Pacific Pickle Works Achieves Non GMO Project Verification

Published December 20, 2017

Pacific Pickle Works has announced that the company’s award-winning line of 11 all-natural pickled vegetables has earned Non GMO Project Verification.

Pacific Pickle Works nonGMO pickle trio Hand-packed within 24 hours of delivery, every batch of bold and spicy “West Coast” pickles features peak-season produce, sourced locally and organic whenever possible. Sporting playful names such as Jalabeaños, Unbeetables and Brussizzle Sprouts, all of Pacific Pickle Works’ Non GMO Project Verified products are also naturally gluten free, fat free and kosher, with zero artificial ingredients or refined sugars.

For Founder and CEO, Bradley Bennett, maintaining the Non GMO Project Standard aligns seamlessly with the company’s enduring commitment to a superior-quality, clean label consumer experience. “As a small business, we may lack the resources to run national ad campaigns,” Bennett said. “But the effort that the Non GMO Project has put into building consumer trust and educating consumers on GMOs helps our brand cut through the noise to reach a wider audience.”

The Non-GMO Project’s Verification seal indicates that a product has been manufactured according to best practices for GMO avoidance, including thorough vetting of the supply chain and ongoing product evaluation. New labels bearing the organization’s iconic butterfly logo roll out online and to stores beginning January 2018.

Back to Nature Foods Launches Honey Nut Granola

Published December 18, 2017

Back to Nature Foods Company is launching Honey Nut Granola, made with sustainably sourced honey and available beginning this month. With the new granola, Back to Nature is also kicking off a partnership with GloryBee® to support its SAVE THE BEE® initiative, which focuses on research, awareness and education to prevent the decline of America’s bee population.

Back to Nature’s crunchy, new Honey Nut Granola is made with tropical blossom honey and cane sugar for the perfect hint of sweetness. Made up of a satisfying mix of whole grain rolled oats, honey, pecans, almonds and coconut, the Honey Nut Granola can be enjoyed in a protein-packed yogurt parfait or a tasty trail mix.

The honey used in Back to Nature’s Honey Nut Granola is sustainably sourced from around the world and certified by GloryBee, whose diverse family of conscientious, dedicated and knowledgeable individuals have been striving to achieve the highest possible standards for their products for more than 40 years. Through this partnership, Back to Nature is a sweet supporter of the SAVE THE BEE initiative, which provides research, awareness and education needed to protect honeybees and promote healthy honeybee colonies.

“We are thrilled to launch our partnership with GloryBee, one that allows us to further our mission of capturing delicious, natural ingredients for our consumers,” said Tracy Russell, Director of Marketing, Back to Nature Foods Company. “We hope to bring a smile with every bite of this delicious granola and raise awareness around the importance of preserving the bee population.”

The Honey Nut Granola is Non-GMO Project verified, along with more than 85 percent of all Back to Nature products. As a leader in the natural foods industry, Back to Nature understands the importance of Non-GMO Project Verification and has made a commitment to obtain this certification for its wide array of products spanning multiple categories in addition to granola, including cookies, crackers, nuts and cereal.

Taste Mahon-Menorca Cheese at Winter Fancy Food Show

Published December 18, 2017

Specialities, Inc. will be showcasing Spain’s prized Mahon-Menorca cheese at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco this coming January. Mahón-Menorca cheese is crafted to the highest standards using a unique process handed down by centuries of meticulous care, time and knowledge.

Mahón-Menorca cheese is produced on the island of Menorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands. A paradisiacal Biosphere Reserve island (certified by the UNESCO) located in the Mediterranean Sea. Mahón-Menorca Cheese is a Protected Destination of Origin (P.D.O.) cheese based upon the geographic and distinct climate factors including its temperature, humidity, light, wind and salty pastures, and its ancient farming methods mastered by generations of the Menorca family farms. It’s made from Menorcan cow’s milk (pasteurized or raw) and matured exclusively on the island of Menorca.

Mahón-Menorca cheese is very versatile, often grated and used for topping pasta, rice and vegetable dishes or eaten sliced thin and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. It’s a must on the traditional Spanish cheese table. The cheese is also delicious with vegetables (aubergine or tomatoes) or used as a stuffing or filling (cannelloni or peppers). It can also be mixed with breadcrumbs in breading and frying. The less matured Mahón-Menorca cheeses go fantastically well with white and young red wines, while the more aged cheeses are better suited for mature wines.

Mahón-Menorca Cheese has two degrees of maturity:

SEMI-CURED two to five months – Characteristic and unmistakable. The rind, orange in color. A firm cheese yet easy to cut, showing an ivory yellow-color and a number of holes distributed in an irregular manner, depending on the piece. The milky taste and flavors are developed, with slight buttery reminiscences of toasted nuts and dried fruit (hazelnut); a moderately persistent aftertaste, having developed the typical bouquet of the Mahón-Menorca cheese.

CURED – HARD – More than five months – A delicacy for cheese lovers. The texture is firmer and hard; less creamy and in advanced stages of maturity, it breaks flaking. It has a very developed flavor and aroma, complex and intense, with a long persistent aftertaste. Brittle and flakes when sliced. The taste and aroma are very developed, complex and intense. Hints of old wood, tanned leather or a wine cellar, usually with a slight spicy nuance.

When purchasing Mahón-Menorca cheese, consumers are supporting the viable economic livelihood of the Menorca farmers and promoting a sustainable agricultural environment for future generations. Mahón-Menorca Cheese can be purchased nationwide at Whole Foods, and at other fine retailers such as Fairway Markets, Safeway, Albertsons, Kroger, Murray’s, Central Markets, Costco, Gourmet Garage, West Side Markets, Zabar’s, Central and Town & Country Markets and at the best specialty food stores all over the country.

Mahón-Menorca cheese will be sampled at the Specialities, Inc. booth at the Winter Fancy Food Show.