Automatic Merchandiser - 14

Also available are 16-oz. Elmhurst
1925 Oat Creamers, made with 100%
whole grain oats, in four on-trend flavors: Unsweetened (which has become
increasingly in demand across the
non-dairy creamer category), French
Vanilla, Hazelnut and Chai Spice.
Launched Aug. 1 are 12-oz.
Elmhurst 1925 ready-to-drink (RTD)
coffee and tea oat lattes in
Cacao, Flash Brew, Matcha Green Tea and
Golden Milk with
turmeric, formulated
to deliver coffeehouse quality on the
go. They contain 30g of
whole grains per serving
and
Omega-3 ALA. The
Nestlé
new
RTD
lattes join 12-oz.
Professional's
Coffee mate®
Elmhurst 1925 Milked Oats
creamer is now
oat milk in Original, Vanilla,
available in
Chocolate and Blueberry,
Snickers flavor.
Nestlé Professional
which can double as a filling
on-the-go meal replacement.
"With offices beginning to reopen,
both the single-serve lattes and oat
milks are perfect for OCS and micro
markets, with an easy grab-and-go
drink or creamer that limits interactions and shared bulk creamer
in shared office kitchens in light of
COVID," Mahmoud noted.
FUNCTIONAL BOOST

WellSpices, based in Wilmington,
Del., is taking aim at the office coffee

WellSpices' single-serve packets
add flavor and wellness benefits to
beverages.
WellSpices

14

Automatic Merchandiser * September 2020

Elmhurst 1925's RTD lattes and Milked Oats beverages are ideal for on-the-go.
Elmhurst 1925

service market with its pioneering line
of breakroom-friendly, single-serve
organic spice packets to add flavor and
wellness benefits to beverages and food.
Now available nationwide are the three
most used in both coffee and tea -
Ceylon cinnamon, turmeric and ginger.
"My family [who are also WellSpices cofounders] has used spices
in our food for their flavor, often in
lieu of sugar, and for their wellness
benefits," WellSpices cofounder Gail
Ball explained. "Adding cinnamon to
everything is increasingly mainstream.
In addition to its popular flavor
profile, studies show that as part of a
healthy diet, it helps maintain healthy
blood sugar levels."
Turmeric has become trendy as the
main ingredient in golden milk. It's
often added to coffeehouse drinks due
to its antioxidant boost.
By early next year, WellSpices' full
lineup will include garlic, cumin, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg, curry and
lemongrass, which can be sprinkled in
and on all sorts of food and beverages.
PANDEMIC PROOFING

"Our packets not only provide a single
portion, but they are impervious
to liquid and contamination," Ball
pointed out. "People can take it from
the coffee station to their desk [and]
wipe it with a disinfectant wipe, which
provides ultimate safety in the midst
of COVID-19 precautions."
Kleinman noted that anyone who
works in convenience services should
realize the need to be a resource to
their clients.
"Be proactive rather than reactive and train your people to go out
and help and add value - at this
time especially - to help employers
safeguard their workforce," Kleinman

advised. "For one thing, we're recommending individual creamer or flavor
packs versus bulk, which are safer
and more in vogue with the virus still
lingering around. It costs a little more,
but it's relevant and it's our job to
communicate that."
As employees reenter their workplaces, Poole said Nestlé Professional
has made it a priority to work with
operators to communicate ways to keep
them safe while enjoying its products.
"We've worked with individual
customers to help them update their
coffee and creamer stations to be safer
for their customers, and we have given
customers new options to deliver
products to meet their needs during
this disruptive time," she said.
These solutions range from
single-serve, portion-control tubs
and creamer powder packets that
give customers "touch-one, take-one"
distribution, to demonstrating how a
pump bottle can be used and cleaned
in between customers. In some locations, the solution is offering hand
sanitizer or pastry/deli papers to create
a more sanitary way to touch pump
bottles at the coffee bar, encouraging
safe dispensing.
"Illustrating the touch-one,
take-one process and/or the 'clean in
between' approach is not only appreciated by consumers, but it's really the
expectation to keep people safe in this
new environment," Poole said. "Each
day, we see safe use of products in
every channel; it's all about finding the
right the approach, coming up with a
safe solution and transparent communication of how to stay safe and use
these products. We're happy to help
find these solutions with our customers. Our team has gotten really creative
when our operators need help." ■
Automatic Merchandiser

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