Gourmet News

Bare Snacks Debuts New Packaging

Published January 7, 2016

Bare Snacks®, creator of delicious Snacks Gone Simple®, has just launched a fresh new look for its entire portfolio of crunchy baked snacks, which highlights the brand’s dedication to simple, clean ingredients. Featuring a modern interpretation of a slate board background coupled with a stylized new logo made from its baked fruit chips and striking real food visuals, the new packaging was developed to create an iconic brand block on-shelf and drive strong taste appeal while putting the simplicity of the snacks front and center. The new look for bare Banana Chips, Coconut Chips, and cornerstone Apple Chips will start shipping to retailers nationwide at the end of January.

“In an effort to better communicate the simplicity of our truly good-for-you snacks, we wanted to create a clean brand look that more accurately reflects our commitment to simple, real ingredients that still deliver the satisfying crunch of a chip,” said Dana Ginsburg, Director of Marketing at Bare Snacks. “Our modern packaging makeover perfectly expresses our brand promise to consumers in a fresh new way that puts our ingredients front and center.”

Bare Snacks’ new packaging features beautiful photography of real apples, coconuts and bananas on the front panel, as well as a refreshed logo made from the same fruit in chip form for each corresponding line. In addition, the new back-label design prominently displays ingredients front and center in large font and notes “The Bare Facts” for each product, such as containing no added oil or preservatives, as well as third party certifications like the Certified B Corp seal and Non-GMO Project Verified logo. To further communicate the simplicity of bare snacks, each bag also includes an illustration of a whole piece of fruit transitioning to slices and finally baked crunchy chips to accurately depict the minimally processed product inside.

Made with whole-food ingredients and real, fresh-picked fruit that is sliced and baked to crunchy perfection rather than fried, bare snacks are a tasty and healthier alternative to traditional chips. All bare snacks are Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten free, and contain no added oil or preservatives.

Bare snacks are available nationwide in natural and grocery stores including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts and Safeway as well as national retailers such as Target, Costco and Amazon with suggested retail prices ranging from of $0.99-$4.99.

New Shipper Display for La Piana Stuffed Pastas

Published January 7, 2016

Italian Foods Corporation is introducing a new display shipper for its best-selling La Piana shelf stable stuffed pastas at the Winter Fancy Food Show.

The shipper holds 48 of the 8-ounce packages and may be used as an end cap or stand alone display, said Francesca Lapiana-Krause, general manager. It contains four flavors of the pasta and opens to about 5 feet high with a footprint of just 10 by 18 inches. Orders will be taken at the show for shipment in February, Lapiana-Krause said.

Flavors include Mezzaluna with Gorgonzola, Tortellini with Cheese, Mezzaluna with Basil Pesto, and Ravioli with Squash. All of the stuffed pastas are imported from the Lombardy region and are shelf stable for 15 months. The pastas have been repackaged into a recyclable plastic bag featuring a matte finish and elegant design of soft grey and yellow with a clear window allowing consumers to view the pasta. A squared bottom keeps the bags neatly displayed. The 8-ounce stuffed pastas have a suggested retail price of $4.99. They also are available in 1-pound boxes with a suggested retail price of $6.19 to $7.19.

More information is available online at http://www.ItalianFoods.com and https://www.Facebook.com/LaPianaItalianFoods or by calling 1.888.516.7262.

Applegate Farms, LLC Announces Leadership Changes For 2016

Published January 6, 2016

Natural and organic meat provider Applegate® announced that Chief Executive Officer Kerry Collins will transition to the role of CEO Emeritus, and Chief Operating Officer Steven J. Lykken will assume the position of President. Applegate Farms, LLC (Applegate) is a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods Corporation.

“Both Kerry and Steve played key roles in ensuring a smooth transition of Applegate into a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods Corporation,” said Thomas R. Day, Group Vice President of Refrigerated Foods at Hormel Foods. “Kerry’s leadership was essential in preserving the core of Applegate’s vision of ‘Changing the Meat We Eat,’ and we look forward to her continuing counsel as CEO emeritus. Steve brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience that will help Applegate continue to grow and expand in the natural and organic food space.”

Collins joined Applegate in 2011 as vice president of finance. She led key efforts in information technology and supply chain management and quickly rose through the ranks to chief financial and operating officer. Collins was named chief executive officer of Applegate in 2014. She shepherded the acquisition of Applegate by Hormel Foods in 2015. In addition to her CEO emeritus role, Collins also will be a member of the Applegate Advisory Board, a group charged with continuing Applegate’s vision of “Changing the Meat We Eat.”

Lykken became chief operating officer of Applegate in August 2015. He is a 24-year veteran of Hormel Foods Corporation, most recently as the senior vice president of supply chain at Jennie-O Turkey Store. He began his career at Hormel Foods in 1992 as a grocery products sales representative in Salt Lake City, Utah. From 1996 to 2002, Lykken led teams in trade management and marketing at the Hormel Foods Corporate office in Austin, Minnesota. He was moved to the Jennie-O Turkey Store as senior vice president of the retail division in 2003.