The E-Newsletter of Fancy Food & Culinary
Products
magazine
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Hello
colleagues and fellow foodies!
Less than a week to go before the start of the Summer Fancy
Food Show in New York City (www.fancyfoodshow.com).
My stomach is already growling at the thought of hundreds
of exhibitors from the U.S. debuting their newest, tastiest
products - not to mention the international pavilions; Italy,
Greece and Spain are just the beginning of a list of countries
who will be showing off the best of their specialty products.
Stay tuned for next week's newsletter, where I'll share some
of my new finds.
Shows
and Events
June:
• 29-July 1, New York City, NY, NASFT Summer
Fancy Food Show, Jacob K. Javits Center; 212/482-6440 or www.fancyfoodshow.com July: • 4-8, Frankfurt, Germany, Collectione, Frankfurt
am Main; www.collectione.messefrankfurt.com
• 8-16, Atlanta, GA, Atlanta International Gift
& Home Furnishings Market, 800/677-6278 or www.americasmart.com
• 15-21, Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles Gift &
Home Furnishings Market, Temporaries at L.A. Mart: July 18-21,
800/677-6278; www.lamart.com
• 17-19, Las Vegas, NV, Natural MarketPlace,
Sands Expo and Convention Center; 800/966-663 or www.naturalproductsassoc.org
• 17-23, Chicago, IL, Chicago Market: Living
and giving, Merchandise Mart; 800/677-6278 or www.shopchicagomarket.com
• 18-21, Los Angeles, CA, California Gift Show,
Los Angeles Convention Center; 213/362-5640 or www.californiagiftshow.com
• 23-26, Chicago, IL The American Cheese Society
Conference, Hilton Chicago; 502/583-3783 or www.cheesesociety.org
• 24-27, Portland, OR, Oregon Brewer's Festival,
Tom McCall Waterfront Park; 503-778-5917 or www.oregonbrewfest.com
Norseland Teams with Lotito
Norseland Inc. is pleased to announce the formation of an
alliance with Lotito Foods Inc. Effective July 1, Norseland
will be responsible for sales, marketing and distribution
of Lotito's fine aged cheeses in the Gabriella of Italy, Lotito
and Suprema di Avellino brands.
"We're delighted to partner with this prestigious importer
of traditionally aged Italian cheeses, a perfect addition
to our portfolio," says John Sullivan, Norseland's president
and CEO. "Allowing us to offer a top-tier mix of premium cheeses
serves to strengthen each star brand through joint advertising
and promotional programs while also providing greater value
for our retail customer."
Norseland Star Brands Alliance also includes classic Jarlsberg
and Jarlsberg Lite, Boursin, Woolwich Dairy, Garcia Baquero
and Old Amsterdam. Lotito Foods is renowned for its expertise
in the category of importing authentic aged Italian cheeses
along with the capability to custom-tailor its clients' needs
with unique custom blends and packaging. For more information,
visit www.norseland.com.
Coffee
Fest Hawaii Wraps Up
Coffee Fest Hawaii, the first Coffee Fest to be held in a
coffee-growing region, was held in collaboration with the
Hawaii Coffee Association on June 6-8. Coffee Fest's tropical
event included an opening night luau that brought 400 guests
to the beach surrounding the Hilton Waikoloa. During the show,
guests toured coffee farms, viewing wet and dry method processes
at both small and large farms and estates, and previewed new
products in the specialty coffee industry.
The next Coffee Fest will take place in Seattle, Washington
on September 12-14 with an expected 10,000 attendees and exhibitors.
For registration information, visit www.coffeefest.com.
NASFT
Cancels the 2009 Spring Fancy Food Show
The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT)
announced the cancellation of its spring 2009 convention,
which would have been held in Chicago at McCormick Place in
April. After talks with exhibitors and buyers regarding the
2008 show, the organizers decided that the show "is no longer
providing the majority of our members with the most effective
means by which to grow their businesses in the Midwest," says
NASFT President Ann Daw.
Presently looking into alternative means to connect its members
with buyers based in the Midwest, the association has cancelled
the spring show altogether, without relocating to another
location. NASFT still plans to hold its summer convention
in New York at the end of June and its winter event in San
Francisco in January 2009. Although the All Things Organic
trade show and the Fancy Food Show were traditionally concurrently
held at the same time in Chicago, the All Things Organic show
is staying in Chicago, which is scheduled for April 4-7 next
year at McCormick Place.
Healthy
Foods International Conference Reveals Healthy Food Trends
The first annual Healthy Foods International Exposition and
Conference, held June 18-19 at the Dallas Convention Center,
offered top food manufacturers and retailers a chance to preview
the latest in healthy products. A national food trends survey
was released at the conference, revealing that Americans'
consumption of healthy foods is up.
According to the study, whole grains are the top-ranking
healthy-product attribute, with 57 percent citing this as
very or extremely important. The study also stated that consumers
are increasingly buying healthy food to manage a specific
health condition, including 21.4 percent choosing products
to lower high cholesterol, 14.5 percent to manage digestive
issues, 13 percent to control blood sugar levels, and 11.2
percent for general allergies. In addition, it also stated
that retailers cited "Better-for-you Kids Products" as the
category where they anticipate seeing the most growth in 2008,
with 25.8 percent of retailer respondents selecting this option.
Finally, the survey found local foods are gaining a following
with consumers; more than 66 percent of respondents say they
would be likely to try a new store in their market area if
the store could offer them a better selection of local products.
The North American Meat Processors
Association (NAMP) just released the second edition of The
Meat Buyers Guide: Beef, Lamb, Veal, Pork and Poultry
on CD-ROM. The guide, the NAMP's landmark publication, reflects
the same complete nature of the 2007 print edition but with
the added convenience and flexibility of providing information
in an electronic, searchable format. The second edition also
features more than 50 new cuts of beef, lamb, veal, pork and
poultry, as well as more than 80 new color photographs.
The NAMP's member companies provide unparalleled service
to their customers with unique meat product offerings and
premium distribution systems. They are meat experts who satisfy
customers' needs with high-quality products, professionalism
and reliability. Visit the NAMP website for more information,
at www.namp.com,
or to order the book, visit Wiley publishers at www.wiley.com.
Chocolate Gets Political
Just in time for the upcoming presidential election, artisan
chocolate maker B.T. McElrath launched a Campaign Button collection
in two different motifs. For the Obama fans, the chocolates
feature the Democrat Donkey with the words, "Vote DEM;" for
McCain's followers, the buttons boast the Republican Elephant
with the words, "Vote GOP." The chocolates are 60-percent
cacao dark chocolate meltaways available in 5-piece boxes.
"These chocolates are whimsical and delicious," says Brian
McElrath, the company's founder and chocolatier. "We appointed
our designers to create images that borrowed from retro campaign
button artwork for the transfer designs for each party and
carried that through to the label on the packages."
The All Candy Expo set its dates for 2009 at Chicago's McCormick
Place West Building, creating a convenient travel schedule
around the Memorial Day weekend. The new dates for the 2009
show are Tuesday, May 19-Thursday, May 21. "By ensuring more
convenient travel dates for show participants and attendees,
expo attendance will continue to grow next year," says Larry
Graham, president of the National Confectioners Association
(NCA), which sponsors the expo. At the 2008 expo, nearly 450
confectionery and snack companies from around the world were
featured, attracting nearly 12,000 qualified industry professionals
from 69 countries. For more information about the 2009 All
Candy Expo, visit www.allcandyexpo.com.
Coming in the
July 2008 issue of Fancy Food:
•
All-Star Nuts & Snacks
• Elegant Holiday Confections
• International Cooking Sauces
• Kids in the Kitchen
• Halloween Treats
• Summer Fancy Food Show Preview
