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news ON OUR RADAR RW Garcia, the family-owned-and-operated leading maker of artisan corn-based snacks, has announced that Kai Mitchell has joined the growing company as the Director of Sales. In her new role, Mitchell will be responsible for sales team leadership, driving revenue, and will also contribute to marketing and business strategy. "I am thrilled to join the RW Garcia family as they look to further expand their very successful business," Mitchell says, who brings to her new position more than two decades of experience as a buyer in the grocery category. "It is a special family and a special company. Their commitment to creating delicious and healthy snacks in a sustainable, thoughtful way is inspiring." Based out of the San Jose, CA, corporate office, Mitchell will be primarily responsible for developing sales strategies aimed at increasing product distribution in new markets, while further building awareness and consumer availability of the RW Garcia brand. Sprocket Bar and Restaurant, located inside Whole Foods Market's store at The District in Henderson, NV, is starting 2016 with a new seasonal menu. From green chile braised short ribs and a porchetta sandwich to cauliflower nachos and roasted beet dip, the menu includes expanded vegan and vegetarian dishes like a citrus and avocado salad, grilled vegetable tamale and a roasted mushroom flatbread featuring nut-based Kite Hill chive artisanal spread. Beer and wine: * 24 beers on tap, featuring local, limited release and seasonal selections * Local brews from Joseph James, Tenaya Creek, Bangar Brewing, Big Dogs and CraftHouse * Wines in a range of price points, featuring $5-a-glass wines from local Pahrump Valley Winery * Refillable craft beer growlers Sprocket offers daily specials and a happy hour Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m., with wine, beer and food for $7 or less. The restaurant and bar will host special events and programs, including wine and beer pairings, live music and family-friendly activities. All menu items meet Whole Foods Market's strict quality standards 8 * FEBRUARY 2016 * instore and contain no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners, and no partially hydrogenated fats or oils. Label Insight, a cloud-based product data engine, announced today the launch of SmartSPEC™, a first-to-market solution that helps grocery brands generate and maintain the product data required to participate in SmartLabel™, a transparency initiative led by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI). The goal of SmartLabel is to provide consumers with easy, instant access to detailed information about the grocery products they buy. Brands participating in SmartLabel are required to create a landing page for each product that features 52 required attributes, such as nutrients and allergens, and up to 197 voluntary attributes like "no GMO" and "no artificial preservatives." Consumers can access these pages by scanning QR codes on product packaging, visiting www. smartlabel.org or searching a brand's website. "Consumers are demanding more transparency from the brands they use and consume," says Label Insight CEO and Co-Founder Anton Xavier. "Brands participating in SmartLabel have the opportunity to establish themselves as leaders in transparency and build consumer trust and loyalty. But many brands are unsure of where and how to start. Label Insight solves this challenge with an end-to-end solution that spans data generation and maintenance to landing page creation." To learn more, visit www.labelinsight.com. Safeway announced it has acquired the former Fresh & Easy store in Willow Glen Village Shopping Center at 1489 Bird Avenue in San Jose. The 23,200 square-foot vacant building will transform into a brand new Safeway, with construction beginning this spring and grand opening slated for summer 2016. This will be one of four new stores set to open in Northern California in 2016 ranging from 23,000 to 75,000 square feet. The other grand openings include: Fairmont Shopping Center, Pacifica; The Orchards, Walnut Creek and The Shops at the Ridge, Oakland. Safeway offers thousands of local items throughout the store. These products are marked with a "Local" tag on the shelf so they are easy to find. The company has partnered with local produce growers like Driscoll's and Cal-Organic Farms and carries lots of selection across the entire store including local favorites like Clover Stornetta Dairy Farms from Petaluma and free range Rocky Chicken from Sonoma County. http://www.smartlabel.org http://www.labelinsight.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - February 2016

instore - February 2016
Editor's Note - Prepared Foods
Table of Contents
News - On Our Radar
Product Spotlight - Cakes
Product Knowledge - Belly up to the bar
Merchandising - Breakfast to go
Commissary Insider - Insight Insider
Food Safety - Foolproof Your HACCP Plan
Equipment - Either Way You Slice It
Product Category Spotlight - Score with Salads
Packaging - Future Solutions
Operations and Logistics - Communication and Service
Retail Foodservice - Winning the foodservice dollar
Specialty Insights - Healthy Italian meats
Equipment & Packaging - Fresh and warm
Product Trends - First to market
Product Showcase
Ad Index

instore - February 2016