Retailers Look to Imported Foods

CAROL ANGRISANI

NEW YORK — Imported foods and beverages are doing so well at H.E. Butt Grocery Co. that the retailer plans to test its first international foods aisle.

A 72-foot aisle is slated to launch next month in an Austin, Texas, H-E-B store, according to its international food buyer, Frances Shay.

The pilot comes in response to growing demand for international foods, which are showing double-digit growth at H-E-B, Shay told SN at the Fancy Food Show here last week.

Shay attributes much of the strong performance to the fact that people are traveling more, and when they return home, they want to enjoy food from places they visited.

Despite challenges posed by the weak U.S. dollar, Shay said H-E-B is determined to tap into global food trends.

“The world is getting smaller,” she stressed.

That was evident in the increased number of international booths at the Fancy Food Show.

Specialties from Argentina, for instance, accounted for 30 booths, while African items were featured at 27.

Suppliers of foods from Singapore, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Australia and Greece also significantly increased exhibit space, according to the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, which organized the show.

Other retailers interviewed on the show floor voiced interest in food from abroad.

Dee Brunetti, a category manager at A&P, Montvale, N.J., told SN she was on the lookout for specialty cakes, particularly panettone from Chile and Brazil.

H-E-B's Shay, meanwhile, searched for truly unique products — including specialty soup and cooking sauces.

“I don't need another olive oil or balsamic vinegar,” she said.

Shay also wanted foods that fit in with the Mediterranean diet, which recommends making olive oil the primary source of dietary fat; food from plant sources; low to moderate consumption of fish and poultry weekly; and low to moderate amounts of cheese and yogurt daily. It also supports moderate wine consumption.

“Mediterranean food is healthy and fits with American taste profiles,” she said. “It's food we're all familiar with.”

Mediterranean foods were the subject of a show seminar hosted by Boston-based think tank Oldways, which introduced the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid in 1993.

During the seminar, Oldways officials announced the launch of the “Med Mark,” a new packaging symbol that helps shoppers identify foods that are found in the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

To be eligible, foods cannot have more than 8% of total calories from saturated fat, or more than 480 milligrams of sodium for individual foods and 4 grams of added sugar. Products also cannot contain any added trans fats.

The Med Mark is currently featured on the Lucini brand of Italian olive oil and sauces.

The introduction of the Med Mark follows Oldways' 2005 launch of the Whole Grains stamp, which now appears on about 1,500 products.

In other specialty food news, Central Market in Dallas; Fairway Market, New York; and Dorothy Lane Market, Dayton, Ohio, were three of six Outstanding Specialty Food Retailers of 2007 named this year by NASFT. The three others were Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine, Chicago; Sickles Market, Little Silver, N.J.; and Liberty Heights Fresh, Salt Lake City.

NASFT supplier members voted for the winners, who were judged on customer service, product selection, and staff and consumer education.