Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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Summer Fancy Food Show Booth 1456 SALES@MANITOUTRADINGCOMPANY.COM roll, has seen double-digit increases each year since the inception of its Kusina brand in 2012. The company will be announcing a new gluten-free initiative this summer. Frozen for Any Lifestyle With the cost of entry into frozen catego- ries relatively higher compared with ambi- ent categories, KeHE's Silverman says the market can expect to see well-funded smaller brands and larger CPG companies investing specifically in what KeHE calls "Food You Can Trust"—foods that are certified organic, non-GMO, and/or fair trade. New entries are increasingly featuring "free-from" attributes, Silverman says, such as gluten, wheat, soy, and dairy. Others "will have a compelling brand story, pioneering packag- ing, or delivery system," he adds. "Disruptive ingredients," such as plant-based meat alterna- tives and other vegan options, are poised to be bigger players, he predicts, naming Beyond Meat, Field Roast, Gardein, and Sophie's Kitchen as companies to watch. "There's a lot of investment in this segment," he says. At Woodstock Farmers' Market, Rappaport says meat alternatives, vegetarian choices, and gluten-free options—such as Amy's entrees, Maria & Ricardo gluten-free tortillas, and Heart to Hearth Vermont gluten-free lasagna—are popular with customers and reach "right in to the heart of the health-food crowd." Saffron Road was founded on the need for adhering to a common lifestyle. Its full line of products is halal certified. Giving it an extra boost for environmentally minded consum- ers, the company uses only humanely raised meats, and several products have, or are on their way to, non-GMO certification. Since launching four years ago, Saffron Road, produced by American Halal Co., has maintained healthy sales, doubling annually, says Jack Acree, executive vice president. "Our frozen products in grocery are growing at 187 percent year over year," he says, "a testament that shoppers can stay true to their conscience and still eat quality frozen." The Silver Lining in the Trend Frozen foods are proving a viable market as producers clean up the category and appeal to chang- ing tastes and interests. Manufacturers need only look at current trends to find that market. The rise of quality- and ingredient-driven fast-casual restaurants and food trucks have helped small frozen-food manufacturers get a leg up at retail, Acree says—especially those who stay true to the needs of an ethically conscious consumer. "Young professionals will often pay 20 percent more for lunch so they can have some- thing that meets their identity standards, like antibiotic-free meats from Chipotle," he explains. "These trends have negatively impacted the frozen category as a whole, especially the larger CPG companies who are suffering in sales." Enterprising manufacturers, however, have captured some of these lost sales by offering high-quality products that don't drain the wallet. "It's more acceptable to like frozen foods, now that the quality has come up," says Rappaport, who credits Trader Joe's for helping to make frozen items exciting while keeping them affordable. "More people are realizing that they don't have to compromise their standards to eat frozen foods." category spotlight Nicole Potenza Denis is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine. Sophie's Kitchen Vegan Crab Cakes 48 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com