Want a vegetarian egg for your brunch menu? Look no further than JUST Egg, which is made from mung beans. It’s plant-based, protein-packed (5 grams per serving), free of cholesterol, contains less saturated fat, and its ingredients require less water and emit fewer carbon emissions than conventional chicken eggs. Crafted by a team of Michelin-starred chefs, JUST Egg is growing its footprint as more restaurants—and consumers—opt for plant-based foods. Available in liquid format or as a frozen patty for foodservice. ju.st/en-us
The Perfect Purée’s new Red Jalapeño Purée is a bold and savory combination of mature jalapeños puréed with rice vinegar. Also launched this year is the Peach Ginger Purée, which combines flavor notes of yellow peaches, ginger, and citrus. From the Perfect Purée of Napa Valley, these will add depth to many recipes. perfectpuree.com
Beyond next-generation veggie burgers, another meaty alternative could soon take the spotlight. From Mount Franklin Foods, It’s Nature Walnut Crumbles boasts a carnivorous texture and umami in two pre-seasoned flavors: chorizo and Italian. The crumbles are walnut-based and thus full of protein and heart-healthy fats. mountfranklinfoods.com
French company Maille’s Dijon Originale and Old Style are now available in Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Squeeze Bottles made from 99 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. Both flavors feature the same signature recipes, but in an easier-to-dispense carrier that’s also easier on the environment. us.maille.com
Putting fruit on the menu has never been so easy. DOLE Chef-Ready Frozen Fruit Purées simply need to be thawed before use in desserts, salads, sauces, and a plethora of other items. Available in blackberry, mango, peach, and strawberry, the purées come in 30-ounce tubs. dolefoodservice.com
Like the wheel, it can be difficult to reinvent a staple food. While Jones Dairy hasn’t reinvented bacon per se, it has upped the ante on quality thanks to a multi-step, time-intensive process. “Jones Dry Aged & Naturally Smoked Bacon not only tastes delicious, but the large, half-inch-thick slices are the perfect canvas for fun flavor combinations,” says Tom Anderson, owner of comfort food eatery Buck & Honey’s in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
Using a center cut of pork belly, the bacon is cured in a family-crafted brine and then smoked over hickory wood for up to 12 hours. The preparation continues with a custom dry-aging process that can take weeks.
At a time when the flexitarian movement is on the rise, Bush’s Best Blended Burger hits it out of the park. A simple mix of ingredients (beef, Bush’s Best Great Northern Beans, mushrooms, and salt) makes a 4-ounce patty in which 40 percent of the beef content is replaced with hearty veggies. “We’ve seen a trend in our fans seeking healthier alternatives at the ballpark, and this fits the bill perfectly,” says Chris Franklin, director of food and beverage for the Tennessee Smokies. bushbeans.com
Show your take-out and delivery customers some love with McCain SureCrisp Fries. Sporting a long-holding clear coat for lasting crisp and crunch, these fries stay crispy for as long as 20 minutes on the plate and up to 30 minutes when delivered. “I was getting customer complaints because of soggy fries. After trying SureCrisp and experiencing their hold time, I switched to McCain on the spot,” says Al Laudencia, owner of Big Al’s BBQ in Des Moines, Iowa. mccainusafoodservice.com
You served baby broccoli and baby spinach and now, adding to the nursery: baby cauliflower. Mann Packaging Co. has launched Caulilini Baby Cauliflower. This Asian-style vegetable has long, sweet, edible stems and blond, open florets and can be used in entrées, sides, and crudité platters. The product comes washed and ready to eat; the tender stalk turns bright green when cooked. veggiesmadeeasy.com
Baking just got easier. General Mills Foodservice’s new Pillsbury Preformed, Ready-to-Bake Pie Shells are now available, exclusively through Sysco. The new 9-inch pie shells require less filling than the 10-inch shells, yet offer the same number of slices—helping operators bake a more profitable pie. With a light, neutral flavor, the fluted crusts allow operators to make sweet or savory pies. pillsbury.com
According to consumer insights firm Mintel, chorizo sausage increased its menu prevalence 37 percent between 2015 and 2018. Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage Chorizo Patties are blazing forward with the trend in a fully cooked format, making it easy for restaurants to work the ingredient into their existing lineup. jimmydean.com
Saputo Cheese’s new Stella Fontinella Rubbed Wedges are carefully hand-rubbed to create four unique flavors: basil pesto, harissa, Bourbonista, and black pepper. Fontinella cheese is known for its delicately smooth and creamy taste with a hint of sharpness. saputo.com
Tyson Precision Cooked Chicken capitalizes on three trends: It is made using the popular sous vide style; it adds no antibiotics; and as an already cooked product, it reduces food-safety risks. The new line is available in portioned breast, thigh fillet, and ready-to-pull thigh. tysonfoods.com
According to a 2018 report by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and Datassential, goat cheese appears on nearly a quarter of all operator menus, marking a 14 percent increase since 2014. To help restaurants embrace the trend, Emmi Roth has added Roth Chèvre to its lineup. The earthy, fresh goat cheese is available in plain and seasonal flavors, such as honey, peppercorn, garlic-herb, rolled cranberry, and wild blueberry. rothcheese.com
Plain, old vanilla and chocolate just won’t cut it these days, but 10 new PreGel Variegates easily spice up dessert menus. The flavors include Flakes Choco Black Arabeschi (dark chocolate enriched by a subtle crunch of wafers); Pineapple Arabeschi (the tropical notes of pineapple in a rich sauce containing fruit pieces); Magic Topping (a smooth topping enhanced with sparkly glitter and a fruity flavor); and CrumbOlé Cookie Butter. pregelamerica.com
