Deli Bussines Magazine06feb[1]

ALSOINSIDECheddarChickenSide DishesHamBarbequePackagingAsian FoodsHispanic Foods

DeliBUSINESSFeb./Mar. ’06 $14.95

Hurried, Healthy Or Just Hungry?

What drives young adults to purchase in the deli?What drives young adults to purchase in the deli?

Reader Service No. 221

MERCHANDISING REVIEWSFive Keys To A Successful Chicken Program ..........................20Deli departments can capitalize on consumers’seemingly unquenchable desire for prepared chicken.

Summer Side Show ........................................25When the weather heats up, the kitchen can stay cool.

BBQ America: Hot Flavor, Hot Trend ..............32For the savvy retailer, barbeque means expanded sales and profits.

DELI MEATHams Increasing Rotisserie Profits ..................29Rotisserie cooking is moving toward being a category rather than a single sale.

PROCUREMENT STRATEGIESPacked With Promise ......................................36Innovations in deli packaging boost department sales.

ETHNIC FOODSHispanic Foods: Reaching A Broad Audience ..........................42Both ethnic and mainstream consumers are seeking out the intense flavors of Hispanic cuisines.

Asian Foods: No Longer Niche Items ............45Once considered exotic, these flavorful cuisines are now a major consumer draw.

DELI BUSINESS (ISSN 1088-7059) is published by Phoenix Media Network, Inc., P.O. Box 810425, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DELI BUSINESS, P.O. Box 810217, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0217

DELI BUSINESS Quiz ..........................................4Deli Watch ....................................................5TechNews ....................................................49Blast From The Past ....................................50Information Showcase ................................50

COMMENTARYEDITOR’S NOTEHigh-Value Customers ....................................6Attracting the high-value customer is not so much material or logistical. It is mostly a matter of perception.

PUBLISHER’S INSIGHTSReality Shape Shifters ....................................8All is not what it seems. Supermarkets are winning the share of stomach.

MARKETING PERSPECTIVEComplementing The Consumer Cheese Palate ................................48Cheese courses have become de rigueur at today’supscale, white tablecloth restaurants, providing anintroduction to distinctive cheeses with appealing,stand-alone flavors.

1100

TABLE OF CONTENTSFEB./MAR. ’06 • VOL. 11/NO. 1

DeliBUSINESS


What drives young adults to purchase in the deli?

COVER STORY

IN EVERY ISSUE

DEPARTMENTSPECIALTY CHEESE CORNERCheddar Rules! ............................................16America’s favorite cheese offers specialty cheesedepartments a familiar way to reach new customers.


What drives young adults to purchase in the deli?

WIN NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONESPerfect for airline travellers and those just wishing for a bit of peace and quiet. Can

be used to block out ambient noise or in conjunction with any plug-in sound deliverysystem. Comfortable design.

HOW TO WINTo win the DELI BUSINESS Quiz, the first thing you have to do is enter. The rules are

simple: Read through the articles and advertisements in this issue to find the answers.Fill in the blanks corresponding to the questions below, and either cut along the dot-ted line or photocopy the page and send your answers, along with a business card orcompany letterhead, to the address listed below. The winner will be chosen by drawingfrom the responses received before the publication of the June/July 2006 issue of DELIBUSINESS. The winner must agree to submit a photo to be published in that issue.

NATALIE TAYLORVice President of OperationsTaylored Food ConceptsChampaign, IL

Taylored Food Concepts is a specialized bakery, deli and meatbroker that sells to retail distributors. The family-owned companyhas been in business for 19 years and services the Midwest, primar-ily Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana.

“We sell to distributors and follow through with the retailers,” says Natalie. “I like tosay we’re an extension of the manufacturer’s sales team because we can service thesmaller markets.” Among her responsibilities, Natalie introduces manufacturers to hercustomers and helps with programs and promotions for the retail stores.

She has been reading DELI BUSINESS for five or six years. “A lot of the manufactur-ers we represent are in the magazine. I can use it as a tool to sell to my customers,” sheexplains. “It has good information to keep us abreast of other markets. We can pass thaton to our customers.”

As the winner of the DELI BUSINESS quiz, Natalie wins a personal DVD/CD player.

Quiz Questions1) What is the toll-free number for Anchor Packaging? _________________

___________________________________________________________2) What is the street address for Widmer’s Cheese Cellars? ______________

___________________________________________________________3) How many solutions does Rose Packing offer? ______________________

___________________________________________________________4) What is the fax number for Robbie Manufacturing?__________________5) Where is Mills Family Farms located? _____________________________

___________________________________________________________6) What is the phone number for InnovAsian Cuisine? _________________

___________________________________________________________

This issue was: ■■ Personally addressed to me ■■ Addressed to someone else

Name:_________________________________________________________Company:______________________________________________________

Position: _______________________________________________________

Street:_________________________________________________________

City/State: _________________________________________ Zip:________

Phone: ( ) ___________________ Fax: ( ) ________________

Please send answers to:DELI BUSINESS QUIZ: Feb./Mar. 2006 IssueP.O. Box 810217 • Boca Raton, FL 33481-0217

President and Editor-in-Chief • JAMES E. [email protected]

Publishing Director • KENNETH L. [email protected]

Publisher/Editorial Director • LEE [email protected]

Managing Editor • JAN [email protected]

Special Projects Editor • MIRA SLOTT

[email protected]

Associate Editor • NALINI MAHARAJ

[email protected]

Circulation Manager • KELLY [email protected]

Production Director • DIANA [email protected]

Production Leader • JACKIE [email protected]

Production Department • FREDDY PULIDO

JOANNA ARMSTRONG

Research Director • SHARON OLSON

Contributing EditorsDARBY BRINDAMORE HEATHER NELSONBECKY BILLINGSLEY KAREN SILVERSTONLIZ CAMPBELL TRISHA J. WOOLDRIDGE

AdvertisingJORDAN BAUM

[email protected]

ERIC [email protected]

Send insertion orders, payments, press releases,photos, letters to the editor, etc., to:

DELI BUSINESSP.O. Box 810217

Boca Raton, FL 33481-0217Phone: 561-994-1118 Fax: 561-994-1610

E-mail: [email protected]

Phoenix Media Network, Inc.

Chairman of the Board • JAMES E. PREVOR

Executive Vice President • KENNETH L. WHITACRE

Senior Vice President • LEE SMITH

General Counsel • DEBRA PREVOR

Executive Assistant • FRAN GRUSKIN

Trade Show Coordinator • JACKIE LOMONTE

DELI BUSINESS is published byPhoenix Media Network, Inc.

P.O. Box 810425Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425

Phone: 561-994-1118 Fax: 561-994-1610Entire contents © Copyright 2006

Phoenix Media Network, Inc.All rights reserved.

Printed in the U.S.A.

Publication Agreement No. 40047928

DeliBUSINESSFeb./Mar.

2006

4

DeliBUSINESS

DeliBUSINESS

DeliBUSINESS QUIZDeliBUSINESS QUIZ

mailto:[email protected]












D E L I W A T C H DeliBUSINESSFeb./Mar.

2006

5

DeliBUSINESS

Specialty Vermont CheddarThe award-winning Cabot Creamery,Cabot, VT, introduced its new Cabot MildReserve Cheddar at the 31st Winter FancyFood Show in San Francisco, CA. Hand-selected with a rich buttery taste andcreamy texture, this naturally aged Ched-

dar has national distribution. Available in random weight barspacked 12 pounds per case


Consumer-friendly PouchRobbie Manufacturing, Lenexa, KS, offers anew Hot N’ Handy Grab N’ Go pouch that fitsin car cup holders. The pouch is leak resistantwith an easy-to-carry handle and microwavesafe. A small gusseted bottom allows it to standstraight up in car cup holders. The pouch canbe used for both hot and cold foods, maximiz-ing crispness and locking in moisture.


Safer Box CutterPaxar Americas Inc, Miamisburg, OH,has introduced the new Monarch Easy-Cut box cutter that minimizes bladeexposure and retracts the blade when

not in use. Four different blade depth changes are controlled byan easy-to-use dial. All EasyCut blades are specially polished dull,with a rounded point to protect the user and the product.


Prepackaged Blue CheeseNorseland Incorporated, Stamford, CT, haslaunched a new line of pre-packaged bluecheeses from Saga, its specialty cheese brand.The Best of the Blues line offers four bluecheeses, (Saga True Blue, Saga Gorgonzola,Saga Crumbled Blue and Saga Sliced Blue)

in 4-ounce packages with a see-through window and easyopen/close feature.


Hot Food ContainerPactiv Corp., Lake Forest, ILL, introduces anew Versatainer Oval Container for hotmenu items. These Newspring microwavablecontainers range from 6-ounce to 32-ouncesize, making them suitable for side dishes orentrées. They have a leak-resistant seal for

easy transporting and stackable lids and bases for compact stor-age.


Chef’s Choice Awarded Trademark

EdgeCraft Corporation, Avondale, PA,was awarded two registered trademarksfor its Chef ’s Choice electric knifesharpeners, the first of which was intro-

duced in 1985, from the U.S. Patents and Trademark Office. Thesharpeners have been sold in over 50 countries worldwide.


New CorporateHeadquarters

Carroll Manufacturing & Sales, Avon,OH, has moved into a new state-of-the-art headquarters almost triple the size of

its old building. The packaging and food processing company isalso building another plant designed to emphasize food safety. Thenew facility will help the FlavorSeal brand to meet its increaseddemands for packaging films, bags and pouches.


Compact, Manual SlicerGlobe Food Equipment, Dayton, OH, offers the12-inch Chefmate GC512 compact manualslicer. It can slice through meats and cheeseseasily and is ideal for operations that slice up tofour hours daily with a limited space or budget.It has stainless steel food contact areas and fea-tures a permanently attached knife ring guard,

knife cover interlock and metal sharpener.Reader Service No. 404

Foodservice Seafood OfferingsTampa Maid, Lakeland, FL, produces a wide range of quality, value-added seafood products to fitany menu offering, including Shrimp Jammers, Grouper Tenders and award-winning Dipt n’ DustedCalamari. The entire line is designed to maximize flavor and have a “made-fresh-from-scratch”appearance.


DELI WATCH is a regular feature of DELI BUSINESS. Please send information on new products, personnel changes, industry, corporateand personal milestones and available literature, along with a color photo, slide or transparency to: Editor, DELI BUSINESS,

P.O. Box 810217 • Boca Raton, FL 33481-0217 • Phone: 561-994-1118 • Fax: 561-994-1610✍

Specialty Goat CheesesMeyenberg Goat Milk Products, Turlock, CA,introduces Aged Goat Milk Cheddar, SpecialReserve and four Goat Milk Jack Cheeses(plain, smoked, jalapeño, and garlic andchive). Jacks are available in 4-pound uncut

wheels or cases of eight 8-ounce wedges. Aged Cheddar and Spe-cial Reserve are available in 5-pound blocks or cases of 10 8-ouncebars. Reader Service No. 410

Hispanic Advertising Campaign

Hormel, Austin, MN, has launched itsfirst Hispanic TV advertising campaign

to air on major Spanish stations in Los Angeles, CA. A humorouscommercial promotes Hormel meats including ham, bacon, pep-peroni, and fully cooked entrées. The campaign tagline is “Saborde Calidad,” which in Spanish means “flavor of quality.”


A n n o u n c e m e n t s

N e w P r o d u c t s


2006

6

DeliBUSINESS

F R O M T H E E D I T O R ’ S D E S K

This month’s cover story does a terrific job of detailingthe “hows” of attracting young adults to purchase inthe deli.

It also points out, “The habits they adopt now can shapetheir loyalties for the rest of their lives,” which, in and ofitself, gives a pretty strong justification for why retailersshould try to attract young adults and why manufacturersshould be behind the effort.

But the truth is that veryfew supermarkets are focusedproperly on attracting the rightkind of consumer. Most stillthink that the “best “ customeris the “biggest” customer. Andthat is rarely the case anymore.

That mother of six whomay load up on loss leadersmay inspire smiles in the officewith her cart overflowing, buther paper towels and cannedgoods — all priced directly against rigorous competitionfrom warehouse clubs and super centers — are almost cer-tainly not as profitable for the store as the seemingly emptycart of a young bachelor who stops by the deli to pick upsome prepared food for dinner, pre-made skewers in themeat department for a barbeque tomorrow, a quality balsam-

ic and some fresh shallots to make his marinade,plus a pricey Cabernet to wash it all down.

Many supermarkets have already lost the battlefor being the stock-up location for packagedgoods. As super centers, warehouse clubs and dol-lar stores roll across the country, every week moresupermarkets become less competitive in thisspace. It is becoming increasingly obvious thatefforts to keep “share of customer” are backfiringas it results in the devotion of shelf space and pro-motional effort to items that are marginally prof-itable at best.

What is more, the customers who are attractedto a store because the ad offers really cheap prices on cannedgreen beans are likely to be the least valuable shoppers.

A subtext to the cover story is a biting criticism of retailoperations for putting the bulk of their focus on selling low-profit items to low-profit customers. No wonder so manysupermarket chains are going broke.

Now some would say that money is too tight for youngpeople to be big profit contributors. And the 18-to-25-year-old range covered by the study does include the collegeyears, which for many people is a time when resources canbe limited.

Remember, though, that it is not total income that mat-ters, but disposable income. Many people make much moreat age 40 than they did at 25, but their disposable income,in terms relevant to food stores, may actually be less. If at 25they were sharing an apartment with three roommates, liv-ing downtown and not needing cars, it is very possible thattheir income available to spend on high-profit prepared food

items is greater than at 40 with a spouse to support, threekids needing braces and summer camp, a mega mortgage ona house greater than they can afford, two car payments anda bunch of life insurance in case the stress kills the guy.

If you extend the definition of young a bit, to include theyoung working professionals and blue collar and pink collarworkers, all with decent incomes, busy social lives and notime to cook, you’ve got your business target. In fact, expand

it a little more to leap over themidlife phase with kids andinclude your empty nesters andyour gay community that neverhad the financial burden ofchildren, and you have a wholepopulation ready, willing andable to bring profits to the store.

And, of course, the delidepartment with its increasingorientation toward foodserviceis the crucial draw. The new

iteration of the supermarket is the deli/foodservice areadrawing in the customers who also pick up fresh produce,fine meat, seafood, bakery products and some specialty fooditems. The old core of the store will still be there, but withfar fewer SKUs and much higher prices as the same bottle ofClorox is simply a convenience being offered to people whoreally are drawn to the store to buy the deli’s wonderful BeefWellington and couscous salad.

As is typically the case, the obstacles to implementingthis vision of attracting the high-value customer are not somuch material or logistical; we have the ability to do all this.It is mostly a matter of perception.

Every strategic planning retreat begins with defining whowe are and what our business is. And, psychologically, theproblem is that supermarket CEOs, almost always risingthrough grocery or front end, are having problems imagin-ing a store that is fundamentally different from what theybuilt their careers in.

So it may not happen as quickly as it should.Fast or slow, however, the deli directors and VPs of

deli/foodservice are the ones in control of the future. This istheir moment to step out and assert their rightful place atthe very center of the store, the heart of the customer offer.

Nobody should build a store anymore where you don’twalk into a perishable paradise, and deli directors need to bepounding on the table to make that clear.

And no deli department should think that sliced meatand cheese is sufficient. If any deli director thinks that wayanymore, the CEO needs to set him straight — or find anew deli director.

It is good to study the youth. For as it has been written:we never get to visit the future, not even in our dreams. Butthe young will live there, and by studying them, we can getsome dim light of where that might be.

The leaders of today are the ones who position theiroperations to thrive when that dim light is revealed as a fullburning sun. DB

Jim Prevoris the

Editor-in-Chief of

DELI BUSINESS

High-Value CustomersByJimPrevor

Attracting the high-value customer is not so much material or logistical. It is

mostly a matter of perception.

Reader Service No.124

http://www.belgioioso.com


2006

8

DeliBUSINESS

P U B L I S H E R ’ S I N S I G H T S

I ’m not sure if everyone — or only people over 50 —remember Twilight Zone, a black and white TV show (yes,there actually was a time without color TV) in which

reality shifted just one degree. In one episode, a guy cominghome from work got on a strangely empty train, eventuallyfinding out he was sitting in some giant kid’s train set. Theshow ends when the lonely train rider hears Mom tellingthe child to put his pet back in the cage (or something likethat) and come down for dinner.

The concept of home meal replacement gives me thatsame out-of-sync feeling TwilightZone did. Home meal replace-ment has always weirded meout. Why? Because I have noidea what’s up with the think-ing that people need a replace-ment for home meals, much lessa replacement for meals athome to be eaten at home. AmI the only one who sees a con-tradiction? And, I’ve always had the sneaky suspicion thatpeople still cooked, or at least prepared, food at home andate it sitting at the kitchen table, on the couch or in thedining room. Not sometimes, but the majority of times.

The money consumers spend on food awayfrom home has increased, giving rise to the mis-taken impression that increased dollars equate toincreased “share of stomach.” All it really means isthat American consumers have more disposablemoney to spend on food, and eating out is afavorite entertainment venue. We like it betterthan going to sports events and, certainly, actuallyplaying sports. As drinking and hanging out inbars has become less popular because of increasedawareness about the dangers of drinking and driv-ing and the heavy penalties for getting caught(maybe a greater influencing factor), meeting

friends for something to eat has become the thing to do.But, we are not actually eating out any more than we

used to. We may be spending more, but we are not actuallyeating more. I am not so sure that the average American’sdiet has really increased enough in caloric count to explainthe fattening-up of Americans. I think we eat about thesame, even if we are trying to or talking about lightening theload. I have a feeling that the real reason we’re getting fatteris we don’t exercise enough. It certainly happened to me.The day I gave up unloading, by hand, a tractor-trailer ofproduce every morning, I started to fatten up. The day Ibecame a buyer, sitting at a desk and getting samples thrustat me every day, I started dieting. Like most Americans, diet-ing is probably my most proactive and least favorite sport.

Heck, what is “exercise” anyway? Entertainment? No way.Americans used to exercise by walking to school, even incollege, and we had jobs that required something other thansitting in front of a computer. We also mowed our own

lawns, shoveled our own driveways, gardened, raked andpainted the lawn furniture. It was a way of life.

Moms routinely threw the kids out the door at the crackof dawn, and dads’ signature whistle, call or sound broughtus home for dinner. We rode our bikes, climbed trees andplayed in the neighbor’s falling-down garage. Actually, weplayed on the roof of the falling-down garage. We also wentsledding and threw snowballs at passing cars and then ranlike hell to keep from getting caught. Was it dangerous? Ofcourse. I am always surprised we made it to adulthood.

That’s not true any more. Today,kids talk on cell phones, watchTV, play video games and usethe Internet. And, get fat.

The reality is that we eat thesame number of calories. Welike cheese and fried chicken.Granted we may order a freshgarden salad topped with friedchicken strips and loaded with

shredded cheese and ranch dressing, but we feel better.That’s marketing.

As for deli departments, when I think back to the originsof “home meal replacement” and the soothsayers who keptsaying that supermarket delis would never be able to com-pete (something that always made me angry), I sit here andgloat, because deli departments are doing great things.

Forget Boston Market — this industry crushed it. WholeFoods,Wegmans, Central Market and dozens of other retail-ers are selling meals that are better than their restaurantcompetition.

Has the industry reached its apex? No. We can learnfrom foodservice retailers and adapt. What are consumerslooking for? Convenience, value pricing, quality, variety andcustomization. The exact same things they were looking for20 years ago.

By looking at the world as it really is and not what wethink it is evolving into, deli departments can better under-stand consumers’ needs. Sandwiches, prepared foods, ethnicfavorites, cheese and anything fried continue to be favorites.Flavors, spicing and execution will continue to change, butnot the basics. People want to eat at home — they just wantit to take less time and be affordable.

It is not about home meal “replacement” and it neverhas been. It is all about helping customers find easy solu-tions so they can eat at home. How strong is the desire? In1985, people ate an average of 93 meals in restaurants; in2005 that number declined to 80. Out of a possible 1,095yearly meal occasions, “Seventy-seven percent of meals wereeaten in the home,” according to Harry Balzer of the NPDGroup, Chicago, IL, during a speech he gave at the Refriger-ated Foods Association Convention in Orlando, FL.

My ending comment — deli departments have a brightfuture, and the industry is alive, healthy and winning thewar for the real share of stomach. DB

Lee Smithis the

publisher and

editorial director

of DELI BUSINESS

Reality Shape ShiftersByLee Smith

All is not what it seems.Supermarkets are winning

the share of stomach.

Now you can have a ready supply of Hellmann’s® Mayonnaise, the world’s#1 brand* – without portioning it into stainless steel 1 ⁄6 pans.

• Convenient, disposable 64-oz. pan

• Saves time and labor – no pans to fill or clean

• Safe, easy-peel seal – no cutting required

• Eases food-safety concerns – no portioningfrom bulk

• Ask about our reusable lids for overnight storage

© 2005 Unilever Foodsolutions *Retail Sales Figures, Euromonitor International, 2001

Just drop the pre-filled 1/6 pan into place!

EasyPan™

Make sandwich prep as simple as 1,2,3.

“It’s as easy as its name!”

800-272-1217

www.unileverfoodsolutions.us

TOGETHER, WE COOK.


http://www.unileverfoodsolutions.us


2006

10

DeliBUSINESS

C O V E R S T O R Y

there are also a lot of things we canlearn from how young adults view fastfood, convenience stores and othervenues in order to draw more youngadults into the deli.”

Fresh — The Big FactorY-Pulse recently surveyed more

than 250 young adults, ages 18 to 25,on their perceptions of the deli, as wellas their perceptions of fast-food restau-rants, convenience stores and clubstores. The No. 1 area where delisstood apart from the competition wasfreshness — and quality of food wasrated the most important factor foryoung adults when choosing a deli.

When asked to name the best thingabout shopping for food in the deli,“fresh” was the most popular answer.“You can purchase foods that are hot,fresh and ready to eat,” according to a25-year-old respondent. Fresh was anattribute rarely associated with theother venues in the study, making it akey area for delis to promote.

When customers think “fresh,” theyare thinking beyond produce to entiremeals that are fully prepared and readyto grab-and-go. Combo meals helpyoung customers get the feeling ofhomemade food without the hassles ofcooking.

“I’m single, so cooking a big mealmeans I have to eat the leftovers fordays,” said Tara, 23, of Alexandria, VA,in a recent focus group conducted byOlson Communications in Chicago.Frozen foods are a popular solution formany young adults who live or eatalone and deal with the challenge ofleftovers. However, single-serving por-tions or individual ready-to-eat mealssolve the problem — and are regardedas higher quality.

At Cosentino’s Price Chopper inKansas City, MO, a daily combo mealconsisting of an entrée and two sidedishes is offered at a discount, accord-ing to deli supervisor Carolyn Mabrey.“This group likes hot products like friedchicken and grab-and-go pre-made

For the majority of deli opera-tors across the country,young adults are taken forgranted as part of the cus-tomer base. Very few opera-

tions target the 18- to 25-year-old mar-ket, and even fewer target them withany aggressive or innovative strategies.

And although their current incomelevels and spending per transaction maybe lower than older customers, theseyoung customers tend to shop morefrequently — almost daily — and areseeking a balance between the spend-ing habits passed on from their parentsand their own preferences. The habitsthey adopt now can shape their loyal-ties for the rest of their lives, makingthem valuable adult consumers.

“Most young adults have very posi-tive impressions of delis,” says TamiCline, co-founder of Y-Pulse, LLC, ayouth foodservice research companywith offices in Chicago, IL, and Marinadel Rey, CA. “There are a lot of thingsthat deli operators are doing right, but

Hurried, Healthy Or Just Hungry?What drives young adults to purchase in the deli?

Hurried, Healthy Or Just Hungry?What drives young adults to purchase in the deli?

By Heather Nelson,Olson Communications

sandwiches, which are available in ourstore 24 hours a day.”

Customers’ perception of fresh isalso influenced by appearance. Keepingfoods looking fresh and just prepared,even at the end of the business day, candraw customers to the deli during off-peak hours. More than 50 percent ofyoung adults shop for food in the eve-ning or at night, with women makingup more of the just-after-work crowdand men making up more of the lateevening crowd.

Cross-Merchandise For Convenience

Convenience — rated the secondbest attribute about deli shopping — isa must for today’s time-crunchedyoung adults. Whether they are part ofthe campus crowd or entering theworking world for the first time, thesefast-paced diners are seeking more andmore grab-and-go options.

“I don’t have time to sit down andeat most days and I eat on the run, so ithas to be easy,” says Liz, 23, of Jack-son, TN. Easy options can range fromprepared sandwiches and other foodsthat can go from deli to dashboard for aquick meal on the go to prepared itemsintended for reheating at home.

“I like anything that prevents mefrom having to cook it myself when Idon’t have the time,” according to one18-year-old surveyed.

Young adults are particularly suscep-tible to impulse purchasing. “At dinner,you are so hungry that you just want toeat and really don’t care what it is,”notes Lauren, 20, of Milwaukee, WI.

Cross-merchandising items in thedeli area that may be impulse purchasesnot only saves young customers timewhen shopping but also helps themmake quick decisions in a time-crunch.This opens the door to upselling andincreasing per-transaction averages bypromoting specialty items. They mayalready have a jar of mustard in thefridge at home but may try a new spe-cialty mustard showcased by the delicounter. Flavored jellies and tortillawraps, specialty dressings and sand-wich spreads are increasingly popular.

Varying The MenuYoung adults in the Y-Pulse study

rank variety as their third favorite thingabout the deli. From the wide variety ofmeats and cheeses available for slicingto the seemingly endless variations ofsalads and side dishes, the notion that

they can get almost anything they wantis a huge driving factor when theychoose to shop the deli.

Beyond sandwich staples, delis areexpanding into other popular mealitems that resonate with this young agegroup, such as burritos, chicken wingsand sushi.

Cookes Family Market in Malibu,CA, has had success catering to theyoung adult demographic through botha sushi selection and hot service items.“We have lots of different types ofchicken and that is what this grouplikes,” says Xochitl Barroso, bakery

manager. “They come in for lunch andtake out food from the hot servicearea.”

At Russ’s Market in Lincoln, NE,the menu also has recently broadenedto much fanfare. “We just built a wingbar, which is an assortment of bone-inand boneless pre-sauced chickenwings,” explains Chris Anno, deli man-ager. “We usually have four differentvarieties available each day. You justreheat them. They are fantastic.”

Be Everything To EveryoneCustomization is the fourth reason

young adults choose the deli. “You canget what you want, how you want it,”according to a 21-year-old respondent.And, as many young adults surveyedby Y-Pulse stated, as much as theywant.

Highland Park Market in Manches-ter, CT, gets most of its young adultcustomers in the late afternoon. Delimanager Rich Tyrol points out they pri-marily choose the deli for “quick itemslike sandwiches or individual meals.”

As Tyrol notes, sandwiches are bigbusiness with young adults, includingprepared sandwiches served hot, pre-pared sandwiches served cold andmade-to-order sandwiches served anyway they want it. For lunch, for dinner,even for breakfast.

Unlike other food venues where con-venience and speed play a larger role,quality of food is the largest decision-making factor for young adults when itcomes to the deli. This attention toquality carries over to sandwiches.

When asked about their favoritesandwiches — whether made at homeor purchased already prepared —almost every respondent noted specificbreads, such as whole wheat, focaccia,potato bread, ciabatta, herb andcheese, rye and panini.

The awareness of specialty itemsextends to cheeses, such as SmokedGouda, Muenster and Pepperjack.Grasch Foods in Brookfield, WI, keepsin mind its young customers’ prefer-ence for specialty items and tries tostay on top of the trends.

“They are also looking for what isnew and fun like specialty water crack-ers, specialty Boursin cheeses,” saysLaurie Granz, deli manager. “We dodemos to introduce everyone to thesetypes of items.”

Specialty dressings beyond mayoand mustard, such as raspberry sauce,vinaigrettes and honey mustard, as wellas more healthful or organic items suchas sun-dried tomatoes, hummus andbanana peppers, which are increasinglypopular as taste buds diversify atyounger ages.

“I like what I eat to be something ofquality because I have tastes for thingsthat tend to be a bit more complex.Although, I do have guilty pleasures. . . like mac and cheese with hot dogs,”explains Mike, 25, of Chicago, IL.

Sticking With The BasicsIn addition to the fresh food options,

convenience, variety and customizationavailable in the deli, young adults alsorate their deli experiences high for beingable to find what they need. Clearlymarked menus and product descrip-tions that help make shopping simpleand comfortable do not go unnoticedwith this age group.

While they may be looking for mealson the run, they still use delis as a placeto buy items to incorporate into mealsthey prepare at home, namely sand-wiches. Nearly 80 percent of young


2006

11

DeliBUSINESS

C O V E R S T O R Y

Top 10 Factors WhenChoosing A DeliFor young adults ages 18-25:1. Quality of food2. Cleanliness3. Accuracy of order4. Price5. Quality of service6. Convenience7. Speed of service 8. Safety9. Healthfulness of

food/menu variety10. Hours of operation

Source: Y-Pulse, LLC 2005

adults prepare and eat the majority oftheir meals at home, with dinner astheir largest meal of the day.

To meet the dinner needs of youngcustomers, the Bel Air Market in ElkGrove, CA, offers prepared soups andentrées for take-home reheating orpreparation. “We are trying to makethings faster and more convenient,”reports Kelly Distel-Gupton, assistantdeli manager. “We have a great newsoup program to help the customer get

soup faster. The soup is pre-portionedin ready-to-heat containers. We alsohave oven-ready pizzas that are readyto go.”

Building Sales With Innovative Promotions

Young adults also turn to the deli forcost-conscious offerings — sales andpromotions and daily or weekly spe-cials. “I have very little disposableincome, so cheapness is more impor-

tant than quality or convenience,”notes Jonathan, 21, of Houston, TX.

Despite their tech-savviness, mostyoung people agreed that face-to-facecontact is their preferred method ofordering when inside the deli. Howev-er, outside of the deli, technology offerssome creative ways to get the wordout about specials and promotions.

Nearly 70 percent of young adultshave text messaging capabilities ontheir cell phones, making it an instantway to get a message into their handsand guarantee they will read it. Conve-nience stores and other segments areexploring opportunities for text mes-saging daily specials to customers withpermission of the recipient.

E-mail blasts are most accepted andmore widely used. Sending out a list ofweekly or daily specials has been suc-cessful for many food venues. Youngadults say they do not often clipcoupons, yet more and more consumerretailers are having success with e-coupons mailed directly to their cus-tomers to print out at home.

Deli operators are also in a uniqueposition to educate and build an ongo-ing relationship with young customers.E-flyers or e-newsletters containingrecipes, cooking tips, a listing of weeklyspecials or menus and food glossaries,as well as coupons, can not only helpcross-sell but also help customers feelcompletely at home when they shop inthe deli.

“This audience freely admits thatmany of them don’t know how tocook,” says Y-Pulse’s Cline. “The morewe can educate them on food and foodpreparation, the more we can build loy-alty from a younger age.”

Convenience Vs. QualityIn the study conducted by Y-Pulse,

young adults confirmed that the delimeets many of their needs for fresh-ness, convenience and quality, butwhen it comes to making dining deci-sions on a daily basis, they have morethan just the deli to choose from. Othercompeting destinations, such as conve-nience stores, super stores and fast-food restaurants, have their own sets ofattractive attributes that draw youngconsumers.

“By investigating what draws youngconsumers to other foodservicevenues, we can start to identify areaswhere operators can take specificaction to directly compete or changethe competitive mindset,” Cline


2006

12

DeliBUSINESS

C O V E R S T O R Y

Celebrating 50 YearsAs America’s

#1 Specialty Cheese!

• Special National Display program

• Colorful POS Display

• National Advertising Campaign

J a r l s b e r g M a k e s I t S p e c i a l

A lot changes in fifty years. But one thing hasn’t.

Jarlsberg is still America’s #1 Specialty Cheese.

Stock And Display Jarlsberg And Jarlsberg Lite.

1956-2006

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.20

9

explains. “For example, if young adultsare frequenting quick-service restau-rants because of dollar menus, weknow that the only way to get the busi-ness of those specific customers is tocompete on price. However, retailersmay choose not to compete on priceand create a level of value instead —like late night fresh express items.”

Young adults who shop at superstores or club stores for food say theylike the low prices, being able to geteverything in one place and buying inbulk to save money. Many noted thefreshly prepared foods and convenienthours, but many also said they do notshop club or superstores, although theirparents do.

When it comes to conveniencestores, young adults say they preferpurchasing food there when their pri-mary goals are speed and convenience.The c-store also meets the need forround-the-clock service and easyaccess, particularly when traveling. Thelack of long lines and numerous loca-tions encourage business from youngcustomers, who are willing to sacrificehealthful options when convenience istheir first priority.

“It depends on how hungry I am. If Iam really hungry, I prefer convenience,but normally I prefer quality,” saysMark, 21, of St. Louis, MO. Capitaliz-ing on convenience without sacrificingquality by placing easy meal solutionsand snacks in shoppers sight-line asthey enter the deli area can help speedup their deli shopping experience.

Fast food is praised by young adultsfor being just that: fast. Speed is theirNo. 1 concern when turning to fastfood locations for a meal. The menuvariety was their No. 2 reason forchoosing fast food over other destina-tions, possibly due to a consistent year-round menu with popular value deals.

Sandwich chains with more health-ful options were noted most frequentlyas favorites, although many youngadults say they only eat fast food in apinch or when traveling. “I don’t feel asgood when I’m eating fast foods andwould prefer to eat something that ismore healthy,” notes Kathryn, 25, ofPortsmouth, NH.

Offering picnic packs or boxed mealsfor shoppers on the go — and promot-ing pick-up the night before the big trip— can help customers get a morehealthful meal while traveling. For thein-town crowd feeling the time crunch,delivery services or call-ahead ordering,

even if limited to large group orders, canincrease lunch business and make thedeli as fast as drive-through service. Anexpress checkout exclusively for deli

customers is another great way tospeed service.

Make The Deli A DestinationThe quickest way any type of food

operation can gain a loyal followingfrom younger customers is to make itsstore a destination, not just a quick stopon the way home from work. If spaceallows, providing seating is one way to


2006

13

DeliBUSINESS

C O V E R S T O R Y

encourage 20-somethings to arrange tosit down and read the paper over lunchor to meet a friend for dinner.

Donelan’s Supermarket in Littleton,MA, promotes its image as a meetingplace by having a harpist on-hand everyother day to create atmosphere in addi-tion to the warm welcome customersreceive from the staff. Assistant delisupervisor Roxanne Hintz saysDonelan’s customer retention is due tothe friendliness behind the counter.“We have a great team and we work tomake the customer feel welcome.Many customers come in everyday, sowe get to know them.”

Simply greeting young adults with afriendly attitude and being open to theirquestions is a step in the right direction.“Young people have a wide range ofoptions to choose from when it comesto food,” says Y-Pulse’s Cline. “They’relooking for places where they feel com-fortable and places that help them savea few extra steps.”

“My job keeps me very busy,”according to Tara, 23, of Alexandria,VA. “At the end of the day or in myspare time on the weekends, the lastthing I want to do is cook.” DB

Favorite Sandwiches For young adults ages 18-25:

1. Turkey2. Ham3. Chicken Breast4. Roast Beef5. Vegetarian OR Burger (tie)6. Reuben OR Tuna (tie)7. Salami8. Peanut Butter

Source: Y-Pulse, LLC 2005

Every DELI needs thisENTERTAINING QUARTETEssential for parties - GREAT for every day

Remember the Rubschlager Cocktail Breads• SOURDOUGH • HONEY WHOLE GRAIN • PUMPERNICKEL • RYE

Visit us at FMI Booth #8402

3220 West Grand Avenue • Chicago, Illinois 60651773/826-1245 • Fax 773/826-6619

Quality Bakers Since 1913

BAKING CORPORATION

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.21

3

Delis love the freshness, versatilityand gourmet quality and taste ofMills Family Farms Wholeaves™,

the finest individual lettuce leaves available.Presentation perfect and ready-to-use,Wholeaves® are easily transportable andsave money, time and labor. Excellent forlarge quantities of party sandwiches andgourmet salads, they also make colorful trayliners and are elegant vehicles for appetiz-ers and dips.

By gently hand tearing each leaf fromthe stem, its vital tissue remains intact,retaining flavor, crispness and freshness.That’s why Wholeaves® are the highestquality lettuce leaves available offering ultra-convenience and superior shelf life.

Available in Romaine, Romaine Hearts,Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Green Cascade Mix®

and Celery, in 5- or 10-pound refrigerator-friendly cartons,Wholeaves® offer a varietyof creative uses:

• Low-carb wrappers • Deli sandwiches • Burgers • Plate garnish • Mixed green salads and salad liners • Entrée underliners • Delicious ingredients in pesto, soups,

wraps or appetizers

For more information about Mills Family Farms Wholeaves™ call Dave Millsdirectly at (831) 320-0070 or visitwww.MillsFamilyFarms.com. DB

Deli BusinessDeliBUSINESSFeb./Mar.

200614

DeliBUSINESS

Recipes

Recipe Profile

MILLS FAMILY FARMSHeadquarters: 375 W. Market Street

Salinas, California 93901831-757-3061 fax: 831-424-9475

www.millsfamilyfarms.com

MILLS FAMILY FARMS

Caramelized Apples andOnions with Candied Nuts and Blue Cheese onWholeaves® RomaineHeartsBy Chef Wendy Brodie

SERVES APPROXIMATELY 30

2 Tbsp vegetable oil1 large Fuji or green apple, thinly

sliced1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced1⁄3 cup candied nuts (walnuts or

pecans), rough chopped into about 1⁄4-inch pieces

1⁄2 cup crumbled blue cheese30 Wholeaves® Romaine Hearts leaves

In a sauté pan, heat 1 Tbsp oil and add thesliced apples, quickly cooking and turning theapples as they brown and caramelize. Removeto bowl when done. In same pan withoutwashing, add remaining tablespoon of oil andheat.Add the onion to the pan.Turn the heatto low and slowly cook, turning regularly, untilthe onions are golden brown. Add onions tothe apples and mix.When cooled, stir in nutsand blue cheese.

To serve, place a rounded teaspoon onthe stem end of each leaf.

Citrus and TarragonTossed Chicken SaladBy Chef Todd Fisher

SERVES 6-8

Dressing:2 Tbsp Dijon mustard2 Tbsp honey2 Tbsp orange juice1 Tbsp lemon juice2 tsp minced shallot4 Tbsp rice vinegar2 Tbsp red wine vinegar3⁄4 cup olive oil1 tsp salt and pepper2 tsp minced tarragon

Salad:4 boneless skinless chicken breasts2 bags of Mills Family Farms

Green Cascade Mix®

1 basket strawberries,top off and quartered

1 small red onion, sliced10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 avocado, diced10 radishes, quartered

Dressing

To make dressing, combine dressing ingre-dients in medium bowl and mix well to createvinaigrette.

Over medium hot grill, grill chickenbreasts until done and let cool. Once cool,slice 1⁄4-inch thick. In a large bowl, toss togeth-er Mills Family Farms Green Cascade Mix®,strawberries, red onion, tomatoes, avocadoand radishes. Drizzle with dressing, add chick-en and toss. Serve immediately.

http://www.MillsFamilyFarms.com

http://www.millsfamilyfarms.com


http://www.millsfarmilyfarms.com



2006

16

DeliBUSINESS

Cheddar Rules!

at each price point. Imported, award-winning,historic domestic and unpasteurized milk Ched-dars also belong in a serious cheese department.Rotating seasonal or limited Cheddars in and outof the lineup will keep consumers coming back totry what is new.

Cheddar is a hard cheese with a close texture.Older Cheddars can become flaky or crumbly butstill have a creamy mouthfeel. Flavors range frommild and buttery to rich and mellow. Cheddarmay have tangy, nutty or caramel notes, complex-ity or very pronounced flavor and finish, but itshould not be bitter. Cheddar flavors differ sea-sonally, and from producer to producer.

U.S. standards define Cheddar as a cow’s milkcheese with not more than 39 percent moisturecontent, a minimum of 50 percent milk fat in thesolid matter, 25 percent protein and 1.4 to 1.8 per-cent salt. The standard does not require cheddar-ing (see below), but Cheddar must have the samephysical and chemical properties as cheese pro-duced by the cheddaring process. Cheddar maybe white or orange, and if color is used, it shouldnot be spotty. Most U.S. Cheddar comes inblocks, wheels (called daisy wheels), longhornsand/or logs, and most are rindless.

English CheddarBecause the English Cheddar category is the

inspiration for U.S. artisanal and flavored Ched-dars, buyers and sales associates should be familiarwith them.

England did not protect the name Cheddar,but those made by the West Country FarmhouseCheesemakers group are PDO cheeses that aremade by hand on farms in Devon, Dorset, Somer-set and Cornwall. Farmhouse cheddars from thisregion are the authentic English Cheddars.Cheddars are classified as Mild, aged up to sixmonths; Medium, six to nine months; Mature,nine to 12 months; Vintage, more than 12months; and West Country Farmhouse PDO.Traditional English Cheddar is white (color isadded to other English cheeses).

Cheddaring is the unique process used tomake the cheese. To cheddar means to cut, turnand stack the curds repeatedly, causing curds tomat together into slabs. Stacking them pressesout additional whey. The cheddared curd is thenmilled, salted, mixed, placed into cheesecloth-lined forms and pressed for days. When removedfrom the forms, cheeses are wrapped in layers ofcloth to protect the exterior and aged on openwooden shelves exposed to air. English aging

By Karen Silverston

S p e c i a l t y C h e e s e C o r n e r

More than half the cheese consumed in the United States is Cheddar.

Pho

to C

ourt

esy

of C

abot

Cre

amer

y

V irtually all consumers are familiar withCheddar in some form, so expandingtheir palates and increasing Cheddar

sales should not be too difficult a task.The best way to increase Cheddar sales is to

get the cheese into the mouths of consumers.“Sampling and telling the story is the most suc-cessful technique,” according to Linda Hook,marketing vice president, DCI Cheese Company,based in Richfield,WI.

“People are comfortable buying Cheddar.They have an idea of what it will taste like. Eng-lish farmhouse is not a big risk, and it’s not anunfamiliar cheese you can’t pronounce,” saysMaria Walley, marketing manager, Cheese FromBritain, based in Cincinnati, OH.

“Sampling is always the best way to sellcheeses, especially something familiar, like Ched-dar. The authentic is the West Country PDO[Protected Denomination of Origin], and thereare other handmade Cheddars. Sometimes wemerchandise around a whole wheel, whichromances it, even if the store is limited to fixed-weight packs. For sampling, we use toothpickswith British flags, and we make flyers showing thefarms they’re featuring and the store logo. Ched-dar should be featured as a category. IntroduceEnglish farmhouse, then Cheddars from each

region, and focus on the provenance,” advisesWalley.

Named for the village of Cheddar, England,the cheese is so desired and yet so differentiatedthat it has become a section unto itself within thespecialty cheese category. More than half of thecheese consumed in the United States is Ched-

dar, making it the foundation of the specialtycheese department. With three billion pounds ofAmerican-produced Cheddar plus imports fromaround the world, buyers and sales associates needa basic understanding of Cheddar and its sub-cat-egories, including Vermont, Wisconsin, artisanaland flavored.

The successful department will offer basicCheddars in several styles with multiple choices

America’s favorite cheese

offers specialty cheese

departments a familiar way

to reach new customers.

room temperatures are warmer than those in theUnited States. Flavor and texture developmentare usually mature at about nine months, and twoyears is considered very aged.

Vermont CheddarVermont Cheddar is white, distinguished by

age and the sharper flavor profile preferred in theNortheast — where “sharp” is a positive attribute.Texture and flavor differ for each age, and olderCheddars have a unique depth of flavor. The cor-nerstone of American Cheddar, Vermont’s out-standing Cheddars are, for some, an acquiredtaste, but they are a mandatory selection in thespecialty corner.

Three award-winning Vermont Cheddar pro-ducers deliver Vermont terroir, but they use tech-niques found throughout the United States.

Cabot Creamery, Montpelier, VT, was found-ed in 1919. As a cooperative, it sources milk fromits farmer members and then pasteurizes the milk,producing internationally recognized stirred curdcheeses aged 60 days to 60 months.

Grafton Village Cheese Company, Grafton,VT, founded in 1892 and restored in the mid-1960s, uses Jersey cow milk. Grafton heat-treatsthe milk but does not pasteurize it, cheddars thecurds by hand and ages the Cheddar from one tosix years.

Shelburne Farms, a model sustainable farm inShelburne VT, founded in 1980, uses raw milkfrom its Brown Swiss herd to produce about100,000 pounds of sweet, buttery, rich farmhouseCheddar a year, aging it six months to threeyears.

Jed Davis, marketing director for CabotCreamery, suggests incorporating flights of cheeseinto informative tastings. “Offer mild cheddarsfrom Vermont, Wisconsin, and California, andcompare the tastes. Then compare sharp VermontCheddars to ones from Wisconsin and California,and you’ll see that the level of sharpness seems alittle higher on the Northeast versions. The wordsyou use to describe that flavor profile may differfrom mine, but you will taste the difference in fla-vor profile, “ says Davis. “Try mild, sharp and extrasharp. This will be a range of about six months toabout six years old, because mild differs from agedby at least a couple of years.”

Peter Mohn, vice president at Grafton, agreeswith this and goes further, advising sales associ-ates to tell consumers to repeat the tasting flight.“Try the same tasting yourself two days in a rowand limit the tasting to one cheese family. Trythem all the first time around with a palatecleanser in between. Next day, taste exactly thesame cheeses. The first one you enjoy, but thesecond one you remember.”

Promoting Vermont Cheddar with a countrylife theme — even in sleek urban locations —can be successful. “Merchandising can take on anold-fashioned flair even if you’re not an old-fash-ioned store by displaying a daisy wheel [about 18inch diameter] Cheddar on the countertop witha dome over it. It sends the message of old-fash-ioned values. Honest storekeepers kept authenticcheese on the counter by the register and


2006

17

DeliBUSINESS


Pho

to C

ourt

esy

of D

CI

Che

ese

Com

pany

Now you’ve got a proven winner for your deli cheese sales. Our Adams Reserve New York State Cheddar is the world’s best…andfavorite of choosy cheese lovers everywhere. Beautiful burgundy-and-gold packaging, persuasive POS displays and consumer literature, plustargeted media exposure help you capture more loyal customers!Check out www.adamsreserve.com for delicious details! greatlakescheese.com • 800.677.7181

World’s Gold Medal Winner for flavor, body,

texture and finish


http://www.adamsreserve.com

http://www.greatlakescheese.com

wrapped up your purchase in a piece of paper,”Mohn adds.

Wisconsin CheddarWisconsin’s specialty Cheddar is noted for

variety, complex flavor development and age.White and annato-tinted orange Cheddars aremade from pasteurized milk, raw milk and organicmilk, using production techniques ranging fromlabor-intensive handcrafting to industrial com-mercial operations. The full range of WisconsinCheddar includes flavored, smoked and mam-moths in waxed, cloth-wrapped and rindlessstyles.

Wisconsin claims more than one-fifth of thenation’s Cheddar production. Of its nearly 670-million-pound Cheddar production, 10,900,000pounds are classified as specialty Cheddar,according to Marilyn Wilkinson, director ofnational product communications, WisconsinMilk Marketing Board (WMMB), Madison, WI.“Upscale aged Cheddars are increasing, and deliswill be featuring these 2-, 4-, 6- and 10-yearCheddars,” says Wilkinson.

Wisconsin cheesemakers have been quietlypushing the Cheddar-aging envelope. In the cate-gory for Cheddars aged more than four years, 6-year Cheddar from Widmer’s Cheese Cellars,Theresa, WI, won First Place, and 10-year Ched-dar from Carr Valley Cheese, La Valle, WI, wonSecond Place at the 2005 competition of theAmerican Cheese Society (ACS), Louisville, KY.ACS added the competition sub-categories formature Cheddar more than three years old in2004 and for more than four years old in 2005.

“Delis that tell the story of their products andserve a range of products will benefit. Farm-

friendly, hands-on, and crafted foods are majortrends because people really care about the quali-ty of their food. Everyone wants a very cared-forproduct,”Wilkinson says.

Artisanal CheddarArtisanal producers keep traditional cheese-

making techniques alive. Although they vary insize from small producers making just enough tosell locally to larger operations that can supplyhigh quality cheeses to large retailers, artisanalproducers across the United States pride them-selves on quality and distinctive taste.

Rogue Creamery, Central Point, OR, produces75,000 pounds of handmade Cheddar a year,according to co-owner David Gremmels. “Ahandmade Cheddar is going to be very differentfrom a commercially made Cheddar. We use ourhands and others are using machines. The textureand the way the curd knits will be different. It ishand cut, hand pressed, hand dipped.”

Joe Widmer, owner of Widmer’s Cheese Cel-lars, Theresa, WI, also prefers the hands-onapproach. “When you handcraft you get moretouch and feel of where you’re at. You can feelthat the curd is right. When machines are used,starter is added in there, curd is cut and cookedin there, and matted out and cut in there. Thehandwork is taken out of the process. There is aplace for both, but the difference should bebrought out to the public.”

Gremmels and Widmer get very high qualitymilk from nearby farmers. Gremmels does notpasteurize; Widmer does. Location combinedwith art and science produce unique Cheddarsfrom each.

When introducing artisanal Cheddar to con-


2006

18

DeliBUSINESS


Consumer comfort levels with Cheddar make it a good entry into the specialty cheese arena.

Pho

to C

ourt

esy

of C

hees

e Fr

om B

rita

in

MerchandisingTips

A ccording to Linda Hook, mar-keting vice president for DCICheese Company, Richfield,

WI, “Sampling and telling the storyare the most successful techniques.”Her suggestions include:

Use drums, large wheels and bot-tles of beverages that match well toattract consumers.

Display cheese books, such asLaura Werlin’s Great Grilled Cheese orJanet Fletcher’s The Cheese Course.Gather the ingredients for a recipe andinclude them in the display.

Use signage with the name andorigin of the Cheddar.

Draw attention to the cheesedepartment by displaying a MammothCheddar.

Create signs such as “Cheddar withapples and pears. The sweetness andcrispness of the fruit complements thebutteriness and saltiness of the Ched-dar,” she concludes. DB

Rea

der

Serv

ice

No.

218

Manufacturer of RenownedSpecialty Cheese Since 1922

WORLD CLASS WASHED RINDBRICK CHEESE, EXTRA SHARPCHEDDARS AND AUTHENTIC

STIRRED CURD COLBY.

www.widmerscheese.com214 West Henni Street

Theresa, WI 53091

1-888-878-1107Fax 920-488-2130

http://www.widmerscheese.com

Cabot makes chipotle, sun-dried tomato basil,and five peppercorn flavors; Fiscalini Cheese Co.,Modesto, CA, makes caraway, saffron and sageflavors; Rogue makes jalapeño, smoked Spanishpaprika and rosemary flavors; and Yancey’s Fancy,Corfu, NY, makes habañero, horseradish and pep-padew flavors.

Cross-merchandise this category with bever-ages such as wine, beer, tea, and cider, and suggestaccompaniments that pair with the flavor source.

“Flavored cheddars give variety when doing acheeseboard, hors d’oeuvres, and cheese trays


2006

19

DeliBUSINESS


Cheddar Color

Annato, a natural vegetable dye, isused to color cheese. “Technical-ly annato does not change the

flavor. However, for many, color translatesto a flavor characteristic, which we thinkisn’t really there,” says Jed Davis, market-ing director for Cabot Creamery in Mont-pelier, VT.

Color was introduced to make cheeseappearance more interesting and to avoidconfusion, according to Joe Widmer,third-generation cheesemaker, Widmer’sCheese Cellars, Theresa, WI. “We use theannato color for the majority of our Ched-dars. We also make a small amount ofwhite for customers who prefer the color-less cheese.”

Black Diamond Brand takes the oppo-site approach: “Though aged Cheddar istraditionally white, about 10 percent ofBlack Diamond’s Cheddar is producedwith annato coloring because of a regionalpreference in the market,” according toLinda Hook, vice president of marketingfor DCI Cheese Company, based in Rich-field, WI.

Tillamook County Creamery Associa-tion (TCCA), Tillamook, OR, producesboth orange and white Cheddar. “While inthe past it was true that East Coastersappeared to prefer white Cheddar, con-sumers now seem to be interested in try-ing new cheese regardless of color. Peopleare looking more at flavor, texture andingredients,” says Kathy Holstad, market-ing director.

According to Ray Bair, formerly withWhole Foods Western Division and nowowner, Cheese Plus (formerly known asLeonard’s 2001), San Francisco, CA, “Gobeyond the white and the orange and getpeople to think a little more. People thinkthey know Cheddar, but when we showthem Cheddar beyond what they know,they’re amazed. They’ll say, ‘I thought Iknew about Cheddar, but this is reallygreat.’” DB

sumers, tell the story and reinforce it with signage,displays, and samples.

Flavored CheddarCheddars have long been flavored with herbs

or smoke. Today’s flavored Cheddars areenhanced with spices, herbs, vegetables, wine andbeer. Smoked varieties include oak, apple, cherry,and maple. Recommend flavored cheddars toconsumers seeking mild Cheddar.

Flavored Cheddars are booming, for example:

because they add extra tastes and visual appeal,”says Cabot’s Davis.

Nancy Fletcher, vice president of communica-tions, California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB),based in Modesto, CA, sees much experimenta-tion among the 17 California producers of Ched-dar. “Many ethnic influences in California allowus to try different flavors and that leads to experi-mentation in the flavored cheese segment.” Cali-fornia, which makes almost one-fifth of all U.S.Cheddar, produced over 538 million pounds ofCheddar in 2004. DB

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.20

2

http://www.dcicheeseco.com


2006

20

DeliBUSINESS

M E R C H A N D I S I N G R E V I E W

A ccording to the International DairyDeli Bakery Association (IDDBA),Madison, WI, chicken sales repre-

sent 11.3 percent of service deli business, andthere has been a 28 percent chicken con-sumption increase between 2001 and 2004.Young adults looking for convenience andtaste are the demographic that consumesthe most deli chicken.

“Fried and rotisserie chickens are the bestgrowing market. They have been increasingin the deli, and chicken share is going up,”says Greg Moore, director of marketing forGold Kist Inc., based in Atlanta, GA.

Rotisserie chicken has the highest con-sumption level, accounting for 46.4 percentof deli chicken sales, according to IDDBA.Although all ages buy rotisserie chicken fromthe deli department, there has been a slightincrease in purchases by the 55-64 agegroup. Flavor, convenience and healthfulnessare the attributes that attract consumers tothis type of preparation.

Fried chicken accounts for 40.5 percentof deli chicken sales, and wings account for6.5 percent. “The opportunity for sellingwings is very strong at different times of theyear. Holidays, the Super Bowl and the sum-mertime are all great money makers forretailers,” adds Moore.

1. Offer Rotisserie ChickenRotisserie chicken, also known as “barbe-

qued chicken,” is the current hot seller inthe deli department. It is either spice rubbedor pre-marinated to get a consistent taste.

Mark Markwardt, director of marketing,The Broaster Company, a manufacturer ofchicken products and foodservice equip-ment, based in Beloit, WI, says the companyhas introduced a new Broasterie chicken,which is a hybrid of the fried and rotisserie.Fresh chicken is marinated and seasoned

Five Keys To A SuccessfulChicken ProgramDeli departments can capitalize on consumers’

seemingly unquenchable desire for prepared chicken.

By Nalini Maharaj

with rotisserie flavor and then cooked in apressure fryer for 15 minutes. The companyclaims this will guarantee flavor and tender-ness in each bite. The natural flavors are pre-served and oils are sealed out, ensuring thechicken has fewer calories and less fat thanother brands of fried chicken. As with anyunbreaded chicken, it is naturally low in car-bohydrates. Broaster offers its marinades andseasonings as well as pre-marinated and pre-seasoned chickens to deli operators. Thechickens are fresh; seasoned have a shelf lifeof five to six days and pre-marinated nine to10 days because they are vacuum packed.

Broaster also offers what it calls Bro-tis-serie Chicken, which features a rotisserie-fla-vored chicken that is slowly cooked in acook-and-hold rotisserie oven to preserveflavor.

According to Eric Le Blanc, director ofmarketing for Tyson Foods Inc, Springdale,AR, “We offer a considerable variety, and wedo customization so that people can take ourproducts off the shelf and be satisfied.”

A new product Tyson introduced withthe help of Kroger Supermarkets, headquar-tered in Cincinnati, OH, is an 8-pieceunbreaded chicken that is cooked as rotis-


http://www.robbiemfg.com

serie chicken. It offers the great taste of rotis-serie combined with the convenience associ-ated with fried chicken pieces.

Tyson is also extending its boneless wingsand bone-in wings programs with severalexotic flavors, including tequila lime,ranchero, buttery buffalo and ginger soy.

Perdue Farms Inc., based in Salisbury,MD, has recently introduced La Cocina, arotisserie line aimed at Latino shoppers andconsumers who crave a spicier flavor profile,according to Andrew Seymour, vice presi-dent of marketing and sales. The chickensreceive a citrus marinade and adobo spicerub before cooking. Another Perdue offeringwith a spicier flavor profile is a raspberrychipotle combination.

2. Play Up Fried Chicken“Fried chicken has continually shown

resilience, weathering recent diet crazes andremaining a favored comfort food for con-sumers worldwide,” reports Broaster Compa-ny’s Markwardt.

The fried chicken category includes ten-ders, wings, popcorn chicken and buffalochicken. Retailers should always have a sub-stantial amount of fried chicken availableduring the dinner rush. It should be keptwarm under heat lamps at all times to ensureproduct taste and freshness.

Gold Kist, which markets a wide varietyof chicken products, offers prepared marinat-ed and breaded chicken ready to go from thefreezer to the fryer. This method allows thechicken to be fresh and quickly cooked.

Broaster specializes in fried chicken thatMarkwardt claims is more healthful thanother brands. The chicken is lower in carbs,has fewer calories and less fat than tradition-al fried chicken, he continues, noting thatBroaster’s pressure frying process allows thechicken to cook in its own natural juices.This means the chicken absorbs less oil andthe company can use a lighter coating.According to Markwardt, Broaster’s marinat-ing process drives the flavor down to thebone. With other types of fried chicken,much of the flavor is on the skin and thatrequires a heavier, less healthful coating andproduces a less tasty product beneath theouter skin.

Tyson also offers a line of fried chickenthat is marinated raw and can go directlyfrom the freezer to fryer. The chicken comesin eight pieces, so the consumer can buywhat is essentially a whole chicken with aconsistent taste. “If it’s chicken and it’s soldthrough the deli, we are in there,” accordingto Le Blanc

3. Get The Right OilsBroaster has a selection of healthful

cooking oils that are cholesterol free, natu-rally low in saturated fat and without transfatty acids. Both Bro-Oil rice bran oil andBro-oil canola oil contain antioxidants thatresist breakdown during frying, tolerate highfrying temperatures and extend fry life.

Ach Food Company, Inc., Memphis, TN,recently introduced two hydrogenated oilswith no trans fatty acids. Frymax ZT (zerotrans) Deep Frying Oil is high oleic sun-flower oil. It has a light, bland taste that doesnot take away the flavor of fried foods.Mazola ZT (zero trans) is made from cornoil and sunflower oil and has a slight taste.Ach uses a patented ultra purificationprocess that removes any unwanted impuri-ties and extends fry life up to 10 days. “Therehas been a lot of success in converting overto no trans fat oils in the in-store deli,” notesTom Bandler, national business director ofoil products.

4. Use The Proper Equipment There are many different types of equip-

ment needed to make a chicken programsuccessful.

The Broaster Pressure Fryer, used for theGenuine Broaster Chicken Program, seals innatural flavors and produces a more health-ful fried chicken, according to Markwardt.The pressure fryer is available in gas or elec-tric, and three compact models can cookseven, 14 or 22 pounds of chicken. It cancook a fresh 8-piece cut chicken in less than10 minutes, providing more food per hourand faster service than open fryers.

Only about 20 percent of cooking oil isactually absorbed in the chicken so delioperators use less oil with the pressure fryerthan with an open frying process. Mark-wardt also says the pressure fryers are engi-neered to distribute heat uniformly and useless energy for the quantity of food that iscooked per hour, which essentially saves delioperators money.

Broaster also offers cook-and-hold rotis-serie ovens that slowly seal in all natural fla-vors and juices by means of a vertical spitdesign that allows pierce-free cooking androasting of the skin rather than charring it.These state-of-the-art machines have glassdoors, a feature that appeals to many con-sumers who consider the sight and smell ofcooking chicken to be a symbol for fresh-ness, Markwardt adds.

Another important aspect of a successfulprogram is fat, oil and grease (FOG) dispos-al. MDK Enterprises, Inc., Tucson, AZ, offersthe easy and efficient Grease-O-Nator, a self-cleaning machine that removes 97 percentof waste material from wastewater lines at avery low cost. The Grease-O-Nator is thesolution to problems such as clogged drains,


Applications Include:★ Prepared Foods★ Meat Case★ Deli/Rotisserie★ Bulk Ingredients

For More Information Contact:Gregg Villarrubia (504) 731-3519

[email protected]

www.magicseasonings.com

Customers Are Hungering

for Flavor Variety!

Newest Blends:• Little Italy• Just Plain Good• New Orleans• Honey Barbecue• South of the Border• Chipotle• Salt Free• Hot & Sweet• Citrus Herb• Caribbean

CHEF PAUL PRUDHOMMEServes Up

NEW and BOLDRotisserie Flavors!

CHEF PAUL PRUDHOMMEServes Up

NEW and BOLDRotisserie Flavors!

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.20

6Deli

BUSINESSFeb./Mar.

2006

22

DeliBUSINESS


http://www.magicseasonings.com


http://www.perduedeli.com

unnecessary use of harmful and costlychemicals, cleaning costs and damage toseptic tanks, according to president ChuckMcCain. “The Grease-O-Nator is easy to fit,all costs are known and new installations areeasy. Delis need to keep their costs low, andthis machine can help with that,” he says.

A heavy-duty piece of equipment con-structed of 14 gauge, 304 stainless steal, itcan be plugged into a system with only one120v/60cy/1ph, 20 amp electrical connec-tion. The Grease-O-Nator has been found to

be virtually odorless and durable in foodhandling facilities, and it conforms to theUniversal Plumbing Code, McCain explains.

5. Display And Merchandise EffectivelyDisplay cases are important because they

are the first things a consumer sees andbecause they keep prepared foods fresh andsafe by maintaining the proper temperatureand humidity.

Broaster offers a variety of deli cases forboth floor and counter plans. They feature


2006

24

DeliBUSINESS

M E R C H A N D I S I N G R E V I E WRe

ader

Ser

vice

No.

200

Definitive Program From Perdue

Salisbury, MD-based Perdue FarmsInc. has developed a definitive deliprogram to increase sales. The pro-

gram consists of four major components.The first component is gaining an

understanding of consumer trends. Thisidea analyzes consumers in terms of age,gender, ethnicity and what attracts themas far as products, flavors and packaging.

Maximizing rotisserie and fried chick-ens in the deli is the second component.

Third is merchandising from differentangles to draw attention to products. Thiscomponent is from the POS viewpointand includes floor graphics such as easelsand stickers that should be placed in thedeli.

Last are promotions, which includetaking various types of chicken and cross-promoting them with other products tobuild the brand. Promotions and cross-selling are very effective, especially whenmaintained over time. They offer adimension that goes beyond simply sam-pling products. DB

individual timers for each pan row, allowingthe food to be held for the exact time andtemperature that is required. The companyalso offers compact heated deli cases that areperfect for tight space restrictions.

Cross-merchandising can help sell morechickens and make the department moreconsumer friendly. Time-pressed consumersrushing in for a quick lunch pick-up or acomplete evening meal respond well to one-stop shopping convenience.

Many consumers are programmed tothink complete meal. What has proved suc-cessful for the fast-food operators can alsobring in extra money to deli operators.Adding a soda, a bag of chips or french friesto any chicken meal makes it more appeal-ing, more convenient and more of a per-ceived value to the consumer.

Side dishes also are great items to cross-merchandise. Offering specials that add onmacaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes,breads or vegetable sides is a great way topromote the whole-meal concept and caterto a fast in-and-out experience.

Consistency is an absolute necessity to asuccessful deli chicken program. Consumersneed to know the meal they grab is hot, deli-cious and ready to take home. A well-run,well-maintained and well-promoted chickenprogram has the potential to increase delisales significantly. DB

http://www.broaster.com

http://www.broaster-broaster.com

I t is 6:00 PM on a sultry summer eveningand thousands of consumers acrossAmerica are asking themselves the same

question, “What will we have for dinnertonight?” Mom and dad are tired — that’sreason enough to reject the stove. The kidshave baseball or tennis or swimming (the listis endless), so dinner has to be fast, too. Datafrom the Bureau of Labor cites that bothAmerican children and parents are spendingincreased time commuting from work,school and activities. But there is a solutionat hand — a quick stop at the supermarketdeli counter to pick up dinner.

Sales of refrigerated meals and side dishesrose 46 percent between 2000 and 2005,according to Mintel International GroupLtd., a global supplier of consumer, mediaand market research whose American head-quarters are in Chicago, IL. According toMintel, a number of factors are driving salesgrowth including an increased demand forconvenience among consumers and theirequally strong desire for wholesome, home-cooked meals for themselves and their fami-lies; the growing sophistication of the Amer-ican palate, fueling innovation within thecategory; and the trend towards smallerhouseholds.

Mintel expects growth in the refrigeratedfoods market will remain strong, setting aprecedent in the perception of meal prepara-tion. Thus, any product that capitalizes onconvenience and caters to Americans’ grow-ing taste preferences will help drive this mar-ket to new heights.

Picking up a chicken or meat loaf in thedeli has already become standard consumerpractice. But what are all those families eat-ing with their main course? An ever-growingrange of interesting hot and reheatable sidedishes has replaced the ubiquitous potatosalad, macaroni salad and coleslaw.

“Sides have traditionally been stepchil-dren to deli salads,” says Wendie DiMatteo,CEO of ASK Foods Inc., Palmyra, PA, “butmore and more delis are pairing them withhot foods with great success.”

Americans are trading potato salad for


2006

25

DeliBUSINESS


Summer Side ShowWhen the weather heats up, the kitchen can stay cool.

By Liz Campbell

hot potatoes, macaroni salad for macaroniand cheese, and coleslaw for creamedspinach or green beans amandine.

These cold salads are still top sellers inthe deli, but David Hamersma, manager atThe Market Basket, an upscale market inFranklin Lake, NJ, that draws customersfrom the tri-state area (New York, NewJersey and Connecticut), is findingmore consumers are ordering hot sideslike turnips, sweet potatoes, squash androasted vegetables. “Six years ago, wedidn’t even have a hot food department.Today, it’s a whole separate section andwe cook it all from scratch,” he notes.

Quality Choices AboundMost supermarkets cannot and do

not cook from scratch. The cost oflabor, safety concerns and time issuesall legislate against the practicality of doingthis. But with so many companies producinghigh quality sides, there is little reason fordeli managers to do the work themselves.

For example, Reser’s Fine Foods, Beaver-ton, OR, makes four varieties of mashedpotatoes: its creamy premium mashed, madewith russet potatoes blended with real but-ter, is the top seller. The company also offers

both Yukon gold and redskin potatoes inthis format. “We have to fight the perceptionthat these aren’t as good as homemade. Peo-ple have said they won’t be as fluffy,” accord-ing to John McCarthy, senior retail market-ing manager, “but when we do demos and

tastings, they change their minds fast. Edu-cating the consumer is the only way to getthem to buy.”

Jeffrey Siegel, president of Chloe FoodsCorp., based in Brooklyn, NY, agrees andrecommends deli servers suggest sides whencustomers order a protein, even offeringthem a taste. “You’re trying to get someoneto stop making the product at home and buy

it pre-made,” he says. “Before they’ll spendthe five dollars to do that, they have to knowwhat they’re getting is going to be as good astheir own. There’s uncertainty. Put it in theirmouth. You have to take away that elementof uncertainty.”

Mashed potato sales appear to begrowing exponentially and with them,the sale of gravy. One way to ensurethey become firmly fixed as partnerson the dinner menu is to feature themside by side in the deli case andencourage sales with POS signage fea-turing a picture of steaming potatoesand gravy.

Mashed potatoes and gravy have ahuge advantage in that they are famil-iar. “People don’t cook themselves, sothey want something they grew upwith and they’re comfortable with,”

says Brenda Donahe, director of sales andmarketing, Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen Inc., AlbertLea, MN. “If they can find high enoughquality in the comfort foods they know, ifthey can feel it’s healthful, they can still feedit to their children and enjoy the conve-nience.”

Indeed, she adds, quality is paramount tobuilding sales because while a product might


2006

26

DeliBUSINESS


Lookingfor a complete deli selection.

© 2004 Hormel Foods. All rights reserved.

They’re


sell once, it will not sell a second time unlessthe customer’s experience is positive. Thesedays, healthful and homemade are in; addi-tives and preservatives are out, so marketingmashed potatoes and gravy as homemade-good is a huge bonus. But cutting out preser-vatives has a downside for delis.

Life Without PreservativesWhile delis have traditionally demanded

a 45-day shelf life of products they stock,many are getting the message that the short-er shelf life of products without preservativescan actually mean improved sales if theproduct is perceived as fresh and burstingwith goodness and flavor.

Pointing to success stories such as WholeFoods and Trader Joe’s, Chloe’s Siegel pointsout, “Everything they do, any supermarketdeli could do. Healthy is the buzz word today.But you have to be prepared for shrinkage.Customers are willing to pay for high qualityand good taste. Foods without preservativesdefinitely taste better.”

Companies like Chloe Foods, Mrs.Gerry’s Kitchen, ASK and others make apoint of this.

“The labeling acts mean that manufac-turers have to state exactly what’s in the

food; they can’t hide behind words like ‘fla-voring’ or ‘color’ like they used to do,” saysASK’s DiMatteo. “And the consumer is bet-ter educated. Plus, when you add preserva-tives, you get an artificial taste.”

The twice-yearly global ACNielsenOnline Consumer Opinion Survey, thelargest of its kind, polled over 21,100 respon-dents in 38 markets from Europe, Asia Pacif-ic, North America and South Africa, askingconsumers around the world how much theyunderstood food labeling, when they wouldcheck nutritional information and labeling,and what they check for as they do theirgrocery shopping. Consumers in NorthAmerica and Latin America topped the listfor most regularly checking out such items asfat, calorie and sugar levels and North Amer-ican consumers are the most label savvy.

Healthful can be a selling point forAmericans today. Two-thirds of respondentsin one Mintel consumer research surveyreported making purchasing decisions basedon whether the product has the rightamount of fat, vitamins and minerals, sugar,and calories. In addition, the success ofstores like Whole Foods indicates that beingpreservative-free is a big plus for parents whowant to serve their children food as close to

homemade as possible. They want real pota-toes, real vegetables, real cheese, etc., and donot want that food to contain anything thatmight later prove harmful.

More Than Just Mashed PotatoesMoms always made their kids eat their

veggies, and most American families still feelthat vegetables should be served with dinner.But washing spinach, broccoli or cauliflowerand then cooking it is time-consuming. So itis not surprising that vegetable sides havebegun to grow in popularity.

Creamed spinach and string beansamandine are the two most popular veg-etable dishes in Market Basket’s hot counter,according to Hamersma. The top sellers forNestlé Foodservice, NA, Glendale, CA,include green bean casserole and broccoli augratin. ASK’s creamy country-style corn,creamed spinach and Szechwan green beansare all popular deli choices. It is interestingto note that these dishes all offer a flavorprofile that surpasses simply steamed vegeta-bles. And they require rather more effort forcustomers to prepare from scratch, whichexplains why they are more likely to be pur-chased ready-made.

More complicated vegetables to cut and


2006

27

DeliBUSINESS


You both want HORMEL® Deli Foods.When it comes to delis, one size never fits all. That’s why we offeroperators a full range of products and programs to choose from.

HORMEL® Authentic Deli…from products to POS to taste, no other branded deli programs even come close to ours.

HORMEL® Prepared Foods…what’s hot in restaurant producttrends is what’s hot – and cold – in your service deli.

HORMEL® Quick Picks…a complete line of prepackaged itemsspecifically designed for grab-and-go convenience.

When they’re looking for selection, when you’re looking for a solution, look to HORMEL® DeliFoods. Because, when HORMEL® productsare in your deli, success is in your future.

I’m Lookingfor a complete deli solution.

Togetherwe make it

happen.™

prepare like butternut squash and acornsquash are also slowly growing in popularity.A new ASK product, mashed cauliflower, ismaking inroads in the deli market. It lookslike mashed potatoes but has a much moreappealing calorie and carb profile. Identify-ing its nutritional value is one way to attractcustomers. “Adding nutritional tags to theproduct can help to sell it,” says DiMatteo.“It tastes really good. I’ve even convinced my10-year-old to try it, and he loves it. But cus-tomers have to recognize it in the deli casebefore they’ll try it.”

An alternative starch that is makinginroads is rice, whether white or wild. Whiterice casseroles withvegetables have beenaround the deli for awhile, as has Chi-nese-style fried rice.But a new productthese days is wild rice.Wild rice has theadvantage of appear-ing upscale as well asenjoying a healthfulnutritional profile.

Chuck Mollen-berg, sales managerfor Ramy Wild RiceCo. in Mankato, MN,suggests wild rice isan excellent way fordelis to present a diversified and upscaleimage. “Wild rice is a natural product and it’seasy for a deli to prepare — we suggest a slowcooker with some onions, mushrooms orwater chestnuts. It triples or quadruples involume,” he says. “It’s easy to sell both coldand hot and actually improves in flavor onreheating in the microwave.”

For the diner who wants to be a little dif-ferent or avant garde, wild rice is certainly anoption. And there are many consumers wholike to think of themselves as willing toexperiment with new flavors. On the otherhand, most Americans are not yet ready fordishes that are too out-of-the-box.

“Our research shows that consumerswant both,” says Kathy Lenkov, communica-tions manager for Nestlé. “They want to fallback on reliable standards like mac andcheese but they’re willing to try new flavors— especially if they’re offered them in thecontext of a whole meal.”

“Consumers think they want to be avantgarde but when it comes to the point, theywant comfort food,” says Donahe of Mrs.Gerry’s Kitchen. “On the other hand, theylike to think they’re being avant garde —they want traditional with a twist.” Forexample, traditional mashed potatoes fla-vored with garlic or cheddar create a new

spin on an old product.ASK offers Yukon Gold ‘smashed’ pota-

toes. Its macaroni and cheese is a three-cheese version with rotini pasta. “People aretrying to upscale some traditional items andcreate a little more added value to the prod-uct,” says DiMatteo. “On the other hand, theproduct isn’t too risky a purchase and theycan have some confidence in what they’rebuying.”

Confidence is paramount when it comesto encourage consumers to make that firstpurchase of a product. “The differencebetween buying our green bean amandine orour corn casserole in the deli case, as

opposed to buyingsomething in thefrozen food section, isthat the customer cansee what they’re get-ting instead of just apicture of it,” saysJimmy Daskaleas (akaJimmy D), vice-presi-dent of product devel-opment for Walker’sFood Products Co. inNorth Kansas City,MO. “There’s a com-fort level if they cansee what they get.”

And, adds JimmyD, a former chef, delis

need something more than mashed potatoesto attract the customer. “They need a culi-nary perspective. They have to emulate whatrestaurants do and show off great sides thatlook chef-prepared. If it looks good andfreshly prepared, they’ll buy them.” Compa-nies like Walker’s specialize in providingchef-style sides with flair that the retailer canheat and serve. “Our motto is: ‘almostanonymous since 1947’. We make others lookgood,” he laughs

Looking good is what deli sales are allabout. Having a wide range of sides, attrac-tively displayed in the deli can build bothimage and profitability. “Your customers arebusy and you’re helping them with a solution— a whole meal instead of just an entrée,”says Lenkov. “And you’re selling more prod-ucts so your profits are improved.”

Pleasingly arranged hot and cold coun-ters makes the deli more of a destination andcertainly, hot dishes in the deli have theadded perception of being freshly made,another factor that could drive sales.

“Some retailers are doing a great job interms of visual display,” says ASK’s DiMatteo.“Committing to full service and creatingappealing displays with nicely decoratedbowls enables customers to easily visualizethemselves serving the dish.” DB


2006

28

DeliBUSINESS


There are manyconsumers who like tothink of themselves aswilling to experimentwith new flavors. Onthe other hand, mostAmericans are not yetready for dishes thatare too out-of-the-box.

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.21

7

BAKED POTATO CASSEROLERETAIL PACK / GRAB & GO

Heat And Serve

Skin on Russet potatoes mixed with sourcream, real bacon, a three-cheese blendand secret seasonings. A wonderful hot

side dish for any occasion.

CALL OR EMAIL FOR SAMPLES

James "Jimmy D" Daskaleas

(816) 472 8121 x15mailto:[email protected]

www.walkersfoodproducts.com

COUNTRY CLUB CUISINE

Deli BUSINESS won’t take a huge biteout of your marketing budget, and you’llget a healthy return on your investment.

GGeett yyoouurr sshhaarreeooff tthhee bbuussiinnneessss!!

P.O. Box 810217 • Boca Raton, FL 33481PPhhoonnee:: ((556611)) 999944--11111188

FFaaxx:: ((556611)) 999944--11661100EE--mmaaii ll ::

DDeell iiBBuuss iinneessss@@pphhooeenniixxmmeeddiiaanneett .. ccoomm


http://www.walkersfoodproducts.com



2006

29

DeliBUSINESS

R otisserie chicken is the dominantprepared food in supermarket andchain store deli departments. So, it

is logical to move from rotisserie as a single-product sale to a category of products, there-by better utilizing the rotisserie itself, addingmore theater to the department, new prod-ucts and additional sales.

“Rotisserie is showing continued upwardgrowth, driven by new products. Rotisseriechicken has graduated to a category includ-ing chicken, ham, brisket, ribs and turkeybreasts,” according to Joe Sarkis, vice presi-dent of sales for Manda Fine Meats, locatedin Baton Rouge, LA.

The growth of new rotisserie productshas been hampered by a number of factors,including lack of reasonable shelf life andprice. Chicken has always had the advan-tages of being a lower price protein, having ashelf life under the heat of at least twohours, and being close to universally liked. Inaddition, cooking a rotisserie chicken is easyto teach and execute at store level.

The only problem with chicken is whatMark Belding, business manager of brandedpork for Farmland Foods, based in Kansas,MO, calls, “chicken fatigue. [Consumers] aretired of seeing nothing but chicken. Theyhave embraced the rotisserie-cooking process

and are looking for something more.”“We wanted something different,” says

Peter Jazwinski, president of Polean Foods, adistributor and importer of Canadian hams,located in East Norwich, NY, about his per-sonal buying habits. Polean is a family-ownedcompany, and both Jazwinski and his wifework in the business. At least once a week,she would pick up a rotisserie chicken fromthe supermarket.

“I got tired of chicken being the onlyoption and I developed the recipe for a freshrotisserie ham that can be handled as easilyas a rotisserie chicken, at a similar pricepoint, gross profit margin and shrink level,”he explains.

Rotisserie GrowthDeli chicken sales, according to the

International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association(IDDBA), headquartered in Madison, WI,represent 11.3 percent of service deli depart-ment sales, with a 28 percent increasebetween 2001 and 2004. Of that amount,rotisserie chicken sales account for 46.4 per-cent, making rotisserie chicken the domi-nant player. [Please see Five Keys To A Suc-cessful Chicken Program, beginning on page20.]

Rotisserie chicken has been extraordinar-

ily successful because of a number of quali-ties. Chicken is the lowest priced proteinwhen compared to beef, pork and seafood;rotisserie chicken returns an excellent grossprofit margin with low shrink; the retailprice is about the same or less than the priceof a meal at a fast-food restaurant; chicken isvery popular and viewed as healthful; and,perhaps most important, it is a program thatcan be executed at store level with littletraining and outstanding results.

The projected success of rotisserie ham isdue to its similar performance characteris-tics. According to Jazwinski, “My guess is a25 percent increase in unit sales — based onour test results. Over the summer months,Fairway Market in New York City averaged18 whole units a day.”

Field-testing by Farmland Foods resultedin similar results, according to Belding. Farm-land tests showed that rotisserie hams wereabout 10 to 25 percent of total rotisserie salesand retailers should see a 25 percent increaseover rotisserie chicken.

Both Farmland and Polean are marketinga raw pork product that is cooked in therotisserie and has similar characteristics.

Retail PerformanceBoth Farmland’s and Polean’s hams are

Hams Increasing Rotisserie ProfitsRotisserie cooking is moving toward

being a category rather than a single sale.

By Darby Brindamore

D E L I M E A T

shipped raw to the retailer. The net weight ofthe cooked ham is about two pounds withcooking shrink of about 10 percent. The fin-ished product gives customers a 100 percentyield. There is no waste to the consumer —no bone, no extra fat, no skin.

The cooked ham can be sold as a singleunit or cut in two. When cut in half, theamount of meat is similar to a rotisseriechicken and the shelf life on the warmingtable is four to five hours.

Polean’s Jazwinski notes that with a retailprice point of $5.99 a pound, the gross profitis over 50 percent, again similar to a rotisseriechicken, and the shrink is minimal due tothe long shelf life.

Other possible selling opportunitiesinclude selling the ham next to the refriger-ated rotisserie chickens for reheating athome, using the fresh hot hams forlunchtime sandwich programs or sellingsliced-to-order hot dinners to go.

Cooking directions mirror, once again,rotisserie chicken. The ham needs to becooked to an internal temperature of 165°Fahrenheit and takes about one and 11⁄2hours on the rotisserie. According to Jazwin-ski, the ham also cooks well in a convectionoven and the cook times are the same.

“This is an excellent product with thetexture of a homemade fresh ham roast withunique flavors, including Provincial FineHerb, Country Cuisine and New EnglandMaple. There are no fillers or emulsifiers, andour hams have no growth hormones andzero trans fats,” he continues.

There are, however, alternatives to a rawproduct. Manda Fine Meats is marketing afully cooked rotisserie ham. The small 2- to21⁄2-pound hams arrive at the retailer fullycooked and ready to put on the rotisserie.There are advantages to the fully cookedham, according to Sarkis, including thecooking time and shrink. “The fully-cookedhams take only about 15 minutes to heat in arotisserie and have less than a 5 percentshrink.”

Sarkis recommends basting the productwith a pineapple-honey or brown sugarglaze; however, each geographical market hasits own flavor profile that retailers can capi-talize on. He also notes that the ham can beserved whole or half. A retail of $4.99 to$5.99 a pound returns a 50 to 60 percentgross profit margin.

“The rotisserie category is poised for con-tinued upward growth, driven by new prod-ucts and [consumer] demand. There is someinevitable cannibalization, but not much,”says Sarkis about adding rotisserie hams tothe category. “The hams really do not takeaway from any other product. The presenta-tion is great.” DB


2006

30

DeliBUSINESS

F E A T U R E

Polean Foods, Inc.1043 Oyster Bay RoadEAST NORWICH, NEW YORK 11732

Ph: 1-866-POLEAN3Fax [email protected]

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.21

1

Manda Fine Meats is not another “Me Too” product line.Manda’s unique authentic Cajun line complements any Deli

program, not just trading business but rather producinglong lasting incremental deli sales!

Authentic CajunDeli Meats by:

✔ Cajun Roast Beef✔ Cajun Turkey Breast

✔ Cajun Smoked Ham✔ Cajun Smoked Sausage

For more information please contact:

MANDA FINE MEATSP.O. Box 3374 • Baton Rouge, LA 70821

1-800-343-2642 • Fax: 225-344-7647www.mandafinemeats.com

“Flavor Says It All”

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.20

7


http://www.poleanfoods.com

http://www.mandafinemeats.com



2006

32

DeliBUSINESS


BBQ AmericaHot Flavor, Hot TrendFor the savvy retailer, barbeque means expanded sales and profits.

By Trisha J.Wooldridge

While barbecue means differentthings to different people and spe-cific regions of the country have

different methods of preparation and use spe-cific meats, there is no doubt that the catego-ry is expanding and gaining consumers’ inter-est. For the deli department retailer, expand-ing the category is a profitable fit and tie-inwith the very popular rotisserie or “barbeque”chicken category. Understanding “true” bar-beque will help retailers capitalize on growthopportunities profitably.

Retailers looking to take advantage of bar-becue’s ever-increasing popularity must stillconsider regional flavor profiles and con-sumer tastes. The best way to maximize bar-becue sales and profitability is to learn aboutthe regional differences and what consumersexpect from them.

“When most people think barbecue, theythink of sauce, but barbecue is really theprocess by which the meat is cooked,”explains James Chambless, executive directorof business development at Sadler’s Smoke-house in Henderson, TX. The Sadler familyhas been making barbecue for four genera-tions and distributing its products nation-wide. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) defines barbecue as having no directheat, cooked over hardwood coals, and it [themeat] has to shrink 30 percent through thiscooking process.”

According to Jack Griggs, director of mar-keting for Southern Pride in Marion, IL, and aleading manufacturer of barbecue smokers,rotisseries and pits, “Genuine American bar-becue comes from the slow smoking of meatover burning wood. No matter where you’refrom or what is considered true barbecue, theslow cooking of meat over the smoke and theheat of burning wood creates a mouth-water-ing tender product that we can all agree is

‘yum, yum good.’”On the other hand, says Ken Feinberg,

senior vice president of Minneapolis, MN-based Curly’s Foods Inc., a division of JohnMorrell and a wholly owned subsidiary ofSmithfield Foods, “Smoked meat is its owncategory [within barbecue], and is taking offas well. To me, true barbeque is a smokedproduct, whether it is done by the manufac-turer or a restaurant chain. It just must besmoked.”

Once a down-home specialty, barbequehas moved uptown and is a favorite for fami-ly-style and mid-priced restaurants. Deli oper-ators can gauge local consumer preferencesby checking out local barbecue restaurants.

“Delis mirror restaurants,” explains Mau-rice Lee III, president of Smokaroma, Inc.,Boley, OK. “Barbecue restaurants havemoved from the bad side of town to theupside. Growth has been in both areas[restaurant and deli].”

Expanding barbeque into its own nichewithin the deli department is a way to createa product offering with a regional flair andgood profit margins. It is doable in main-stream markets because of manufacturers’support.

Chambless adds, “Deli is a good way tocompete with restaurants, especially for pricepoints.” Even though Sadler’s is not set upfor consumer sales, he explains, individualswill call and order a case of brisket, provinghow strong the consumer demand for barbe-cue is.

It’s All About The ProteinProtein is the center of barbecue and


2006

33

DeliBUSINESS


“Delis mirrorrestaurants. Barbecue

restaurants havemoved from the badside of town to theupside. Growth hasbeen in both areas

[restaurant and deli].”

— Maurice Lee IIISmokaroma, Inc.

sales depend on what meats are available tothe consumer. What meats do they wantand what will sell? Terry Hyer, COO, ZardaBBQ Inc., Blue Springs, MO, declares, “Ribsare king! No matter where you go, ribs aregoing to be your No.1 seller.”

On the other hand, Sadler’s Chamblessbelieves, “Across the board, it’s beef brisket.Ribs are the slowest growing because thecost is so high, especially in delis.”

Southern Pride’s Griggs believes proteinpopularity is regional. “Barbecue is as region-

alized as any food in the United States.Whether you like the vinegar-mustard-basedsauce on pork from the Carolinas, the heavyhickory smoked beef from Texas or the dryrubbed ribs from Tennessee, there are asmany sauces, rubs, meats and wood combi-nations in barbecue as there are people tolick their lips.

“All types of barbecue are growing andgaining in popularity, but your pulled porkbutt, pork ribs and beef brisket lead the wayin the hearts of true barbecue lovers,” he

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.21

6

http://southern-pride.com



2006

34

DeliBUSINESS


afford to make.Hyer agrees and sees new chicken offer-

ings that can increase sales. “Chicken is onthe growth side. Now there’s pulled chickenmoving with pulled pork. That’s big for theMidwest.”

Smokaroma’s Lee has another reason fortrumpeting chicken. It “still has a big profitmargin — it’s the least costly of the meats.”

Regardless of differences, the category ofbarbecue is hot and in demand. “There areso many options for barbecue products onthe market today that any food business

could find a product that would work in itsarea,” says Michael Dentico, executive vicepresident of La Nova Wings, based in Buffa-lo, NY.

Barbecue is a consumer-driven categorythat can positively impact the bottom line.While the variety seems daunting, if busi-nesses take a bit of time to assess their regionand look at elements that are transcendingregional boundaries, adding traditional bar-beque to the deli department is a winnerthat can only add to delis becoming a desti-nation for great food. DB

Getting Saucy

Even if “true” barbecue is defined as how the protein is prepared, many con-sumers still think of barbecue in terms of “barbecue sauce.” What is barbe-cue sauce? Well, that depends on where you are and whom you ask!

“You can get into a fistfight in the Carolinas about sauce,” laughs James Chamb-less, executive director of business development at Sadler’s Smokehouse in Hender-son, TX.

Michael Dentico, executive vice president of La Nova Wings, Buffalo, NY, illus-trates this point. Eastern North Carolina sauce is vinegar based with black pepperand chili flakes, he explains, while western North Carolina’s sauce isvinegar/ketchup based. Then there is South Carolina. “It’s the only state to havefour types of barbecue sauces: mustard, vinegar, heavy and light tomato bases.”

While barbecue fanatics duke it out over which is a better sauce for which pro-tein, there are some general regional flavors. Memphis area sauces tend to besweet, tangy and dominated by ketchup; Alabama has a white, mayonnaise-basedbarbecue sauce; and Kentucky has a black barbecue sauce based on Worcestershiresauce and vinegar, according to Dentico.

Dan Emery, vice president of Pilgrim’s Pride, Pittsburg, TX, has a different take.“Arkansas and Memphis sauces are vinegary, spicy and runny,” he claims. He alsosays Kansas and Chicago have molasses bases.

However, Ken Feinberg, senior vice president of Minneapolis, MN-based Curly’sFoods Inc., a division of John Morrell and a wholly owned subsidiary of SmithfieldFoods, describes Midwest sauces as “a mix of vinegar, sweet and smoky, like hicko-ry” and New England and the Northeast as having a lot more spice, as well as anItalian influence.

Chambless describes Colorado barbecue sauce as having a plum flavor. Barbecue sauce continues to evolve. Some of the lines between regions are blur-

ring. and flavors are migrating outside of their home regions. Additionally, new fla-vors are being introduced and growing in popularity. Emery lists some of these:“Honey is growing more popular, and so is mandarin orange. You’ve also gotJamaican jerk gaining ground, as well as an Asian fusion.”

While it is important to cater to various tastes, especially if your region is knownfor certain flavors, there is at least one style that is growing in popularity nation-wide. “Tomato and ketchup sauces are more and more popular. The big players, likeKraft, are what sell,” says Maurice Lee III, president of Smokaroma, Inc., Boley, OK.

The end result is that barbeque sauces have more variety than anything else,and variety can be added to every protein with difference sauces. Barbeque hasgone beyond the technical definition as described by the USDA into a category offoods with different meats and sauces that encompass all ethic favorites from Chi-nese barbeque sauces to Italian flavor profiles.

Exploring different sauces are an excellent way to add variety without addingadditional cooking methods, suppliers and the devil itself — shrink. DB

contends. In addition to these, the beef tri-tip is growing in popularity, especially on theWest Coast.

Don’t Forget The ChickenIn the deli department, rotisserie chicken

is one of the hottest categories around andeven though a classic rotisserie chicken spin-ning on its spit may not technically be bar-beque, it is oftentimes called “barbeque”chicken. Prepared chicken is now over 10percent of most deli department sales.

Because chicken is the most popular pre-pared food in the deli department, “bar-beque” or rotisserie chicken can be the mer-chandising draw for an expanded barbequeoffer. Rotisserie chicken has the advantage ofhaving the lowest cost of any protein and anunusually high gross profit. But, more impor-tant, the quality of the average store’s chick-en offering stands tall enough for supermar-kets to often be a consumer’s favorite spot —or a destination.

Rotisserie chicken and barbeque wings(technically another product that is not bar-beque) act as the draw for an expanded andmore inclusive prepared foods department.

“Chicken has always been a main staplein delis,” Curly’s Feinberg says. Ignoring bar-becued chicken is a risk retailers cannot

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.21

5

http://www.smokaroma.com


http://www.anchorpackaging.com


2006

36

DeliBUSINESS

P R O C U R E M E N T S T R A T E G I E S

Deli customers want food containersthat are resealable, easy to carry,microwavable, leak-free and biode-

gradable. Deli managers also want all that,but they have other needs as well, such aspackaging that takes up minimal storagespace, is cost-effective and assembles easily.

Food-packaging manufacturers are listen-ing and have recently released, or have in theworks, innovative products that will boostdeli sales and save managers both time andmoney.

It is certainly an excellent time to focuson giving deli customers additional reasonsto spend money. According to a recentreport from Information Resources, Inc.,headquartered in Chicago, IL, consumerpackaged goods sales grew by 2.5 percentwhen gasoline exceeded $2 per gallon. Asgas prices continue to increase, diners arespending less money at sit-down restaurantsand shopping more frequently for preparedfoods they can take home.

Breaking It DownRising oil prices play another role in the

future of packaging as traditional petroleum-based plastics become more expensive tomake. Coupling this expense with cus-tomers’ desires for products that are biode-gradable has resulted in a new breed of pack-aging made with products such as a corn-based resin called NatureWorks PLA, whichwas developed by Cargill Dow LLC, based inMinneapolis, MN.

A fiber in the PLA category has to besynthetic and made from polylactic acid orpolylactate that is derived from naturallyoccurring sugars. In 2002 NatureWorksreceived a Federal Trade Commission desig-nation as a new generic fiber.

NatureWorks sells the corn resin to com-panies such as Wilkinson Industries, Inc. inFt. Calhoun, NE. Joe Selzer, Wilkinson’s vicepresident of marketing and sales, says thebest part about using NatureWorks PLAsheets is that they can compete in price andapplication with petroleum containers.

“The newest thing is PLA,” he says. “Wehave a full line — a deli hinge line, salad

Packed With PromiseInnovations in deli packaging boost department sales.

By Becky Billingsley

Pho

to c

ourt

esy

of P

activ

Cor

pora

tion

bowls, cookie containers. It helps the envi-ronment, and with the price of oil [risingduring] the last year and a half, it’s thoughtto be a more stable product for the future.”

Another company that uses Nature-Works PLA is Huhtamaki, which has globalheadquarters in Finland and North Ameri-can headquarters in DeSoto, KS. CurrentlyHuhtamaki’s BioWare line of single-use colddrink cups, plates, containers and cutlery areavailable only in Europe.

Huhtamaki also makes the Chinet brandof molded fiber products. “There is arenewed emphasis on the environment,”notes Duane Cheesman, North Americanmarketing manager for paper and plasticswho is based in DeSoto, “and Chinet isprobably one of the oldest manufacturers ofmolded fiber. Just two weeks ago we got cer-tified [by the American Society for Testingand Materials] as being fully compostableand biodegradable.”

Even the inks on Chinet products arebiodegradable, Cheesman says, and the lineis made of recycled material that started outas milk cartons.

Get A Handle On ItDeli customers also want convenience, so

in February Huhtamaki launched a new linecalled Chinet Handleware. “It has a patent-ed integrated handle and comes in 8-, 16-and 32-ounce sizes,” Cheesman relates.“One lid fits all three sizes, and they can bevented or nonvented.

“They have operator and end-useradvantages. You can hang the merchandiseby the handles and free up valuable shelfspace. The deli clerk can put hot food inthem and then carry them by the handles,which eliminates spills. Customers can carryfour or five of them in one hand, which givesthe potential to sell more product, or thecustomer can use the free hand to grabother items off the shelf. It will definitelyextend sales.”

Other companies to employ handles andother beneficial features in new products areRobbie Manufacturing, Lexena, KS, and PaulWinkler Plastics Industries (PWP), Vernon,CA.

Robbie has the new Hot N HandyPouch, which is a flexible, microwave-friend-ly plastic pouch with an anti-fog film thatallows customers to see the product, accord-ing to product manager Tara Downing. Thebiggest consumer complaint Robbieaddressed when developing the pouch was


http://www.placon.com

PWP has a Chicken Roaster made ofrigid polypropylene that can also be poppedin the microwave, according to Ben Knight,senior vice president of marketing and cor-porate accounts.

“Our Chicken Roaster was designedspecifically with the deli shopper in mind,”he explains. “It features two convenient safe-ty handles, an anti-fog system to enhanceclarity and improve visual appeal, and a fullperimeter leak-resistant seal that eliminatesmessy spills.”

PWP’s new 4-inch Round Deli Contain-ers also address leakage. Marketing managerNatalie Kirschner relates, the “secure leak-resistant seal on our containers assures thatlids won’t pop off on the retailer’s shelf orwhen a consumer takes the product home.This secure closer also helps the retailer toalleviate shrink, as it keeps food productsfresh for a longer period of time.” The con-tainers are also microwavable, reusable anddishwasher-safe.

Hot StuffThe ability to do side-by-side extrusion of

polypropylene products has earned AnchorPackaging, St. Louis, MO, industry recogni-tion. It received second place in the 2004Quality and Speed for Restaurant Success

the elimination of leakage. Its researchshowed nearly 97 percent of consumers saidthey were willing to pay more for convenientand versatile packaging.

“The Hot N Handy Pouch has a built-inhandle, making it easy to pick up the prod-uct and keep hands free from heat andgrease,” Downing says. “The zipper elimi-nates surprise spills and ends the ‘trail ofgrease’ from the checkout to the table.”

The pouch maximizes the crispiness offried foods and locks in the moisture of rotis-serie meats. Clerks save time because largeitems, such as whole chickens, are easilyloaded in the pouch through a wide open-ing. Gussets make the bag stand up, and ittakes up less display space due to a “smallerfootprint” than rigid dome containers.

Hot N Handy Pouches are available in avariety of sizes and shapes, so in addition torotisserie chicken, deli managers can usethem for pork tenderloin, ribs, turkey breastsand more. Small pouches that will easily fitin car cup holder are available for single-serve portions.

Because Robbie knows freshness isimportant to customers, the pouch has a“freshness lock” that lets users know whenthe product was prepared, and the food canbe reheated right in the container.


2006

38

DeliBUSINESS


Magazine/Foodservice and Packaging Insti-tute Packaging Awards Competition for itsCulinary Classics line. The unique contain-ers have black bases and clear tops.

“The advantage (of Culinary Classicspackaging) is you can keep foods hot underheat lamps, and you can’t do that with poly-styrene,” says Mike Thaler, vice president ofmarketing. “And if customers want to takethe package home and reheat it in themicrowave, they can do that too.”

Until the new technology became avail-able, Thaler says, deli managers had tochoose between being able to see the foodclearly through the package and packagingthat could tolerate heat lamps and micro-waves. “Now they have the best of bothworlds, and they no longer have to make adecision whether to go with clarity or heatresistance.”

Anchor Packaging is soon releasing anew line of four modular packages. The linewill have only two components, but they canbe put together in such a way as to createfour different sizes that will accommodatesmall items, such as appetizers, salads anddesserts, as well as large family side dishesand entrées.

Freshness FactorDeli foods that are not freshly cooked

can still taste like they were just preparedthanks to some stunning innovations inlong-term packaging.

Until recently prosciutto di Parma, orParma ham, was available in America only inhigh-end delis that could slice the air-cureddelicacy into its signature paper-thin form.But since January 2004, genuine prosciuttodi Parma has been imported from Italy insliced form, because packaging advancesallowed the product to be shipped and havea sufficiently long shelf life to retain optimumquality.

Proper packaging can increasesales and positively impact

the bottom line.

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.21

0

www.plasticpkg.com

http://www.plasticpkg.com


http://www.inlineplastics.com

Citterio USA, based in Freeland, PA, hasexperienced huge success importing theproduct and making it available for Costcocustomers. According to Joe Petruce, Citte-rio’s national sales manager, the productwould not be available without the packag-ing, which is a resealable plastic pouch thatcomes in different sizes.

The smallest package contains just sixslices of the tender ham, which Petruce says,“is true convenience. Then it becomes animpulse product. Before you were talkingabout someone behind the counter havingto trim and slice, and perhaps wasting a slice.This way they’re getting 100 percent profit ofwhat they sell.”

Tom Kennedy, business developmentmanager for the Cryovac Sealed Air Corp.,Duncan, SC, says just a “couple extra days ofshelf life can mean a lot in additional salesand reduced returns.”

He explains that the Cryovac OxygenScavenging System can give meats an addi-tional seven to 14 days of shelf life versus tra-ditional barrier packaging. Cryovac makes aspecial multi-layer plastic film that is activat-ed to “eat oxygen” with ultraviolet light pro-duced in the Cryovac Model 4100 OxygenScavenging Initiation System.

“Toward the outside of the package, we

use an oxygen barrier that controls how fastoxygen gets back in the package,” he says.“Then there is a sealant layer, or a hermeticlayer. Between those, we put in a specialpolymer blend designed to absorb oxygen.”

When the plastic passes in front of UVlight, a “series of reactions take place thatallow the carbon to double bond, and itopens up and attaches to available oxygen,”Kennedy explains.


2006

40

DeliBUSINESS


Not only will meats, cheeses, bakedgoods and fresh pasta stay fresher longerwith the Cryovac OS System, the foods willalso be safer due to slowed microbial growth,and they will look more appetizing becausethe system also prevents foods from changingcolor.

Knowledge Is PowerPWP’s Kirschner says deli managers and

their customers are knowledgeable aboutpackaging issues, and the company under-stands their needs. “Deli customers shouldbe able to feel confident that when they buyproduct from their favorite store, it will arriveat home as fresh and secure as when theytook it from the deli counter.”

Anchor’s Thaler says he goes out to talkto deli managers to hear about their needs.“We ask what they like about packages, butif they could do anything they wanted whatwould they change? Then we take theirinput and design it into our products.” DB

Safety Sealed

Food packaged in pouches has been available for a while on grocery shelves,but PPI Industries, Sarasota, FL, has stand-up pouches with slide-close zip-pers and spouts that are microwavable and trays with unique lids. The advan-

tages of the products are immense for deli foods, according to new products manag-er Rudi Kleer.

The small pouches are ideal for packaging soups, he says, because the customercan take them home and put the container right into a microwave. The companyalso sells a tray sealer that takes up only three square feet of space and makes useof the trays for an entire microwavable meal concept called FineCuisine.

“Deli managers pack foods in the tray, then seal them with our SmartDevice Lidthat has a heat release valve. You can stick the tray right in the microwave withouthaving to empty the contents. As steam is released out of the valve it acts like apressure cooker, and it cooks evenly. It’s ideal for delis. If there are any leftoverfoods, you can turn them into meals for the next day.” DB

Your Customers Deserve a Premium Package!

A Unique Package for Merchandising Chickens and Other Products

EASY CARRY HANDLE

RECLOSABLE

ZIPPEREASY ACCESS HOLE

FOR TEMP. CHECKS

MICROWAVEABLE ANTI-FOG

FDA APPROVED

W W W . M E R I T P A P E R . C O M • M E R I T P A P E R @ A O L . C O M

A PRODUCT OF

MERIT PAPER CORPORATION

1-800-346-1560

Leak Resistant — Less Spillage Reduces Accidents & Clean-Up

Reduced Warehouse Distribution costs Reduces Space Needed to Store in Warehouse & Behind Counters

Reduced Labor & Handling Costs

Reduced Freight Costs

Free in-store testing with technical field support

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.20

5

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.20

8

http://www.meritpaper.com




http://www.iddba.org


2006

42

DeliBUSINESS

E T H N I C F O O D S

T he explosion of ethnic food awarenessamong consumers bodes well for delioperators seeking ways to differentiate

their departments. And no ethnic cuisine isgrowing faster than the large, diverse catego-ry dubbed Hispanic. The cuisines lumpedinto this category are predominately fromMexico, Central America, South Americaand the Caribbean, although there arenumerous variations within each geographicarea. The foods appeal to recent immigrants,ethnic Americans and those referred to asmainstream consumers.

Hispanic communities, in general, followa more traditional lifestyle — they love food,they love to cook and they love to spend asmuch time with their families as possible. Sothey are more likely than most of the moreacculturated ethnic groups to sit down to afamily dinner at night.

According to the International DairyDeli Bakery Association (IDDBA), Madison,WI, Hispanic consumers visit the delidepartment more than any other ethnicgroup. Deli departments have therefore wit-nessed a huge increase in demand for His-panic meats and cheeses. This high demandhas left both manufacturers and retailersstriving to keep up.

Hispanic Meats“Consumers are looking for the taste

they are accustomed to, and authenticity,especially in the meats they buy,” reportsLouis Teijeiro, president of Webeco Foods,Miami, FL.

According to Edgar Soto, vice presidentof sales and marketing for Bronx, NY-basedCibao Meat Products, a leading manufactur-er of Hispanic sausages and salamis, “TheMexican market is growing and we areexpanding with them. There is a very highdemand from New England to Puerto Rico.”

Cibao sells gourmet salamis under the

Hispanic FoodsREACHING A BROAD AUDIENCEBoth ethnic and mainstream consumers are

seeking out the intense flavors of Hispanic cuisines.

By Nalini Maharaj


2006

43

DeliBUSINESS

product and do not understand its qualityand standards. She encourages educationaldisplays and sampling to expose consumersto the its attributes, as well as decorating thedeli with Spanish flags and cross-merchan-dising with cookbooks and other productssuch as peppers and rice.

Hispanic CheesesAccording to IDDBA, Hispanic cheese is

the quickest growing item in the specialtycheese category.

“Consumers are looking for authenticity,freshness, quality, and food safety in cheeses.We manufacture to order, we test everycheese that goes through and we have aresearch team that travels the world forauthenticity,” notes Liza Etienne, assistantmarketing manager of Wisconsin CheesesGroup, Eagen, MN.

The company’s Hispanic cheese brand isEl Viajero. These cheeses made with 100 per-cent Wisconsin milk have been available forwell over a decade.

Mexican cheeses are as diverse as thoseof any European country. One of the uniquecharacteristics of several Mexican cheeses isthat although they become warm and softwhen heated, they hold their shape, unlikemost traditional cheeses.

Fresh cheeses, such as Queso Blanco,


Induveca and Salami Campesino brands.Induveca, made with pork and beefenhanced with a special smoke flavor, is theNo. 1 seller among Hispanics in the NewYork metropolitan area, according to Soto.Salami Campesino, made from beef, turkeyand pork, has been ahousehold favorite since1969.

Cibao’s newest salamiis Salami Del Pueblo,translated the “people’ssalami.” Made with chick-en, it offers quality alongwith a low price.

Cibao has also intro-duced a new line calledVer-Mex targeted to Mexi-can consumers. Salapeno Salami, the hottestflavor profile in the line, is made withjalapeño peppers, pork and beef. This spicysalami appeals to Hispanic consumersbecause of its intense flavor. Two semi-cooked sausages, longaniza and chorizo, aremade with 100 percent pork. The longanizacan be delivered to local New York retailerson the same day it is made.

Teijeiro says Webeco’s best selling deliproduct is authentic Serrano ham. Alsoknown as Jamon Serrano, this meat is theultimate necessity for Spanish meals such as

paella and various tapas dishes, which havebeen adopted by many Hispanic cuisines.These dry cured hams have a spicy taste, dis-tinct aroma and unusual purple-reddishcolor, and are available bone-in and bone-less. Serrano hams are gaining popularity;

however, only a few man-ufacturers have U.S.Department of Agricul-ture (USDA) approval toexport it to the UnitedStates.

“TV programs like theFood network and vari-ous lifestyle magazinesand store concepts likeWhole Foods and ‘new’Balducci’s have promoted

a sense of gourmet food for everyday people.People realize that specialty food is affordableand easy to consume. Regular consumersnow go to their local gourmet shops askingfor a fancy item like Jamon Serrano,” saysPaloma Hsieh, marketing manager of Redon-do Iglesias USA, based in Long Island City,NY.

Redondo Iglesias USA is one of twoimporters bringing Serrano ham into thecountry. Its Serrano hams are aged for aminimum of 12 months. Hsieh believesmany consumers are unfamiliar with the

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.20

1

Rudy’s Tortillas has been producing corn andflour tortillas since 1945. We have alwaysmade product quality and friendly customerservice our first priority.

We’ve always delivered our tortillas fresh inDallas, and now our tortillas are available freshnationwide. Ask your local distributor forRudy’s and expect the ORIGINAL.

Rudy’s now offers a full line of flavored wrapflour tortillas, and new LOW CARB wholewheat flour tortillas. Low carb tortillas are agreat sandwich bread substitute! Visit our website for details www.rudystortillas.com.

Ph: 214-634-7839Fax: 214-638-5317

www.rudystortillas.comFor more information contact:

Joe or Louis Guerra Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.21

4

http://www.rudystortillas.com

http://www.rudystortillas.com

http://www.cibaomeat.com


2006

44

DeliBUSINESS

Hispanic Cross-Merchandising Opportunity


Queso Oaxaca, a soft cheese similar to Moz-zarella; Asadero, a semi-soft traditional melt-ing cheese; Manchego, a semi-firm cheesegood for eating out of hand or melting; andCotija, a firm cheese. The most popularMexican hard cheese, Cotija is also knownas the Parmesan of Mexico.

“Overall, there has been a greaterdemand for this market; however, whatworks for one ethnic group may not work foranother. Mexican is not the same as Hispan-ic. That’s why we are providing Hispaniccommunities from Miami to Boston with fla-vors they are used to,” explains Tom Gellert,vice president of Atalanta Corporation, Eliz-abeth, NJ.

Atalanta is a multinational importer ofboth meats and cheeses from over 30 coun-tries, including Spain, Brazil, UruguayArgentina, Chile and Costa Rica for theLatin market. The company also importsauthentic Serrano hams and chorizosausages from Spain.

Atalanta is introducing red-waxed Edamballs imported from Argentina. Made fromcow’s milk, it is a semi-soft cheese availablein three pepper, Caprese and Magnasco fla-vors. The cheese will be marketed to higherincome Hispanic consumers through spe-cialty stores on the East Coast.

Atalanta will also be introducing a newline of flavored cream cheeses from CostaRica. The flavors include mango, tropicalfruit, guava and red pepper. They will bepositioned as perfect for breakfast dishes andmixed spreads. DB

Queso Fresco and Queso Enchilado, aremoist and crumbly with a mild taste. Theyare mainly used as toppings and fillings for

many popular Hispanic dishes. Queso Blan-co has the unique melting quality.

Other popular Mexican cheese include

Tortillas are essential to many Hispanic dishes. They come in manyflavors and sizes to satisfy health, taste and preference needs.

“Our product has a mixture of various functional, healthful ingre-dients for consumers,” says Brian Jacobs, vice president of Tumaro’sGourmet Tortillas, Los Angeles, CA.

Tumaro’s produces many gourmet tortillas that are fat-free, trans fat-free, cholesterol free, low sodium and kosher with a shelf life of 90 days. Itis the only company producing a flour tortilla with the endorsement of theAmerican Heart Association.

The company has partnered with Solae brand soy protein to introduceSoy-Full Heart, the first soy-fortified flatbread available nationally. Thismulti-grain line is made from oats, wheat, red wheat, rye, barley andbuckwheat and is the perfect fit for the health-conscious consumer.

Salsa is another traditional addition to Hispanic cuisine. However, salsais not used just for dipping or topping anymore, according Chuck Santry,national sales manager for California Creative Foods, Oceanside, CA. Con-sumers are cooking with salsas, adding them to casseroles and using themas cooking sauces. Consumers who come to the deli to buy ingredients toprepare meals at home may also purchase salsas, especially fresh ones, ifthey are available in the department. “There is a higher demand for betterquality and fresher products. There is a better awareness of the ingredientstatement for the Hispanic public,” he says.

Spices and seasonings are also key components for ethnic meals. Con-sumers are looking for the right blend of herbs, spices and chiles.

Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning has put together a line ofMagic Chiles that range from mild to hot to satisfy the Hispanic consumer.These powders have flavor profiles such as chipotle, New Mexico andpasilla. “The Hispanic population has grown so much that the day is com-ing when English and Spanish labels will both need to be on all products,”comments John McBride, vice president of sales for Magic Seasoning, NewOrleans, LA. The company is considering putting bi-lingual labels on itsseasonings for U.S. consumers.

And, of course, there are desserts, the part of any meal that most peo-ple save room for.

“There is a growing opportunity with desserts. Even though peoplewant to eat healthfully, they also want to indulge after meals,” relates BillStewart, vice-president of sales and marketing for LuLu’s Dessert Factory,Anaheim, CA.

Lulu’s manufactures over 50 different varieties of gourmet desserts. Itsbest-selling Hispanic dessert is a portable, ready-to-eat gelatin that isextremely popular in Mexico. Stewart encourages selling them as part of acombo with items such as sandwiches because they are a great way toboost sales. These desserts are sold in singles as well as family sizes.

Tortillas and salsa are used in many common Hispanic meals, so dis-playing them in the deli, where consumers are picking up meats, cheesesand prepared Hispanic foods, makes shopping convenient and sparks add-on purchases. By providing dessert in the same location, deli operators canexpect to generate additional rings. DB

Read

er S

ervi

ce N

o.21

2

QUESO CAMPESINO...The answer to your complete

Deli Hispanic “Queso” Program

Visit our web site: www.QuesoCampesino.comPh: 303-316-4251

http://www.QuesoCampesino.com

Asian food has found a place at theAmerican table. Chinese food hasbeen popular in the United States

for so long that most Americans no longerconsider it an ethnic cuisine. Now otheronce formerly exotic cuisines, such as Japan-ese, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian, are tempt-ing the palates of both ethnic and main-stream consumers.

Whether their introduction was throughworld travel, niche restaurants or the ubiqui-tous Food TV, consumers who have triedthese delicious foods are clamoring for theability to enjoy them at home at a reason-able price.

“We just can’t keep up with the demandsthese days. Our main focus is in the West;however, there is tremendous growth in theNortheast,” reports Mark Phelps, vice presi-dent of InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises,LLC, Kent,WA.

According to Phelps, in the past yearAsian foods have become the most popularethnic cuisine, and it is the second fastestgrowing market behind Mexican foods.

To meet the demands of these con-sumers, InnovAsian plans on expanding itsserving hot case and grab-and-go selectionsby adding more variety to its menu. At thepresent, InnovAsian specializes in Chineseand Japanese foods but it is expanding intothe Thai repertoire.

“The growth of Asian foods has beenrather substantial and dramatic over the pastfive years. Consumers are realizing that it isbetter for their health and wellness,” saysAlan Hoover, president of Kahiki Foods,Gahanna, OH.

Kahiki has expanded into the grab-and-go section with the addition of Asian inMinutes. The line includes four entrées, with


2006

45

DeliBUSINESS


Asian FoodsNo Longer Niche ItemsOnce considered exotic,

these flavorful cuisines are

now a major consumer draw.

By Nalini Maharaj

meat and rice separated so they do not mix.Among the line’s appetizers are pot stickersand egg rolls.

Kahiki recently introduced Asian inMinutes branded party platters, which aremarketed as a holiday and get-together solu-tion. They include mini-vegetable egg rolls,coconut curry chicken samosas, lemon-grass

chicken sticks and chipotle-lime chicken potstickers.

All are packaged fresh and aimed toappeal to the time-constrained consumer.

Chinese And Japanese Reign SupremeIn the hot foods case, according to

Phelps, “Chinese food is by far the biggest

seller and the most popular food among theAsian cuisines because it is the most wellknown — but Thai is growing.”

Fried rice is the best-selling Chinese dish,he continues, because consumers do notknow how to prepare it properly themselves.He says they frequently choose it over lomein because it is easier to scoop a specificamount of rice than a specific amount ofnoodles.

Japanese foods have grown in popularityand are now the second best sellers amongAsian cuisines. Americans have grown tolove Japanese food — sushi in particular. It isan easy meal that fits in to almost any diet,

so sushi-to-go is a draw for busy consumerslooking to pick up a quick lunch or dinner.

Banzai Sushi/Entrees Inc., headquarteredin Seattle, WA, is one of the largest produc-er/distributors of sushi products across theUnited States. According to president Hen-derson Mar, “There is a very good demandfor sushi right now. Supermarkets arerequesting it more and more for their delisthese days. I feel that consumers are lookingfor convenience, quality and natural foodproducts.”

Banzai distributes fresh sushi to localbusinesses in the Northwest on a regularbasis. For the rest of the country, product is

sent frozen with a shelf life ofup to six months.

These 100 percent allnatural sushi productscome in frozen bulk or

individual trays that makeit easy for deli departments

to monitor how much theyneed daily. All the deli atten-

dant has to do is remove aportion, thaw it out at night

and add condiments and label-ing before putting it on sale the

next day. These products can bemerchandised as a freshly processed

product.“The recent low-carb craze affect-

ed business greatly; however, it is slow-ly coming back now. It was very inter-

esting to watch this product move from atrendy fad to an actual mainstream staple

product,” adds Mar.The most popular types of sushi distrib-

uted by Banzai are the omnipresent Califor-nia rolls plus cream cheese and smokedsockeye salmon rolls. Banzai also has aunique tea and dessert roll — cream cheese,apples, and cranberries surrounded by sweet-ened rice rolled in cinnamon.

Competition may soon be coming fromthe frozen food department. Banzai is intro-ducing its Banzai Frozen Retail Pieces, whichare pre-made sushi that can be stored inconsumer freezers for up to six months.These pieces of sushi come 12 in a bag andcan be defrosted in the microwave for after-school snacks or light meals.

Mar encourages marketing these items inthe deli department if there is a frozen caseavailable.

What Consumers Are Looking ForConsumers are looking for bold, spicy

and exotic flavors to satisfy their taste buds.Among the most popular Asian sauce flavorsto American taste buds are chile sauces, soysauces and fruity sauces such as sweet andsour or those that are lemon or orangebased.

According to the ACNielsen reportAsian sauces rose 2.4 percent and totaled$184 million in sales for the 26-week periodfrom July to December 2005.

InnovAsian has added two new sauces toits line. Since Thai is one of the flavor pro-files showing good growth potential, it isintroducing Thai Peanut Sauce designed toenhance both cold noodle salads and hotentrées, especially those featuring chickenand vegetables. The other sauce is PekingSweet and Sour Sauce with barbecue flavor,which plays into the barbecue craze as wellas the Asian.

Lee Kum Kee, City of Industry, CA,manufactures over 200 Asian products. Ithas been producing Chinese-style saucessince 1888 and offers a variety of ready-madeand one-step sauces. The company is intro-ducing a foodservice line of New Foil SaucePacks in classic flavors including MongolianBeef, Mandarin Orange Chicken, BroccoliBeef, Mu Shu Sauce, Chinese ChickenSalad and Kung Pao Chicken.

Consumers are looking for taste, conve-nience and quality. One way for the delidepartment to offer all three is to present acombination meal — as many Asian restau-rants do.

Since consumers are already used to get-ting soup, egg roll, entrée and rice when theydo ethnic take-out, the deli department thatpositions itself as a lower cost alternativewithout sacrificing taste or quality is sure toring up additional sales. DB


2006

46

DeliBUSINESS


Chain Restaurant Competition

Two of the major Asian restaurant chains are Scottsdale, AZ-based P.F.Chang’s China Bistro, which is located in most states, and Chicago IL-basedStir Crazy, which has a presence in six states.

Although certainly not white tablecloth, P.F. Chang’s is more upscale than theaverage Chinese restaurant and has over 50 outlets. It specializes in Chinese cuisinewith a specialty menu of appetizers, soups and salads, entrees and desserts. Itserves all the Chinese favorites such as lettuce wraps, a variety of lo meins, KungPao Chicken and Mongolian Beef.

Stir Crazy, on the other hand, offers a mixture of Thai, Chinese, Japanese andVietnamese foods. The actual kitchen is a part of the dining area so guests areentertained by watching the chefs prepare their meals. Stir Crazy allows consumerseither to create their own stir-fry meal from its Asian Market Bar or to pick a tradi-tional entrée.

The Asian Market Bar contains 20 different vegetables, sauces, noodles and rice,plus a choice of meat. Sauces include classic Chinese, Thai curry, sweet and sour,and spicy basil, to name just a few.

With only a few locations east of the Mississippi, Stir Crazy is bound to startexpanding as the Asian demand keeps growing.

Visiting either of these chains — or any popular local Asian restaurant — canhelp deli operators size up the competition and allow them to offer meal alternativesthat turn the deli into an ethnic Asian destination for hungry consumers. DB


http://www.innovasiancuisine.com


2006

48

DeliBUSINESS

M A R K E T I N G P E R S P E C T I V E

Consumer appetites for cheese are maturing. Ameri-cans craving more robust flavors are leaving thesanctuary of traditional cheese varieties, such as mild

Cheddar and Swiss, to dabble in more artisanal or specialtystyle cheeses, such as aged Cheddar and Gruyère.

What has sparked thischange? The simple answeris an increased number andavailability of cheese vari-eties. But that would be toosimple. Several cultural fac-tors are influencing us.Americans are well trav-eled, experiencing first-hand the pleasures of Euro-pean-style eating. Back athome, we have a greatappreciation for all things culinary (except, possibly, cook-ing). High-profile TV cooking shows and a nationwide pro-liferation of exceptional eateries acquaint consumers with awide variety of gastronomic delights. Cheese courses havebecome de rigueur at today’s upscale, white tablecloth

restaurants, providing an introduction to distinc-tive cheeses with appealing, stand-alone flavors.

Retailers can build on this trend by helpingshoppers replicate the cheese course experience athome. A diverse collection of quality cheeses anda well-executed cheese education program,including sampling, cheese course ideas and sug-gestions for complementary cheese, food and bev-erage pairings, can boost sales opportunities.

Cheese courses generally fall into three cate-gories: traditional, flight and vertical. A traditionalcheese course captures cheeses with diverse tex-tures and flavors. A cheese flight centers on a sin-

gular theme, such as a season or place of origin. A verticalcheese flight showcases a single cheese variety and high-lights the cheese at different ages or moisture/taste levels.

No hard and fast rules apply to cheese course composi-tions, but here are some ideas how to combine several differ-ent varieties, all of which are made in Wisconsin.

A vertical flight of Cheddar would explore the taste andtexture differences increasingly aged cheeses develop, includ-ing 1-, 3-, 5-year, 7- and 10-year aged Cheddars.

An Italian-Style cheese flight might feature fresh Moz-zarella, Pepato, aged Provolone and Gorgonzola.

A winter cheese course can include full-flavor cheeses,such as an aged Brick, full-bodied Parmesan, buttery Havartiand Gruyère.

Spring Cheese Course would highlight lighter cheeses,such as a marinated fresh Mozzarella, Gouda and Emmen-taler Swiss.

A successful pairing should enhance the taste and tex-

ture of both the cheese and its accompaniments, but notoverpower with fragrance or flavor.

Hearty multi-grain breads and crackers pair well withstronger cheese flavors, such as aged Cheddar, while mild-tasting white breads match best with more delicate cheeses,

such as Gouda.As a general rule, fruits

with low acidity, such aspears, make the best cheeseaccompaniments. Popularfruit and cheese pairingsinclude Parmesan withpears, Cheddar with applesand Blue cheese with figs.

Vegetables can enhancea cheese’s flavor and textureby adding contrast. A crisp,

crunchy vegetable, such as celery, is a nice complement tosoft cheeses such as Brie. Fresh vegetables, such as greenbeans, fennel and radishes are excellent vegetable pairingchoices. Pickled and marinated vegetables, such as arti-chokes, are options for full-bodied cheese varieties like anaged Provolone but can overwhelm milder cheeses.

The fat and oil in nuts marry well with hard cheeses.Good combinations include toasted walnuts with agedCheddar or Parmesan and toasted almonds with Spanish-style varieties.

Sweet flavors provide balance. Chutneys, honey andother sweet spreads complement acidic, dry, salty cheesessuch as Parmesan or Blue cheese.

Wine is an ideal partner for many foods because of itsacidity. Foods and drinks with high levels of acidity makethe mouth water, helping augment the flavor of food. In theend, it boils down to pure old-fashioned chemistry. Wineshave high levels of tannin, an astringent-like substance thatmellows over time allowing the wine to develop complex fla-vors. Protein packed foods, such as cheese, smooth out theflavor of tannin. Consumed together, wine and cheese bringout the best in each other.

In general, sweet white wines tend to have an affinity foralmost all cheeses, and fruity-styled wines, whether red orwhite, go well with most. Red wines are more challenging tomatch. They pair best with full-flavored cheeses, but a sweetred dessert wine, such as a Port, can complement almost allfull-flavored cheese varieties.

Because wine and cheese go so well together, beer isoften overlooked. But when it comes to beer and cheese,beer pairings hardly ever stumble. Specialty cheese and craftbeer are natural partners. Both are made from fermentedliquids infused with special yeasts or cultures. A bitter paleale will harmonize with a piquant aged Cheddar and alicorice-flavored Belgian-style beer will play off the rich tasteof a full-bodied aged Gruyère. DB

MarilynWilkinsonDirector ofNational ProductCommunications

Wisconsin MilkMarketing Board

Complementing TheConsumer Cheese PalateByMarilynWilkinson

Cheese courses have become derigueur at today’s upscale, white

tablecloth restaurants, providing anintroduction to distinctive cheeses

with appealing, stand-alone flavors.

Bacteria-Killing Water Replaces Chemical CleanersMarch 1, 2006Ahmed ElAmin

A U.S. company has made inroads bring-ing its electrolyzed water technology to mar-ket as a replacement for chemical cleaners.

EAU Technologies [Linden, UT], whichprovides what it calls “green chemistry’’ tothe food processing, agriculture and con-sumer products industries, said it hasreceived its first order for its Perfect EssentialOxygen products, from Elken Sdn Bhd, aMalaysian direct marketing company. Elkenwill use the stabilized oxygen technology fora range of dietary supplements.

EAU said its electrolyzed oxidative watertechnology can replace many traditionalmethods in the processing sector now used toclean, disinfect, hydrate and moisturize foodsThe non-toxic water cuts down on existingbacteria, virus and mold proliferation.

The water eliminates pathogens in pro-cessing plants by treating not only surfacecontamination without toxicity but also theplant and animal foods directly.

EAU has been testing the water produc-tion technology with companies such asTyson Foods, Whole Foods Market, SuperSaver and Water Sciences.

At the acidity levels EAU employs, testingresults demonstrate zero toxicity throughoutevery application. “Green chemistry” is thedesign and convergence of traditional chemi-cal processes and procedures with new envi-ronmentally friendly technologies in anattempt to reduce or eliminate the use andgeneration of hazardous substances. EAU ispetitioning the Food and Drug Administra-tion for approval to use its disinfecting prod-ucts along the entire food chain process forfruits and vegetables.

The company manufactures generatorsfor water electrolysis. The generators use acombination of cell technology, salt andelectricity to alter the molecular structure ofwater, creating a non-toxic oxidized antimi-crobial solution capable of killing manypathogens in less than a minute.

The stabilized electrolyzed water is non-toxic, inexpensive to produce, and can beused in multiple applications due to its vari-ous inherent sanitizing characteristics, thecompany claims. EAU sells or leases the gen-erators to companies.

The high oxidation of the water firstdamages bacteria cell walls, allowing infiltra-tion by water. The microbe reaches capacity,causing an osmotic, or hydration, overload.The acidic fluid and water floods the cell

MartinMitchell,technical

director of theRefrigerated FoodsAssociation (RFA)and managingdirector of Certified Laboratoriescompiles TechNews.

The information has been com-plied from press releases, news arti-cles and government announce-ments and policy clarifications. Addi-tional information may be obtainedby contacting RFA by phone at 770-452-0660 or online at www.refrigeratedfoods.org.


2006

49

DeliBUSINESSTechNews

faster than the cell can expel it, literallycausing the cell to burst.

Standard toxic chemicals can createstrains of pathogens that become resistantover time, because the cell can expel or neu-tralize the chemical before it can kill it,thereby causing the overall efficacy of chem-ical cleaners and disinfectants to be signifi-cantly reduced.

FSIS Food Labeling Fact Sheet Food Product DatingFor full Fact Sheet on Food Product Dating visithttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Prod-uct_Dating/index.asp

“Sell by Feb 14” is a type of informationyou might find on a meat or poultry product.Are dates required on food products? Does itmean the product will be unsafe to use afterthat date? Here is some background informa-tion that answers these and other questionsabout product dating.

What is Dating?“Open Dating” (use of a calendar date as

opposed to a code) on a food product is adate stamped on a product’s package to helpthe store determine how long to display theproduct for sale. It can also help the purchas-er to know the time limit to purchase or usethe product at its best quality. It is not asafety date.

Is Dating Required by Federal Law?Except for infant formula and some baby

food, product dating is not required by feder-al regulations. However, if a calendar date isused, it must express both the month andday of the month (and the year, in the caseof shelf-stable and frozen products). If a cal-endar date is shown, immediately adjacent tothe date must be a phrase explaining themeaning of that date such as “sell by” or “usebefore.”

There is no uniform or universally accept-ed system used for food dating in the UnitedStates. Although dating of some foods isrequired by more than 20 states, there areareas of the country where much of the foodsupply has some type of open date and otherareas where almost no food is dated.

Organic Food: Buying More Safety Or JustPeace Of Mind?Feb. 3, 2006Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition,via myaccenture.comMagkos, Faidon; Arvaniti, Fotini; Zampelas,Antonis

Consumer concern over the quality andsafety of conventional food has intensified inrecent years, and primarily drives the increas-

ing demand for organically grown food,which is perceived as healthier and safer.Relevant scientific evidence, however, isscarce, while anecdotal reports abound.Although there is an urgent need for infor-mation related to health benefits and/or haz-ards of food products of both origins, gener-alized conclusions remain tentative in theabsence of adequate comparative data.Organic fruits and vegetables can be expect-ed to contain fewer agrochemical residuesthan conventionally grown alternatives; yet,the significance of this difference is ques-tionable, inasmuch as actual levels of conta-mination in both types of food are generallywell below acceptable limits. Also, someleafy, root, and tuber organic vegetablesappear to have lower nitrate content com-pared with conventional ones, but whetheror not dietary nitrate indeed constitutes athreat to human health is a matter of debate.On the other hand, no differences can beidentified for environmental contaminants(e.g. cadmium and other heavy metals),which are likely to be present in food fromboth origins. With respect to other food haz-ards, such as endogenous plant toxins, bio-logical pesticides and pathogenic microor-ganisms, available evidence is extremely lim-ited preventing generalized statements. Also,results for mycotoxin contamination in cerealcrops are variable and inconclusive; hence,no clear picture emerges. It is difficult, there-fore, to weigh the risks, but what should bemade clear is that ‘organic’ does not auto-matically equal ‘safe’. Additional studies inthis area of research are warranted. At ourpresent state of knowledge, other factorsrather than safety aspects seem to speak infavor of organic food.

The complete document can be viewed at:http://myac.yellowbrix.com/pages/myac/Story.nsp?story_id=88906682=myac=Chemi-cals%3AAgricultural DB

http://www.refrigeratedfoods.org

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Prod-uct_Dating/index.asp

http://myac.yellowbrix.com/pages/myac/Stor

GENERAL POLICIESAdvertisers and advertising agencies agree and accept responsibility for all statements and product claims made in their advertisements for themselves or their organizations. The publisher is not responsible,

nor does he necessarily agree with any of the opinions or statements expressed in such advertisements. Advertisers and advertising agencies agree to accept responsibility for all content of such advertisements,and agree to assume liability involving any claims arising from such advertising that are made against the publisher. Advertiser and advertising agencies agree to indemnify the publisher and to hold him harm-less and to defend him from any such claim or claims, and to be responsible for the payment of any expenses or legal fees incurred by the publisher associated with such legal action or claims. The publisherreserves the right to accept or reject advertising that he believes does not meet the publication’s standards. Advertising appearing in editorial format may or may not be accepted by the publisher, and if pub-lished will be properly labeled "advertisement." Publisher is not liable for non-delivery or delays, caused by any federal or state agency or association, or by fire, flood, riot, explosion, strike, embargo, either legalor illegal, material or labor shortage, transportation or work interruption or slowdown, or any condition or act of God affecting delivery and beyond the control of the publisher.

I n 1919, a group of 94 local farmers joined together to purchase the villagecreamery, and in so doing they started the company today known asCabot Creamery, Montpelier, VT.Operating under the name Rosedale, they started producing butter from

their excess milk. In 1930, they hired the first cheesemaker and added ched-dar cheese to the product line. A few decades later, the farmers dropped theRosedale brand and started marketing high-quality cheeses and butter underthe Cabot brand. This picture, taken in 1954, shows the state of cheesemak-ing a half-century ago.

Cabot cheddar cheese won first place in 1989 at the U.S. ChampionshipCheese Contest in Green Bay,WI. In 1992, Cabot’s farmer-owners combinedwith the farm families of Agri-mark, a southern New England co-op formedin 1918, to create a major dairy cooperative. Today, Cabot Creamery is a lead-ing producer of high quality dairy products and is well known for its natu-rally aged cheddar.

CCC OO MM PPAA NN YY PPAA GG EE ## RR EE AA DD EE RR ## CC AATT EE GG OO RRRYY PP HH OO NN EE FFAA XXAnchor Packaging ..................................................................35 ......................................224................................Packaging..............................................800-467-3900 ..................................314-822-2035BelGioioso Cheese, Inc...............................................................7 ......................................124................................Cheese ..................................................877-863-2123 ..................................920-863-8791The Broaster Company ............................................................24 ......................................200................................Chicken Program ..................................608-365-0193 ..................................608-365-5158Cibao Meat Products................................................................43 ......................................201................................Hispanic Deli Meats ................................718-993-5072 ..................................718-993-5638DCI Cheese Company ..............................................................19 ......................................202................................Cheese ..................................................800-782-0741 ..................................920-387-2194George E. DeLallo Co...............................................................52 ......................................107................................Olives ....................................................800-433-9100 ..................................724-523-0981Great Lakes Cheeses ..............................................................17 ......................................203................................Cheese ..................................................800-677-7181 ..................................940-834-1002Hormel Foods Corporation..................................................26-27 ......................................204................................Deli Meats ............................................800-523-4635 ..................................612-931-9372IDDBA ....................................................................................41 ......................................111................................Trade Association ..................................608-238-7908 ..................................608-238-6330Inline Plastics Corp. ................................................................39 ......................................222................................Packaging..............................................800-826-5567 ..................................203-924-0370Innovasian..............................................................................47 ......................................537................................Asian Food ............................................425-251-3706 ..................................425-251-1565Legend Packaging Group ........................................................40 ......................................205................................Packaging..............................................678-614-4489 ..................................614-664-0009Magic Seasoning ....................................................................22 ......................................206................................Seasoning Blends ..................................504-731-3519 ..................................504-731-3576Manda Fine Meats ..................................................................30 ......................................207................................Deli Meats ............................................800-343-2642 ..................................225-344-7647Merit Paper Corporation ..........................................................40 ......................................208................................Packaging..............................................800-346-1560 ..................................631-454-9170Mills, Inc. ................................................................................15 ......................................171................................Fresh Produce ........................................831-757-3061 ..................................831-424-9475Norseland, Inc.........................................................................12 ......................................209................................Cheese ..................................................203-324-5620 ..................................203-325-3189Perdue Farms, Incorporated ....................................................23 ......................................528................................Rotisserie Chicken ..................................800-992-7042 ..................................410-543-3500Pilgrims Pride ..........................................................................2 ......................................221................................Poultry ..................................................800-321-1470 ..................................214-920-2396Placon ....................................................................................37 ......................................220................................Packaging..............................................800-541-1535 ..................................608-271-3162Plastic Packaging Corp. ..........................................................38 ......................................210................................Packaging..............................................800-342-2011 ..................................413-731-5952Polean Foods, Inc. ..................................................................30 ......................................211................................Ham......................................................866-POLEAN3 ....................................516-922-1429Queso Campesino....................................................................44 ......................................212................................Hispanic Cheese ....................................303-316-4251 ..................................303-316-4249Redondo Iglesias USA..............................................................51 ......................................223................................Ham From Spain....................................718-729-2763 ..................................718-937-3250Robbie Manufacturing ............................................................21 ......................................554................................Packaging - Prepared Chicken ................800-255-6328 ..................................913-492-1543Rose Packing Co., Inc. ............................................................31 ......................................219................................Deli Meats ............................................800-323-7363 ..................................847-381-9424Rubschlager Baking Corporation..............................................13 ......................................213................................Bakery ..................................................773-826-1245 ..................................773-826-6619Rudy’s Tortillas........................................................................43 ......................................214................................Tortillas..................................................214-634-7839 ..................................214-638-5317Smokaroma, Inc. ....................................................................34 ......................................215................................Equipment ............................................800-331-5565 ..................................918-667-3935Southern Pride........................................................................33 ......................................216................................Equipment ............................................800-851-8180 ..................................618-993-5960Unilever Bestfoods Foodservice..................................................9 ......................................525................................Condiments............................................800-272-1217Walker’s Food Products Co.......................................................28 ......................................217................................Side Dishes ............................................816-472-8121 ..................................816-421-7273Widmer’s Cheese Cellar ..........................................................18 ......................................218................................Cheese ..................................................888-878-1107 ..................................920-488-2130


2006

50

DeliBUSINESS Blast

Blast From The Past is a regular feature of DELI BUSINESS. We welcome submissions of your old photos, labels or advertisements along with a brief description of the photo. Please send material to: Editor, DELI BUSINESS, P.O. Box 810217,Boca Raton, FL 33481-0217 or for more information contact us at (561)994-1118

from the Past

Receive supplier information fast using the DELI BUSINESS Information ShowcaseBy Phone • By Fax • By the Reader Service Cards in each issue of DELI BUSINESS.

Here’s How: 1) On the reader service cards between pages 10-11 and 42-43, just circle the numbers that correspond to theads and Information Showcase listings 2) Mail or fax the reader service card today or phone the supplier of your choice directly.


http://www.redondoiglesias.com



http://www.delallo.com

Documents

Deli Bussines Magazine06feb[1]