/management
20. Street food/food trucks

Visa: Americans Report They Spend an Average of $2,746 on Lunch Yearly

According to the results of a new survey of American consumers commissioned by Visa, respondents report they spend an average of $53 a week or $2,746 per year on lunch. Overall, the most popular spot to eat lunch was home -- 42 percent of Americans said that they typically eat lunch at home. Full-time employees tended to stick close to the office -- 53 percent said that they typically eat lunch at work, including 26 percent at their desks.

Visa is also introducing the free Lunch Tracker app for iOS to help consumers become more aware of their spending. The app calculates the monthly and annual amount spent on lunch based off of consumers' input and seeks to help Americans improve spending habits. Users can take the 30-Day Challenge to start saving money, learn cost-cutting tips and share photos of meals with family and friends to show their progress.

"At home or ordering food, small choices have a big impact. Paying attention to what you are spending is essential to financial wellbeing," said Nat Sillin, global head of financial literacy at Visa Inc. "Most people may not realize that they are spending over $50 a week on lunch. Visa is excited to offer the new Lunch Tracker app to help consumers form better spending habits."

Visa's survey also showed that men both outspent women at the lunch counter and were more likely to eat lunch out. Males outspend females on a weekly basis by an average of 60 percent. One percent of people reported spending more than $50 per lunch on average or more than $9,000 a year, while 32 percent of respondents said that they didn't buy lunch out at all.

Additional findings include:

• For lunch meals out, Americans surveyed reported spending an average of $20 per week or $1,043 per year.
• Americans surveyed said they purchase lunch from a restaurant an average of nearly twice a week and spend more than $11 on average per outing compared with only $6.30 on average a day preparing their own.
• Homemakers reported going out for lunch the least compared to other segments, but splurged more when they did go out. They reported spending an average of $17.60 when they went out for lunch. 
• Students reported eating out for lunch more often than any other segment and spent the most on a weekly average at $27.47while retirees averaged spending the least per week at $13.92.
• Unemployed Americans reported purchasing lunch out more than once a week on average, spending over $15 on average weekly. 
• Southerners lead the country in both frequency of lunches out and in amount spent. Respondents from the southern states reported eating out twice per week, spending an average of $1,240 a year eating lunch out and an overall combined average of$2,953 on lunch.
• Northeasterners reported spending the second most per year eating lunch out at $1,001 on average, trailed by the Midwest respondents at $896 on average and finally the West respondents at $866 on average per year eating out. While Northeasterners reported spending the most making lunch at home, they came in second in overall combined yearly lunch spending at $2,893 on average, once again trailed by the Midwest at $2,519 on average and the West at $2,489 on average.