Gourmet News

Ukraine Seafood Company Struggles to Survive, SeafoodSource Says

Published May 25, 2022

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to devastate the nation, one seafood company is working hard to maintain production, despite huge losses such as the loss of 5,000 pounds of frozen fish when a warehouse was destroyed.

SeafoodSource editor Chris Chase looked at how Kiev-based Universal Fish Company, a leading Eastern European fish and seafood processing company, is faring in wartime.

“It is too early to make an estimate, as the hostilities have continued unabated, and the situation remains grim,” UFC’s Tetiana Krupenko is quoted in the article. “We lost over 5,000 tons of frozen fish in the largest warehouse, amounting to USD 15 million [EUR 13.9 million]. Another loss amounting to roughly USD 20 million [EUR 18.6 million] was in the logistic center in occupied part of Kharkiv region.”

Chase writes that the Ukraine seafood company “is eager to resume business inside and outside of Ukraine as soon as possible.”

“It is vitally important to restore our production and business overall and thus to support Ukraine’s economy,” Krupenko told Chase. “Internal demand is much lower now, it is just about very basic items.

“So, any new export request would be highly appreciated. Any new customer from [the] E.U., U.S.A., and [the] rest of the world would be an opportunity for us.”

To read the full article, click here.

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Just Egg Ads Poke Fun at Celebrities’ Healthier Lifestyles

Published May 25, 2022

Eat Just, Inc. has launched an ad campaign that features tennis star Serena Williams and actor Jake Gyllenhaal, both investors in the brand, eating Just Egg as part of their healthier lifestyles. Actor JB Smoove reprises his role as cheeky narrator in this new series of ads, poking fun at celebrity perks such as personal trainers and nutritionists while pointing out that everyone can eat plant-based eggs.

Williams, known for her powerful style of tennis that has earned her 23 grand slam victories, is depicted at home in her kitchen, surrounded by a team of experts calibrating every moment of her day, including preparing her perfectly plated Just Egg breakfast sandwich. Gyllenhaal is scrambling a pan of Just Egg after finishing a new, trendy workout that only celebrities know about.

Both spots humorously contrast the absurd lengths celebrities go for their high-performance lifestyles with the ease and deliciousness of Just Egg’s plant-based eggs. In addition to being free from cholesterol, these plant-based eggs have 69 percent less saturated fat than a chicken egg and contain 5 to 7 grams of plant-based protein per serving (depending on the Just Egg product).

The ads will air on television in major markets including Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City and will appear nationally on connected TV platforms and social media. To watch both ads, visit ju.st/ads. Billboards will also go up in these major markets, delivering short, humorous lines in large font such as “Eat it for your heart. Or the deliciousness. We don’t care.”

Plant-based products popular

According to research conducted by Just Egg in partnership with Numerator, consumers across the age spectrum are choosing plant-based products primarily to improve their health. This campaign will shine a light on why Just Egg is healthier compared to conventional eggs. In the United States, the plant-based egg category grew rapidly in 2021 with a 42 percent increase in retail dollar sales, according to data from the Plant Based Foods Association, the Good Food Institute and SPINS. In the past three years, plant-based egg sales in the United States have grown more than 1,000 percent and Just Egg represents more than 99 percent of the market.

“I’ll let you in on a secret: I don’t actually have a scientist in my kitchen. It’s not that exciting in there. But I do have Just Egg,” said Serena Williams, referencing a humorous scene in the ad she appears in. “I eat to live, so Just Egg helps me feel and perform better. But it’s also delicious – I don’t think my family can even taste the difference between Just Egg and chicken eggs. I’m also all-in on the mission: how can we make healthy, sustainable options accessible to everyone? Just Egg is making a real difference, and I’m proud to partner with them and be a shareholder in the company.”

“I’m excited to be partnering with Just Egg,” Gyllenhaal said. “I’m eating more plant-based for my health, and Just Egg makes it easy and delicious. I also recognize the impact our food system has on our planet, so Just Egg’s mission is important to me. And, honestly, who can turn down being narrated by JB Smoove?”

Campaign includes giveaways

In early June, Just Egg will launch a series of giveaways in partnership with brand ambassadors including celebrities, athletes and creators, where one winner will receive an exclusive kit featuring some of each person’s favorite items for the kitchen and gym. Throughout the summer, fitness creators across multiple platforms will create recipes featuring Just Egg paired with their favorite workouts, demonstrating how Just Egg fits into their active lifestyles.

As of April, the company has sold the plant-based equivalent of 250 million eggs, saving 9.1 billion gallons of water, avoiding 43.6 million kilograms of CO2e and sparing 13,446 acres of land. Just Egg products are available in approximately 44,000 retail points of distribution and more than 2,200 foodservice locations including national partners Caribou Coffee and Peet’s Coffee.

Just Egg is No. 1 in household spend and consumer loyalty among branded eggs and recently surpassed 2 million U.S. households. Recent approval for Just Egg’s proprietary mung bean protein in the EU has paved the way for a fourth quarter launch of Just Egg in Europe. Other recent launches in South Africa and South Korea build on the brand’s growing international presence, which also includes Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and China.

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Coca-Cola Spills the (Honest) Tea; Industry Reacts

Published May 24, 2022

In what Honest Tea co-founder Seth Goldman called a “gut punch,” Coca-Cola announced Monday that it would discontinue the Honest Tea line.

The announcement was “a gut punch to all the sweat, tears and incredible passion that went into building our beloved brand,” Goldman said in a post on his LinkedIn account.

“My thoughts are with our longtime partners and friends, the organic and Fair Trade partners who helped develop their communities and protect their ecosystems with the tens of millions of pounds of tea, sugar, and spice they sold us,” Goldman wrote.

“I am grateful for the hundreds of amazing people who helped Barry Nalebuff and me grow this idea from five thermoses and an empty Snapple bottle into more than a billion bottles sold.”

“A sad day,” Nalebuff commented as he shared Goldman’s post. “But tis better to have bottled and lost than never bottled at all. Seth Goldman remains an inspiration to me and to the world. His thoughts below show his empathy, positivity, and honesty. Wish I could bottle that, too.”

“I too am crushed,” Ironmonger Brewery co-owner Tom Larsen commented.

Chuck Muth, founder of Aqua Cultured Foods called Honest Tea a “tremendous product” that he was proud to represent as a board member.

“If Coke had any vision they would have focused on Honest as the better long term play in tea,” Muth commented. “All in all a sad day.”

Industry executive and author Joe Dobrow commented that “Honest Tea has been a godsend for millions of consumers and farmers. But it was also the key that unlocked your unrivaled vault of inspiration, helping launch and grow countless other natural products entrepreneurs and companies. And dare I say, their collective impact on the world probably dwarfs that of Honest Tea.”

Dobrow wrote that Goldman worked hard to mentor others and “gave them the vision, game plan, and advice they needed to help change the world.”

“I know Coca-Cola did much to accelerate the growth of Honest Tea,” Dobrow wrote, “and for that I am grateful. But when the final chapter is written in the history of the natural foods movement – no idea who that author might be – we must admit that this is were legendary brands go to die. RIP, HT.”

“Shocking!” Steven MK Fader, executive leader of operations and purchasing for Whole Foods Market. “Honest was the trailblazer in this category and has helped change the way consumers think about what they drink.”

In a press release issued Monday, Coca-Cola said it “is challenging itself to think differently about how its brands help accelerate business transformation, reflect consumer choice and promote growth as a company. This means rationalizing its lineup of drinks and prioritizing fewer, bigger brands with the greatest potential for scale and profitable growth.

“While the HONEST Kids portfolio is quickly growing and will remain a successful part of the business, the HONEST teas product line will be phased out of The Coca-Cola Company’s beverage portfolio at the end of 2022.

“Gold Peak, a national brand, and the regional Peace Tea offering will now anchor the company’s ready-to-drink tea (RTD) strategy in North America,” the company said.

In his bio, Goldman said Coca-Cola acquired Honest Tea in 2011, “helping to further the reach and impact of Honest Tea’s mission by becoming the first organic and Fair Trade brand in the world’s largest beverage distribution system. Today, Honest Tea is the nation’s top selling ready-to-drink organic bottled tea and Honest Kids is the nation’s top-selling organic children/youth beverage. The brand is carried in more than 100,000 outlets in the United States, including Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s and Subway restaurants.”

In 2016, became TeaEO emeritus and innovation catalyst for Coca-Cola’s Venturing & Emerging Brands business unit. Goldman is focusing on building his “beloved/mission-driven brands” Eat the Change, Beyond Meat and PLNT Burger.”

Nalebuff is the Milton Steinbach professor at Yale.

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