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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2014 n GOURMET NEWS N H 1 2 6 extensive, but vital process for Barbara's, given that non-GMO food options are be- coming essential to loyal natural and or- ganic consumers. With other food brands taking twice as long to verify a fraction of the items, Barbara's made the commitment to provide non-GMO project verified prod- ucts a priority. "It took a company-wide commitment to make this happen with R&D, procurement, quality, operations and marketing working closely together," said Dave Rey, the Vice President of R&D and Quality. Just this year, Barbara's newest products, Chocolate Crisp Organic Snackimals Cereal and Maple Brown Sugar Squarefuls were verified by the Non-GMO Project. "Barbara's has always been committed to bringing consumers only the most wholesome and simple ingredients and we've always listened closely to our loyal fans," said Katrina Yolen, Barbara's Direc- tor of Marketing. "In a survey of our most frequent purchasers, we learned that 90 percent wanted their cereals and snacks to be GMO-free." "Barbara's has met or exceeded our rig- orous standards for a number of prod- ucts," said Megan Westgate, Executive Director of the Non-GMO Project. "We recognize and appreciate their hard work in sourcing Non-GMO ingredients and ap- plaud their robust efforts." The Non-GMO Project offers North America's only third- party verification for Non-GMO food and products. They are a non-profit committed to preserving and building sources of Non-GMO products, educating con- sumers, and providing verified Non-GMO choices. Barbara's was founded in 1971 by a 17 year-old girl with a passion for creating great-tasting food from simple, wholesome ingredients. The company's mission remains true to Barbara's original vision: that life is delicious, and is worth taking a bite out of every day! Based in Marlborough, Mass., Barbara's is committed to making positive contributions to the world with donations to national and local nonprofit organizations, including the World Wildlife Fund and the National Audubon Society's Project Puffin. A complete list of all of Barbara's Non- GMO Project Verified products can be found at Barbaras.com, www.NonGMOProject.org and by looking for the Non-GMO Project Verified seal on Barbara's snacks and cere- als. Barbara's products are available at major retail grocery stores and natural food stores nationwide. For more information, please visit www .Barbaras.com, visit Barbara's at Face- book.com/BarbarasBakery, follow the brand on Twitter at @BarbarasBakery or stop by booth #2662. Barbara's (Cont'd. from p. 1) efforts to improve the conditions of the honey bee, GloryBee sources more local, organic and fair-trade products – more specifically, its extensive line of organic and raw honeys. In efforts to raise funds for honey bee research and education, GloryBee Honey, along with its Beekeeping and HoneyStix brands, donates 1 percent of annual retail and select bulk sales revenue to "Save the Bee" programs. As part of its mission to support ongoing education about this im- portant issue, GloryBee supports the Ore- gon State Honey Bee Lab research on bee nutrition and health, and works closely with local beekeeping associations to fa- cilitate education about the care of bees. In 2013, GloryBee partnered with over a dozen retailers throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska to extend its part- nership to care for the honey bees. These stores, through GloryBee's Save The Bee promotional program, were able to engage customers and educate them on issues af- fecting bee health while directly linking them to a company and organizations working to combat the issue of Colony Collapse Disorder. Retailers not only ben- efitted from the improved product expo- sure, but also saw immediate and continued increases in honey sales ranging from 25-30 percent. By partnering with GloryBee, retailers can count on cus- tomers feeling great about their purchase. With a strong foundation in beekeeping, it is no surprise that GloryBee is passion- ate about honey. Most of GloryBee's honey varieties come from the Northwest and are produced by small local beekeep- ers. The imported organic honey is pur- chased from cooperatives of beekeepers that are very conscientious about the treat- ment of their bees and the quality of the honey. At GloryBee, the belief in the healthful benefits of honey continues with a guar- antee that their honey is all-natural, 100 percent pure and the highest quality. GloryBee started in the family garage of Dick and Pat "Aunt Patty" Turanski in 1975 with the sales of honey farmed in their backyard, where the passion contin- ues to be poured into every jar. The dream of providing quality, natural ingredients for their community has grown to include the U.S. and beyond. GloryBee is still a family-owned and operated business in Eugene, Ore. To learn more about GloryBee and Hon- eyStix brands, visit www.glorybee.com. To find out how you can partner with the Save the Bee Program, visit www.glory- bee.com/SaveTheBee or call 800-456- 7923. Visit booth #3488 at Natural Products Expo West. GloryBee (Cont'd. from p. 1) its first official factory and the hub of an ever-expanding dream of healthful and lus- cious proportions. "Rocky" was one of four baby raccoons rescued on the evergreen property that many employees already considered their second home. He became the mascot. Rocky's face naturally appears on the company logo and reinforces the company's commitment to liv- ing in sync with nature. So, inside every jar of nut butter – there is just nut butter, right? Well, by now you know that each jar of the product contains a great story, too. In keeping with the company's spirit of bringing the best possible products to the marketplace, in 1989, it introduced the first organic Valencia Peanut Butter. Today, its organic line encompasses an unduplicated array of organic nut and seed butters. In 2004, it acquired its current state-of-the-art facility. In 2007, it intro- duced the first organic stabilized peanut butter in the country. The company loves blazing important trails. In 1992, the company purchased Dawes Hill Honey, the project of a group of Cornell University students who began keeping bees and harvesting their golden nectar in the 1960s. During these days of great environ- mental concern, it knows that bees are in danger due to CCD, or "Colony Collapse Disorder." With this in mind, it works ag- gressively to promote the health of the bees and to source its honey sustainably. Once Again is a proud sponsor of National Honey Bee Day and works to bring awareness to the plight of bees worldwide. Overall, its products shine on the shelves of purveyors of natural foods and in organic food markets, as well as in natural and or- ganic sections of supermarkets. It embraces values that one day may be shared in the business world at large. But for now, they are still quite rare. Additionally, it supports domestic and in- ternational fair trade, providing real livable wages for those who provide the essential raw materials for its products. This means that it financially energizes small organic farms and cooperatives. Currently, Once Again Nut Butter empowers educational, medical and employment programs in Nicaragua. Once Again's motto shines as, "We spread integrity." Living up to those words has helped it to create a great workplace and products that attract loyal consumers. Cus- tomers understand its panoramic work and appreciate that it treats all involved in the company with the greatest respect and appre- ciation. In fact, in 2006, the company be- came 100 percent employee owned. Quite simply, Once Again believes in sharing its bountiful harvest. Today, its annual donations span the globe, spreading its name, mission and ultimate comfort foods. It routinely sends its products to impoverished Americans, the victims of disasters and local community support pro- grams. Each year, its ever-evolving work adds many new chapters to an already compelling narrative. "Sustainability" is a word that has joined its motto, bringing additional motiva- tional power to its mission. Ultimately, it ap- plies this word to every product it creates, and every action it undertakes in sharing its products with the world. Open a jar, and you will experience the goodness of it all. For more information, visit www.onceagain nutbutter.com or call 585-468-2535. Once Again Nut Butter (Cont'd. from p. 1) and granola bars. Our products are available in dehydrated form, liquid concentrate and ready-to-eat. They are specifically designed to offer solutions for weight-loss plans, high-performance sports nutrition supple- ments for athletes and dietary supplements for health and well-being. Our customers' primary objective is the creation of a range of products appropriate to their brand. Consequently, we have developed a special offer adapted to this need. We have the experience, the expertise and the resources necessary to guide and meet our customers' needs in the area of personal- ization of packaging and the development of pri- vate brands. NH: What do you anticipate to be your greatest challenge in the year ahead? DL: The protein product industry is becom- ing more demanding in terms of nutrition and quality standards. Therefore, beyond the standards already in place in our facto- ries, we took the necessary steps to be NSF GMP and NSF Certified for Sport at the be- ginning of this year. This certification will help customers identify reliable and high- quality dietary supplements. By demon- strating the quality of our products and assuring the consistency of our manufactur- ing processes, we will have a marketing ad- vantage. Currently, the market for vegetable ex- tracts is flooded with innovation. To con- stantly offer innovations that make a difference, our teams of experts in market- ing and R&D will continue to exercise vig- ilance and analysis of the market. Therefore, innovative concepts will result from a combination of our creative know- how, scientific vigilance, technological ex- pertise and a constant study of changes in our line of business. NH: Are you introducing any new prod- ucts? DL: Innovation is at the heart of our process, and we devote substantial time to research and to creating innovations that make a difference. Our experts in product creation, packaging, regulations and mar- keting consolidate their knowledge to pro- pose trendy concepts. We are proud of our recent development of products that are non-GMO, gluten-free and made primarily of natural ingredients. We are currently de- veloping products inspired by the latest trends of vegetable extracts that offer over- all good health and well-being and even a healthier physical appearance. NH: What distinguishes your products from the competition? DL: Interpersonal relationships are the heart of our business. Our customers know they can count on our 'very flexible' under- standing of their business and their plans to sincerely work alongside them in their ap- proach. Pro-Amino International prides it- self on our customers' loyalty and satisfaction. Our objective is to allow our customers to develop their business with their financial means and markets in mind. Our products meet high taste standards. Our R&D team believes in the importance of product performance and functionality cou- pled with an experience of taste without compromise. Every day, an entire team gathers to assure customer satisfaction, in accordance with our commitment to qual- ity. For more information, visit www.pro- amino.com, call 800-555-2170 or stop by booth #1595. Pro-Amino (Cont'd. from p. 1)

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