Gourmet News

Baskin-Robbins Berry Sweet on May & Moms

Published May 5, 2025

With spring in full bloom, Baskin-Robbins is scooping up something extra special to celebrate. In May, guests can dive into a berrylicious lineup of new and returning favorites: the Flavor of the Month, Strawberry Tres Leches; the tropical Lava Colada beverage; and the Perfect Peony and Strawberries ‘n Cream Cakes—just in time for Mother’s Day.

Available for a limited time, Strawberry Tres Leches is a luscious tribute to the popular Latin American cake that’ll send everyone into a strawberry daydream. This decadent dessert-in-a-scoop is the perfect way to celebrate National Strawberry Month and features Tres Leches Ice Cream blended with juicy strawberry pieces, fluffy white cake chunks, and swirls of strawberry goodness. Embark on your sweet strawberry daydream and try Strawberry Tres Leches before it floats away.

The warmer air is calling for one thing: frozen beverages galore! This spring, guests can transport themselves to island time with the latest addition to Baskin-Robbins’ beverage lineup. A refreshing twist on the tropical Lava Flow, the new Lava Colada is a dreamy blend of piña colada flavors and the fruity tang of delicious strawberries. It’s a creamy mocktail of summer fruits, minus the rum. Trying it for the first time? From May 1-31, Baskin-Robbins Rewards members can enjoy a medium Lava Colada for $4 – all day, every day.

“Our new Strawberry Tres Leches ice cream and Lava Colada beverage are a refreshing way to embrace the flavors of spring,” said Nicole Boutwell, vice president of marketing & culinary at Baskin-Robbins. “Whether you’re taking a moment for yourself with a fruity scoop or planning a heartfelt celebration with one of our Mother’s Day cakes, we hope these seasonal treats add a little extra joy to your springtime traditions.”

To make Mother’s Day feel extra special, celebrate with two stunning ice cream cakes made just for her. The Perfect Peony Cake now features even more vibrant peony designs and elegant icing rosettes to make her day unforgettable. The Strawberries ‘n Cream Cake is elegantly topped with real strawberries and finished with a strawberry-whipped frosting, making it a sweet classic perfect for spring. Each cake is made to share and is fully customizable with Mom’s favorite ice cream and cake flavors, plus a heartfelt message. Baskin-Robbins Rewards™ members can also unlock $5 off a cake purchase of $35 or more* throughout the month.

To learn more about Baskin-Robbins’ premium ice cream flavors, beverages and frozen desserts, visit www.BaskinRobbins.com, download the BR App, and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook.

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UNFI, GreenChoice Partner on Heathy Shopping App

Published May 5, 2025

United Natural Foods, Inc. has partnered with GreenChoice, PBC, the food intelligence company, to expand its offering of healthy shelf labels and healthy shopping technology, providing independent retailers with plug and play options to improve personalization and transparency on the shelf. GreenChoice’s shelf tags and white-label app enable retailers to help their customers easily find foods that meet their health needs and lifestyle values, which is especially relevant as consumers continue to prioritize health, wellness, and sustainability.

“GreenChoice’s shelf labels not only help shoppers identify and access healthy food options, but they also help retailers increase sales and gain trust and loyalty from their shoppers,” said Matt Eckhouse, President of UNFI Digital and Professional Services. “This is a great addition to our UNFI Digital and Professional Services offering, which helps grocery retailers differentiate their businesses and drive growth.”

GreenChoice, PBC provides nutrition and sustainability data solutions for the grocery industry, giving food retailers instant access to science-based food health and sustainability scores, as well as verified attribute data on over 1 million food products. Through UNFI’s new program, retailers have an easy way to help their shoppers navigate their assortments with shelf tags that highlight key product features, as well as GreenScores – an evidence-based rating system that makes healthy choices easy. The food GreenScore assesses and scores foods across science-based industry standards for nutritional density, ingredient processing, ingredient safety, and climate footprint. By scanning QR codes, shoppers can dig deeper into a food’s GreenScore and get personalized recommendations for healthy alternatives when desired.

In addition to on-the-shelf product information, GreenChoice offers grocers a white-label mobile web application that lets their shoppers scan foods and search a store’s inventory for products that fit their dietary and health requirements.

“Across the United States, shoppers increasingly demand product transparency and healthier options. This is a big opportunity for food retailers to help identify the foods that match shoppers’ health and sustainability needs using a third party like GreenChoice,” said Galen Karlan-Mason, GreenChoice CEO and Founder. “We’re excited for UNFI retail partners to tap into GreenChoice’s food assessment and shopping technology, which has proven to drive measurable sales lifts while improving shopper satisfaction.”

UNFI Digital and Professional Services help grocery retailers differentiate their businesses with a portfolio of services and solutions that enable them to save money, improve operational efficiency, optimize their assortments, and drive sales. Solutions include credit card processing, equipment procurement, coupon processing, in-store shelf management, planograms, point-of-sale and frictionless checkout technology, store remodels, and much more. These offerings help retailers differentiate and compete in a dynamic marketplace.

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Meat Institute Hires Fulton as Director of Animal Health and Welfare

Published May 1, 2025

The Meat Institute has hired Jesse Fulton, M.S., to serve as the director of animal health and welfare.

“Jesse Fulton is an excellent addition to the Meat Institute staff, bringing a wealth of knowledge in the field of animal science and real-world experience working for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance program,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “Jesse oversees our Animal Welfare Guidelines and Audit, as well as key policies and standards that ensure the industry is continuously improving in the areas of animal health, handling and care.”

As the director of animal health and welfare at the Meat Institute, Fulton provides timely assistance, analysis, guidance, and technical support for the meat and poultry packing and processing industry on various topics, including animal production, health, handling, welfare, foreign animal disease, veterinary drugs, and pathology. As the staff liaison to the Animal Welfare Committee, Fulton ensures members have a forum for discussing issues, sharing best practices, and establishing industry-wide positions. He provides technical support to other committees and represents the Meat Institute at external meetings and before government agencies on animal health and welfare issues.

Before joining the Meat Institute, Fulton spent five years with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and nearly five years with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he directed the Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance program.

Fulton received his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Morehead State University, his Master of Science in Animal Science from South Dakota State University with research focusing on beef cattle fetal programming, and is pursuing his Doctorate of Philosophy in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln with his research focusing on ruminant nutrition.

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