Season Gives Expo West First Look at New Tuna Line, Rebranding
With a legacy spanning more than 100 years in delivering the highest quality tinned fish, Season reveals a pioneering leap into the future at this year’s Expo West. In a milestone move, the brand is set to introduce an innovative tuna product that promises to redefine industry standards, unveiling a vibrant new brand identity that honors its rich heritage while embracing the future.
As Season embarks on a new chapter, it continues to marry tradition with innovation. The launch of a new tuna product line, combined with a dynamic rebrand, marks a pivotal moment in the brand’s history.
“This dual launch is not just about expanding our product portfolio or refreshing our look—it’s a reaffirmation of our commitment to excellence, sustainability, and the evolution of our brand in meeting the contemporary needs of our consumers,” said Meriem Wadghiri, CEO of Season.
The new Season tuna line is poised to set a benchmark for quality, taste, and sustainability within the seafood industry. Crafted to meet the discerning tastes of modern consumers, this addition exemplifies Season’s dedication to innovation and its promise to deliver only the best. The new tuna product is a testament to the brand’s relentless pursuit of perfection, offering a taste experience that is both authentic and forward-thinking.
For the first time, the brand specializing in sardines and other small but mighty fish will unveil its all-new jarred yellowfin tuna fillets. Officially rolling out this spring and summer, Season brings its same unrivaled standards in sustainability, vetting only the best quality cuts, filleting and packaging incredible flavor to this exciting, breakthrough product. Available in both olive oil and spring water, customers can look for the same iconic Season Sea Maiden – just jarred.
Accompanying the launch of the exciting tuna range, Season proudly introduces a refreshed brand identity, including a new logo and packaging design. This rebranding effort celebrates the company’s storied past while steering it into a future filled with possibilities. The new visual identity captures the essence of Season’s commitment to quality, sustainability, and the deep-rooted values that have guided it for over a century.
At this year’s Expo West, Season invites attendees, food connoisseurs, and industry experts to booth #416 for an exclusive first look at the groundbreaking tuna jars and the unveiling of the brand’s vibrant new identity, demonstrating how the brand is stepping boldly into the future, carrying forward the legacy of quality and innovation that has been the hallmark of Season for generations.
The Sea Maiden, named Mira, remains the face of the company, undergoing a revitalized look that tells the story of women pioneers in the seafood business. Mira stands as the Season ambassador, ensuring consumers of a superior product through trust and guidance. The new logo and packaging is more than a visual change. It’s a celebration of Season’s rich heritage, a modern tribute to the enduring trust and unwavering dedication that has been the backbone of the brand, and an ongoing pledge to not just meet, but exceed consumer expectations. It – along with the booth itself – will reflect the bright future with an unmissable, eye-catching yellow background.
For additional information about Season, explore their website online and follow the brand’s journey @seasonbrandofficial on Instagram.
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Vander Farmers, IGF Expand Distribution of Wagyu Beef Products
Vander Farmers, a family-owned company and farm in Sturgis, Mich., and the leading source of F1 American Wagyu in the Midwest, is substantially expanding distribution of premium Wagyu beef products into new markets across the United States through a partnership with International Gourmet Foods.
IGF is a wholesale distribution company founded in 1987 known for its extensive portfolio of high-quality food with warehouses in Northern Virginia; Charleston, S.C.; Atlanta and Chicago. Through IGF, Vander Farmers’ Wagyu products can now be found in Chicago, Wisconsin and the North/Central Midwest through Viola Imports (IGF’s Midwest branch) as well as the mid-Atlantic.
Prior to this new partnership, Vander Farmers’ Wagyu beef selections have been sought out by some of Chicago’s most prestigious restaurants and acclaimed chefs including Obélix, El Che Steakhouse, Swift & Sons, Frontier by James Beard-nominated Chef Brian Jupiter, Pella Signature, Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings, Bhoomi Modern Indian Grill, Flour Power and Bon Yeon due to the superior quality beef. Vander Farmers prides itself on using best-in-class technology mixed with ethical and sustainable farming practices to make the best Wagyu steaks, burgers, sausages and more on the market—which also means, no hormones, no antibiotics, pasture grazing, and humane living conditions for all their animals. They also supply Wagyu Beef Franks at multiple Chicagoland area Home Depots through a partnership with Fixin’ Franks, which created a highly publicized response at the home improvement store’s traditional hot dog stand.
This year, Vander Farmers, founded by husband-and-wife team Mario and Marjolein vanderHulst, joins IGF to create a full nose-to-tail American Wagyu program comprised of 15 offerings from every major primal such as beef ribeye, strip loin, flat iron, short rib and more (size and amount vary depending on size of the animal). IGF also will sell gourmet ground beef and offer a variety of pack sizes of these products to its customer base of gourmet food retailers, independently owned restaurants, and artisanal butcher shops.
“IGF is excited and proud to partner with Vander Farmers. Not only is their American Wagyu beef line a great addition to our product portfolio, it also fits comfortably within our model of sourcing quality-focused ingredients and prioritizing sustainable farming and production practices. As a family-owned and operated farm in pursuit of becoming the leading source of premium American Wagyu through their ethically raised cattle, Vander also has a great story that resonates with our customers,” said Mike McDowell, director of sales at IGF. “We very much look forward to growing this partnership with Marjolein and Mario as we expand their distribution to artisan butcher shops, restaurants, and gourmet markets through our network east of the Mississippi.”
Vander Farmers is a love story through and through. Partners Marjolein and Mario vanderHulst grew up in neighboring small towns less than 20 minutes outside of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Both fond of country life and the freeing life on a farm, the newlyweds came to the Midwest to realize their American Dream in 2001. In the next few years, they started their very own dairy farm and welcomed their first child, all while building a tight-knit community for themselves in Sturgis, Mich.
Almost two decades later and now a thriving family of four, the love between Marjolein and Mario is still on full display. In 2016, Marjolein set out on a mission to find the best Wagyu beef for Mario as a Christmas gift. After weeks of searching, Marjolein couldn’t locate a source of high-quality local Wagyu beef. She told Mario about her unfulfilled mission and the challenges she faced in the process, to which he replied, “Well, I guess we’ll just have to raise it ourselves,” and the rest is history.
Now, the family-owned and -operated farm provides insanely good F1 Wagyu beef (a crossbreed of full-blooded Japanese Black Cattle and Holstein Dairy Cow) that is raised humanely and with full transparency, perfect for an unforgettable meal shared with your family and friends. With a variety of products ranging from premium steak cuts, ribs, F1 Wagyu ground beef and their gourmet Wagyu Beef Franks, Vander Farmers is positioned to be the leading source of Wagyu in the Midwest.
Vander meats are available for nationwide shipping to all 48 states through their website at https://www.vanderfarmers.com and coming to local retailers soon.
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EU Parliament Clamps Down on Environmental Marketing Claims
The European Union Parliament has adopted its position on establishing a verification and pre-approval system for environmental marketing claims to protect citizens from misleading ads:-
Companies should submit environmental marketing claims like “biodegradable” or “less polluting” for verification before being allowed to use them
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Simpler and common types of claims should benefit from easier or faster verification
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Penalties include exclusion from procurement processes, confiscation of revenues, and a fine of at least 4% of annual turnover
The green claims directive would oblige companies to submit evidence about their environmental marketing claims before advertising products as “biodegradable”, “less polluting”, “water saving” or having “bio based content”. EU countries would have to assign verifiers to pre-approve the use of such claims, to protect buyers from unfounded and ambiguous advertising.
“Studies show that over 50 percent of environmental claims are vague, misleading or unfounded,” said Internal Market Committee rapporteur Andrus Ansip (Renew, EE) . “We cannot speak about happy consumers if every other green claim is false. We cannot talk about a level playing field for our entrepreneurs while some traders are cheating. I believe the Green Claims Directive adopted today is balanced – it will bring clarity to our consumers and is less burdensome for traders than the claim-by-claim verification.”
“It is time to put an end to greenwashing. Our position ends the proliferation of misleading green claims that have deceived consumers for far too long,” said Environment Committee rapporteur Cyrus Engerer (S&D, MT). “We will ensure businesses have the right tools to embrace genuine sustainability practices. European consumers want to make sustainable choices; all those offering products or services must guarantee their green claims are scientifically verified.”
Parliament wants claims and their evidence to be assessed within 30 days, but simpler claims and products could benefit from quicker or easier verification. Micro enterprises would not be covered by the new rules, and SMEs would have an extra year to be in compliance compared to larger businesses. Companies that break the rules may face penalties, for example they could be temporarily excluded from public procurement tenders, lose their revenues and face fines of at least at 4% of their annual turnover.
Green claims based solely on carbon offsetting schemes will remain banned. Companies could, however, mention offsetting and carbon removal schemes in their ads if they have already reduced their emissions as much as possible and use these schemes for residual emissions only. The carbon credits of the schemes must be certified and be of high integrity, such as those established under the Carbon Removals Certification Framework.
Parliament also decided that green claims about products containing hazardous substances should remain possible for now, but the Commission should assess in the near future whether they should be banned entirely.
Parliament adopted its first reading position with 467 votes to 65 and 74 abstentions. The file will now have to be followed up by the new Parliament after the European elections that will take place in from 6 – 9 June 2024.
In adopting this report, Parliament is responding to citizens’ expectations for the EU to introduce transparent labeling for all products regarding their sustainability and environmental footprint, and to raise awareness among both companies and citizens on how to behave in a more sustainable manner, as expressed in proposals 5(1) and 11(8) of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
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