Media 2017 Winter Fancy Food Show: Moscone Convention Center (North and South), San Francisco, CA, January 22 to 24, 2017 38

2017 Winter Fancy Food Show: Moscone Convention Center (North and South), San Francisco, CA, January 22 to 24, 2017 38 /media/flashcomm?action=mediaview&context=normal&id=6499
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA (January 22 to 24, 2017): The annual Winter Fancy Food Show once again opened its door at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, CA from Jan. 22 to 24, 2017 to exhibitors, trade and members of the press corp. Some fast facts in the US Specialty Food Sales include over  $US120 billion in sales in 2015. About 15% of retail food sales come specialty foods and in the last five years, this percentage have risen by at least 20% across the board. Top categories of specialty food include cheese and alternatives, frozen meat and seafood, Chips and snacks, Coffee amd Cocoa, Candy, Frozen Lunch and Dinner, Yogurt and Frozen Entrees and Meals. The fastes growing categories include: refrigerated read to drink coffee and tea, Eggs, Jerky and Meat snacks, Refrigerated Pasta and Bottled Water (which exceeded Soda growth in the last 2 years). Top emerging specialty cuisines include: Latin, Mediterranean, Greek, Spanish, Thai and Philippines. Finally, the top 5 specialty foods consumers buy are: Cheese, Ice Cream, Chocolate, Coffee and Oils/Vinegars. At the WFFS 2017, the Specialty Food Association honored the winners of the Fifth Annual Leadership Awards. The SFA had three (3) categories honored and winners announced in a reception on Sunday, January 22, 2017. The three categories were: Citizenship (for improving lives of people and communities), Vision (for pioneering new approaches and innovation) and finally, Business Leadership (for advancing best practices in the food industry). The two (2) winners for each category in 2017 were: CITIZENSHIP (Mr. Mark Tilsen, North American Natural Foods and Mr. Ken Lee, Lotus Foods), VISION (Mr. Albert Straus, Straus Family Creamery and Ms.Norah Eddy and Ms. Laura Johnson, Salty Girl Seafood) and finally BUSINESS LEADERSHIP ( Mr. James Faison, Milton's Local and Mr. Mike Brady, Greyston Bakery and Greyston Foundation). Like previous WFFS, the Moscone Convention Center was divided into two parts: International section and Domestic section. Highlights of the International section include Wagyu Beef from Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture, Iberico Pork from Spain (Aljomar), Berkshire Pork from North America and new introductions to the specialty market for 2017 include: Apple and Mineral Water drinks from Gerolsteiner (Germany) and Kouign-Amann from Le Chef Patisserie (France). Lastly, in the the international section, the increasing booth size and presence of Philippine Foods was evident in 2017. Ranging Philippine food products from traditional breakfast and lunch to local fruits consisted the exhibits. In the domestic section, wine preservation systems for a few weeks included argon spray in both large and travel size bottles as well as ready to drink coffee and tea products which have experienced the largest growth in recent years. (All texts and photographs by Rene Zamora, Reporter/Photographer, Newsmexx TV, Henderson, Nevada  USA).

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