Scandinavian Company, Simpli, Releases Oat Based Products in the U.S.

The newly launched Simpli brand is bringing a new line of natural, GMO-free oat-based products to the US from Scandinavia. The first two products are OatShakes (an oat-based beverage) and Gluten-Free Instant Apricot Oatmeal. Simpli’s Gluten Free Instant Apricot Oatmeal combines the world’s most flavorful whole grain oats and delicately dried apricots into a tummy-warming breakfast treat. Low in fat, with zero cholesterol, additives or preservatives it deliciously adds much-needed fiber to gluten-free diets. Inspected prior to planting, the seedlings are also inspected by hand twice in the growing season to prevent contamination by other grains. The mature oats are then sustainably harvested, dried, stored, transported and cleaned, shelled and thinly rolled in carefully cleaned and inspected facilities, insuring that they are free of exposure to other grains. Because Finland’s growing season is short, its oats are more intensely flavored than any others. What’s more exciting is their line of Simpli OatShakes – an oat-based beverage that’s dairy and GMO-free. Perfect for in between meals, kids’ lunch boxes and on-the-go snacking.

The idea for Simpli started in 2008, when US émigrés and Simpli co-founders Helena Lumme and Mika Manninen were visiting their native Finland and tasted their first oat-based smoothie. They realized Finland’s intensely flavored oats were the perfect foundation for a line of products and Simpli was born. Helena and Mika have supervised every aspect of Simpli’s development from the clever package design to production.

Editor’s Choice: BetterOats

A couple weeks ago, the Fancy Food editors received the coolest package we’ve seen in a while. BetterOats (www.betteroats.com) sent us a large, suitcase-like box that contained a taste-testing kit for its oatmeal, which is made with 100-percent whole-grain oats, flax seeds and other natural ingredients such as real fruit.

The kit included everything — and I mean everything: bowls, spoons and varieties of the company’s oatmeal to compare with the included sample pack of the competition’s product. Also inside the kit were tiny jars containing the ingredients featured in BetterOats’ Oat Revolution Apples & Cinnamon oatmeal and the competition’s Apples & Cinnamon oatmeal. The kit encouraged us to see, touch, taste and smell the difference in each of the ingredients, and honestly, we picked up on them right away. Compared side by side, the dried apple pieces in BetterOats’ oatmeal were visibly larger and more “apple-y” smelling. The oats were full and not pulverized into a powdery resemblance of oats. And perhaps most astonishing were the jars comparing the amount of flax seed in each oatmeal: BetterOats’ jar was full, and the competition’s was empty.

Consider conducting this type of mini taste test in your store — it’s an interactive way to get your customers to notice the differences in the quality products you carry as opposed to those at the big-box stores.

-Ashley