Culinary school training with American rice

USRPA (US Rice Producers Association) , in collaboration with the Colegio Superior de Gastronomía,  organized a training session for 6th-semester students who were taking the course on grains and seeds. The event was attended by 14 students and aimed to instruct them on the advantages of using American long-grain rice. During the session, two recipes were developed: rice and shrimp croquettes, and orange rice pudding, where the star ingredient was American long-grain rice.  

The collaboration between USRPA and the Colegio Superior de Gastronomía  allowed for a theoretical class where the advantages and differentiators of American long-grain rice were explained. Subsequently, the students put these learnings into practice by developing the two mentioned recipes. All participants received a recognition for their participation, highlighting the importance of both practical and theoretical learning. The results of this session were highly positive. 

 The training session not only achieved its educational objectives, but also inspired students to explore new culinary possibilities with American long-grain rice. 

Players of life

Popcorn and CMAB participated as a sponsor in the event Restaurants Choice, organized by Players of Life, which awards the best restaurants in Monterrey and its metropolitan area. With the presence of international judges and more than 100 restaurateurs, including restaurant owners and directors of chains, the event focused on recognizing the best in each category. 

During the event, they had a prominent presence on printed and electronic banners, as well as direct interaction with the restaurateurs and directors. The brand’s innovative programs were presented and collaboration opportunities were discussed, using various communication channels to ensure an effective message.  

The results were notable: They achieved more than 30 direct contacts interested in future collaborations, and a large part of the attendees recognized the brands as a key player in the sector, strengthening its presence in the restaurant industry. 

HEB Roadshow – Hello California

On August 8 and 9, Imalinx, in conjunction with the California Dairy Council and 5 cheese producers, visited the city of Querétaro to provide training to executives and store managers on products that bear the Real California Milk seal. 

 Mention client, association  CMAB 

The event was coordinated 3 months in advance to be able to adjust the agendas of Point Reyes, Di Stefano, Cheese Bits, Joseph Farms, and Vintage, prepare the presentations, send samples, and arrange the training for 40 people from HEB that included executives, regional managers from Bajío, store managers, and deli managers. 

In addition to the presentations, there were Q&A sessions, as well as a guided tasting by Joe Baird, The Cheese Monger at CMAB, to discuss the flavor profiles of some cheeses, ways to use them, and how to pair them. 

 Within the trip and the activity, tastings were also coordinated in 3 HEB stores to promote the products with the end consumer. 

“Thank you for the support. With these activities we can boost sales and commitment of the stores and collaborators to increase product sales!” HEB Regional Buyer 

ANTAD 2024     

Expo ANTAD, that took place from March 12 to 14, is a trade show focused on the retail sector with more than 1,100 exhibiting companies and an estimated 10,000 professional visitors. 

This year IMALINX coordinated a total of 17 booths for 6 of our clients, organizing logistics, business meetings and follow-ups with importers, distributors and supermarkets of various categories of food and beverages; from fresh produce such as Idaho Potatoes, grains and nuts such as Popcorn and California Raisins, dairy products with California Milk and various companies from the South and West of the United States.  

The show was a success and has allowed us to see products in the supermarket in a short period of time after the show. 

American Pistachio Growers Nutrition Program 

The main objective of American Pistachio Growers (APG) is to disseminate the studies carried out that prove the health benefits of consuming pistachios. 

Since October 2023, we have participated in nutrition and culinary events focused on health professionals, students, media and consumers to transmit through conferences given by Dr. Arely Vergara (spokesperson for the association and researcher at La Salle College), the importance of consuming pistachios in a daily diet, the barrier to their consumption in Mexico, main benefits, as well as the recommended portion (49 pistachios). 

American Pistachio Growers has had presence in 8 forums dedicated 100% to health, where recognized Nutrition Institutions in Mexico stand out: Fomentos de Nutrición A.C, AMMFEN and AMENAC. 

More than 3,000 people have received the most relevant information about American pistachios and 80% agree that they were not aware of their benefits but are willing to integrate them into their daily diet, and in turn, recommend them to their patients. 

REAL CALIFORNIA MILK IN ANTAD 2022 

The California Milk Advisory Board once again participated in the largest Expo for Supermarkets in LATAM, Expo ANTAD. A leading professional event for the Retail, Hotel and Restaurant sector in the food industry supply chain, took place May 17-19 in Guadalajara. 

It was an event focused on generating business meetings, publicizing the attributes and benefits of California Dairy Products, as well as the support we provide in marketing and communication matters. 

We presented different brands of artisan cheeses such as Point Reyes, Sierra Nevada, Fiscalini, Vintage, Bellwether and Nicasio Valley. 

Bob Leonard, Vice President of Pacific Cheese, presented the California Select Farms brand cheeses and we also prepared pizzas as part of the tasting activity throughout the 3 days of the expo. 

Thanks to the event, we generated leads, we were able to introduce the full range of Vintage cheeses in the Mexican market and generate business opportunities for specialty products. 

Baking Trends: Webinar with Larousse and Chef Irving Quiroz

This webinar aimed to reach an audience of more than 300 bakery professionals and talk about the different ways in which California Raisins can be included in the baking industry, with two of the most important opinion leaders as speakers.

The renowned Chef, Irving Quiroz, addressed different topics on existing trends at baking in this free webinar, obtaining more than 2,300 download requests, and exceeding 660 attendees, which included bakery professionals and gastronomy students.

INTERNATIONAL GOURMET FESTIVAL

In November 2021, California Raisins sponsored the International Gourmet Festival in Vallarta. We were able to generate over 30 trade leads and have presence during the event with raisins and cheese boards in 2 of the participating restaurants during the opening as well as during the wine festival, with the participation of the best international and Mexican vineyards.

Fábrica de Santa Sponsorship

In the month of December, hand in hand with other major brands, Real California Milk sponsored one of the biggest dynamics of the season, where a Christmas-themed musical theater production dedicated to children took place. The objective of this dynamic was to impact this segment of the market and at the same time, educate on how to Look for the Seal.

The event took place on dates prior to Christmas. Real California Milk participated as a sponsor with the “Look for the Seal” dynamic for a full month. The dynamic consisted of hiding the Real California Milk seals along the route and whoever found all the hidden seals would be the winner and would soon receive as a prize, a gift with branded backpacks, cheese boards, etc. At the same time, all of the attendees received a welcome kit with pens, balls, and pizza cutters.

The activity was very successful, with more than 10,500 cars at the end of the month, great attendee response towards the dynamics, and the prevalence of the Look for the Seal message was achieved.

Idaho’s culinary promotion in Tijuana

On November 24th, in coordination with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, we celebrated a  Thanksgiving dinner  which representatives of supermarkets, restaurants, media in Mexico attended, in addition to Thomas Reott, Consul General of the United States in Tijuana. 

 
“The objective was to show the richness and variety of food produced in Idaho, as a reflection of its natural and industrial characteristics that allows it to create more than 185 commodities and that place it in the top 10 of the main agricultural producers in the United States” (siempre la noticia, 2021) 

The Idaho Russet potato was  highlighted, as well as the yellow onion. 

The  Chef in charge of developing recipes was Javier Plasencia with more than 50 k followers on Instagram. 

Chef Javier Plasencia created a 5-course menu incorporating Idaho ingredients in a unique way:  

  • Mediterranean Mussels in an Idahoan mashed potato fake shell with smoked oysters and russet potato foam 
  • Russet Potato soup with AgroPur cheddar cheese and bacon 
  • The classic table-top Caesars salad with yellow onion croutons and AgroPur parmesan cheese (Tijuana recipe) 
  • Double R Ranch USDA Choice Top Sirloin cooked slowly in a mustard marinade, sweet smoked chili peppers and yellow onions, served with a russet double-baked potato with three AgroPur cheeses, black truffles, and plant-based Melt butter 
  • Apple crisp made with plant-based butter Melt Organic and ice-cream 
  • We had 26 attendees including produce buyers from Calimax, Coliman, Importadora -Exportadora de Tijuana, and Superchivas, among others. Local chefs from the region and local craft breweries also attended as well as nine Tijuana media guests including those from the local press.  Additionally, public relations and key food influencers on social media from the area were among the guests, publishing photos and notes about the event.   
  • SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE