Gourmet News

8,000 More Stores Thirsty for Alkaline Water

Published October 26, 2022

Arizona-based The Alkaline Water Company Inc., the country’s largest independent alkaline water company and the Clean Beverage company, has received orders for the 2 Liter, available as an individual unit or in the 6-pack Shaq Paq, from more than 8,000 stores since the beginning of the year.

“Alkaline88 drinkers love the 2-Liter bottle and it has quickly become one of our best-selling products,” said Frank Lazaran, president and CEO of The Alkaline Water Company. “In addition to being a perfect fit for the fridge or gym bag, our product collaboration with Alkaline88 brand ambassador Shaquille O’Neal has helped generate interest in this great product.

“The Alkaline88 Shaq Paq will soon hit Stater Bros. shelves in Southern California, accompanied by 7-foot-tall in-store displays featuring our smiling brand ambassador. Their stores are just the latest of over 8,000 to order the 2-liter bottle since January of this year. Additional regional and national chains are still in the pipeline to add the product over the next 12 months. Alkaline88’s return on trial is strong, so having another great product with strong shelf appeal should help us convert even more water drinkers across the country to deliciously smooth Alkaline88.”

Founded in 2012, the company is headquartered in Scottsdale. Its flagship product, Alkaline88, is a leading premier alkaline water brand available in bulk and single-serve sizes along with eco-friendly aluminum packaging options. With its innovative, state-of-the-art proprietary electrolysis process, Alkaline88 delivers perfect 8.8 pH alkaline drinking water with trace minerals and electrolytes and boasts our trademarked label “Clean Beverage.” 2021, The company was pleased to welcome Shaquille O’Neal to its board of advisors and to serve as the celebrity brand ambassador for the Alkaline88.

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Southeastern Grocers, Customers Donate $500K for Disaster Relief

Published October 26, 2022

Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, has donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross to support vital emergency assistance, disaster preparedness and disaster relief programs for communities in need. This donation includes $250,000 to SEG’s long-standing partner through the generous contributions of customers and associates during its recent community donation program held in all Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores.

The grocer’s charitable arm, the SEG Gives Foundation, donated an additional $250,000 to the organization earlier this year in preparation for hurricane season and disaster relief. Every cent donated will support the Red Cross Disaster Relief in helping families and individuals as they recover from natural disasters through food, shelter, counseling and other needed assistance.

Raymond Rhee, chief people officer for Southeastern Grocers, said, “After experiencing Hurricane Ian’s devastating force over our Florida communities, we’ve witnessed firsthand how the American Red Cross provides a lifeline to neighbors in need on the long road to recovery. We are humbled by our customers and associates who generously donated at our registers throughout the five coastal states we serve, and their support allows us to continue to stand with the Red Cross to support their crucial storm recovery and relief programs to strengthen and rebuild our communities when they are most vulnerable.”

Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie customers and associates throughout the Southeast supported the program by donating $1, $5 or rounding up their grocery bill to the nearest dollar while shopping their local stores during the month of September. Following the vast devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, the donation program was extended through Oct. 18 in Florida stores to further support recovery and rebuilding efforts for affected communities.

Additionally, SEG immediately responded after the storm to ensure its associates and neighbors were taken care of by dispatching mobile pharmacies and providing essentials like bottled water, ice, nonperishable food and cleaning supplies to more than 2,000 Southwest Florida families.

SEG has a long-standing partnership with the Red Cross, a national nonprofit whose mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies through the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Last year, SEG, together with the SEG Gives Foundation and generous customers, donated more than $815,000 to aid and support disaster relief efforts.

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LA County Pushes Toward Food Equity With Summit

Published October 26, 2022

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health continued its push toward food equity in Los Angeles County by convening the second annual Food Day Summit, “Road to Food Justice: Learning from the Past, Navigating the Future.” This summit comes on the heels of the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health, which brought together leaders from the policy, nonprofit, government, and other sectors to discuss the roots of inequity within the food system, and exchange ideas and lessons learned on the front lines of food justice.

“Los Angeles County is committed to addressing the disparities in our communities that have only deepened as a result of the challenges we’ve faced over the last few years,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Board Chair Holly J. Mitchell, representing the Second Supervisorial District. “We created the Los Angeles County Food Equity Roundtable in early 2020 to implement cross-sector solutions to achieve food and nutrition security with a focus on underserved communities. Together we will build a more just, equitable food system.”

According to the 2018 Los Angeles County Health Survey:

Among households in Los Angeles County with incomes less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (incomes less than $73,000 a year for a family of four), 26.8% or 516,000 households experienced food insecurity.
Among those living in food insecure households, 67.3% were Latino, 13.9% were White, 11.9% were African American, and 6.2% were Asian.
The prevalence of obesity (36.9%), type 2 diabetes (17%), hypertension (30.4%), high cholesterol (30.4%) and depression (23.9%) were higher among adults living in food insecure households than those living in food secure households (29.6%, 11.8%, 24.2%, 25.6% and 8.4%, respectively).

“Food justice is the belief that everyone – regardless of race, income, gender or national origin – has the right to access fresh, healthy, affordable food,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Unfortunately, we know those who experience food insecurity in Los Angeles County are disproportionately low income and people of color. The lack of access to affordable healthy foods reflects a set of policies, systems, and practices, many rooted in structural racism, that perpetuate significant disadvantages for some communities. Without intentional interventions and collective action for changes in our food systems and the built environment, it will be difficult to guarantee food justice.”

Public Health implements a variety of programs that address food and nutrition security with a focus on food equity, including the Market Match and Grocery Voucher programs funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. These programs focus on neighborhoods that have been historically redlined, areas of high concentrated disadvantage, communities where there is a low level of English proficiency, and communities with high CalFresh caseloads.

Speakers and panelists at the Food Day Summit included leaders from the policy, nonprofit and government, sectors who are working to create a healthier, more just, and sustainable food system. Discussions centered around practical applications of food justice, challenges to achieving food justice, and strategies that have been successful.

The Department of Public Health is committed to promoting health equity and ensuring optimal health and well-being for all 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health comprises nearly 4,500 employees and has an annual budget of $1.2 billion.

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