Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/769179
YUMMY SQUISHY FRESH All natural marshmallows and s'mores kits marshmallows www.threetarts.com For more information please contact erika@threetarts.com Nicole Potenza Denis is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine. the Kansas City Royals. Dulan says examples of coconut snacks that are both healthful and functional include, Matt's Munchies Banana Coconut Fruit Snack, Bare Organic Toasted Organic Coconut Chips, and SimplyFuel Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Protein Balls with whey and probiotics. At Good Earth, Kapsch says Boulder Canyon potato chips fried in coconut oil are "so popular they are hard to keep on the shelves," while at Rainbow Grocery, granola with coconut—like Stone Age Kitchen Paleo granola that is made with coconut oil—are best sellers. "Coconut occupies a huge space in the snack category," observes Nielsen. "Companies are using the superfood to their advantage and calling out its usages on packaging. This can only help sales." 4. A Flavor Catalyst for Sales While coconut penetrates categories across the specialty food board, it also helps turn profits, retailers say. "Anything coconut definitely has staying power and if there's coconut in it, it sells. And it's given a boost to the chocolate and yogurt category for sure," says Meg Cononica, grocery buyer at South Royalton Market in South Royalton, Vermont. Cononica adds that it's not just people with dietary issues seek- ing out coconut. "Many customers just like the f lavor, she says. On the innovation front, coconut ash—the charred and pro- cessed remains of the coconut shell—has become a detox fad and hot ingredient in juices. It is also appearing in both chocolate, made popular by Vosges Chocolate in Chicago, and ice cream at New York City's Morgenstern's, as a recent summer staple that temporarily turned your mouth black. "We are in the storm of the coconut craze," notes Rainbow's Co-op's Knowles, "and can expect to see big sales with coconut palm sugar and coconut f lour in the future. But, whether or not there is enough supply to meet the demand, is another conversation." "Coconut occupies a huge space in the snack category. Companies are using the superfood to their advantage and calling out its usages on packaging. This can only help sales." WINTER 2017 87