Gastros can customise outlets to incorporate the new offering, keeping food warm until 95°C on four different temperature levels, without heating the surface itself, as long as it contains no magnetic material. “We can build the induction device underneath and we can use any material — wood, glass, stone, marble, granite, for example,” Stumpf added.
Emirati firm United Foods Company (UFC) introduced new products under its flagship brand Aseel at Gulfood. The company launched Aseel Trans Fat Free Ghee to offer consumers a healthier option and Aseel Tahina to expand into the Arabic traditional food category. The first was been released in two variants; one made with canola oil and the other with sunflower oil. Aseel Tahina is made from sesame seeds and is packaged after 35 stages of processing, including refining, filtering, peeling, washing, roasting and grinding without additives.
UFC CEO Fethi Khiari reported that the company has more than 70% volume market share in the UAE. Khiari said: “We have introduced Aseel Trans Fat Free Ghee after rigorous R&D to change the perception of consumers about ghee and address their health issues. We are confident of re-staging Aseel to new heights with the launch of these new products.”
Another product making its regional debu via Gulfood that will appeal to health conscious consumers was Popchips, a snack product from the US. Caterer Middle East spoke to Mohammed Hussein, commercial planning executive, GEMCO to find out more.
“This is the first time it’s been introduced in the region and two weeks prior to Gulfood, GEMCO was appointed distributor to the UAE. We say the product has all the taste and half the fat; it’s not deep fried — it’s actually popped, hence the name Popchips — so it has 50% less fat than regular potato chips.”
Launched in the UAE shortly after Gulfood, Popchips will eventually be rolled out to the wider GCC and Hussein added that the product is ideal, from a financial standpoint, for being stocked in hotel mini-bars.
Meanwhile, Valrhona launched its first range of custom-made pastry decoration called Valrhona Signature. Virginie Labigne, manager, Valrhona Signature, told Caterer Middle East that the decoration range is made with pure Valrhona chocolate, and the first range was unveiled in September 2015 in France and Belgium. The range is made with guanaja and opalys chocolates from Valrhona.
Labigne said: “We believe that decoration is not something that is just beautiful but is part of the dessert, and so it has to be good. We believe that chocolate decoration is part of the overall guest experience.”
The printing process makes use only of cocoa butter and is non-azoique. Azo dyes are synthetic colours which help in creating dark shades of colours in food, and Labigne said that the Valrhona Signature range is free of this ingredient.
Gourmet syrup producer Monin also told Caterer Middle East about their latest products during Gulfood. Monin marketing manager Pierre Fraboulet said: “We have been developing our new products for some time now, and working hard to grow our distribution channels too; Gulfood 2016 was the right opportunity for Monin to make an official launch.”
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