Editor's Choice: Aunt Sally's Pralines

While walking the All-Candy Expo last week, a familiar logo greeted me. Just the sight of Aunt Sally’s Pralines,(www.auntsallys.com) brought back fond memories of my several trips to New Orleans. There were an assortment of pralines set out for tasting, but at that point I had already over-sampled—an occupational hazard at the show. The gentleman at the booth offered us several samples to enjoy later. Among them, I was especially intrigued with the Café Au Lait praline, a fitting name since the Aunt Sally’s Shop is located just down the street from the famous Café Du Monde.

On Saturday, having not had mounds of sweets for several days, I tasted my special find. The first thing you notice as you unwrap the wrapper is the inviting scent—sweet and homey. And then you take the first bite and get that great creamy, fresh taste. This is followed by the chewy crunch of the pecans. It’s like a Mardi Gras for your taste buds. And with the holiday buying season coming, I could see it as a great stocking stuffer. All in all, a great treat from down South. I can’t wait to taste the other flavors.

-Barbara

Tradeshow Health Safety

With all of the recent news from the Center for Disease Control regarding the Swine Flu (H1N1), it's important to remember some basic common sense rules for protecting our health as we head into a busy tradeshow season.

The CDC recommends taking the following precautions for staying healthy and preventing sickness of any kind (not just the super-publicized H1N1). These tips are especially important in situations such as trade shows,when shaking hands and speaking in close proximity with a lot of people is the norm:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Avi Frier, a marketing professional from Presto Tradeshow who works tradeshows for a living, offers some more show-specific tips for exhibitors:

• Bins of promotional items: Visitors touch multiple objects when reaching into a bin. Instead, spread items on a table and clean the table regularly; or hand items to attendees one at a time.
• Candy bowls: Even more dangerous than bins, since candy goes right into the mouth. If you MUST distribute candy, it should be individually wrapped and handled like promotional items. Let food service professionals handle other food.
• Shaking hands: Don’t drop your handshake! Psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow, speaking on FOX news, said he’s concerned about the negative effects of eliminating the handshake. "We need human touch and genuine communication more than ever right now," Ablow said. So shake hands—but wash up afterward before touching your face or eating.
• Hands-on demos & experiential activities: Touch-screen gadgets, video games, golf clubs, pool cues, etc. must now be cleaned after each use. Some exhibitors have eliminated them altogether.

Now, eliminating food samples at your booth altogether in the gourmet industry probably isn't a good idea, but as with any show, be vigilant with your food handlers. Keep disinfectant wipes or hand sanitizer handy in your booth and make sure you are taking care of yourself. Tradeshows can be really hard on the body (especially if you're filling your evenings with networking events or dinners with clients) and can make for some very long days. It may be a good idea to up the ante with vitamin C or by using a product like Echinacea or Airborne to boost your immune system. Make sure you get a good night's rest (which, I know, can be difficult if you're out of town, staying in an unfamiliar bed in a hotel), and are eating well (which can also be difficult at a food show -- I never stop for lunch, for example, but sustain myself on not-necessarily-nutritious samples throughout the day. Dips, chocolate and coffee do not make a healthful lunch!).

What are some of your staying-healthy strategies when you attend or exhibit at trade shows? We'd love to hear them!

May Top Shelf Advice

In light of this month's All Candy Expo, we wanted to know what's your best-selling candy or confection? (Check out the comments link below to see what our retailers said, and feel free to chime in!)

Pistachios - Salmonella Update

Reposted, verbatim, from a announcement made by the National Confectioners Association:

Earlier this week, Setton Pistachio announced that it is expanding its recall to include all lots of roasted in-shell pistachios, roasted shelled pistachios, and raw shelled pistachios from the 2008 crop (unless they are subsequently roasted prior to retail sale). Here is a link to the press release of the expanded recall: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/setton204_09.html

This comes in response to FDA finding Salmonella bacteria in "critical areas" of the Setton plant in California, as well as practices that could have resulted in cross-contamination between raw and roasted product.

FDA is advising industry not to sell or serve any pistachios or pistachio-containing products until they can determine their source. If the source is Setton, the products are subject to the recall.

If a confectioner can confirm that its pistachios were not supplied by Setton, it may wish to request listing on www.pistachiorecall.org. This website, sponsored by CAL-PURE and the Western Pistachio Association, lists firms that informed the sponsors that their products do not contain pistachios from Setton. FDA has a link to this website on its own website, but FDA states that it has not verified the information on the website. FDA's webpage on the recall can be found at: http://www.fda.gov/pistachios/.

While FDA initially advised consumers to avoid pistachio products altogether, the agency is now advising the public not to eat pistachio products unless they can determine that products do not contain nuts from Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc.

Peanut Butter-Salmonella Update

As you may be aware, a growing number of peanut butter manufacturers are recalling their products in connection with a salmonella outbreak. What follows is an update from the National Confectioners Association regarding candies and confections containing peanut butter. (Reproduced verbatim.)
-Stephanie

Confectionery Industry Reacts to Recent Salmonella Outbreak in Peanut Butter Containing Products
Provides Consumers Convenient Chart to Help Identify Products Free of Contamination

Vienna, VA – In response to an investigation into a recent outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to peanut butter and peanut paste, the National Confectioners Association has developed a table for consumers to check the status of their favorite confectionery products. The contamination has been linked to the Peanut Corporation of America whose products are sold and used within a variety of industries. While some confectionery manufacturers, especially makers of health and nutrition bars, do purchase from the source, the majority of peanut, peanut butter and peanut paste containing candies are safe for consumption at this time.

The FDA is keeping a comprehensive list of the products recalled that are not safe for consumption on its Web site, while NCA’s table lists products containing peanut butter that are safe to eat. More than 90 percent of commercially available candy products using peanut butter as an ingredient are free from contamination.

“The manufacture of products that are safe and wholesome is the number one concern of every confectionery company,” said NCA President Larry Graham. “On the very rare occasions that ingredients become a health concern on any level, the industry reacts quickly and in the best interests of its consumers. In this instance, we have worked closely with officials at the Food and Drug Administration to understand the problem, have disseminated information to thousands of manufacturers and retailers and are working to keep consumers up-to-date on the safety of a variety of candy products.”

Graham added the chart available on its Web site will be continually updated until the issue is contained.

NCA also encourages consumers with questions about specific products to contact the manufacturer directly. “Our members welcome calls from consumers who have questions about the safety of their products,” said Graham. “As always, if there is a concern over the safety of any food product and an answer cannot be ascertained in an expedient manner, the recommended course of action is not to consume the product.”

The National Confectioners Association’s table of candy products safe for consumption can be found on its Web site at http://www.candyusa.org/Media/Hot/PeanutButter.asp. The latest information from the FDA about this important food safety matter is found at http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html#consumers.

About the National Confectioners Association (NCA):
Founded in 1884 in Chicago by representatives of 69 confectionery manufacturing firms, the National Confectioners Association is one of the oldest, most respected trade associations in the world. Today NCA has more than 600 members and is the major association representing the entire confectionery industry, offering education and leadership in manufacturing, technical research, public relations, retailing practices, government relations and statistical analyses. NCA fosters industry growth by advancing and promoting the interests of the confectionery industry, its customers and its consumers.

For Immediate Release: January 22, 2009
Contact: Susan Smith, susan.smith@CandyUSA.com, (703) 790-5750