Natural Food Network Magazine - September-October 2007

ExpoEast Showguide p. 20

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Five Years afterCertification

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Pg. 26

Contents

FEATURES18 Q&A with Kathleen Merrigan

BY ROBERTA G. WAX, NATURAL FOODNETWORK CONTRIBUTOR

Five years after National OrganicProgram certification nobody is 100percent happy, but that’s to beexpected, says Kathleen Merrigan,staff author of the legislation thatestablished national certificationstandards. It’s a very ambitious pro-gram that is under-funded andbeleaguered by continuous disputes.Nonetheless, it’s working.

DEPARTMENTS6 Editor’s Note: Sustainability

Imperative

10 Letter to the EditorFOOD OF THE GODS

29 Distributor & Manufacturer’sProduct IndexQUICKLY LOCATE PRODUCTS BY CATEGORY

30 Sell SheetsOPERATE MORE EFFICIENTLY AND MAKESMARTER ORDERING DECISIONS SCANNINGNATURAL FOOD NETWORK’S SELL SHEET ADS

45 New ProductsCOMPILED BY SARAH MUIR, NATURALFOOD NETWORK NEW PRODUCTS EDITOR

48 Products & Services Marketplace

50 Advertiser Index

BEST RETAIL PRACTICES7 Plugging the Leaks: Stopping Shrink

BY DAN CALABRESE, NATURAL FOODNETWORK CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Retail theft for grocers is a large andgrowing problem, but following thepreventative measures outlined in thisarticle will help retailers fight back.

CLEANING AISLE25 Natural Cleaning Supplies

BY DAVID WORTMAN, NATURAL FOODCONTRIBUTOR

Green cleaning supplies are a brightspot in an aisle where longer workhours for housekeepers has lowereddemand for deep-cleaning stapleslike furniture polish. Consumerstoday spend 20 percent less timecleaning. Only 9 percent thoroughlyclean their home each week.

SNACK AISLE11 Chocolate Sales Spike

BY JILL NUSSINOW, NATURAL FOODNETWORK CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Driving chocolate sales is easy ifmanufacturers cooperate with retaildemo and sampling programs.

14 Chocolate Standards DebatedBY HOLLY CASE, NATURAL FOODNETWORK NEWSLETTER EDITOR

p. 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

10 Aurora Dairy on Probation

10 Food Emporium Butchers Certified

p. 26

20 What’s Cool at Natural ProductsExpoEast

Natural Products ExpoEast’s strongorganic program attracts a broadbase of manufacturers to Baltimore

21 What’s Cool Exhibitors

Team coverage of exhibitors that youshould not miss at this year’s show.

RETAIL PROFILE26 Canadian Expansion

BY DAN BOLTON, NATURAL FOODNETWORK EDITOR

Organza Market, the largest organicretailer in Winnepeg, Manitoba, hasexpanded four times in the pastseven years and added an award-winning restaurant to meet Canada’sgrowing demand for organic retailand foodservice products.

NATURAL PRODUCTS EXPOEAST

L egions promoting sustainable retailand food manufacturing practices areliterally marching past your door.

Sustainable Table’s 38-day Eat Well GuidedTour of America began Aug. 2 in WestHollywood and ended at Gigi’s Market inRed Hook New York for a Farm Aid con-cert.

The bio-fuel tour bus attracted crowds andtelevision coverage when it stopped at gro-cery stores, ranches, restaurants and farmsin 25 cities. The tour raised interest andbuilt momentum for sustainable practices.It is one more sign of the transition fromtrend to business imperative.

Sustainable practices have a very broad base93 percent base of consumers and organiza-tional support. The tour was hosted byTHRIVE, and CAFF (Community Alliancewith Family Farmers), Slow Food chapters,Food and Water Watch and the Chef ’sCollaborative.

Hundreds of community-based groups andmanufacturers are on board. Lee Scott, Wal-Mart’s president and CEO is praised as asustainability a champion. Scott establisheda packaging scorecard that rewards size andweight reductions and recycling with landuse and energy initiatives. See walmart-stores.com/microsite/walmart_sustainabili-ty.html for inspiration from a company thatburns 134 million gallons of diesel driving872 million miles a week.

“Environmental sustainability is not a pass-ing trend; rather, it is a critical businessissue that is rapidly becoming a require-ment for consumer businesses,” accordingto a recent study conducted by DeloitteConsulting LLP for the GroceryManufacturers Association (GMA).

“While the issues associated with sustain-ability - such as waste management, com-modity shortages and energy usage - arenothing new, the expectations of sharehold-ers, consumers, regulators, and other con-stituencies have changed, pushing sustain-ability to the top of the agenda for manyconsumer products companies,” said PeterCapozucca, co-author of the GMA study.

“It is unlike any business issue consumerbusinesses have encountered in the past.The industry’s large environmental foot-print and unique dependencies on agricul-tural inputs, water and packaging make sus-tainability a critical strategic issue that con-sumer packaged goods companies mustaddress proactively,” said Capozucca.

The study found that 85 percent ofAmerica’s consumer product businesses areactively pursuing sustainability initiatives.Most recycle and practice energy conserva-tion. More revealing is that internal priori-ties are the primary driver behind thismovement at more than 60 percent of thesecompanies. Motivations such as cost reduc-tion, mitigation of regulatory risk andpotential shortages are compelling for man-

ufacturers andretailers alike.To meet thesechallenges theGrocery Manufacturers Association/FoodProducts Association will host their firstSustainability Summit (Jan. 17-18 inWashington, D.C.). GMA is taking a leader-ship role in promoting good retail practicesby offering a compendium of ideas thatmembers can access online atwww.gmabrands.com.

“This study tells us that sustainability is notjust about ‘going green’- it involves compet-ing in a different world with constantlyevolving issues and expectations,” saidStephen Sibert, GMA’s senior vice presidentof industry affairs.

Companies that treat sustainability as abusiness requirement with direct involve-ment by their CEO make progress. Success,however, ultimately hinges on collaborationamong suppliers, academics and scientistsas well as consumers who must be encour-aged to recycle and reward retailer’s sustain-able practices.

To register for the Grocery ManufacturersAssoc. Environmental Sustainability Summitcontact Liz Cookson at 202-295-3950 oremail [email protected]. Visitgmabrands.com to obtain a copy of theDeloitte Study: “Sustainability: BalancingOpportunity and Risk in the ConsumerProducts Industry.”

www.naturalfoodnet.comNATURAL FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE6

E D I T O R ’ S N O T E

Abra Theraputics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Amarjit Sahota, Organic Monitor . . . .18Aura Cacia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Aurora Organic Dairy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10AyurBest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Barlean's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Barry Callebau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Beaumont Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Beautiful Soap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Ben Kramer, Dandelion Eatery . . . . . . .26BioTech Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Boiron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Brigit True Organics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Cadbury Schweppes PLC . . . . . . . . . . .11CAFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Chemfree Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Chocolate Manufacturers Assoc. . . . . .14Chocolate Marketing, LLC . . . . . . . . . .11Consumer Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Cornucopia Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Dagoba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Dakota Beef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Deb Music, Theo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Deloitte Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Earth Friendly Products . . . . . . . . . . . .23Ecover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Emerita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Endangered Species . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 12Farm Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6FDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Food Marketing Institute . . . . . . . . . . . .7Gary Guittard, Guittard Chocolate . . . .14Gerry Dickson, Organza Market . . . . . .26Green & Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Grocery Manufacturers Assoc. . . . . .6, 14Henry Thayer Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Hershey's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Hot Spots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

IGA Coca-Cola Retail Institute . . . . . . . .8Jason Natural Products . . . . . . . . . . . .20John Murphy, Seventh Generation . . . .25Jorge Casale, Argencert . . . . . . . . . . . .10Kathleen Merrigan, Tufts University . . .16Kronos Inc., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Lee Scott, CEO Wal-Mart . . . . . . . . . . . .6Maria Brous, Publix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25McGoey Security Consulting . . . . . . . . .7Mintel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Mother Natural . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23National Organic Program . . . . . . . . . .16National Retail Federation . . . . . . . . . . .8Natracare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Nature's Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20No Miss! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Nordic Naturals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22NOW Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Organic Trade Assoc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Packaged Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Pangea Organics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Proctor & Gamble's Home Care Div. . .25Publix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Recycline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Russell Stover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Santa Rosa Community Market . . . . . .12Seeds of Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11SuperValu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Sustainable Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Sweet Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Tact Beauty Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20TenderCare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20The Food Emporium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Theo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11, 12Tom's of Maine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20USDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 16W.S. Badger Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Wellements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Editorial Index to People, Companies and Organizations in this issue.

Sustainable Imperative

NATURAL FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINEwww.naturalfoodnet.com 7

I N D U S T R Y N E W S

BY DAN CALABRESE

Retail theft for grocers is a largeand growing problem. The fol-lowing simple preventativemeasures help you fight back.

D uring a recent church-sponsoredyouth group outing in GrandRapids, Michigan, nine high-school

age teens from four different schools wereasked: “How many of you have shoplifted?”

Every hand went up. The teens were thenasked if the response would be the same withany random group of teens from theirrespective schools. All agreed that it wouldbe. One teen explained how she and her con-temporaries justify their behavior: “I figurethat if it’s just a small item, they can afford it.

They have a lot of money, and I don’t.”

To be sure, retail theft involves a lot ofmoney. According to a loss preventionstudy issued in late 2006 by the FoodMarketing Institute (FMI), the impact ofshoplifting alone is such that companiesapprehend an average of one shoplifter perday, with each incident costing an averageof $30. That, of course, involves only theshoplifters who are caught.

But shoplifting is just one element.Employee theft remains the largest ele-ment of retail shrink among grocers,accounting for 40 percent and averag-ing an impact of $12,000 per year percompany. Meanwhile, organized retailcrime (ORC) is cited by 62.5 percentof grocers as a growing problem. ORCrings focus on products like cigarettesand baby formula, which they turn

around and sell at flea markets and inother informal settings.

Bad checks continue to afflict companieswith a median loss of more than $57,000 ayear. And even credit card and debit cardpayments – supposedly less risky methodsof payment – caused an average loss ofmore than $3,000 per company in 2005.Throw in the impact of counterfeit money- $500 per year per company – and thestill-too-frequent problem of robberies, ofwhich six in 10 companies reported at leastone, costing more than $3,000 per incident,and someone might want to tell those teenswhat the financial picture of a retailer reallylooks like.

With respect to greater security measures,longtime retail security consultant ChrisMcGoey of San Francisco-based McGoey

Plugging the Leaks: Stopping Shrink

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continued on page 8


Security Consulting does not see grocersmoving as quickly as other retailers, and doesnot expect that they will.

“Grocers notoriously have less security inplace than a typical retailer,” McGoey says.“It’s just the style of their business. I’veworked with them for over 30 years, and theyjust don’t want to spend the money or thetime having loss prevention people. They justconsider it a cost of doing business.”

The good news, according to the FMI study,is that the industry appears to have achieveda 2 percent reduction in shrink in 2005 com-pared to 2004. Techniques for accomplishingthis include greater use of technology (90percent of grocers use some sort of closed cir-cuit television; about a quarter use biomet-rics), monitoring techniques (76 percent usepoint-of-sale exception monitoring), oldstandbys (seven in 10 companies use third-party-operated employee hotlines to reduceemployee theft) and preventive measures,such as new employee training on how tospot and prevent theft of various kinds.

“We train our associates to be very mindfuland watchful of things that happen in thestore,” says Maria Brous, director of mediaand community relations for Lakeland,Florida-based Publix. “That includes takingprecautions before we leave for the day, andmaking sure our property is locked up. Ourmanagers are highly trained and they alsopass that on to associates, so they can under-stand that every store is different.”

But less than 20 percent of retailers reportedproviding formal loss-prevention training foremployees below the level of manager. Mostof the training budget is dedicated to man-agers and security personnel.

David Donnan, who teaches a loss preventioncourse at the IGA Coca-Cola Retail Institute,and contributed to the FMI report forCheckpoint before leaving to establish hisown consultancy, Silvertip Management,believes employees at all levels are the key tostopping theft.

“The most important thing by far is hiring,retaining and training the right employees,”Donnan says. “No technology is ever going toprevent a sophisticated and determined thief,but your employees are the ones who aregoing to see what’s happening. The best

retailers are the ones that have good pro-grams, where you go into their store andyou’re automatically recognized by anemployee. They know what you need. Andyou know they’re constantly paying attentionto you. When you do exit interviews withshoplifters, that’s what they’re most afraid of.”

McGoey says a trained eye can spot ashoplifter. “I can hardly go into a grocerystore without seeing someone steal some-thing,” McGoey says. “I could just pick themout of the aisle, by the way they’re carryingthemselves, by the way they’re acting. I cantell that they’re there to steal.”

A growing priority is combating ORC rings.These well-organized outfits move quicklyfrom store to store, and from town to town,stocking up on goods they can turn aroundand sell in black-market settings. They focuson products like cigarettes, baby formula andover-the-counter drugs, which are in demandfrom low-income demographic groups whoare willing to buy them outside normal retailchannels.

The impact of ORC may extend beyond retaillosses, which the FBI estimates at $30 billiona year. FBI officials believe that some of thismoney may be used to fund terrorism.

“Gangs are sophisticated and fast, sweepingbaby formula, medicines and other expensiveitems off shelves, repackaging the productsand fencing them through flea markets andpawn shops and over the Internet at sitessuch as eBay,” an FMI press release on the lossstudy says.

Retailers are noticing. In a written statementprovided for this story, spokeswoman NatalieDanaher of Minneapolis-based SuperValusays, “Because the safety and security of ourcustomers and associates is a top priority, weare engaged in a number of initiatives toincrease awareness and combat ORC issues.”

According to Danaher, these initiativesinclude: serving as a member of the FoodMarketing Institute (FMI) to discuss and

monitor ORC issues; establishing a dedicatedORC task force whose primary responsibili-ties are to meet on an ongoing basis, shareideas and resolve ORC issues; and partneringwith the National Retail Federation’s RetailLoss Prevention Intelligence Network(RLPIN - a nationwide system that enablesretail companies and law enforcement agen-cies to report and monitor ORC incidents),to connect asset protection field teams andlaw enforcement teams between jurisdictions.

Brous says Publix finds there is no substitutefor close cooperation with law enforcementin the fight against ORC and other theft.

“We cooperate with the local police depart-ments and the sheriff ’s office to be able toshow them video surveillance, or anythingelse we might have,” he says. “In some cases,we have people at work in our stores or park-ing lots, patrolling our areas to ensure thesafety of our premises.”

Both sides of the perpetual battle – thethieves and those charged with stoppingthem – continue to innovate. Even gift cardswith pre-set spending amounts are nowbeing manipulated, as thieves learn to alterbarcodes to increase pre-set spending limitson cards. Retailers often use point-of-saleaudits to combat techniques such as these.

And as always, with employee theft account-ing for the largest share of retail loss, compa-nies pursue internal security policies that willminimize risk, even as they seek to imple-ment hiring practices that will prevent thehiring of likely theft candidates. Althoughtactics like background checks and prior ter-mination record checks are available, theeffort is considerably more difficult for alabor-intensive industry in the current envi-ronment of low unemployment.

In the FMI report, Steve Earl, senior industrymarketing manager for Kronos Inc., recom-mends that large retail organizations imple-ment common hiring practices across stores,provide managers with interviewing guidesand implement quick-hire procedures forclearly outstanding candidates to preventthem from going to competitors.

“But, like all good habits, a culture of honestymust be carefully developed, practiced andreinforced,” Earl writes. “The first step forretailers is to consistently select and hireemployees who support such a culture.”

PLUGGING LEAKS from page 7

NATURAL FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE8 www.naturalfoodnet.com

“A growing priority is combat-ting organized retail crime.These well-organized outfitsmove quickly from store to

store, and from town to town.”

NATURAL FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE10


L E T T E R T O T H E E D I T O R

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EDITORIALEditor

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Art DirectorRex Muzones

ContributorsDan Calabrese, Holly Case,

Jill Nussinow, Roberta G. Waxand David WortmanNewsletter Editor

Holly [email protected]

New Products EditorSarah Muir

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Contributing EditorsDan Calabrese & Jill Nussinow

Copyediting and ProofreadingSusan Bolton

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Aurora Organic Dairy to Stop Using Organic Label

The Food Emporium Begins Cutting Dakota Beef

Debates as to the nature of what is and is not trulyorganic continues, but the public, and the U.S.Department of Agriculture, has made it clear thatmajor factory-style dairy farming does not meetthe organic standard.

Aurora Organic Dairy, a large industrial dairyoperation in Colorado that produces most of theprivate label milk sold as organic, will stop usingthe organic label during a one-year probationaryperiod ordered by USDA.

Faced with losing their organic certification,Aurora signed a consent decree with the USDAthat agreed that they would stop using the organiclabel for some of its milk and that the companywould remove some cows from its herd. In addi-tion Aurora will not renew organic certification ofits Woodward, Colo., facility.

The agency cited numerous deficiencies includingaccess to pasture, faulty record keeping and cowsimproperly transitioned to organic. The companyis also required to make significant changes to itsfarming practices, including the creation andimplementation of plans to bring the companyinto compliance with federal organic standards.

While the USDA response helps to clarify theouter limits of acceptable farming practices thatcan still be in accordance with organic standards,some believe that it does not go far enough.

Mark Kastel, co-founder of the CornucopiaInstitute, a watchdog group that was instrumentalin exposing Aurora Organic's violation of organicstandards, agreed that USDA action was a positivestep, but said he does not believe that agency’spunishment is sufficient for the violation.

Dear Editor:

As a subscriber of the e-mail newsletter I cannotlet pass the opportunity of commenting on thisissue’s article on softening regulations on choco-late. (See Page 11)

Inexpensive chocolate manufacturers demandsare understandable, but then they should notlabel the product “chocolate”. As a chocoholic Ienjoy not having to spend a fortune everytime Iwant to get a taste of chocolate. Most inexpen-

sive versions at least satisfy in part my craving forthe “food of the gods”, as the Aztec and Mayascalled chocolate. But I should have the right toknow that when I decide to spend a small for-tune to eat real chocolate, I get the real thing.

Congratulations for the magazine!

Jorge Casale,ARGENCERT SRLIFOAM Standards Comité member.

Food of the Gods

Manhattan-based The Food Emporium begancutting organic beef at full-service meat depart-ments at 16 New York City locations Labor Dayweekend, becoming the first certified meatdepartments of 405 stores operated by TheGreat Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company.

The gourmet chain, working closely withDakota Beef LLC, was certified by InternationalCertification Services.

“With organic certification, we are moving ourfull-service meat departments forward andmaking organic a centerpiece in the premium,gourmet experience we offer our customers,”said Ray Donnelly, Senior Merchant, Meat andSeafood for The Food Emporium.

“No other beef supplier has brought us so muchextra value to a retail meat program as DakotaBeef has with this organic certification,” headded. Organic beef consumers can be confidentthat the ranch, processing plant and now theirgrocery meat counter are all verified organicaccording to strict USDA standards.

“I am extremely proud of The Food Emporiumfor taking this final step to ensure the beef theircustomers are purchasing really is indeed organ-ic. What this ultimately does is ensure the organ-ic seal stands for something with integrity,” saidDakota Beef CEO Scott Lively. “Being a trulyvertically integrated organic beef company, wewanted to do some more for a customer thanjust sell them beef,” he added.

Chocolate: Organic Sales Spike Across Category

BY JILL NUSSINOW

Driving chocolate sales is easy ifmanufacturers cooperate withdemo and sampling programs.

D elving deep into the chocolate cate-gory reveals tasty morsels aboutAmerica’s newest darling in the

“healthy” snack category. A survey of 1001Americans released in July 2007, commis-sioned by Barry Callebaut, a $4 billionchocolate manufacturer headquartered inZurich, found that 43 percent of respon-dents would eat chocolate for its healthbenefit, with 45 percent paying a premiumto do so. The organic side of this equationhas seen sales jump 29 percent in 2006according to an Organic Trade Association(OTA) report released August 2007.

Euromonitor Report estimated organicsales in North Americs at $70.8 million.OTA placed sales at $63.2 million affirmingchocolate as the industry’s growth segment.

The category still takes only a relativelysmall bite of the approximately $6 billionin total U.S. chocolate sales, according toOTA. Yet, it’s enough to garner the atten-tion of mainstream chocolate companiesincluding Cadbury Schweppes PLC andHershey Co. In 2005, Cadbury Schweppesbought the popular organic brand Green &Black; in 2006 competitor Hershey boughtaward-winning chocolatier Dagoba.

Russell Stover, Dove and Hershey’s allrecently introduced organic additions totheir lines but their mass-market reputa-tions will likely hinder attempts to gainposition in the natural market.

New and established brands such as Theo,Seeds of Change, Endangered Species, AlterEco, Equal Exchange, Sweet Earth and others,present lots of competition.

A September 2007 Packaged Facts reportestimates that there are up to 2000 smallchocolatiers, with a growing number cater-ing to natural and organic consumers.

The bar has been raised for chocolate, andretailers are finding that deciding whichbrands belong on the shelf is a test.

“The organic food industry is positioned togain from a trifecta of mega-food trends:health, wellness and premium quality,”according to Packaged Facts. Callebautreported that dark chocolate introductionsincreased from 306 to 926 SKUs between2002 and 2006, accounting for 62.5 percentof all new candy SKUs.

Complex buying decisions include: organic,

fair-trade, single origin, with flavors, addi-tions, nutriceuticals, dark, milk or white.The labels touting cacao percentage furthercomplicate matters. Knowing what drivesyour customers’ chocolate purchasing deci-sions is key.

Joan Steuer of Chocolate Marketing, LLCsays, “Chocolate lovers are becoming morelike wine aficionados with a similar hungerfor information! At the store level, thistranslates into educating managers andemployees — with taste training so that

SNACK AISLE


continued on page 12


SNACK AISLE

they can share their chocolate knowledgeand personal passion and know how todirect customers to specific chocolates.”

Marketing may push purchasing criteria.Women buy more premium chocolate thanmen. Higher income households purchasemore chocolate with a keener eye towardquality, the environment and social issues.

Steuer observesthat, “In organ-ic chocolate,particularly,people want toknow moreabout how buy-ing that choco-late will helptheir world.

The organicchocolate com-panies’ back-grounds androles in sustain-ability arebecomingincreasinglyimportant toshare.”

Endangered Species Chocolate, Dagoba andSeeds of Change offer this kind of informa-tion inside their labels but tearing open thewrapper makes it easy to miss.

Derek Finn, grocery manager at Santa RosaCommunity Market in California, says thathis customers demand fair-trade and organ-ic chocolate. “The Endangered SpeciesChocolate sells well because they donate toenvironmental causes and the packagingand chocolate are good.”

In contrast, Mike Chevalier, Natural Foodleader at Oliver’s, a 3-store Sonoma Countychain, in Santa Rosa, CA, says, “I think ourcustomers’ interest in chocolate is casual.”His Endangered Species customers usuallybuy the non-organic because the bars arebigger. Sometimes size matters.

Deb Music, VP of Sales and Marketing forSeattle-based Theo which produces organic,fair-trade chocolate on-site says, “The high-er concentration of foodies in bigger metro-

politan areas means more adventurouschocolate eaters, possibly related to expo-sure to different kinds of chocolate.” Musicthinks that more suburban and rural con-sumers who currently eat “more accessible,basic” chocolate may develop a palate forother flavor combinations in time. Theremay be other demographics to consider.

Packaged Facts reports that the popularity ofdark chocolate, single originsand bold flavors are trendsthat cater to an older con-sumer group. High percentagecacao products with less sugarfit the bill for nutritious anddelicious desires.

Their more robust flavor pro-file registers with a flaggingsense of taste. Add potentiallygood-for-you ingredients suchas superfruits acai, pomegran-ate, or blueberries and special-ty bars can be enjoyed almostguilt-, but not calorie-, free.Discovering chocolate’s dis-tinctive nuances is aided byeducation.

Driving chocolate sales is easy if manufac-turers cooperate with demo and samplingprograms.

Steuer says, “Sampling will always be sig-nificant, as chocolate lovers always sayyes to a freebie. In the future, though,sampling with knowledge-sharing, withspecific focused tastings (be they origin-specific, or percent cacao-specific, etc.)will become even more popular. Thissupports customer education and ulti-mately, loyalty as well.”

When hands-on education isn’t possible,perhaps “shelf-talkers” will do the trick.

Steuer suggests that chocolate supplierspartner with retailers to provide materialssuch as header cards with flavor profiles andinformation on cacao origin for purechocolate. Providing the background of anartisan produced chocolate and aids cus-tomers in choosing their favorite style,which may also be changing. The plain barof unknown origin may be passé.

Single origin chocolatesallow for “taste travel”especially as consumersrealize how terroir(growing region) andbean varieties influence,and provide, more dis-tinctive flavor and mar-keting differentiation.Your challenges will besatisfying a chocolateaficionado’s desires witha breadth of bars, andwhere to shelve them all.

Steuer says, “I see retail shifting to includechocolate in many areas of the store beyondthe traditional candy aisle and at check-out.

“Chocolate is more than just candy or atreat, it’s also food for adults,” said Steuer.

“As such, chocolate displays are showing upin the bakery area, alongside wines, andeven in produce.

He predicts that chocolate “will continue toexpand into the store’s perimeter.”

Get ready for customers seeking more sweetindulgence.

CHOCOLATE from page 11


SNACK AISLE

W hat are the ingredients thatshould be in a chocolate bar?That is a question that has been

stirring up debate since last October in theU.S., as the Food and DrugAdministration has been petitioned torevise which ingredients are allowableunder the definition of chocolate. It is amatter that is garnering a surprisingamount of debate from many sides, fromchocolate connoisseurs to the GroceryManufacturers Association to theChocolate Manufacturers Association.

At the root of the debate is cocoa butter,and the standards that must be establishedto set a minimum percentage that choco-late must contain. Some industry groupshave stated that cheaper vegetable oilsshould be allowed in place of cocoa butter.Chocolate in its purest state naturally con-tains 50 to 60 percent cocoa butter.Manufacturers can already use vegetableoils, but they are not allowed under cur-

rent guidelines to call the resulting prod-uct chocolate.

The industry groups like the ChocolateManufacturers Association and GroceryManufacturers Association seek the flexibil-ity to add different ingredients and employdifferent chocolate making techniques thanare currently allowed. These groups chargethat the standards regarding making choco-late are antiquated and therefore irrelevant,and a more modern, updated interpretationis needed. Their view is that the FDA’s cur-rent standards are much too strict, unnec-essary and potentially harmful to the entirechocolate industry.

However, many chocolatiers and con-sumers are opposed to the effort to weak-en the standards. Speaking in theInternational Herald Tribune, GuittardChocolate president Gary Guittard said,“It’s a real philosophical thing, not justabout the foods we eat. There is such a

focus on people wanting to know what’s inthe foods they eat, how they’re grown,where they come from - this seems to flyagainst the direction of the way things aremoving.” Guittard is one of the leaders ofthe opposition. Many consumers are alsosimilarly passionate about chocolate anddo not want to see the standards weakenedeither, which they feel would produce aninferior product.

Implementing such changes wouldundoubtedly change the future of thechocolate industry. Because the cost ofcocoa butter is about four times greaterthan that of cheaper vegetable oils such asshea butter and palm oil, chocolate wouldbe much cheaper to produce. Such achange would also have a global impact onthe approximately 50 million cacao grow-ers worldwide. The effect would likely bedevastating for these growers becausethere would no longer be as great of aneed for cocoa butter.

–By Holly Case

Chocolate Standards Debated

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BY ROBERTA G. WAX

I n 1990, Congress passed the OrganicFoods Production Act (OFPA) requiringthe U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA) to develop national standards fororganically produced agricultural products.The National Organic Program (NOP), amarketing program housed within theUSDA Agricultural Marketing Service,developed national organic standards andestablished an organic certification pro-gram. These standards became effectiveOct. 21, 2002, and helped boost U.S. con-sumption of organic products.

Kathleen Merrigan, currently the Directorof the Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentProgram at the Friedman School ofNutrition Science and Policy at TuftsUniversity, was senior science and technolo-gy advisor to the U.S. Senate Committee onAgriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry from1987 to 1992 and was the staff author of theOFPA. In 1995, while a senior analyst at theHenry A. Wallace Institute for AlternativeAgriculture, she was appointed to theNational Organic Standards Board as anenvironmental representative. In 1999 shebecame administrator of the USDAAgricultural Marketing Service, where herchief responsibilities included publicationof a new proposed organic rule and finalrule. Merrigan has served on the board ofdirectors of the Organic Farming ResearchFoundation, assisted the UN Food andAgriculture Organization in writing its first-ever policy paper on organic agriculture,and received the Organic TradeAssociation’s 2000 Leadership award.

NFN talked with Merrigan about the NOPstandards and the state of organics.

NFN: It’s been five years since the NationalOrganic Program began its certificationprogram for organic foods. How have thesestandards been implemented?

Merrigan: Nobody’s 100 percent happy, butthat’s to be expected. It’s a very ambitiousprogram that includes imports and makingsure organic food coming into the countrymeets USDA standards. It’s under-funded

and beleaguered by continuous disputeswithin the food industry itself about whatthose standards should be. Given that, it’sdoing fine.

NFN: What are some of the main disputes?

Merrigan: The essential issue has been therule of the national list of what can be usedin organic production, how that list shouldbe decided. A lot of hard work went on dur-ing the 10 years post passage of the legisla-tion, prior to implementation of the rule.There’s been a lot of hard work by organicindustry folk, environmentalists, etc. It’sbeen a long process to come up with anational list that has been fairly well vettedthrough the communities that wereinvolved in the drafting of the legislation. Inlarge measure, there was consensus on(what should be on the) national list, butthis didn’t always technically meet the legis-lation requirements. So the national list waschallenged in court. The key dispute waswhat should be on that list. There’s been alot of dispute over the role of pasture indairy and a lot of feeling our way through

the dark on what should constitute organiclivestock production. The USDA didn’tallow for labeling of organic livestock prod-uct until 1999. Crop rotation is the corner-stone. Livestock production is evolving.Then there’s the question of the role ofhydroponics, with some feeling that organicshould mean soil based. And what aboutgreenhouse products and standards forwater? There are a thousand things still leftundone. There is a need for continual dia-log and compromise as we go forward.

NFN: What did this certification programdo for organic food consumption? Did itraise consumer confidence?

Merrigan: According to many surveys, yes.People felt much more confident in theorganic label if it had the USDA seal. I don’tknow if we have a full understanding ofproducts that are less than 99 percent. Butthe growth in the organic market has beensteady and the envy of all the rest of agri-culture.

NFN: Have producers and retailersembraced these standards?

Merrigan: Yes, retailers in particular. Nowyou can buy organic everywhere, not just ata health food market. It’s really main streamat this point. That means more land isunder ecological management. Some worryabout organic (producers) getting too big.But I don’t want organic (food) to be thedomain of just a small percentage of thepopulation, the more affluent, or those incertain neighborhoods. I want everyone tobe able to have access to organic foods.

NFN: In Italy, 8 percent of thefarmland/rangeland is now organicallymanaged. In Germany and the UK it is 4percent. In the US it is .5 percent rangelandand .5 percent farmland. It was expected tobe much greater by now. What is holdingback the conversion? What are some of theproblems US farmers face in going organic?What are some of the solutions?

Merrigan: There is a wide range of prob-lems. We have a pretty strict standard com-pared to some other countries. It’s not just


Q&A

Kathleen Merrigan with son Seamus at far right. Thelocation is a farm training site run by Tufts Universitywhere recent immigrants from Cambodia, Laos andLiberia are assisted in re-entering farming. Merrigan’shusband, Mike Selmi is in the middle (without thebucket) and daughter Fiona is held by one ofMerrigan’s doctoral students.

Kathleen MerriganDirector of the Agriculture, Food and Environment Program at theFriedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University


what is done on the farm or ranch, it’s thedistribution network, too. In some ways wein are in a weird period; the market isebbing and flowing, supply is outstrippingdemand. It takes time for people to adjust.Other countries help out organic producersmore than we do. I’d like to see the govern-ment give some subsidy or reward for envi-ronmental stewardship, or at least even theplaying field. (For instance, making cropinsurance premiums easier for smallerfarmers to absorb.) There’s a list of itemsorganic activists have brought toWashington. There’s a frustration that thefederal government doesn’t do more. Onthe other hand, we’ve made progress. TheUSDA is funding some organic research,which is long overdue. The House andSenate Agricultural Committees have sub-committees that have organic in the title. Iwouldn’t have predicted that when I wasworking on the legislation in 1990.

I find it exciting and hopeful. At a recentorganic summit in Italy, the question was,“Is this the organic we wanted?” In manyways yes, it is. (While addressing that sum-mit) I asked them to reflect on these things:patience, because I don’t think the organicindustry has a lot of experience dealingwith the government and doesn’t under-stand how long things can take; tolerance,because it’s a community that talks a lotabout tolerance and fairness, but is notalways that tolerant; and compromise,which doesn’t necessarily mean selling outor losing moral standards. (This is) essentialto the process that involves government anda diverse constituency. And also celebration– people should be proud of what they’veachieved in five years. In achieving environ-mental goals, it’s not 100 percent what wewanted, but we’re moving forward in theright direction.

NFN: What are the most controversialissues today regarding organic certification?

Merrigan: There are three issues. The firstissue is that of the inspectors. One thingthat drove the legislation was concern thatsome certifiers weren’t doing a good job inholding producers and processors to thestandards. Some concerns remain and we’re

looking to the USDA to have tough enforce-ment over the next few years. If peopleknow of violations they should report themto the USDA, which needs to enforce thestandards. Second, people are concernedabout cost. (It costs certifiers to be accredit-ed by the USDA) and they pass on that costto producers. We’ve been concerned aboutthe drop out factor of smaller producers(who leave the program) because of costs.We’re trying to get cost sharing on certifica-tion. The third issue is oversight of imports,and how do we know if something is reallyorganic. It will take years before we get toequivalency agreements, but we have U.S.and other country-based certifiers. There isa lot of concern that there be close oversightof that process.

NFN: How is the NOP working to promoteorganic farming, etc.?

Merrigan: That’s not their mission. Theypromote it by making sure the program iscredible, with quick and effective enforce-ment. But the USDA has (thousands) ofemployees. NOP has fewer than 20. We arelooking to harness the energy of variousagencies. NOP is housed within theAgricultural Marketing Service, which hasstarted to collect market data on organicfoods. The economic research service isstarting to do more research on organicdata. NOP’s core responsibility is makingsure that certifiers are doing their jobs.

There are a lot of (research) questions thatmerit exploration, such as is it possible thatplants can develop a diabetes-like disease ashumans can. Scientific studies are multi-year, multi-site studies. Private industry isfunding some but they need to do more.The federal government needs to kickmoney in, too. (One of the issues in thecurrent farm bill debate is) that organicagriculture should have research dollarsequal to the amount of organic production.If that’s 2 percent, we should get 2 percentof the research budget.

NFN: Amarjit Sahota, director of OrganicMonitor, a market research firm based inthe UK, writes: “Over-concentration ofdemand could put the global organic foodindustry in a fragile condition. Sluggish

growth rates in one or both regions couldclose up markets for many producers.”Sahota advises that producers in developingcountries start developing internal markets.Is this realistic? How would they do this?

Merrigan: I’d have to see this in fuller con-text, but at a recent meeting of the FoodAgricultural Organization (a branch of theUnited Nations), there was a lot of discus-sion on the need for developing countriesto develop internal markets. They shouldreap the benefits of organic themselves.(Exporting organic crops because they needthe cash might not be the best way to pro-ceed.) It’s best to have a simultaneous mar-ket internally so people have access to fresh,organic food.

NFN: In light of recent issues with Chinesefarmed seafood imports, toothpaste addi-tives and pet food (none certified organic),what are some of the dangers/issues theorganic food industry faces, both in the USand abroad?

Merrigan: There are bound to be problemsthat will be uncovered in imported ordomestically produced agriculture as weclamp down and scrutinize the systems wehave in place. I hope consumers can see thelarger picture. Organic has more safe foodsthan pet food or other things because thecertification is in place.

A lot (of the problems) are happeningbecause demand is outstripping supply, sopeople are going to other countries, as we tryto transition more and more farmers. Forinstance, Organic Valley, a large dairy coop-erative, is trying to sign up new producers tomeet their demands. Supply can’t keep upwith demand. As we keep going in the mar-ket, the other big dilemma is (an urge to“buy local.”) There is some concern fueled byorganic advocates themselves who distrustcorporate organizations, and there is a gen-uine desire by consumers to support localagriculture. The more we can fuse thoseinterests, the better the industry will be.

For more information on the NOP certifica-tion, go to: www.ams.usda.gov/NOPor call the National Organic Program at 202-720-3252.


Q&AQA with Kathleen Merrigan from page 16


Sales of natural and organic health and beautyproducts are expected to grow 50 percent by2010. It can be tough to decide what to buy in amarket flooded with new products. Natural FoodNetwork’s editors reviewed the exhibit list tohelp retailers find some of the show’s best:

HEALTH & BEAUTYWho needs plastic surgery when there are effectivenatural alternatives? BioTech Corporation introducesthe addition of the amazing new “5 Minute FaceLift” to their Derma Silk line.Booth No. 1303

Nature’s Gate makes it easy to give your hair theorganic treatment. Made with many organic ingredi-ents, their shampoos and conditioners also come in avariety of pleasant fragrances, like Grapefruit and WildGinger. Booth No. 542

Chicken Poop Lip Junk may be a strange name, butcustomers everywhere are raving about this excellent

lip balm (which contains only nice ingredients). Stopby the booth and learn the funny story behind thename. Booth No. 153

In addition to their skin care products that helpwomen deal with uncomfortable hot flashes, woman-owned Emerita now has a new line of facial careproducts for women over 40. Booth No. 554

Germ-conscious people rarely leave home during fluseason without their antibacterial hand gel. Insteadof harsh chemical antibacterial products, trygentlesanitizing hand wipes from EO. Booth No. 454

Women now have a safe, environmentally consciousalternative in feminine hygiene products. Ask thewomen at Diva International about their revolutionaryproduct. Booth No. 743

If you’ve ever joked that you love chocolate so muchyou would bathe in it, now Indigo Wild gives you thatchance with their blissful Coco Zum line of bath prod-ucts. Booth No. 654

Natural toothpaste users often have to sacrifice theoption of whitening formulas, but now JASONNatural Products offers a fluoride-free whitening

toothpaste. That’s something to smile about! Booth No. 531

Is it possible to find makeup without artificial dyes oringredients? Yes! Primitive Makeup brings you naturalalternatives to conventional cosmetics, in shades tosuit all skin tones. Booth No. 4014

Disposable diapers are undoubtedly convenient, butmost brands are really hard on the environment.TenderCare wants to change that with their Tushiesdiapers, which contain chlorine-free wood pulp andcotton instead of absorbent chemical gel.Booth No. 627

Aluminum-free deodorants often have the reputationof not working as effectively as their mainstreamcounterparts. Tom’s of Maine tackled this by reformu-lating their Long-Lasting Deodorant to include hops, anatural odor fighter.Booth No. 431

Count on the goodness of the Mediterranean toimprove your health inside and out. Tact Beauty Careincludes natural ingredients like Mediterranean oliveoil and Aegean sea salt to create smooth, suppleskin. Booth No. 252

The organic movement's products andideals strongly influenced this year's NaturalProducts Expo East program and exhibits.

The show's keynote speaker is Paul Hawken,author of Blessed Unrest: How the LargestMovement in the World Came into Being andWhy No One Saw It Coming (Viking Press,2007). Hawken describes the underlying ele-ments of environmental sustainability con-verging with social justice.

The collaboration of 100 million people, hesays, is "humanity's immune response topolitical corruption, economic disease andecological degradation, something unlikeanything we have ever seen in terms of scale,breadth and diversity."

Another must-see speaker is Kevin Coupewhose insight into grocery-retailing is wide-

ly admired at MorningNewsBeat.com.Coupe and researchers from the HartmanGroup and Avero Research will presentcompelling video Thursday afternoon onwhat makes a product hot.

Exhibitors, eager to put the newest productson display, anticipate continued support forthe growing base of certified products.

Conversation at the second annual OrganicHarvest Festival from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesdaywill no doubt encompass supply shortages,the rapid emergence of private label organ-ics and growing consumer preference forlocally produced organic.

This year’s Spirit of Organic awards banquetand fundraiser will benefit the OrganicFarming Research Foundation and theInternational Federation of Organic

Agriculture Movements.Organic sessions worthy of note: "TheNational Organic Program: What it is andhow it works" with Andrea Caroe, chair ofthe National Organic Standards Board,And on Friday: "How to be a Farmer-Friendly Company." This seminar is aimedat empowering retailers and manufacturersto help new organic farmers succeed

Natural Products ExpoEast

What’s Cool

CCoonnffeerreennccee:: Sept 25-29, 2007 |

Exhibits: Sept. 27-29, 2007

Hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Thurs/Fri.

Saturday Hours: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Baltimore Convention Center

RReeggiisstteerr aatt:: www.expoeast.com or

call (866).458-4935 toll free.

EEmmaaiill:: [email protected]

SCHEDULE


What’s CoolReduce your dependence on petroleum not just inyour car, but also in your skin care. PangeaOrganics makes “Ecocentric Bodycare” that con-tains no synthetic or petrochemical ingredients; it’sgood for you and the planet. Booth No. 836

Natracare is known for their natural femininehygiene products, but now they’re bringing theirexpertise to a new line of baby care products thatpamper delicate infant skin, like shampoos andlotions made with essential oils and never anyparabens. Booth No. 439

Nail fungus is a surprisingly common problem thatnobody wants to admit that they have. Now NoMiss! gets rid of it quickly, with their effective newnatural treatments for nail fungus, including fortoes. Booth No. 643

Soak away all your worries with the Stress ReliefBath from Abra Therapeutics. The soothing treat-ment contains stress-busting herbs like valerian,

hops, and St. John’s Wort and promotes therapeu-tic relaxation. Booth No. 234

Now you can apply sunscreen on delicate ears andlips with the convenient new Hot Spots sunscreenfrom Kiss My Face. The product comes in an inno-vative stick formula, the same size as a tube of lipbalm for easy portability. Booth No. 442

Buying new razors and toothbrushes is a necessity,but it doesn’t have to waste valuable resources.Recycline makes it easy to be environmentally con-scious with their toothbrushes and razors, madefrom 100% recycled material. Booth No. 728

Experience the healing powers of aromatherapywith quality essential oils from Aura Cacia. Nowthe company has a full line of aromatherapeuticproducts, from baby shampoo to diaper cream, tosoothe fussy babies Booth No. 2811

From insect repellants to balm for sore muscles,

W.S. Badger Co. makes many great products foranyone who spends a lot of time outdoors, as wellas their friends indoors. Best of all, their skin careproducts are 100% natural. Booth No. 255

Can’t decide what to get that special person? Try acustom gift basket from Beautiful Soap filled withnatural petroleum-free shower gels, body scrubsand lotions. You can treat yourself to a little pam-pering, too. Booth No. 741

Diabetes is on the increase, and diabetics havespecial skin needs. Brigit True can help, with aDiabeticae line of extra-gentle products for themost sensitive skin. Non-diabetics will love thecompany’s other product lines. Booth No. 352

SUPPLEMENTSThe supplement industry is still hot, as more con-sumers make the switch to healthier lifestyles.While vitamin supplements will likely always bearound, there are so many new innovations in this


What’s Coolcategory that are worth investigating.

Could a supplement allow you to skip usingdeodorant? That’s the secret of Body Mint, whichworks from the inside out to make your underarmsand feet smell fresh. Booth No. 4615

Fish oil has many health benefits, but it’s importantto choose a brand that doesn’t have contaminantslike mercury. You can rely on Nordic Naturals forpure, high quality fish oil supplements, which evencome in great flavors to mask the fishy taste.Booth No. 1111

People who can’t consume fish still need Omega-3Fatty Acids. Barlean’s can help, with their flax, bor-age and evening primrose oil supplements. Unlikefish oil, you can put flax oil in a smoothie and notnotice the taste! Booth No. 1927

NOW Foods is one of the best-known vitamin and

supplement companies, and they have the awardsto prove it! They previously won a spot on theExpo East “10 Best New Products” list for their AirDefense Immune Booster formula. Stop by thebooth and see why. Booth No. 1127

Don’t be caught unprepared for another flu sea-son! Boiron makes the best-selling homeopathicflu remedy Oscillococcinum, which four clinicalstudies have shown to reduce the duration of flusymptoms. It has to be taken at the first sign ofsymptoms, so keep some in your house.Booth No. 1627

Too few people realize that probiotics are benefi-cial for everything from healthy digestion to boost-ing the immune system. Try a good probiotic sup-plement, like Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics 12 PLUS fromEssential Formulas Incorporated, and see howhealthy these good bacteria can make you feel.Booth No. 1605

With so many companies making unverifiableclaims about their products, it’s reassuring to buyfrom a company that has been around for almost30 years like Kroeger Herbs. They have a widerange of products to meet all of your supplementneeds, from vitamins to combination herbal formu-las. Booth No. 2021

Even having a healthy diet may not be enough toavoid exposure to toxins, but traditional cleansescan feel drastic. Now you can gently eliminate tox-ins before they build up with a daily cleanse fromWellements, available in tea or capsule form.Booth No. 1427

Private labels have become big business in thefood industry, and they can be just as successful inthe supplement industry as well. Reliance PrivateLabel Supplements can offer high quality vitaminsand combination herbal formulas for all your pri-vate label needs. Booth No. 1426


What’s CoolThe ancient healing method of ayurveda couldcure what ails us in the modern age, too. AyurBesthas a wide variety of ayurvedic formulas to treateverything from sinus troubles to joint health.Booth No. 1142

Sometimes natural supplements are used to com-plement rather than replace traditional pharma-ceutical treatments. Dry mouth is a common sideeffect from many pharmaceuticals, but a naturalslippery elm formula from the Henry Thayer Co.can help relieve this symptom. Booth No. 236

HOME AND GARDEN–If you think that organic and natural products athome are limited to the contents of the refriger-ator, you’re in for a real surprise. The conver-gence of environmental awareness and theinterest in healthier lifestyles has created a bigmarket for alternative products for the home.

Yes, you can tackle even the heaviest, hardestcleaning jobs without resorting to toxic clean-ers. Bi-O-Kleen offers many environmentallyfriendly cleaning products for the toughest jobs,even for use in industrial settings.Booth No. 944

Food safety has become a huge issue in light ofrecent contamination outbreaks. Now you canfight back naturally with products likeBeaumont Products Veggie Wash, made fromsafe yet effective organic citrus. It can even beused to sanitize countertops too!Booth No. 552

Clean up greasy messes without harsh chemicalstripping agents. See how effective and power-ful natural enzymes can be in cleaning greaseand grime, with products like naturally clean byChemfree Solutions. Booth No. 840

Indoor air is often more polluted than outdoorair, which is why organic furnishings matter.Carolina Morning Designs produces manyattractive and safe home furnishings, like pil-lows, seat cushions and meditation mats, allmade with organic fibers. Booth No. 4506

High efficiency washing machines are better forthe environment, but until now it has been hardto find eco-friendly HE laundry detergent. EarthFriendly Products is changing all that, with theintroduction of their new Ecos HE detergent.Booth No. 831

Babies may be tiny, but they’re still capable ofmaking big messes. Let Mother Natural help youclean up those messes with natural and safeproducts that won’t put that precious little oneat risk from toxin exposure.Booth No. 848


CLEANING AISLE

BY DAVID WORTMAN

Studies indicate 93 percent ofthe U.S. consumer market is con-cerned with sustainability.Among this group 90 percentare interested in natural clean-ing products, though only one-third currently purchase them.

C onsumers appreciate sparkling cleanfloors, germ free countertops andfresh smelling bathrooms. But what

they’re willing to purchase and do to meettheir cleaning needs is profoundly chang-ing, affecting the bottom line for retailers ofhousehold cleaning products.

According to Mintel, the U.S. householdcleaning products market, worth $2.7 bil-lion in 2005, slid nearly 8 percent in valuefrom 2000. And while supermarkets stillhave a firm hold on retail sales—an esti-mated 74 percent in 2005 – they continueto lose market share to mass merchandisersand drug stores. Mintel estimates that thehousehold cleaning products market willdecrease by another 5 percent between 2005and 2010.

Time management is a major driver ofchanging consumer cleaning habits.Consumers now spend 20 percent less timecleaning than a decade ago. With a fasterpace of life and nearly 60 percent of womenworking, only 9 percent of consumers thor-oughly clean their homes weekly, optinginstead for quicker and lighter cleaning.And with an increasing number of childlesshouseholds, consumers have far lessdemand for products catered to deep clean-ing, or mopping up after spills and acci-dents. Surface cleaners, while still thelargest market segment with over 58 percentof sales, experienced the largest salesdecreases, along with rug cleaners and fur-niture polish.

To remain competitive retailers should tapinto the bright spots of this otherwise sag-

ging market. Products that tout conven-ience will continue counter market trends,with sales of quick cleaning products suchas cleaning cloths expected to increase. Therecent outbreaks of SARS, E.coli, and avianflu have also created what Mintel calls a“germaphobic” culture in America, andincreased interest in anti-bacterial and dis-infecting products.

Natural alternatives to conventional house-hold cleaners are among the best marketperformers. Sales in natural food storesincreased from $11.5 million to $16 millionfrom 2003 and 2005, and while still com-paratively small in sales revenue, severalbrands now have sales topping $1 million.

“We’ve seen same store sales increasing 30percent a year, and up to 60 percent in thefood channel when you factor in new cus-tomers,” says John Murphy, Vice Presidentof Sales for Seventh Generation. SeventhGeneration’s products are now found inboth conventional grocery stores anddrug stores in select locations through-out the country such as Shop-Rite,Albertsons, Kroger, and Publix.

“Laundry detergent and dish detergentare the two cleaning categories in whichnatural products are having the most suc-cess,” observes Maria Brous, Director ofMedia and Community Relations for PublixSuper Markets.

Seventh Generation’s Murphy notes thatoverall sales strength can be traced to theconvergence of consumer concerns abouthealth, wellness, and sustainability.Indoor pollution, toxicity, and the envi-ronment are among the concerns drivingnatural products into mainstream mar-kets, as are government regulations ban-ning ingredients like phosphates.

Populations increasingly connecting aller-gies or other respiratory conditions withcleaning products are looking for morenatural products free of scents and dyes,while those that do prefer scents — still asignificant segment of the market — findappeal with citrus, lavender and, othernatural oils in natural products.

Major suppliers are taking notice, and con-ventional manufacturers are poised torelease more environmentally friendly prod-ucts in the next 6 to 12 months. “We recog-nize that this is a growing trend and seg-ment within the cleaning products indus-try,” says Ross Holthouse, spokesper-son for Proctor & Gamble’s HomeCare division.

Mintel surveys echo such sentiments, indi-cating that 58 percent of respondentsattempt to buy “environmentally friendly”cleaning products, while Hartman reportsthat 90 percent of consumers in the “worldof sustainability” – comprising 93 percentof the U.S. consumer market — are inter-ested in natural cleaning products, thoughonly one-third currently purchase them,creating a significant latent market demand.

The effectiveness of natural cleaning prod-ucts is a legitimate consumer concern. Buttrials are showing that many natural prod-ucts perform as well as or better than theirconventional counterparts. Recent tests byConsumer Reports ranked Ecover’s dish-washer cleaning tablets and powders astop performers. “Our own labs test theefficacy of our products, and we standbehind each of them,” says KiplingRutherford-Sameshima of natural prod-

Natural Products Buck Cleaning Products Sales Trends



BY DAN BOLTON

Canadian organic grocer expandsand grows to meet demand.

T he rapid rise of organics is conspicu-ous not only for the growing numberof stores featuring these products but

for the number of rapidly growing stores.

Winnipeg Manitoba’s Organza Market is thelargest organic grocer in this city of 648,000on the Canadian prairie. Owner GerryDickson has nurtured organic retailingfrom humble beginnings in an 800-square-foot converted house through two locationsin the late 1990s.

Today his second-floor administrative officesare larger than his first store. The airy, mod-ern, open design of the 9,000 square-footstore below is fronted by a 200-car parkinglot and houses the Dandelion Eatery, anorganic restaurant that seats 50. His highlytrafficked location, named Confusion Cornerfor the five main traffic arteries that convergeat this point, is one of the most accessibleand best known places in Winnipeg.

In 1999 Dickson purchased the formerHarvest Collective in his first expansion andrenovated two structures, adding a juice barand commercial kitchen to prepare deliitems. He installed POS and inventory con-trols, hired full-time staff and was earningmore than $1 million annually by the timehe outgrew locations on Corydon andWestminster Ave.

Organza Market opened in November 2005“to meet the growing demand for organicproducts,” said Dickson.

“After four moves I wasn’t sure how ourbase would shift,” he said. Many customerstold him they preferred the intimacy of theoriginal stores but 60 to 70 percent drawnto this store are new customers.

The building was previously a family enter-tainment center. The interior layout of thenew store is based on a model used byorganic markets across North America. Theexpanded design permitted a reading/educa-tion center, a restaurant, bakery and deli aswell as additional space in every department.The store now carries 8,000 SKUs with 30percent of these products certified organic.

In the Dandelion Eatery Chef Ben Krameroversees a new kitchen with vastly improvedfoodservice capabilities, including a cookingarea for organic meat. Diners can enjoyorganic wines and beer with their meals.The lunch crowd favors sandwiches andlocal pork, chicken or the Organza Bonanzaand buckwheat noodle salads. At dinneryou can order mushroom fricassee followedby Stonewood elk, Ekert’s Organic Beef, panroasted duck and maple marinated sable-fish, northern pike with pine nuts andsmoked wild salmon flat bread.

“We are dedicated to creating a menu basedon regional ingredients,” said Kramer whosebest sellers are elk and locally caught fish.“Restaurants should look to their ownbackyard for the best ingredients, he said.“Sourcing local encourages increased localproduction.”

“We support producers practicing sustain-able agriculture. Our belief is reflected notonly in our food, but also in our choices ofbeer, wine and even packaging used forcatering,” adds Kramer. The restaurant wasnamed by Where Canada as one of the top10 best new restaurants in Canada in 2006.

Canadian ExpansionCanadian Expansion


Organza is managed by Zyg Iskierski whohandles purchasing, security and generaloperations. Dickson staffs the stores and isresponsible for sales, marketing, and mer-chandizing and store services.

Larger space permitted new departmentssuch as the education/ reading area, a bakeryand deli. Cooking classes, guest speakers,tasting evenings and promotional events areall part of the educational opportunities cus-tomers can expect from Organza Market.

Dickson said that organic grocers in Canadaface some unique challenges. Legislationrequires product labels carry both a Frenchand English description. The market fororganics remains relatively small in thisnation of 33 million. Only about 10 percentof organic items on the market meet strictrequirements making it difficult forDickson to stock many big sellers in thestates. A short growing season and tempera-tures that range from 40-degrees Celsius(104 in summer) to 40 below restrict whatgrows locally.

Dickson strives for a broad balance of goods.In the produce section he is proud of the elon-gated Kelsey sweet onions at $1.67 a pound.

“My best suppliers are not marketers.Farmer’s markets are popular and they talkabout cutting out the middleman but weare the go-between. I enjoy telling their sto-ries, like the zucchini grower whose winddamaged crop was lost until his neighbor

fed it to his pigs. Now he’s a pig producer,”said Dickson.

Among the jellies alongside Crofters andEmelia Apricot Chutney are Duchy Originalsendorsed by the Prince of Wales and, ofcourse, a range of organic maple syrups andconfections. The store has a stand-alonefreezer containing certified baby food (pack-age of broccoli sells for $CAN6.99 and agood selection of cooking oils includingManitoba Harvest hemp seed oil. Dicksonsays he invested in the brand, evidence of hisstrong commitment to local producers.

In the meat case elk sausage sells for$CAN20.29 per kg ($9.20 per pound) and

Berkshire Pork (a dark red, marbled delica-cy humanely raised by 20 local producers)sells for $CAN32.50 per kg. ($14.75 perpound). Exotic meats like Kurobuta Porkfrom Japan are on display. An organic NewYork strip sells for $18 a pound.

Hund-N-Flocken natural dog food is a bigseller. The store holds ethnic specialties likeShiro Miso Shinmeido and Umebashi(pickled Japanese plums) a $CAN17.39 del-icacy. Demand for soy products is down butnon-dairy beverages like rice milk and RiceDivine in the freezer case are selling well.

Wholesome Sweetners raw sugar along withbulk dispensers for cereals and grainsremind customers of the co-op days.

Dickson, 50, is a skillful merchandiser. Sinceopening the restaurant he has introducedDandelion private label fairtrade coffee,salad dressings and rubs.

He credits much of his success to thechanging diet and lifestyle of Winnipeg’sresidents. Dickson avoids stocking highlyprocessed foods. “Products with ten ormore ingredients we try to avoid,” he said.

Despite his effort “our number one sellersare processed. They are not much betterthan junk food but brands like Kettle Chipsare a crossover to real healthy food,” he said.

“It is so hard to move them (customers)from a starch-based diet. It’s the singlebiggest obstacle to helping people. That’swhy I made room for an education centerand I work with naturopaths

After World War II it was all about shelf-stable products and high yield farming sowe would never run out of food again.

“That was perceived abundance,” heobserves. “Today everything is fresh andhealthy and that’s true abundance.”

STORE PROFILE

First Opened: 1999

Number of Employees: 30

Total Square Footage: 9,000 Sq. Ft.

Restaurant: 2,000 Sq. Ft.

Retail: 4,650 Sq. Ft.

Annual Sales: $4 million ($3.8 million US)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Chef Ben Kramer

Owner Gerry Dickson


C L E A N I N G A I S L E

ucts producer Ecover. Mintel notes thatoffering trial sizes and coupons mayentice consumers to make the switch.

Price is also still a major barrier for thegrowing natural cleaning products market.Murphy notes that Seventh Generation’sgoal is to be within 10 to 20 percent of theprice of leading conventional brands, not-ing that ingredients such as essentialorganic oils are more expensive than syn-thetic fragrances.

As sales volume increases, prices for natu-ral products are expected to continue tobecome more competitive with conven-tional cleaning products, he said.

Others contend that consumers are will-ing to pay a premium for more naturalproducts, particularly through more inte-grated product placement and education.

“There is a much larger segment of cus-tomers who are legitimately interested in

protecting the environment, but is not top-of-mind for them,” says Brous of Publix.

“These customers will, however, pick upthese products if they find them duringtheir normal grocery trip down the clean

ing aisle.” Brous says that stocking items inthe regular retail sections helps bridge thisgap for mainstream customers who areinterested in doing more to help the envi-ronment.

As for the future, natural products manu-facturers are taking stock of trends, lookingat more concentrated products such asdishwasher tablets to reduce packaging andincrease convenience, producing more nat-ural fragrances to appeal to consumernoses, and finding better natural ways topower out stains and kill germs.

Overall, the natural products industry con-tinues to grow as people leave behind the“old school thought of hospital like clean-ing” and opt for more natural householdalternatives, according to Ecover’sRutherford-Sameshima.

“As the market grows, natural cleaningproducts will become even better and morewidely used,” says Rutherford-Sameshima.“The possibilities are endless.”

NATURAL PRODUCTS from page 25


AccessoriesConvention DisplayPortable Tradeshow Graphic . . . . . . P.49

BeveragesNUI WaterRaging Red Kid Water . . . . . . . . . . . P.44Outrageous Kid Water . . . . . . . . . . . P.44Purple Power Kid Water . . . . . . . . . . P.44

Baked ProductsFood For LifeSprouted Grain Tortillas . . . . . . . . . . P.15Mexican Style Tortillas . . . . . . . . . . . P.15

Purity FoodsSpelt Noodles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.43Various Flavors/Cholesterol Free . . . P.43

Baking MixesBake’n JoyMuffins Predeposited . . . . . . . . . . . P.4Whole Grain Bakery Products . . . . . . P.4Meal EngineersElla Scone Mixes Whole Wheat Scone P.41Gluten Free Scone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.44Organic Scone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.44All Natural Scone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.44Orange- Current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.41Blueberry Scone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.41Cranberry Scone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.41Raspberry Scone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.41

Canned GoodsFarmer’s Market FoodsOrganic Pumpkin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.33Organic Butternut Squash . . . . . . . . P.33Organic Pumpkin Pie Mix . . . . . . . . . P.33Organic Sweet Potato Puree . . . . . . P.33

Cider VinegarParadigm OrganicsApple Cider Vinegar . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.28

Cleaning SuppliesPureAyreOdor Eliminator for Pets . . . . . P.38Odor Eliminator for Baby . . . . . . . . . P.38Odor Eliminator for Home . . . . . . . . P.38

Dietary SupplementsHealth KingBio-Defender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 37Coronary Ease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P 37NervEase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 37NephroEase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 37Various Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 37

Dietetic Foods / Gluten-FreeBob’ Red MillsGluten-free Oats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.9Whole Grain Steel Cut Oats . . . . . . P.9Whole Grain Rolled Oats . . . . . . . . . P.9Meal EngineersElla Scone Mixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.41Whole Wheat Scones . . . . . . . . . . . . P.41Gluten Free Scones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.41Organic Scones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.41

Health & Beauty AidsBedsore SolutionsHealing Formula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 49Taos Herb’s/Yerba Hair CareShampoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 35Concentrated Scalp Therapy . . . . . . . P. 35Conditioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 35Brigit True OrganicsOrganic Soap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 21

Herbs, Spices & SeasoningsSF Herb & Natural Food Co.Bulk Botanicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 49Bulk Teas/Tea Bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 49Loose Herbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 49Capsules, Extract & Tinctures . . . . . . P. 49Red Curry - Green Curry . . . . . . . . . . P. 3Masman Curry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 3Sour Curry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 3Panang Curry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 3Kauai Organic FarmsFresh Ginger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 50Hawaiian Ginger Juice . . . . . . . . . . . P. 50Hawaiian Ginger Puree . . . . . . . . . . P. 50

IngredientsRunning Qual Ranch Organic Raisins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 42

MeatsPrarie Grove FarmsNatural Pork .......................................Back Cover

OilsCasa PondsArbequina Organic Olive Oil . . . . . . P.7Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil . . . . . P.7

Pest ControlOrange GuardOrange Guard Pest Control . . . . . . . P. 36

PublicationsThe Certified Organic Food Dir. . . . . P. 50

Ready MealsLing LingChicken & Vegetable Potstickers . . . P. 22,40Vegetable Potstickers . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 22,40Mini Chicken Spring Rolls . . . . . . . . . P. 22,40Mini Vegetable Spring Roll . . . . . . . . P. 22,40Roasted Vegetable Spring Rolls . . . . P. 22,40

Rice ProductsLotus FoodsJade Pearl Rice Bulk . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 31Jade Pearl Rice Retail Bags . . . . . . . P. 31Forbidden Rice Bulk . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 32Forbidden Rice Retail Bags . . . . . . . . P. 32

SeafoodSealordOrganic Mussels..........................Inside Back Cover

SeedsBotanical Interest More than 500 Seed Varieties . . . . . P. 21, 39120 Certified Organic Varieties . . . . . P. 21, 39

ServicesConvention DisplayPortable Tradeshow Graphics . . . . . . P. 49Xact NaturalSample Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 17

SnacksCactus JerkyTeriyaki Flavored Jerky . . . . . . . . . . . P. 49Hot & Spicy Jerky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 49Crispy Green freeze Dried Fruit SnackCrispy Apple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 13Crispy Apricots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 13Crispy Peaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 13Crispy Pineapples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 13Fruit and Veggie CrunchiesStrawberries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 30Edamame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 30Glad Corn Maizing Corn SnackOriginal Flavor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 34Jalapeno Flavor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 34Bar-B-Q Flavor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 34Gourmet Cheddar Flavor . . . . . . . . . P. 34PopchipsSea Salt Corn Chips .................Inside Front CoverWasabi Rice Chips ...................Inside Front CoverBarbeque Potato Chips ............Inside Front CoverPurity FoodsSpelt Pretzels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 21 Running Quail RanchOrganic Raisins Retail . . . . . . . . . . . P. 23,42Organic Raisins Bulk . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 23,42

SweetnersWholesome SweetnersOrganic Zero Calories – Bag . . . . . . P. 3Organic Zero Calories – Packets . . . P. 3

TeaHealth King – Chinese Medicinal TeaAstrglus Immunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Sugar Controll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Cough Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Cholestrol Guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Kidney Fortifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Quality Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Prostate Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Blood Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Hair Regeneration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Diet Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Clear Eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Detoxer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Lung Pcifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14Reishi Liver Guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 14

TradeshowsAll Things Organic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.19Healthy Harvest Show . . . . . . . . . . . P.24

WaterNui Kid WaterRaging Red Kid Water . . . . . . . . . . . P. 44Outrageous Kid Water . . . . . . . . . . . P. 44Purple Power Kid Water . . . . . . . . . . P. 44

MANUFACTURER’S INDEX

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COMPILED BY SARAH MUIRNEW PRODUCTSTRAIL POWER

Boost Energy and Endurance with UniqueNew Organic Trail Mixes

Canadian company Navitas Naturals, sup-plier of premium “power foods” fromaround the world, has launched a new lineof organic trail mixes, branded Trail Power.The mixes available in three exciting vari-eties: Goji-Golden Berry-Mulberry, Goji-Cacao Nibs-Cashew and Three Berry-Cacao Nibs-Cashew, are made with exoticraw organicberries and nutsand packed withantioxidants, pro-tein, fiber, vita-mins and miner-als. The newsnack mixes areavailable in 4, 8and 16oz re-seal-able bags as wellas in 10lb bulk forretail bins or foodservice. The newmixes are USDAcertified organicand certified kosher through Earth Kosher.The 4oz bags sell for $5.45-$5.99. NavitasNaturals supply “power foods” including:gogi berries, maca, cacao, yacon, cashews,mulberries and gooseberries, to retail aswell as raw to manufacturers. The companyhas two small distributors, currently doingmost of their business directly. ContactNavitas Naturals USA at 888-645-4282.www.navitasnaturals.com

BAKE ‘N JOYReady-to-bake muffins available in newvarieties

The FreshBakes line of pre-depositedmuffins now offers customers three newflavors. The 6.25 oz muffins come frozenand pre-measured in paper lined cups.Flavors include French Toast, VermontMaple Walnut and Pear Pecan. The newflavors join a line of more than 20 trans-fat-free muffin varieties, including low-fat and 100% wholegrain choices. Bake’nJoy Foods, Inc., supply a fairly extensiveselection of pre-deposited frozen bakeryitems, frozen batters, bakery mixes, fill-

ings and icings. Interested retailers canemail [email protected] or call800-666-4937.www.bakenjoy.com

PURE INVENTIONSCocoa Antioxidant Extracts Like ChocolateMedicine

The Pure Inventions family of liquid nutri-tional supplements has added a new line ofCocoa Antioxidant Extracts. The extracts,which come in dropper-style bottles, con-tain high amounts antioxidants fromcocoa, including the flavonols and polyphe-nols associated with cardiovascular health.The extracts are available in three flavors:Chocolate Cocoa, Mint Cocoa, and VanillaCocoa. They can be added by the dropperto any beverage, hot or cold.

Like all Pure Inventions liquid nutrition-al supplements, the Cocoa Line is all-natu-ral and free of calories, sugars, caffeine,alcohol and artificial sweeteners. PureInventions use the Lo Han fruit as a naturalsweetener, and are safe for women, menand children of all ages. Price per individ-ual 2oz bottles is $34.95. A kit of 3 x 1ozbottles sells for $50. The company alsooffers Pure Inventions nutritional supple-ments in a line of Antioxidant FruitExtracts and a line of Green Tea Extracts.Call 732-842-5777 for more information.www.pureinventions.com

DELUXE SHOWERWISEFILTRATION SYSTEMExperience Chlorine Free Showers

Relieve your itchy skin and scalp, burningeyes and restore shine to your hair withShowerwise. The New Deluxe ShowerwiseFiltration System reduces the inhalation ofvapors and the absorption of chemicals byeffectively removing chlorine and reducingcontaminants including iron, lead, arsenic,mercury, and hydrogen sulfide. It alsoinhibits bacterial growth and reduces fun-gus and mildew. Lasts 10-20 times longerthan a carbon filter. Installs easily by handand comes complete with multi-jet mas-sage head. Enjoy healthier, cleaner andfresher showers today!Suggested Shelf Talker: Your body canabsorb more chlorine in a ten minute

shower than from drinking the same waterall day.With the NEW Deluxe ShowerwiseFiltration System you can experience fresh-er, cleaner showers without the chlorinesmell and chlorine by-products that canirritate eyes/skin and aggravate symptomsfor many asthma and allergy sufferers.

The SRP is $89 with 24 units per case,minimum order one case, call to apply fordistributor discounts, all natural/healthretail outlets.For more information contactWaterwise, PO Box 494000, Leesburg, FL34749-4000.Call 1-800-874-9028 or email:[email protected]

CAFFEE SANORAPatented Roasting Process Protects theNatural Antioxidants Found in Coffee

One of the hottest new healthy coffee prod-ucts on the market, the Caffe Sanora brandis loaded with more antioxidants than mostgreen teas. Labeled as being high in antioxi-dants, there is nothing added to the coffeeto provide the antioxidant boost; the com-pany simply preserves the antioxidants nat-ural to the beans, using a roasting processthat retains most of the antioxidants lost intraditional high-heat roasting. CaffeSanora is availablein light, mediumand dark roasts, inwhole bean orground (includingespresso grind),and in both caf-feinated and decaf-feinated varieties.Their OrganicHouse Blend is thesmoothest of allthe company’sroasts, providing arich tasting, full-bodied, organicblend that will givethe body a boost inmore than one way. Caffe Sanora is avail-able via the company website; minimumorder is one package, with a price break atsix packages. SRP is $9.99 per 12oz bag.Call 512-732-8300 for more information.www.caffesanora.com


POPCHIPSAll-natural line of popped potato, corn andrice chips a new treat for the snack isle

One of the latest snacks to “pop” into thesnack isle is called PopChips. Made just likepopcorn using heat and pressure, the ingen-ious chip makers at PopChips are poppingpotatoes to make their healthy new snack!The PopChips line offers several varieties ofpopped potato, organic corn and brownrice chips that are made without oil andthen flavored with a blend of natural sea-sonings. The chips are free of artificial col-

ors, preservatives and trans-fats, and comein nine flavors including: Barbeque Potato,Sea Salt Corn and Wasabi Rice Chips. Otherflavors include Original and ParmesanGarlic Potato Chips, Cheddar, Hint ofButter and Salsa Corn Chips and Sea SaltRice Chips. PopChips are distributed byWest of the Rockies. There are 12 bags per case; SRP per bag is $2.99. Contact:Chris Anderson, Vice President of Sales,at 916-941-6011 or [email protected]

GOOD GROCERIESSuZIE Brand Releases New Sensible SnackProducts

The Good Groceries Company haslaunched two new healthy snack itemsunder their SuZIE brand. The new sensiblesnacks, KRISBIT bread crisps and THINCAKES puffed rice cakes are offered in newlines with several flavor varieties.

SuZIE’s KRISBIT premium bread crispsare made with a unique variety of fruits andseeds and are lightly sweetened with brownsugar, honey and molasses. Great as a healthy

snack with your favorite topping, or enjoyedalone, all four varieties: Original-Raisin,Blueberry-Raisin, Cranberry-Raisin andStrawberry-Pomegranate are trans-fat-freeand a good source of fiber.

SuZIE’s newThin Cakes are a line ofpuffed cakes that are made with naturalwhole grains, and similar to a rice cake,only in a larger, square shaped cake that isthinner than the traditional rice cake.SuZiE’s Thin Cakes come in four varieties:Lightly Salted, Unsalted and PuffedMultigrain (in a 4.9oz size) and Puffed Spelt with Flax Seeds (in a 5.5oz size).A case contains 12 bags. For further infor-mation about the new SuZiE products contact Good Groceries Company, Inc. at718-768-0821. www.good-groceries.com

SCONZA CANDYCandy Makers Introduce New 70% CacaoConfectionery

Sconza Candy, candy makers since 1939, areriding the popular dark chocolate trend,introducing two new 70% Cacao varieties:Dark Chocolate Espresso Beans and DarkChocolate Toffee Almonds. The new Sconzaofferings are packaged in 5oz stand up“metallized”bags that matchthe currentPremiumSconza line. TheSconza DirectProgram is agreat programfor smallerretailers, offer-ing 2-3 daydelivery time,and free ship-ping with ordersover $100. Theproduct isshipped in traydisplay unitsthat hold 12 x5oz bags. Trayssell for $30($2.50 per bag).SRP is $4.99each. Casesmeasure: 12-1/4x 6-1/2 x 6-1/4.For more information contact SconzaCandy at 510-568-8137.www.sconzacandy.com

NEW PRODUCT BriefsWin the “Golden Cod” ExperienceFive lucky retailers and companions will win anall-expense paid trip to Nordic Naturals’ Californiaheadquarters for three days and three nights offun and education! Winning “golden cod” ticketscan be found inside five of the 5,000 specialNordic Naturals dark chocolate bars to be distrib-uted in the months of September and October2007. There are two ways to win: chocolate barswill be awarded to the first 200 retailers thatorder at ExpoEast, and a bar will be mailed at theend of October to every natural health retailer thatorders in the Third Quarter. This Willy Wonka spin-off is a fun way for retailers to win a trip toCalifornia for info, call 800-662-2544.www.nordicnaturals.com

Del Monte Variety Selected as Best PickleTwo top consumer magazines, “Real Simple” and“Rachael Ray Magazine” have named Del MontePickles Sweet Bread & Butter Chips as a categorywinner when naming favorite brands. “RealSimple named the pickle a winner in their “in asalad” category, while “Rachael Ray Magazine”named it “Best Bread & Butter”. The pickle is partof the Del Monte Pickles Organics line, and is fla-vored with mustard and celery seed seasoning.www.delmontepickle.com

Marathon Winners Featured on Cereal BoxesThe Nature’s Path: Optimum ReBound Cereal willsoon feature the “face” of its consumer. The cere-al, which was specifically formulated for optimalpost-exercise muscle recovery and fuel replenish-ment, will feature the male and female winners ofthe company’s second annual Whidbey IslandMarathon in April. Canadian-based, Nature’s PathFoods produces breakfast foods, snacks and pastathat are sold nationally under the brands: Nature’sPath, EnviroKidz™, LifeStream® and Optimum™.www.naturespath.com

Bob’s Red Mill Expand Manufacturing Capacity In June 2007 Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foodsannounced that they will soon triple their wholegrain manufacturing capacity, with the move to amuch larger facility. The move allows for expan-sion of the company’s manufacturing, packaging,and distribution capabilities for the more than 400Bob’s Red Mill products. The new facility willenable the miller to create gluten free products atfour times their current rate, in a 23,000sq ft.gluten-free manufacturing facility.www.bobsredmill.com


NEW PRODUCTS


LITTLESDr. Praeger’s New Line Makes Eating Fun

Star, dinosaur and teddy-bear shaped “pan-cakes” give Dr. Praeger’s new kids line a funappeal, that in conjunction with a list of all-natural ingredients, make the new productsa sure hit! The gluten-free veggie pancakesare low in sugar and free of saturated fats.The tasty kid-size pancakes contain a goodserving of protein and come in spinach,broccoli, sweet potato and potato varietiesand are free of all preservatives. SRP per

box is $3.29; a case contains 12 retail boxes.For more information, contact LarryPraeger, Vice President, at 1-877-PRAEGERor [email protected]

CORN THINSReal Foods Roll Out New Snack

Corn Thins, the latest snack by Real Foods,are much like a rice cakes, only they are notas thick. They are made with golden corn,instead of rice, giving them a deliciouspopped corn taste. Corn Thins have a thin,crunchy texture and come in a CrackedPepper & Lemon Corn flavor that makesthem easy to enjoy on their own. Listed askosher, halal and vegan, Corn Thins, aremade with maize, sunflower oil, sea salt,black pepper, and natural lemon extract.They are gluten-free, trans-fat-free andGMO-free.

Real Foods’ products are available via thefollowing distributors: Nature’s Best, andUNFI Atlanta, Chesterfield, Dayville,Greenwood, IA, New Oxford, NorthernCalifornia, Northwest, Rainbow andSouthwest. Brokers include: Advantage Sales& Marketing (East, NorthEast andSouthEast) and Natural Brokers. ContactReal Foods at 612-8595-6663.www.cornthins.com

NATUREPOPSNo Need For Halloween Candy to be Scary

This Halloween retailers will be able to offerbagged treats that are made without dyes,hidden fats, pesticides, or other mysteryingredients.NATUREPOPS organic lollypops made byCollege Farm® Organic are now available in50-count decorated Halloween bags thatcontain a mix of individually wrappedNATUREPOPS in Cirtus Blast andChocolate flavors. The organic lollypops areflavored with real fruit flavors and use onlynatural colors. The company make theirwrappers using fully compostable materialand ship using cartons that are made fromrecycled cardboard printed with water-based inks. NATUREPOPS are listed askosher, vegetarian and vegan. SRP per bag is$6.49 - 6.99. A case contains 12 bags; mini-mum order is $100, with a discount fororders over $1750.NATUREPOPS are available through mostleading natural foods distributors. For addi-tional information contact: Libby Moyer,Marketing & Sales Manager, at 800-367-2441 x 112 or [email protected]

SUPER FRUIT SPREADCrofter’s Adds Organic Super Fruit Blend In keeping with the current “super fruit”trend, Crofter’s have added an OrganicSuper Fruit Spread, to their line of certifiedorganic fruit spreads, conserves and jellies.

The antioxidant-rich spread featuressuper fruits like açai berries, pomegranates,red grapes and morello cherries. The newspread is sweetened with white grape juiceconcentrate, and like their other six fruitspreads, has no added sugar. Call 705-746-6301 or email [email protected] for moreinfo on Crofter’s fruit spreads.www.croftersorganic.com

Anheuser-Busch Distributes Icelandic GlacialThe naturally pure, high-quality spring water bot-tled by Icelandic Water Holdings, makers ofIcelandic Glacial Natural Spring Water, will nowbe available through beverage giant Anheuser-Busch.Anheuser-Busch will be the master distributor forIcelandic Glacial super-premium natural springwater in the US, a move that will make the wateraccessible to more consumers and distributorsnationwide. Initial distribution will focus on selectmarkets including California, New York, NewJersey and Connecticut, with plans to expandnationwide in 2008. Icelandic Glacials recentlyreceived Carbon Neutral Certification for theirenvironmental business practices.www.IcelandicGlacial.com

“Super Juice” Enhanced BrandingFruit juice company, Frutzzo, has added organicvarieties to their Antioxidant Beverage Line, andalso unveiled a new bottle shape, environmentallyfriendly packaging, and a brand new trademarkedlogo and tagline (“Fight Free Radicals”). Frutzzoproduces 100% natural or organic fruit juices.Their new bottle design recently won the GlassPackaging Institute’s 2007 Clear Choice Award inthe Organic Beverage Division, and is made withrecycled materials. Frutzzo’s “free radical battling”juices are distributed nationwide and are avail-able in 12oz and new liter sized bottles.www.frutzzo.com

DANONE Awards Prize for Nutrition TheDanone International Prize for Nutrition wasawarded in July to Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, for hisfindings that link genetics and obesity, throughhis discovery of the hormone leptin. Dr. Friedmanreceived a $163,000 grant from Danone InstituteInternational, a non-profit organization created byGroupe Danone. The award recognizes scientistswho demonstrate innovative research highlightingthe importance of nutrition in overall humanhealth. Friedman was selected through a processthat involved more than 650 nutrition researchinstitutions worldwide.www.danoneinstitute.org, www.dannon.com

Belizza Antioxidant Sorbet Wins NASFT AwardThe Pomegranate Açaí Sorbet produced by CaffèClassico Foods, Inc., was awarded theOutstanding Diet and Lifestyle Product by NASFTat the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. Thesorbet which is part of the Belizza line of antioxi-dant sorbets which includes Açaí , Pomegranate,Açaí Banana, Açaí Mango, and PomegranateRaspberry varieties. The competition, previouslycalled the NASFT Annual Product Awards, wasreinvented this year to include an expanded list ofcategories that reflect current industry trends. Formore information call 925-602-5400.www.belizza.com

NEW PRODUCT BRIEFS from page 46

NEW PRODUCTS


CINNERGENFood Supplement is a Natural Solution toHelp Regulate Blood Sugar

With diabetes quickly becoming a medicalepidemic, retailers can step up and do theirparts in helping consumers find naturalsolutions to blood sugar issues. A new liq-uid supplement called Cinnergen combinesa mixture of 12 concentrated whole foodnutrient extracts including cinnamon, oatseed and blueberry leaf, as well as digestiveenzymes for improved absorption. The con-centrated nutri-ents in Cinnergenhelp the bodyefficiently andeffectively metab-olize sugar, andcontrol bloodsugar levels, a keyfactor in preven-tion of Type 2diabetes. Thecompany reportthat many usersof Cinnergenhave experiencedimproved energylevels, mood,sleep habits and mental alertness.

Developed by health technology companyeFoodSafety, Cinnergen is available in 16ozand 32oz bottles; recommended daily doseis 1oz. Cases contain 12 x bottles. SRP forthe 16oz size is $16.99, and SRP for the32oz size is $29.99. Interested retailers cancontact Patty Kushner at 866-660-5755 [email protected], eFoodSafety.com

PACIFIC NATURAL FOODSPacific Natural Foods Add HealthyAdditions to Soup Lineup

The all-natural and organic soups made byPacific Natural Foods are known for theirwholesome, natural ingredients, that areCertified to the Source™. The company,who have recently made some healthy,trend-driven additions, to their soup family,will now offer light sodium versions of itsthree top selling creamy soups, as well as aline of organic soup made entirely fromUSDA certified organic meat includingbeef, chicken and pork.

The new light sodium soups, versions ofPacific Natural Foods’ top selling creamy

soups: Organic Roasted Red Pepper andTomato, Organic Creamy Tomato andOrganic Creamy Butternut Squash, containthe same natural goodness of the popularoriginal flavors, only with half the sodium(about 280-380mg of sodium per a 1 cupserving). Packaged in 32 oz shelf-stableaseptic packages, SRP ranges from $2.49-$2.99.

The new canned soup line features eightready-to-eat organic soups that are madeusing USDA certified organic meat. Thenew offerings include: Beef Steak & FusilliPasta, Spicy Black Bean with ChickenSausage, Minestrone with Beef Steak,Chicken & Penne Pasta, Savory Chicken &Wild Rice, Spicy Chicken Fajita, Split Peawith Ham & Swiss Cheese and SavoryWhite Bean with Smoked Bacon. The14.5oz cans have a 24-month shelf life and aconvenient pull tab top. SRP ranges from$2.99 to $3.49. For more information con-tact the company at: 503-692-9666.www.pacificfoods.com

SEA MOBILITYPet Company Creates Treat that ProvidesJoint Support for Dogs

Ark Naturals Products for Pets are offeringa line of nutritional supplements that comein the form of a jerky strip. The line oftreat-style supplements, called Sea Mobility,contains therapeutic amounts of glu-cosamine, chondroitin sulfate, MSM andsea cucumber, that work to improve flexi-bility and healthy joint function in dogs.Available in the flavors Beef, Chicken,Venison and Lamb, the tasty treats are anideal way to administer joint support ingre-dients. All dogs, even those with normaljoint function, will benefit from the ingredi-ents in Sea Mobility. The Venison and Lambflavors are wheat-free and corn-free andperfect for dogs on restricted diets. Theentire Sea Mobility line of treats is madewithout the use of hormones, antibiotics orby-products. All meat sources are farm

raised and grain fed.Ark Naturals treats come in re-sealable

bags that have a shelf life of 12 months. Allfour flavors are available in a 9oz size for aSRP $12.99. The Beef and Chicken flavorsalso come in 4oz options that have a SRP of$ 5.99. For more information about ArkNaturals call 800-926-5100, or [email protected]

HEART-HEALTHY SNACKNew Tortilla Chip Gives the HeartSomething to Party About!

“Party Hearty” is the slogan the folks atCorazonas Foods are using to promote theirline of Heart-Healthy Tortilla Chips. Thecompany report that the all-natural chips,which are made with whole oats and plantsterols, are clinically proven to reduce LDL(“bad cholesterol”) by up to 15%. In a bagthat clearly labels the product as heart-healthy, a good source of dietary fiber, andas trans-fat-free, Corazonas Heart-Healthy

Tortilla Chips will not go unnoticed onstore shelves. Fantastic flavors whichinclude: Salsa Picante, Jalapeno Jack, andOriginal will be shelf grabbers all on theirown! SRP per 7oz bag is $2.99, with 12units per case. SRP per 2oz bag $1.29, with24 units per case. Distributors include:Nature’s Best, Snyder’s of Hanover, TexasPremium, select UNFI and DPI houses.Interested retailers can email [email protected] or call 866-234-8051.www.corazonas.com

NEW PRODUCTS

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November/Devember IssueBakery & Baked Goods, Natural and Organic

Meat & Seafood, Spices & Baking Products andNatural Remedies for Colds & Flu

To advertise, contact Angela Kilkenny (650) 286-4110angela@naturalfoodnetwork

Download Media Kit and Rates at www.naturalfoodnet.comReserve space by Friday, Oct. 12

Artwork Due: Oct. 17

BPA AuditedMay/June 2007 15,112 Qualified Buyers of Natural and Organic Products for resale

at Health and Natural Food Stores, Independent and Chain Grocery Stores,Supermarkets, Food/Pharmacy Combinations and Gourmet & Speialty Retail.

ADVERTISE

IN THE NEXT ISSUEPaper or Plastic?

How big of a problem is packaging? At 160 milliontons it is a significant portion of the trash generat-ed annually and one that legislators intend to curb.

E-tail Sales

Big retailers are buying into the e-trend, includingGiant’s Peapod. The e-tailer reports sales growth ofwell over 100 percent in the last two years afterteaming up with up with Wild Oats Markets Inc.

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Prairie Grove FarmsOutside Back CoverPopchipsInside Front CoverWholesome SweetnersOpposite Inside Front CoverSealordInside Back Cover

Display AdvertisersAll Things Organic . . . .P. 19Bake ‘N Joy Foods . . . . .P. 3Bob’s Red Mill . . . . . . . . .P. 9Casa Pons . . . . . . . . . . .P. 7Crispy Green . . . . . . . . .P. 13Food For Life . . . . . . . . .P. 15Health King . . . . . . . . . .P. 14Healthy Harvest . . . . . . .P. 24Paradigm Organic . . . . .P. 28Running Quail Ranch . . . . . .Xact Natural . . . . . . . . .P. 17

Sell Sheet SectionBotanical Interests . . . .P. 39Crunchies . . . . . . . . . . .P. 30Farmer’s Market Foods .P. 33GEF Gourment Foods . . .P. 34Health King . . . . . . . . . .P. 37

Lotus Foods . . . . . . .P. 31-32Ling Ling . . . . . . . . . . . .P. 40Meal Engineers . . . . . . .P. 41NUI Water . . . . . . . . . . .P. 44Orange Guard . . . . . . . .P. 36Pure Ayre . . . . . . . . . . .P. 38Purity Foods . . . . . . . . .P. 43Running Quail Ranch . . .P. 42Taos Herbs/Yerba Hair Care .P. 35

ExpoEast ShowcaseBotanical Interests . . . .P. 21Brigit True Organics . . .P. 21Ling Ling . . . . . . . . . . . .P. 22Meal Engineers . . . . . . .P. 23Purity Foods . . . . . . . . .P. 22Running Quail Ranch . . .P. 23

Market PlaceBedsore Solutions . . . . .P. 49Cactus Jerky . . . . . . . . .P. 49Certified Organic Food Dir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P. 50Convention Displays Co. P. 49Kauai Organic Farms . . .P. 50SF Herb & Natural Food Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P. 49

ADVERTISER INDEX

NFN 13 042307

Natural Food Network Magazine - September-October 2007

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