Food Processing - Food Handling

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October 28, 2005

Thumbs Up for Hot Bunns – Sensation Great Deal for the Holidays at PODhead.com

PODhead.com, LLC kicks off the holiday season with the BUNN My Café /Sensation Great Deal. This combination is the ideal holiday gift for the gourmet coffee connoisseurs on your list.

(PRWEB) October 28, 2005 -- PODhead.com, LLC kicks off the holiday season with the BUNN My Café /Sensation Great Deal. This combination is the ideal holiday gift for the gourmet coffee connoisseurs on your list. Even better, why not treat yourself with the Bunn My Café and a well stocked variety of Ae-Sensation coffee pods? Holiday entertainers will be amazed with their barista capabilities and appreciate the convenience of preparing a variety of delicious cups of hot coffee in no time. PODhead.com discovered through their growing number of loyal customers, that the Ae-Sensation coffee pods and the Bunn My Cafe' are the perfect match! Larry H., a customer from California, raves about the Bunn/Sensation combo by saying “I've been using PODhead pods since I got my Senseo last year. I'm really enjoying the (Ae-Sensation) Narragansett, Mexican, Colombian and Brasil. Boy, I'd better drink fast so I can try more! But now the real quality of the Podhead coffee pods has finally been realized. The Bunn My Café is, without a doubt, the best pod coffeemaker, available for home use on the market…What can I say! Podhead Sensation coffee pods and a Bunn My Café, I've died and gone to coffee heaven!”

BUNN is well known for their commitment to high-quality construction, superior service and technical support, along with their long-standing reputation for innovation in the beverage equipment industry. The Bunn My Café is no exception. It’s excellent quality and resulting delicious cup of coffee with Ae-Sensation coffee pods is the reason why PODhead.com chose to offer the Bunn My Café on their website, www.podhead.com . PODhead.com is an authorized Bunn My Café Commercial Grade Pod Brewer dealer and a recommended coffee pod dealer.

For those out of the loop, a coffee pod is a measured portion of ground coffee, compressed between two biodegradable paper sheets. By using a purpose-built coffee pod machine such as the Bunn My Café, the pod allows anyone to make an excellent cup of coffee in no time. Pods are easy to use, convenient and mess free, for a consistently delicious freshly brewed cup of coffee. PODhead.com carries 24 varieties of Ae-Sensation 10+ gram individually packaged coffee pods, all of which are master roasted and produced in the United States.

PODhead.com customers, a.k.a. PODheads, are drinking up the three very popular arabica blends; Milano Espresso Roast, Narragansett Blend, and Paris French Roast. Single taste coffee PODhead aficionados enjoy the Brasil Santos, Colombia Medellin Supremo, Kenya “AA” washed and those who want to splurge or have a very special person on their gift list, love the full bodied and well rounded Ae-Sensation Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee pods. PODhead.com doesn’t leave out those who love to sip on decaf, half-caf, double-caf, flavored and organic coffee drinkers either.

Ae-Sensation coffee pods will brew ever fresh, superior quality gourmet coffee anytime of the day with the Bunn My Cafe'. To launch the Bunn My Café on their website, www.podhead.com , PODhead.com is offering the BUNN My Café at the wholesale price of $175.00 with a minimum purchase of $100.00 worth of their exceptional Ae-Sensation 10+gram gourmet coffee pods.

PODhead.com gives thumbs up to Bunn for creating the Bunn My Café, the only serious pod machine on the market that allows their customers to truly enjoy the quality of Ae-Sensation coffee pods. Definitely the perfect gift for the upcoming holidays!

About PODhead.com, LLC
Based in Narragansett, Rhode Island, PODhead.com launched its privately owned internet based retail business in 2003 to provide espresso pod customers with a large variety of the freshest, highest quality E.S.E. espresso pod products around at the best prices. PODhead.com was the first website dedicated solely for espresso pods and their related products and has become the leading authority in the espresso and coffee pod business. Soon after the Melitta One:One and the Senseo coffee pod makers were introduced to the American market, PODhead.com produced their own Arabica Express coffee pods with 20 varieties of Melitta One:One style coffee pods and 24 varieties of Ae-Sensation 10+ gram Senseo and Bunn My Café friendly coffee pods. PODhead.com has become the leader in providing alternative gourmet coffee pods to the ever growing single serve coffee pod movement. Brands and products sold at www.podhead.com include their very own Ae-Sensation and Arabica Express coffee pods master roasted and produced in the United States, and espresso pods from reputable Italian coffee producing companies such as Bristot, Compagnia dell'Arabica, Miscela d'Oro, Caffé Diana, Lucaffe, and Lavazza.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:07 AM | Comments (0)

CrunchTime! Information Systems Named One of the Fastest Growing Technology Companies in North America on the 2005 Deloitte Technology Fast 500

Boston-based provider of restaurant software achieves this distinction for the second time in three years.

Boston, MA (PRWEB) October 28, 2005 -- CrunchTime! Information Systems, a developer of enterprise back office software for the restaurant and hospitality industry, announced their inclusion to the prestigious 2005 Deloitte Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology companies in North America. Rankings are based on percentage revenue growth over five years, from 2000–2004. CrunchTime! grew 281%.

“Our continued growth and success is a direct result of the commitment our staff has made to delivering excellence to the marketplace. As a result, some of the largest and most demanding food and beverage providers in the world are committed to long term partnerships with our company,” said Bill Bellissimo, the company’s president.

“Making the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 on multiple occasions is a great accomplishment in today’s competitive technology industry,” said Tony Kern, deputy national managing principal of Deloitte’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications industry practice. “We congratulate CrunchTime! Information Systems on being one of the 500 fastest growing technology companies in North America.”

The Fast 500 list is compiled from Deloitte’s 15 regional North American Fast 50 lists, nominations submitted directly to the Fast 500, and public company database research.

About CrunchTime! Information Systems
CrunchTime! Information Systems is the leading provider of web-based Back Office applications for the restaurant and food service industries. CrunchTime!'s clients include multi-unit restaurants, cruise lines, hotels and food service management companies around the world including Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, Back Bay Restaurant Group, Carnival Cruise Lines, Sodexho, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. CrunchTime! restaurant software helps our customers reduce food & beverage costs, drive labor efficiencies and better manage the quality and consistency of their food service operations. For more information, visit our web site at www.crunchtime.com.

About Deloitte
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, its member firms and their respective subsidiaries and affiliates. As a Swiss Verein (association), neither Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other’s acts or omissions. Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal entity operating under the names “Deloitte”, “Deloitte & Touche”, “Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu” or other related names. Services are provided by the member firms or their subsidiaries or affiliates and not by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Verein.

Deloitte & Touche USA LLP is the US member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. In the US, services are provided by the subsidiaries of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP (Deloitte & Touche LLP, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, Deloitte Tax LLP and their subsidiaries), and not by Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:06 AM | Comments (0)

Vending Solutions, LLC. Promotes Rick Totten to National Sales Director

Vending Solutions announced it has promoted Rick Totten to National Sales Director. His responsibilities will include the oversight of both outbound and inbound sales, client retention and marketing.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) October 28, 2005 -- Vending Solutions announced it has promoted Rick Totten to National Sales Director. His responsibilities will include the oversight of both outbound and inbound sales, client retention and marketing.

Rick Totten has worked at Vending Solutions for over 5 years. During his tenure, Mr. Totten has had direct involvement in taking the company from a mid-level company to one of the industry leaders in vending management.

“I am happy all my hard work in the vending industry has paid off. I am really excited at the opportunity to work directly with the entire Vending Solutions sales staff. We have some great new faces around here and it’s time to kick things off to the next level. I have ambitious goals for next year and the years to come. I know working together we will be more successful than ever before,” said Rick when asked about the new position.

Mr. Totten believes he can increase sales dramatically by teaching the sales department the tactics created and developed from his insurance background as well at the training he has received in his years at Vending Solutions.

“Improvement is constant. No matter how good you are there is always a way to be better. That’s the mentality I want our sales force to have. My new training program is going to help determine where we can improve. I’ll work directly with each sales person to ensure they reach both our short term and long term goals,” said Rick in reference to Vending Solutions sales training program.

Vending Solutions is a national vending management company that specializes in vending machines and vending services. Vending Solutions provides free full service vending machines to companies of 40 employees or more. Vending Solutions services a wide variety of locations including schools, malls, and many other locations.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:05 AM | Comments (0)

Two Utah Entrepreneurs to Release New Gourmet BBQ Sauces

The food industry is about to have a new line of Barbeque Sauces in the family.

(PRWEB) October 28, 2005 -- Bruce Barbre and Shawn Bucher of Orem, Utah, are about to release a new line of gourmet barbeque sauces. Months of hard work are about to pay off as they plan to offer their line of gourmet sauces as private labels to several sporting goods & hunting store chains and under their own label to local grocery stores in the Utah area and to a major food distribution center that supplies over 500 stores on the west coast of the United States of America.

Bruce's background is in marketing and business management while Shawn's expertise is in the food and beverage industry. Bruce and Shawn are proud to welcome Garrett McFarland to the company. Garrett's expertise is in art and he will be heading the art department as well as advertising.

The name of this new line of sauces is SizziQ TM Gourmet Sauces and three of the first sauces to be distributed which are now available are: Strawberry BBQ, Raspberry BBQ and Cinnamon Peach BBQ. Two more sauces will be available before the first week of November with more on the way. These sauces are made of all natural ingredients and from the taste testing that the SizziQ team has done, these sauces have proven to be a winner among children as well as adults.

SizziQ TM is currently starting to build a customer base for their new line of BBQ sauces and are raising their bridge capital to create formal documents for the company then they will raise initial operating capital to ramp up their production and distribution.

"When we first came up with the idea, we didn't have any idea of the magnitude of this,” Bruce states. "As I began developing the initial business overview and we spoke with local buyers we realized that we were tapping into a very lucrative market."

SizziQ TM expects to have their sauces in many stores in the western USA well before summer of 2006 and be well on their way to entering stores and other outlets on the Eastern USA before end of 2006. Specialty stores that offer outdoors products who would like to have their own private label for this line of gourmet BBQ sauces are encouraged to contact the SizziQ TM team to discuss terms and labeling information.

For further information about SizziQ TM including products, purchasing, investor relations and other information visit http://SizziQ.com. All inquiries will be replied to as quickly as possible.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:05 AM | Comments (0)

Sales of Energy Supplement Products in the United States Increased from $2 Billion in 1998 to $5 Billion in 2003 and Is Expected to Reach $8 Billion by 2008

Dublin (PRWEB) October 28, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c26544) has announced the addition of Energy Supplements in the United States to their offering

About this report
Originally marketed to athletes, and then almost exclusively to young people, the energy supplements category is moving rapidly into the mainstream. Sales of energy bars, energy drinks, and liquid/powder protein drinks advanced from $2 billion in 1998 to $5 billion in 2003. We project sales will reach $8 billion in 2008. Younger adults and athletes still form a core consumer group for the category, but older consumers are quickly adopting the newer protein drinks and energy bars. Much of this new acceptance has come on the heels of new product formulation breakthroughs precisely at a time when older adults were looking for healthier foods and beverages.

In this report, we analyze three segments of the energy supplement market: energy bars, energy drinks and liquid/powder protein drinks. These segments make for an interesting case study about selling products on an energy platform, as in most cases, they are each marketed separately. Until 2001 there was virtually no overlap between brands or manufacturers in any of the three segments. The markets for protein drinks and energy bars have become more closely related, as both move closer to the mainstream.

Despite their differences, energy bars, energy drinks, and protein drinks each convey such a clear message of energy, convenience, and lifestyle that they create a family of related products. The reasons for consuming each may be very different, but users of any one of the three segments tend to participate in at least two of the three segments. Understanding the relationship between consumer attitudes and use of energy supplements will be key to manufacturers participating in any of the segments, and especially to those bridging the gap between them.

The original consumer research helps you unravel the reasoning behind consumer purchasing decisions. The results are analyzed by age, gender, income, ethnicity and other demographic characteristics. For example, in energy bars, a tendency towards consumption by Hispanics emerged in 2004 that did not show in 2001 (31% penetration, up from 20%). Keeping an eye to these emerging trends will help manufacturers effectively target and win over new customers.

For the purposes of this report, energy supplements are defined as foods or beverages that specifically claim to provide an energy or stimulation boost. Marketing for these products stresses energy; many generally include active ingredients such as glucose, caffeine and taurine, as well as other health-oriented ingredients such as ginseng and various vitamins and minerals. Other products contained in the definition feature proteins and/or carbohydrates and also have a marketing claim for added energy benefits.

This report is defined as including three distinct segments of the energy supplement market:
cereal bars promoted explicitly on an energy platform such as PowerBar, BALANCE Bar, and CLIF Bar
energy/stimulant drinks such as Red Bull, SoBe, and KMX
powdered/protein drinks such as GNC ProPerformance, MET-Rx, Richardson, EAS Myoplex and EAS AdvantEdge

Excluded from this report are:
cereal or granola bars that do not make a specific claim to provide energy (analyzed in Cereal Bars—U.S. consumer intelligence, September 2002), sports drinks such as Gatorade that perform a largely rehydrating function (analyzed in RTD Non-Carbonated Beverages—U.S. consumer intelligence, January 2004)
soft drinks
diet aids (e.g. Slim-Fast) and meal replacement products (analyzed in Weight Control—U.S. consumer intelligence, June 2003), unless they are also marketed with an energy benefit statement as in some Atkins Diet products
vitamins and minerals
This report contains IRI InfoScan data.
This report contains US IRI InfoScan data.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c26544

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:04 AM | Comments (0)

Competition From Other Markets and Private Labels Has Resulted in a Decline of 5% Over the Last 5 Years in the Canned Fruit and Vegetable Market in the United States

Dublin (PRWEB) October 28, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c26548) has announced the addition of Canned Fruit & Vegetables in the United States to their offering

The market for canned fruit and vegetables in the U.S. exhibits signs of slow decline. Sales of canned fruit and vegetables decreased 5% in current dollars from 2000 to 2005, from $3.8 billion to $3.6 billion. Still, canned fruit and vegetables are present in three-quarters of all U.S. households. Declining sales are related to competition from other markets and the popularity of private labels within the canned fruit market--both driving the price point downward.

Also affecting the market is the long-term trend of consumers moving away from cooking meals at home. The availability of other convenient produce options, such as pre-cut fruit and vegetables and bagged salads, also negatively impact the market. Agricultural advances have also made many forms of produce that were previously seasonal available year-round, creating less demand for canned versions.

Since the majority of canned fruit and vegetable offerings have not changed in terms of packaging formats, innovative products tend to be growth drivers for the category. Product lines that experienced growth include those packaged in glass bottles rather than cans, ethnic and regional items, and those with inventive flavors. Also showing growth are single serving containers, which appeal to consumers as average household size decreases.

Without a significant change in the perception of canned fruit and vegetables, the category will continue to approach the level of differentiation and positioning of commodity products. Increased uptake of private labels, which currently account for more sales than the top two brands combined, will certainly continue to erode the positioning of branded products in this sector.

For the purposes of this report, the following definitions have been used:
"Canned vegetables" includes all tinned vegetables, but sometimes in bottles or jars, except tomatoes and baked beans.
"Canned fruit" includes all tinned fruit, but sometimes also in bottles, jars, or plastic. Products may be canned in water, juice, or syrup.

This report excludes:
canned tomatoes, tomato sauce or paste
baked beans
canned fruit pie filling
juice of any kind
fresh, frozen, dried, or glazed fruit or vegetables
refrigerated or marinated fruit or vegetables
fruit butter
fruit-flavored syrup
pickles, relish, olives
This report contains US IRI InfoScan data.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c26548

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:03 AM | Comments (0)

October 27, 2005

Le’s Quinplex® ‘White’ Machinery Lubricants ‘Enhanced’ To Provide Only True ‘Ep’ Food Grade Grease Available

Lubrication Engineers Inc (LE) is pleased to announce that their market-leading QUINPLEX® range of H1 food grade ‘white’ greases, LE4023, LE4024 & LE4025 Food Machinery Lubricants (QFML), have been re-launched with a series of performance improvements & ‘enhancements.’ The crucial component of these H1 greases is still LE’s exclusive and proprietary additive QUINPLEX®, which improves the greases’ water resistance, tackiness (for adherence), cohesion, and finally by forming an outstanding barrier against rust & corrosion. The most significant ‘enhancement’ is an increase of the Timken OK Load ASTM D-2509 – where these QUINPLEX® ‘white’ greases now carry a 50lbs load.

FORT WORTH, Texas, (PRWEB) October 27, 2005 -- Lubrication Engineers Inc (LE) is pleased to announce that their market-leading QUINPLEX® range of H1 food grade ‘white’ greases, LE4023, LE4024 & LE4025 Food Machinery Lubricants (QFML), have been re-launched with a series of performance improvements & ‘enhancements.’ The crucial component of these H1 greases is still LE’s exclusive and proprietary additive QUINPLEX®, which improves the greases’ water resistance, tackiness (for adherence), cohesion, and finally by forming an outstanding barrier against rust & corrosion. The most significant ‘enhancement’ is an increase of the Timken OK Load ASTM D-2509 – where these QUINPLEX® ‘white’ greases now carry a 50lbs load. Other enhancements include the use of synthetic & mineral H1 base stocks, higher dropping point for improved high temperature performance and greater water spray off resistance than the already excellent value of the previous QUINPLEX® greases. In comparative tests versus similar competitive products, QUINPLEX® outperformed all others.

It is well known that the food industry consistently provides some of the harshest environmental conditions for machinery. These LE enhancements mean the food industry can now expect a more superior performance from LE QUINPLEX® Food Machinery Lubricants in the difficult environments that plague food processing plants. These NSF registered / USDA Authorised H1 heavy duty, semi-synthetic lubricants will not wash out, pound out or melt & run under these severe conditions.

The enhanced QUINPLEX® Food Machinery Lubricants undertook a series of four ASTM tests against seven competitive NLGI-2 products and produced outstanding performance results:

Timken OK Load ASTM D-2509
QFML’s 50lbs load is 30lbs heavier than competitors

Resistance to Water Spray Off ASTM D-4049
QFML resists water spray off loss over 3 times better

Oxidation Stability, PDSC, ASTM D-5483
QFML has oxidation stability that is 4 times better

Load Wear Index (LWI) ASTM D-2596
QFML has LWI that is 22.7% higher than competitors

They are white, water resistant, combat high temperatures, cling to metal, are rust & corrosion inhibited & mechanically stable. They now also provide the most extreme pressure performance available for food grade greases. QUINPLEX’s® even greater resistance to water washout is significant as it eliminates corrosion related failures of the bearings; often the most common cause of failure. The increased adhesiveness results in much less grease being used as it will stay where it is put, reducing the amount that needs to be added. Food plants generally only use a quarter of the amount of grease that was used before QUINPLEX® was introduced.

QUINPLEX® Food Machinery Lubricants are recommended for use in bakeries, bottling plants, dairies, canneries, hospitals, meat packing plants, frozen food & other food processing plants. Grease-lubricated applications in these industries include: blenders, slicers, conveyors, knives, food carts, filling machines etc

“For many years, QUINPLEX® has consistently provided outstanding lubrication for food processing machinery worldwide. Our latest enhancements to an already very successful product line means that LE now has the only true EP food grade grease available. We are excited about the increased commercial advantages these new products will contribute to our valued customers,” commented Jeff Turner, Vice President Lubrication Engineers Inc.

Lubrication Engineers Inc, USA has been a leader in lubricants since 1951. LE manufactures and markets a comprehensive line of heavy-duty, premium quality lubricants formulated from the highest quality 100% select paraffinic base stocks. These lubricants are manufactured under an ISO9001:2000 certified quality system at a state of the art plant in Wichita, Kansas, USA.

LE’s objective: increase your profitability. LE products are designed to increase profitability through: longer equipment life, extended service intervals (reduced lubricant consumption), energy reductions, reliability (less downtime), fewer repairs (fewer parts & less labour) as well as less inventory (multi-purpose products) LE products are available worldwide (outside USA, Canada & Mexico) through LE International AG’s network of over 55 distributors.

For information on your nearest LE International Distributor please contact: LE Inc Telephone: +1 817 834 6321 Email: e-mail protected from spam bots Visit: www.le-inc.com or www.le-international.com

NOTES FOR EDITORS – Lubrication Engineers Inc www.le-inc.com

LE Products
Versatile lubricants with unequalled performance - LE products are designed to give unmatched performance in virtually any application operating under conditions that vary from normal to severe.
LE has dedicated their resources to continually provide customers with high performance, consistent quality lubricants:
• R&D continually investigates advanced technology to develop tomorrow’s lubricants. LE’s own additive company, The Almasol Corporation, perfected wear-reducing additives which have been used on every US manned space mission.
• Customers benefit from LE’s four exclusive and proprietary additives:
ALMASOL® – Greatly reduces friction, heat & wear while withstanding very high loads and temperatures up to 1900°F (1038°C)
MONOLEC® – Vastly increases oil film strength while reducing friction, heat and wear.
QUINPLEX® – Provides water and moisture resistance.
PYROSHIELD® – For use in extreme heavy duty and shock loading
• Superior base oils – LE’s petroleum lubricants contain 100% Mid-Continent paraffinic base oils. Using special refining techniques, these base oils have a saturated molecular structure similar to the synthetic PAO’s. Thus, they offer excellent oxidation resistance, superior lubricity, long life and few deposits / sludge.

Lubrication Engineers is the single lubrication source for:
Greases, Open & Enclosed gear lubricants, Food grade lubricants, Power fluids, Fuel supplements, Engine Oils, Hydraulic Oils, Turbine Oils, Rock Drill Oils, Compressor Oils, Synthetic Lubricants, Fuel Supplements, and Wire Rope Lubricants
Lubrication Engineers: LEADERS IN LUBRICANTS

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:10 AM | Comments (0)

Flax USA Helps to Keep Farmers on the Farm

Cooperative effort of three farm families supports small town and produces the highest quality flax. Includes story of 94 year old woman who works in packaging and attributes longevity to taking flax daily.

Goodrich, ND (PRWEB) October 27, 2005 -- Three farming families join together to produce Omega Golden Flax Seed for Flax USA. In the small town of Goodrich, North Dakota, population 200, Flax farming is a major industry supporting the community. Producing, packaging and distributing this Omega 3–rich product for Flax USA provides income to more than 25 people.

This grassroots company is truly a “Ma & Pop” business. The Stober family, with over 100 years of Flax farming expertise, spans 5 generations. Son Jared, now a senior at the University of North Dakota, started working in the family business while in high school.

“I was able to put myself thru college working in the family business,” said Jared. “And after I graduate, I plan to use my business degree to help expand the marketing and distribution of our product.”

The Omega Golden Fax Seed, originally created by South Dakota & North Dakota State Universities to yield higher levels of Omega 3 oil, protein, and fiber, requires stringent growing criteria to produce the best hybrid seed. Not genetically modified, Golden Flax Seed is one of the richest sources of Alpha Linoleic Acid (ALA) – an omega-3 essential fatty acid – and fiber, lignan and well as other vitamins and minerals that help reduce cholesterol, fight cancer and control blood glucose levels.

Triple cleaned with a proprietary process, untouched by human hands, their Flax seed packaging process assures the highest quality product and cleanliness. Vearl Hagen, 94 years young, hand labels products as they are assembled for distribution.

“I like doing the physical work,” said Vearl. “Working here at Flax USA – and eating flax daily – keeps me young.”

Doctors, researchers, and nutritionists have described flax seed as the "perfect whole food." Because flax seeds are able to provide the body with exactly what it needs to stave off disease and maintain optimal health, adding Flax to your diet can lower your cholesterol, help you lose weight, ease the effects of menopause, boost your immune system and beat the aches and pains associated with arthritis!

There is no wonder why Mahatma Gandhi said, “Whenever flaxseeds become a regular food item among the people, there will be BETTER health.”

Flax USA is a featured product on www.onlynaturesbest.com and was recently seen on NBC News. For more information on Flax USA visit their website www.flaxusa.com.

Disclaimer:
The statements regarding the products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:09 AM | Comments (0)

RumFest NY presents +80 Rums, Rhums, Rons & Cachacas from Around the World

Only 3 weeks to RumFest NY, 80+ Amazing Rums, an Orchard of Flavors and Finest Sipping Rums and Cachacas in the World, Hot New Cocktails and more.

(PRWEB) October 28, 2005 -- Come and pick your own luscious fruit at RumFest in NYC. From Cruzan sample raspberry, mango, coconut, pineapple, orange, banana & citrus rums plus vanilla and their most lush of all, Rum Cream.

Put some cream in my Coffee-rum, that is, from Brinley Gold rum, which also brings orange spice, vanilla and coconut rums from St. Kitts.

It’s apple-picking season and Bacardi has already prepared their newest flavor, Bacardi Apple rum, just for you. Right around the corner is Thanksgiving, a great time to pair your favorite bird with some cranberry rum from Prichard’s.

If it’s sipping you’re in to, let RumFest inspire you with Cruzan’s Estate rum Collection, Diplomatico Venezuelan rum, Ron Barcelo Dominican rum, Traveller’s One Barrel rum from Belize, Prichard’s Fine rum from Tennessee and, from Rums of Puerto Rico, Captain Morgan Private Stock and Ron Barrilito 3 Stars rums. (Tres Estrellas).

Don Q brings their Cristal rum, which you might mix up in a Mojito or other cocktail.

Mystery enshrouds Oronoco, which makes its debut this month. But, we suspect it’s from somewhere in South America, as is the portfolio of the finest collection of Cachaca’s available in the US, from Excalibur Enterprise.

Whether you choose to make your own caipirinha with Beleza Pura Cachaca or just let it flow from their painstakingly prepared Beleza Pura Caipirinha, you’ll be astounded by the quality of the cachacas in this collection.

From Santa Catarina Island off Brazil’s southern coast comes Armazem Vieira cachaca, with 3 dignified selections: ‘Esmeralda’ Solera 4 Year Old, ‘Rubi’ Solera 8 Year Old and ‘Onix’ 16 Year Old. GRM employs methods that have remained unchanged for more than three centuries and produces world-class cachacas on its farm, Fazenda dos Verdes, in the state of Minas Gerais, noted as Brazil’s finest cachaca- and gastronomy-producing region. GRM’s Silver Small Batch 2 Year Old cachaca earned Playboy Magazine’s Number 1 rating.

Cachaca Rochinha is one of many premium agricultural products of the Cachoeira Farm in Rio de Janeiro’s beautiful Paraiba Valley. Built circa 1717 and named for the abundance of water and waterfalls on its lands, Excalibur Enterprise has selected two of their finest offerings, the Single Barrel 5 Year Old, notably mellow with a warm smoky flavor and the Single Barrel 12 Year Old, exceptionally complex, with a palate that is reminiscent of the lush, smoky, peaty single malts of Scotland’s Islay. Only 1,200 bottles per year will make it to the US shores.

Tales of kill-devil, rumbullion or however one might refer to it, the origin and history of Rum, Rhum, Ron & Cachaca—was no tea party. Authors Ian Williams and David Broom bring you their latest books on the subject.

Ian Williams, Nation correspondent, documents the etymological origins of rum—“kill-devil” is one especially pungent early name for the stuff, in his book RUM; A Social and Sociable History of the Real Spirit of 1776

David Broom, award-winning drink writer (Drink! Never Mind the Peanuts; Handbook of Whisky, Spirits & Cocktails; The Connoisseur’s Guide to Whisky, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon) presents RUM, which will be on-sale with several signed copies available for bidding at the Silent Auction, benefiting the Sky Ranch Foundation.

On Monday night, November 14, taste from among 80 different presentations of the finest rums, rhums, rons and cachacas including Starr African Rum, Cockspur Rum, Zacapa Rum, Ron Botran Rum, Rhums Clement, Sea Wynde Rum, Goslings Rum, Fazenda Mae de Ouro Cachaca, Foursquare Spiced Rum, Doorly’s Rum, La Favorite Rhum, Rhum Neisson, E.S.A. Field Rum, Inner Circle Rum, R.L. Seale Rum, & Velvet Falernum Liqueur. Judge your favorite new cocktails at our Cocktail Challenge, feast on Fajitas, sway to soothing rhythms, learn from Rum Expert Ed Hamilton, Ministry of Rum, bid on the finest selection of rums and other items at our Silent Auction and more, at LQ in NYC.

For each ticket sold, we will donate $5 to the Katrina Fund. Goody Bags will be reserved for the first 300 ticket purchasers only.

RumFest begins at 5:30 for VIP’s & Press. General admission begins at 6:30 and ends at 9:30PM. Tickets can be purchased on-line at The Polished Palate. Prices are $50 pp in advance, all major credit cards accepted. Tickets at the door are $60pp and cash only. Must be 21 years or older to attend event. Photo ID mandatory.

Please Polish your Palate Responsibly

For more information, contact The Polished Palate

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:08 AM | Comments (0)

The Will Bar is the World's First 'Body & Mind' Energy Bar Developed for Periods of Increased Physical and Mental Activity

Where there's a Will Bar there's a Way! The Will Bar is the world's first energy bar with taurine and caffeine for sustained mental stimulation. Kick the day into play with the tasty and nutritious Will Power Champion's Chocolate to give you extra Get up and Go! Go! Go! The Will Bar is exclusively launching at King of Shaves White Air XSF Extreme Sports Festival 27th - 30th October 2005.

(PRWEB) October 27, 2005 -- The Will Bar is not just another (yawn :-0) energy bar, it is the world's first 'Body & Mind' bar - an energy bar enhanced with taurine and caffeine to aid mental stimulation as well as replenish energy levels.

Think 'Red Bull' stimulation in a great tasting energy bar!

It comes in one great flavour, Champion's Chocolate (everyone's favourite), and according to W Brands Ltd., eating the Will Bar can improve performance, increase concentration and reaction speed. In fact, caffeine* has been shown in research to make the body more able to use fats as a fuel rather than carbohydrate.

The Will Bar is debuting exclusively at Europe's largest Extreme Sports Festival, the King of Shaves White Air XSF, held between 27th and 30th October on the Isle of Wight, UK. Over 10,000 bars are expected to be sold to, and sampled by, competitors and spectators.

Will King, entrepreneur & founder of King of Shaves and creator of the Will Bar says:

"I'm on the go all the time and wanted to create a nutritionally balanced EMR (Energy/Meal Replacement) Bar with an 'X' factor. I thought about the success of Red Bull in 'mental stimulation', and came up with a tasty, chewy baked energy bar that as well as maintaining vital energy levels, would also help with my mental stimulation, and keep me buzzing!"

He adds:

"The bar had to be much healthier than traditional confectionery products - sorry CON-FAT-ionery products as we call them. The Will Bar is all about Con-FIT-ion - you 'will' be what you eat! Invest in your body and don't short change it - this bar will keep you going and going, and we use the very best ingredients. It's about the same cost as an espresso doppio from Starbucks!"

The Will Bar will officially launch in the UK in Spring 2006, initially from small active sports retailers, surf shops, restaurant chains, gyms, sports clubs and motorway service stations. It will also be available on-line from www.willbar.com for both retailers and consumers.

Two major UK retailers have already expressed considerable interest in the brand.

Ms. Janno Williams-Roberts, Managing Director of W Brands adds:

"I don't want to niche the Will Bars into 'dietary', 'weight management' or 'energy' categories - this is all about creating a brand new 'Body & Mind' Bar 'Con-FIT-ion' micro-category, a product that will sit next to Mars and Snickers confectionery countlines!"

The Will Bar is designed for busy professionals, athletes, and people for whom long term mental stimulation is essential, including lorry and F1 drivers! The company is in early negotiations with a number of health conscious celebrities and sports stars to get their endorsement, including leading British Olympic athletes.

In addition, an 'i-Will' fitness solution designed by one of the UK's leading personal & lifestyle trainers will be available on-line too, adding to the brand's benefits.

The Will Bar is the first product from W Brands Ltd. the company established by Managing Director Ms. Williams-Roberts in May 2005. More 'Will' branded products are expected, including skool cool bars for kids (without caffeine and taurine) as well as a healthy, revitalising Will Drink based around a unique SuperFruit.

Information on the Will Bar can be found at www.willbar.com

W Brands Ltd. website is at www.w-brands.com

Information on King of Shaves White Air XSF may be found at www.whiteair.co.uk

Note to Editors: Caffeine has been shown to increase the use of fat during exercise and was removed from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list over 18 months ago. It has been recognised as being a potentially valuable supplement. For more information please refer to page 24, 'Running Fitness', November 2005 (a UK fitness magazine).

Will King, 40, founded KMI, The King of Shaves Company in April 1993. More information at www.shave.com.

Janno Williams-Roberts, 46 was Sales & Marketing Director at KMI until October 2004.

'Will Bar', 'The Body & Mind Bar', 'Where There's A Will Bar There's A Way', 'Con-FAT-ion' and 'Con-FIT-ion' are (c)Copyright W King & W Brands Ltd., October 2005 All Rights Reserved.

'Red Bull', 'Mars', 'Snickers', 'Starbucks' and 'King of Shaves' are registered trademarks or trademarks of the companies that own them. E&OE.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:07 AM | Comments (0)

Standing Out Amongst German Knives – The Executive Chef Series from Gunter Wilhelm Cutlery

Combining Certain Qualities Professional Chefs Seek in Their Knives, the Executive Chef Series from Upstart Gunter Wilhelm Cutlery Offers Affordable, Professional Grade Cutlery for Cooking Enthusiasts, Both Professional and Non-professional Alike.

Tenafly, New Jersey, (PRWEB) October 27, 2005 -- Featuring the qualities most sought after by professional chefs, it’s no wonder why the Executive Chef Series from Gunter Wilhelm Cutlery is quickly gaining popularity among professional chefs and cooking enthusiasts who have had personal encounters with the knives at trade, food, and wine shows throughout the United States.

“What makes the Executive Chef Series stand apart from other fine cutlery is the superior balance, weight and long lasting edge,” say Paul Hellman designer and co-founder of Gunter Wilhelm Cutlery, who modeled the knives according to what more than 100 executive chefs said they looked for in a quality knife. He discovered the common answers to be heft, balance, a sharp heel, a wide, stain resistant blade, easy sharpening while having excellent edge retention, styling, durability and comfortable handles.

Gunter Wilhelm knives feature a “triple full tang” design, meaning that the one piece construction extends not only to the center of the knife, but also on each side of the knife, giving it additional weight and balance – making the cutting process much easier. The knives ergonomic belly in the handle gives users an open fisted comfortable grip, which reduces fatigue during long hours of cutting. Additionally, the knives feature a fully sharp heel which gives higher productivity unlike most other forged knives. Heft makes the weight of the knife do most of the work instead of the wrist.

For the serious cook this overall balance reduces fatigue during meal preparation while also increasing safety. Chef David Burke of the famed David Burke and Donnatella Restaurant in New York City agrees. “Great cutlery lets gravity do the work,” says Burke, who like Chef Brooke Vosika of the Four Seasons Hotel, believes the secret of great cutlery is a complex fusion of heft, balance, grip and surgical precision.

The Executive Chef Series from Gunter Wilhelm Cutlery is designed in the US, forged in Germany, and final grinding, polishing and assembly is done in Asia. The knives feature perfect balance, weight, comfort, 440 High carbon steel from Solingen, Germany, and a hand-forged, full tang design. As part of the factory process, the steel is ice hardened to a Rockwell of 58, a standard measure of steel’s hardness. The handles feature pakkawood inserts which are not natural wood. Pakkawood is a mixture of plastic and wood, which doesn’t discolor, fade or crack as wood often does. The Executive Chef Series sells for $395 at www.gunterwilhelm.com , and is available exclusively in New York at Bowery Kitchen Supplies in the Chelsea Marketplace. The Series includes a:
· 10-inch chef knife
· Meat clever
· 8-inch chef knife
· Asian clever
· 8-inch bread knife
· 8-inch carving knife
· Meat fork
· Sharpening steel
· Paring knife
· Utility knife
· 6-piece steak knife
· large wooden block

About Gunter Wilhelm Cutlery
Gunter Wilhelm Cutlery offers a full line of high-end, professional grade kitchen cutlery, superior in quality and craftsmanship to other German brands, at affordable prices. All Gunter Wilhelm knives carry a lifetime warranty, so that generations later, the knives can be exchanged if necessary. Additionally, the company offers other high-end kitchen-related products such as earth-friendly bamboo cutting boards, cookware and kitchen accessories. Gunter Wilhelm products can be purchased at www.gunterwilhelm.com, their catalog or at select trade, food, and wine shows throughout the United States.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:07 AM | Comments (0)

The Frozen Snacks Market Expands in the United States by 25% from 2000 to 2005 as More People Opt for On-the-Go Products

Dublin (PRWEB) October 27, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c26536) has announced the addition of Frozen Snacks in the United States to their offering

Americans' schedules have become increasingly busy as work weeks and commuting times have gotten longer, and parents spend more time shuffling kids to and from activities. As a result, time-pressed consumers are snacking more, often on-the-go. Product developments have also increased sales of frozen snacks, and in the last five years, the category has seen an influx of successful new products, including many Mexican and Asian offerings. Manufacturers have increased sales by launching a variety of pack sizes to satisfy small and large households.

The frozen snacks market grew nearly 25% from 2000 to 2005, reaching about $2 billion. Holding about 28% of the entire market is Nestlé's Hot Pockets brand, which has driven growth by strong marketing support and a steady stream of product news, including the introduction of several successful, new Mexican varieties. Similarly, the still-growing popularity of Mexican cuisine in the U.S. helped bring up sales of Ruiz Foods' El Monterey line of frozen snacks, up 73% over the last five years. Finally, although they represent only a small portion of sales, the "better-for-you" brands, including Lean Pockets, Amy's Kitchen and Cedarlane, also grew strongly over the period, although the frozen snacks category is still far behind in sales of better-for-you fare.

With the innovation increasing and the convenience trend still going strong, we expect the frozen snacks category to grow for the next several years. We forecast sales to rise 1.5% annually, reaching about $2.5 billion by 2010.

This report covers frozen foods intended to be served as snacks, not as complete meals:
frozen appetizers/snack rolls
frozen sandwiches
frozen pretzels

The following items are excluded from the scope of this report.
frozen breaded vegetables, such as breaded mushrooms
frozen chicken products, such as chicken tenders, chicken nuggets and chicken fingers
frozen dinners or entrées
refrigerated or shelf-stable snacks of any kind

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c26536

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:06 AM | Comments (0)

Lines Blur Between Restaurants and Supermarkets as Americans Consume 70 Billion Prepared Meals

As Americans continue to consume mass quantities of prepared meals, the lines between food service providers and retailers have become increasingly complicated to define, according to Foodservice and Retail: The Blurring of the Channels, a new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com.

New York (PRWEB) October 27, 2005 -- As Americans continue to consume mass quantities of prepared meals, the lines between food service providers and retailers have become increasingly complicated to define, according to Foodservice and Retail: The Blurring of the Channels, a new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com.

Although Americans eat 70 billion meals from more than 870,000 foodservice establishments a year, Packaged Facts concludes that takeout sales, which have been growing at 6-8 percent annually, have caused a tremendous shift in the way both retailers and foodservice providers do business. With American households taking out an average of 118 meals per year, up by 64% over 20 years ago, both retail and foodservice providers are scrambling to capitalize on what’s becoming more than a niche market.

“As the trend of co-branding and partnering between retailers and foodservice providers—particularly convenience stores and restaurants—continues to explode, we’ll continue to see an upward swing in the takeout business as consumers find it easier to get restaurant quality foods close to home,” said Don Montuori, the publisher of Packaged Facts. “In this regard, we’ll continue to see the lines between retail and foodservice continue to blur as both sides try to keep their foot in this very lucrative sector of the food market.”

Foodservice and Retail: The Blurring of the Channels examines the undeniable movement between restaurants, supermarkets, and convenience stores as they strive—both independently and together—to win over more takeout customers through better packaging, easier availability, and signature recipe items which keep consumers coming back.

Using a rich source of data on prepared food product sales, foodservice trends, and consumer behavior, Foodservice and Retail: The Blurring of the Channels offers a unique look at the status of the foodservice industry today, from the perspective of where people are going when they “go out to dinner.” Priced at $3000, this report can be purchased directly from Packaged Facts by clicking: http://www.packagedfacts.com/pub/1079667.html. It is also available at MarketResearch.com.

About Packaged Facts
Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes research reports on a wide range of consumer industries, including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, and demographics. For more information visit www.PackagedFacts.com, or contact Tom Ehart at 301-468-3650 x250.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:05 AM | Comments (0)

October 26, 2005

Fertigation Systems Capable Of Handling Gypsum, Soil Polymers, Ground Limestone

A few chemigation and irrigation fertigation systems have expanded in scope to the point where farmers can utilize them for substances like gypsum, soil polymers, ground limestone, micronutrients, growth regulation and an ever-expanding range of chemical applications.

(PRWEB) October 26, 2005 -- Farmers have been using fertigation for years to apply fertilizer, herbicides, fungicides and pesticides to their fields through irrigation. This approach gives them far more control over where, when and how the substance is applied, while reducing labor and raw material costs, and increasing crop yields.

Gypsum, for example, is one of the many materials that can be distributed using chemigation and irrigation fertigation systems. Gypsum has three major usages – as a soil amendment, a conditioner and a fertilizer. As gypsum is not water soluble, most pumps and irrigation systems are unable to deal with it.

For example, a system from companies like Agri-Inject Inc (www.agri-inject.com), which uses sealed Milton-Roy diaphragm pumps, don’t allow any chemical or substance to come into contact with the working parts of the pump. This makes it possible for gypsum to be prepared as slurry and for it to be efficiently sent out to the fields for such functions as correcting soil alkalinity, lowering or raising pH, leaching out harmful sodium through ionic exchange and restoring a balanced soil condition following prolonged use of acid fertilizers.

In addition, gypsum permits water to penetrate soil without forming puddles or water logging, thereby conserving water by stretching intervals between irrigations. According to researchers, farmland treated with gypsum requires up to 33 percent less water than other soils.

“It used to be that you never really knew what amount of a chemical went out into the fields,” says Christopher Glaze, who works at the Irrigation Research Foundation’s farm in Yuma, Colorado. “Chemigation is much more accurate than using a sprayer as you get uniform coverage. It saves us a lot in fuel and labor costs and improves our yields dramatically.”

Soil polymers are also finding broader distribution via existing irrigation lines. Aquadiamonds, for example, is a polymer that can absorb hundreds of times its weight in water and last for years. Such super-absorbent soil polymers are used by farmers and orchard growers for seed germination, soil conditioning and water management. Essentially, these are long-lasting gels that release water as the soil dries, making it possible to stretch the time between waterings by curbing evaporative water loss from the soil.

Ground limestone is another substance that is easily spread using the Agri-Inject-type irrigation fertigation systems. Lime reduces soil acidity (increases pH) and adds calcium and magnesium. The problem is that limestone is relatively insoluble in water so must be very finely ground. This type of specialized irrigation systems eases the problem of limestone distribution while ensuring maximum contact with the soil.

Using this technology, farmers also spread chemicals such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, boron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper and potash. In addition, they harness the system to deliver herbicides, insecticides and a host of other applications.

“We use the Agri-Inject fertigation system to apply a wide range of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides to our fields through the irrigation system,” says Joe Newton, a farmer from Eckley, CO. “The system offers accuracy, simplicity and flexibility.”

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:15 AM | Comments (0)

The King of Sandwiches Joins the King of Coffee on West Bay to Bay Blvd in South Tampa

Hungry in South Tampa? Then stopping by 3401 Bay to Bay Blvd should be your first option for finding a delicious meal.

(PRWEB) October 26, 2005 -- There is a brand new Quiznos sub restaurant conveniently located at 3401 West Bay to Bay Blvd, directly across the parking lot from Starbucks in the Bay to Bay shopping center.

Residents and Business employees in the South Tampa area no longer have to endure the hassle of the Dale Mabry traffic in order to enjoy a delicious toasted sub the way only Quiznos knows how to make. Neither do they have to settle for a sub from the Quiznos imitators who were quick to jump on the Quiznos bandwagon and begin to toast their subs also. I am not sure what the strategy was behind placing a Quiznos at this location, but it makes perfect sense for it to be in such close proximity to a Starbucks. Today, the most popular place for Americans to get their coffee is at Starbucks and Quiznos is fast becoming America’s favorite place to get a sandwich. While Quiznos still lags way behind Subway in the number of restaurants throughout the country, there is no disagreeing that Quiznos sells the best tasting sub of all the Quick Service Restaurants.

When we asked Quiznos what was the secret behind their great tasting sandwiches; salads; and soups, we were directed to the following from their website:

‘Quiznos stands above the ordinary sub sandwich restaurant because Quiznos subs are toasted on special, proprietary breads. These artisan breads are made from the finest quality ingredients and are carefully designed not only to add extraordinary flavor to the sandwich, but to make the perfect recipe for toasting. But Quiznos great taste doesn't come only from its special breads… the same quality ingredients go into signature sauces, such as Quiznos classic Red Wine Vinaigrette, Honey-Bourbon Mustard and Roasted Bell Pepper Sauces.’

Along with its great tasting food, Quiznos of Bay to Bay is extremely clean and customers are always treated with courteous service. Bay to Bay Quiznos also offer numerous programs to keep patrons eating at their restaurant on a regular basis. They offer the ‘Buy Four Get More’ program, where if you buy four regular or large subs, you get the 5th one for free. Starting on November 6th the restaurant will also begin a happy hour Monday, where after 4pm patrons will be able to purchase four large subs for the price of two.

While individuals all have their favorite subs, both customers and employees of the restaurant all seem to be in agreement about Quiznos great taste. We ask a resident of South Tampa who is a regular Quiznos diner what she loves about Quiznos and she replies, ‘At least two times a week I just absolutely have to have their honey mustard chicken sandwich, it is so delicious.’ Patrick Flanagan who is an and also a student at the near by Plant High School seems to be in agreement, he states ‘We make the best tasting sub, especially the black angus’. As for the manager of Quiznos Bay to Bay, she states that everyday she strives to make sure the Bay to Bay Quiznos is playing its part in achieving the Quiznos mission and commitment:

To be the leader in quick service restaurants by serving the best sandwiches and "products in and around sandwiches" in the marketplace... one successful restaurant and one "wowed" customer at a time. We believe that our Quiznos product is our single best asset as we focus on our quest to be a national market leader in the sub sandwich segment. Whether you live, work or just visit South Tampa; you should definitely stop by 3401 West Bay to Bay Blvd and enjoy a delicious Quiznos Sub.

Quiznos of Bay to Bay
3401 West Bay to Bay Blvd
Tampa FL, 33629
813 832-5303

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:14 AM | Comments (0)

New Wine Classes in Philadelphia's Mainline

The team of sommeliers, teachers and enologists that turned Philadelphia into a hotbed of wine education are opening shop in the city's August suburb.

(PRWEB) October 26, 2005 -- On November 1st, a new facility for wine education is opening in Philadelphia’s Mainline suburb.

The team of sommeliers, teachers and enologists that turned Philadelphia into a hotbed of wine education are opening shop in the Ardmore.

“Our professional relationship with several colleges and schools in the area has prompted us to expand our programs to the Mainline. We expect our programs will be a benefit to the community at large,” says Keith Wallace, director of the Wine School of Philadelphia, “our approach has always been to offer educational programs in a relaxed atmosphere.”

Wine classes open to the public will be held in the wine cellar at Primavera Restaurant at 7 East Lancaster Ave in Ardmore, PA 19003. The first class, “Wine 101: Introduction to Wine” will be on November 15th . On November 29th, the wines of Italy will be featured. Class times are 6-8pm. Register online at winedegree.com are essential.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:14 AM | Comments (0)

Research and Markets Has Announced the Addition of Food Sector Perceptions Study to Their Offering

An analysis of the sentiment of senior executives in the European food industry, including markets trends and issues, influencing factors, and future expectations.

(PRWEB) October 26, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c26449) has announced the addition of Food Sector Perceptions Study to their offering.

This report provides an analysis of the sentiment of senior executives in the European food industry: their views on the market and current major issues and trends; the factors influencing their opinions and decision making; and an exploration of their future strategic intentions and expectations.

The report is supplemented by an analysis of announced M&A activity in the sector since 2000: with a listing of major deals, a breakdown by deal size, deal type and geography.

The report also includes articles by leading financial and professional services companies: Rabobank, OC&C Strategy Consultants; Gilde Investment Management, and CMS Cameron McKenna.

Summary:
Optimism for industry growth is prevalent despite escalating competitive pressures
Innovation will be key to growth
Strategic growth is expected to be achieved evenly via organic and M&A routes
More market consolidation is expected
Major global tariff reforms are expected
Knowledge of financing options is not consistent across the sector
Many companies are reluctant to pursue or are unaware of debt financing options
The role of private equity will continue to increase
More than ever, product safety is key in the sector

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c26449

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 98

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:13 AM | Comments (0)

October 25, 2005

Splenda®: Is It Safe Or Not?

Dr. Janet Hull, PhD, reveals the scientific evidence which strongly suggests the chemical sweetener sucralose, also known as Splenda®, may harm the body.

(PRWEB) October 25, 2005 -- In her recently published book, Splenda®: Is It Safe Or Not?, Dr. Janet Hull, PhD, reveals the scientific evidence which strongly suggests the chemical sweetener sucralose, also known as Splenda®, may harm the body.

Dr. Hull’s new book reveals that Splenda® research documents numbness of the hind legs in male rats and has negative effects on the livers, spleens and kidneys of laboratory animals.

In addition, other research cites recurring laboratory results of infertility in male rats and gastrointestinal problems in pregnant rats fed Splenda®.

Dr. Hull says, “Consumers are not being told the whole truth about the long-term dangers of using artificial chemical sweeteners. No one has considered the fact that chemical sweeteners may be at the root of many unexplained disease symptoms that puzzle your doctor.”

According to the research, Dr. Hull states, “Giving sugar-free chemicals to your children or using them during pregnancy may be harmful to a child’s emotional and physical maturation and to the normal development of a fetus.”

Dr. Janet Hull is an artificial sweetener expert and is also the author of Sweet Poison: How The World’s Most Popular Artificial Sweetener Is Killing Us – My Story, chronicling her gripping battle with a near-fatal disease allegedly caused by aspartame found in NutraSweet/Equal®.

Dr. Hull is an OSHA certified engineer and has degrees in nutrition, environmental toxicology and geology.

Dr. Hull has recently completed several television and radio interviews which will be airing in the next few weeks. The book is available nationwide and on Amazon.com.
Please visit http://www.issplendasafe.com for more information.

For Press Kit, Visit The Media Room:
http://www.issplendasafe.com/media/index.html

For Interviews Or Media Questions Contact:
Lucy Watkins
Office: 469-424-3406
Fax: 214-256-5852

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:00 PM | Comments (0)

Highland Cattle, Once Rare, Find Favor among American Consumers

Highland cattle almost became extinct at the turn of the century as cattlemen in England looked for higher growth animals. Today, small Highland cattle herds scattered throughout North America are undergoing a renaissance among producers and consumers who appreciate this unique breed of animal and the quality of beef from it. One such producer is the Great West Cattle Company which has recently teamed up with North America’s largest Highland cattle producer, Thorbardin Ranch, to restore this breed back to its former glory and market its high-quality beef.

(PRWEB via PR Web Direct) October 26, 2005 – Old World methods of raising beef, once found in England, are now finding new life in America and leading to a resurgence in the raising of Highland cattle due to a growing number of people demanding natural-grown foods in preference to modern, mass-produced food.

American consumers have begun to witness a renascence movement in the food industry that has resulted in a revival of several nearly extinct food varieties, such as Highland cattle, heirloom tomatoes and heritage turkeys. In many cases, these heirloom varieties and heritage genetics and bloodlines were almost made extinct as producers shunned them in favor of faster-growing breeds and lower production costs.

Heritage breeds in turkey or cattle actually mean standard historical breeds of animal. To the producer it generally means breeding naturally, long living and in most cases slow growing animals. In essence, they are unimproved for growth, meat color or other traits that other producers sometimes alter. When it comes to taste, though, many consumers actually prefer the tenderness and overall quality of the older breeds and methods, said Jon Cordonier, founder of Great West Cattle Company in Colorado.

Many modern cattle for example are finished from birth to slaughter in less than 12 months while Highland cattle, a slow growing animal, will finish generally between 24-30 months of age, he said. Great West Cattle believes that the slower growing animal marbles better, while at the same time producing a more intense and truer beef flavor.

Historically, Highland cattle were almost made extinct at the turn of the century as English cattlemen turned to higher growth animals, Cordonier said. Today, this breed is experiencing a new popularity among North American producers and consumers who have come to recognize its quality and taste.

One of those producers is Great West Cattle Company, a leading pioneer in using Heritage Highland Cattle as their sole source of cattle for their beef. The company has teamed up with North America’s largest Highland cattle producer, Thorbardin Ranch, to market this exquisite beef. Thorbardin Ranch is working hard to restore these heritage cattle back to their former glory. Thorbardin Ranch supplies Great West Cattle Company with all natural grain finished Highland cattle raised from birth to slaughter on their own ranches located on the high prairies of Wyoming. These cattle come in a rainbow of colors ranging white to black including yellow, red, dun, silver and brindle (red/black combination) to show off their unimproved qualities and their genetic diversification.

Great West Cattle Company is pleased to offer consumers around the country the ability to enjoy heritage beef from these historic Highland cattle. Great West follows a beef recipe for success: Heritage Highland cattle naturally raised, grain finished, processed with the latest technology and then dry aged for taste and tenderness. Customers can order online at www.greatwestcattle.com and have five-star restaurant quality beef delivered directly to their door.

Contact:
Great West Cattle Company
Jon Cordonier
877.GR8.MEAT

www.greatwestcattle.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:59 PM | Comments (0)

Hurricane Wilma Cuts Mexico’s largest restaurant company in half

Grupo Anderson’s is renowned across the world for its flagship restaurant brands, Señor Frog’s and Carlos ‘n Charlie’s. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Wilma, the restaurant company faces a major rebuilding process with damage to every location in Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen.

Cancun, Q. Roo, Mexico (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) October 25, 2005 -– Grupo Anderson’s, parent company of world-famous restaurant brands, Señor Frog’s and Carlos ‘n Charlie’s, is feeling the tremendous effects of Hurricane Wilma’s devastation throughout its entire corporation.

The company, which is based in Cancun, has lost the complete contents of its corporate office and has experienced damage in every restaurant in Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, including four Señor Frog’s and two Carlos ‘n Charlie’s locations.

“The aftermath of this storm is unimaginable,” said David Krouham, CEO of Grupo Anderson’s. “I also witnessed Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, which was the most devastating hurricane in Cancun’s history. But what we’ve experienced with Wilma is much worse.”

Through this devastation, Krouham, who has been with the company for more than 20 years, remains dedicated to supporting his 1,200 employees impacted by the hurricane.

“I expect our restaurants to be closed and under renovation for at least six to eight months, but I will do whatever it takes to make sure my employees are taken care of during that time, even if it requires taking out a personal loan to ensure their salaries are paid,” Krouham said.

Another longstanding Grupo Anderson’s concept, El Shrimp Bucket, which was located on the northern end of Boulevard Kukulcan, was washed away during the storm, and most parts of the hotel zone have experienced major sand and flood damage.

There is currently no electricity or running water in the area, and residents have been told that utilities will not be restored for up to three weeks. Many locals are surviving off of canned goods.

“If we run out of drinking water, we’ll just have to drink tequila,” Krouham joked.

“What’s unique about our company are the positive attitudes and loyalty of the staff members,” he added. “With those attributes, I am not concerned about our well-being and the rebuilding of our concepts.”

Before Hurricane Wilma, Grupo Anderson’s owned and operated 8 restaurant concepts and a total of 54 locations. Systemwide sales for 2005 were projected to reach more than $100 million. The four damaged Señor Frog’s, all of which exceeded $8 million in sales in 2004, represented some of the company’s highest-volume locations, and will potentially cause a serious financial strain on the company as a whole until they are reopened.

With more than 26,000 hotel rooms, Cancun is, by far, the country’s largest tourism resort area, as well as the top destination in the Caribbean, according to the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For ongoing updates about Hurricane Wilma’s aftermath on the Yucatan Peninsula, including photos, please visit www.senorfrogs.com/wilma.

*Note: Jorge Camino, chief operating officer of Grupo Anderson’s, will be available for interviews beginning at 12 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, October 25.

Media Contact:
Ashley Hallmark
Quantified Marketing Group
(407) 936-1010
(321) 663-1209 mobile

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:58 PM | Comments (0)

SUKKAR® Cane Juice Concentrate Contains Naturally Occurring POLICOSANOLS

SUKKAR® Cane Juice Concentrate contains an abundance of naturally occurring policosanols.

(PRWEB) October 25, 2005 -- SUKKAR® Cane Juice Concentrate is the only juice concentrate available known to contain policosanols - a unique ingredient that can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Major firms are selling policosanols as a dietary supplement and that is the nutrient found in our cane juice, not added to it, thanks to our US patented process.

Billions of people in all corners of the world today consume sugar cane juice, by whatever name it is called and have done so since time immemorial. These people consume it because it is delicious and one of the most ancient and richest sources of food known to man. The Chinese already knew this "Honey of Cane" many millenniums before Jesus Christ. The earliest records of pure, evaporated sugar cane juice, boiled to extract the water date back to 3,000 BC in India.

The following reference to sugar cane comes from Historia Hierosolymitana by Albert of Aachen, a European chronicler of the First Crusade, who wrote in about 1130.

"In that place the people sucked little honeyed reeds, found in plenty throughout the plain, which they call "sukkar"; they enjoyed this reed's wholesome sap, and because of its sweetness once they had tasted it they could scarcely get enough of it."

SUKKAR® Cane Juice Concentrate is made under an exclusive US patented process which preserves the flavor, policosanols, nutrients, minerals, and vitamins naturally found in sugar cane.

SUKKAR® Cane Juice Concentrate is 100% natural juice and Kosher Pareve Certified.

CONTACT:
Mariana Gonzalez, CI Sukkar SA, +866-978-5328 or

Website: www.CISukkarSA.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:57 PM | Comments (0)

Healthy Beef Cookbook Unveiled To American Dieticians

“The Healthy Beef Cookbook,” made its debut at the American Dietetic Association annual Food and Nutrition Conference held in St. Louis, MO.

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) October 25, 2005 -- “Healthy” and “Beef” are two words that go together well, and a new cookbook has 130 new ways to combine them to deliver great-tasting, health-promoting, lean beef dishes to the dinner table. “The Healthy Beef Cookbook,” made its debut at the American Dietetic Association annual Food and Nutrition Conference being held this week in St. Louis, MO.

According to Alane Lidolph, director of consumer information for the Missouri Beef Industry Council (MBIC), the cookbook was developed as a joint effort between the American Dietetic Association and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “And this cookbook contains 130 recipes that really apply directly to USDA guidelines, MyPyramid. So it has great nutrition information and also some culinary tips for consumers and health professionals to use.”

Lidolph says the cookbook provides information about the health benefits of lean beef, especially when combined in recipes with other food groups such as fruits and vegetables and whole grains. “In fact, 66 percent of the recipes in “The Healthy Beef Cookbook” are excellent sources of fiber and since beef itself is not a natural source of fiber that really exemplifies how the cookbook implements other food groups to make a really complete meal.”

One example of a high-fiber recipe in the cookbook is Steak with Ginger Plum Barbeque sauce, which combines marinated top round steak, carrots, pea pods and jasmine rice. The cookbook was just introduced, but Lidolph says it is already available for purchase. “Definitely. You can purchase the cookbook at www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com or www.amazon.com and it will make a great holiday gift for friends and family.”

The book was written by a registered dietitian and the recipes were developed by a popular Dallas chef. Richard Chamberlain is the owner and head chef of Chamberlain's Steak and Chop House in Dallas, TX. He currently sits on the board of directors for the Dallas chapter of the American Heart Association. Betsy Hornick, MS, RD is an experienced writer, editor, and educator specializing in food, nutrition, and health-related topics who lives in Poplar Grove, IL. Missouri beef producers helped to fund development of the cookbook through their one dollar per head beef checkoff that pays for research and promotion efforts.

Recipe:
Steak with Ginger Plum Barbeque Sauce

Total preparation and cooking time: 35 minutes
Marinating time: 6 hours or overnight

1 beef top round steak, cut 3/4 inch
thick (about1 pound)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
3 cups fresh pea pods, strings removed
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and black pepper
3 cups hot cooked jasmine rice,
prepared without butter or salt
Chopped fresh cilantro

Marinade:
1/2 cup prepared plum sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1. Combine marinade ingredients in small bowl. Place beef steak
and1/2 cup marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to
coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours
or as long as overnight, turning occasionally. Cover and reserve
remaining marinade in refrigerator.
2. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Place steak
on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered,
8 to 9 minutes for medium rare doneness, turning occasionally
and basting with some of the reserved marinade during last
2 to 3 minutes of grilling. Remove; keep warm.
3. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until
hot. Add carrots; stir-fry 5 minutes. Add pea pods and garlic;
stir-fry 2 minutes.
4. Carve steak into thin slices. Season with salt and black pepper,
as desired. Place remaining marinade in small saucepan; heat
until warm. Serve with steak, vegetables and rice. Garnish with
cilantro, if desired.
Makes 4 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 496 calories; 9g fat (2g saturated fat;
4g monounsaturated fat); 61mg cholesterol; 531mg sodium; 66g carbohydrate;
6.2g fiber; 36g protein; 8.4mg niacin; 0.8mg vitamin B6; 1.5mcg vitamin B12;
6.9mg iron; 43.0mcg selenium; 6.1mg zinc.
This recipe is an excellent source of fiber, protein, niacin, vitamin B6,
vitamin B12, iron, selenium and zinc.

About the Beef Checkoff Program
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)

Low Quality Food Causes Cancer? Revealed: Shocking Facts About Our Food

Indepth report with shocking information about food quality. Dramatically decrease of nutritional value signaled.

(PRWEB) October 25, 2005 -- In 2001, we reported on a vitamin drain in America's vegetables (Vegetables Without Vitamins, Life Extension, March 2001). What we found in our unofficial report is now official. The Journal of the American College of Nutrition has published new findings from University of Texas researchers showing diminished levels of six nutrients in vegetables and fruits.

According to the new report, levels of calcium, riboflavin, vitamin C, iron, potassium, and protein in vegetables and fruits have significantly declined since 1950. This finding holds up even after making numerous statistical adjustments to account for the losses. The report covers only a few common nutrients; potential declines in lesser-known nutrients like lycopene and zeaxanthin are unknown.

When asked about the apparent drain, commercial plant breeders refuse to comment, but clues have emerged as to why today's vegetables are not what they should be. It has to do with the way commercial growers do business.

From Food to Commodity

Tomatoes that resemble tennis balls, peppers that taste like small rocks, and big, red, flavorless strawberries are all a result of selective breeding for pith and water (pith is defined as the fibrous part of fruits and vegetables, such as the - netting around orange sections that is usually discarded). Desirable traits for commercial growers who want produce to ship well, look good, and weigh a lot, but undesirable traits for consumers who buy produce as a source of nutrition. Plant jockeys call it the dilution effect — more water and pith, less vitamin content.

The transformation of vegetables from food to commodity is well illustrated by the one people love to hate: broccoli. Broccoli is a terrific source of calcium, especially for people who don't drink milk. But the most prized commercial version of broccoli is a heavy, calcium/magnesium-deficient hybrid called Marathon. In research conducted by the US Department of Agriculture, Marathon is consistently about a third lower in calcium and magnesium than are other hybrids. And the hybrids themselves are about 50% lower in calcium than the broccoli listed in the 1998 USDA nutrient database. It has been reported that the calcium and magnesium content in commercially grown broccoli sold in grocery stores can vary twofold.

Prematurely Picked Produce

The dilution effect is not the only thing causing problems in nutrient content. Most commercial fruit, including tomatoes, is picked green. Green fruit doesn't have a chance to sun-ripen; it's artificially ripened with ethylene, a natural plant hormone. Ethylene is what causes tomatoes to turn pinkish. Produce deprived of sunlight doesn't have a chance to develop sunlight-related nutrients such as anthocyanins — the flavonoids that make cherries red and grapes purple.3-5 Anthocyanins are plant sunscreens. When humans ingest them, they provide protection against DNA damage, brain cell deterioration, cancer, and more.

Other plant vitamins can also be affected by premature picking. Researchers in Spain conducted an in-depth investigation of cherries ripening and found 14 different stages, during which the fruit turned from green to red.9 They concluded that for maximum nutrition, cherries should be picked at stage 12, way beyond the stage at which they're harvested green by commercial growers. To illustrate how important the ripening process is, if cherries are picked at stage 8, their vitamin C content is half the amount it is if they're picked at stage 14.9 Similarly, researchers at Oregon State University who studied blackberries discovered that green ones contain 74 mg of anthocyanins, compared to 317 mg in ripe ones (per 100 grams fresh weight).3 The same phenomenon occurs in other fruits as well.

Polyphenols likewise have no chance to fully develop when produce is picked green, which is why green-picked produce is so tasteless. Besides having health benefits, polyphenols give produce its flavor.10 Tomatoes deprived of UVB sunlight can be drained of carotenoids and possess little antioxidant activity.11 It's suspected that the lack of folate in grocery store tomatoes is due to their being picked green.

Other Factors Drain Nutrients

Big, green, hybrid, inbred, watery produce is not the whole story, however. There's more. Changing climates, commercial fertilizers, and changes in soil composition have also been identified as reasons for the vitamin drain in commercial produce. Increasing carbon dioxide levels are known to significantly diminish important trace minerals, including zinc.

Synthetic fertilizer is another potential source of vitamin depletion. The vitamin C content of two types of organically grown oranges was higher than that of the same oranges grown with synthetic fertilizer. It's now possible to distinguish an organic orange from a conventionally grown orange by looking at factors related to fertilizer (though the difference is not great).14 Organically grown fruits and vegetables have been reported to have significantly more antioxidants, polyphenols, and enzymes than commercial produce.15-19 According to one report, organic fruits themselves have better antioxidant defenses.

The commercial solution to disappearing vitamins is to manipulate vegetables and fruits genetically, inserting foreign genes to force them to produce more nutrients.20 Tomatoes, for example, have been forced to produce folate through this method. Such biofortification causes the tomatoes to produce compounds never before seen in plants.12 And they end up without PABA, a B-complex coenzyme that makes up part of folate. The solution for that is to douse the plants in PABA to make up for the loss - and on it goes.

The Value of Supplements

For those who find the new, unregulated world of genetically manipulated, vitamin-less vegetables unpalatable - or find that they don't care to eat vegetables that have absorbed up to 45 times the amount of pesticides in the soil, including DDT (which was banned decades ago but is still with us)21 - high-quality, standardized supplements are one way of incorporating a standard amount of known nutrients in the diet.

Supplements are not a replacement for food, but they can give the less-than-stellar diet that extra edge. And they work. It has been estimated that a calcium supplement alone could keep more than 100,000 people out of the hospital and save $2.6 billion in medical expenses annually.22 Calcium is one of the disappearing minerals in vegetables.

If taken long enough, magnesium supplements could halve the number of colon and rectal cancer cases in women.23 And riboflavin, which has decreased 38% in commercial vegetables since 1950, could prevent a lot of cataracts.

The Chromium-Deficient Western Diet

Chromium is a trace mineral that is essential for optimal health. Food sources of chromium include brewer's yeast, whole grains, wheat germ, fruit, eggs, meat, and shellfish. Chromium deficiency is widespread in the United States due to mineral-depleted soils and over-reliance on refined and processed foods.

Chromium is an essential component of glucose tolerance factor, which enhances insulin function and is essential for proper carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar regulation. Insufficient chromium intake is associated with signs and symptoms similar to those seen in people with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.26 Chromium helps to promote healthy glucose and lipid levels, even in healthy subjects, and may help promote fat loss and optimal body weight.26 Chromium supplementation improves serum glucose levels in both type I and type II diabetics.27 Dietary supplementation with chromium may help fill the void left by mineral-depleted soils and refined foods.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:55 PM | Comments (0)

Shauna Hanus, Proprietor of Gourmayeats.com, Enters Her Homemade Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Recipe in The Food Networks ‘The Next Food Network Star’ Contest

Shauna Hanus' pumpkin pie ice cream recipe is an easy to follow gourmet ice cream that is a delightful addition to holiday time.

(PRWEB) October 25, 2005 -- Shauna Hanus, proprietor of Gourmayeats.com has entered her Homemade Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Recipe in The Food Networks ‘The Next Food Network Star’ contest. Her pumpkin pie ice cream recipe is an easy to follow gourmet ice cream that is a delightful addition to holiday time.

You can visit http://www.gourmayeats.com to learn more about Shauna Hanus and her gourmet recipes.

All New Gourmayeats Weekly Menu subscribers will receive this Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream recipe as well as other holiday ice cream and cookie recipes in a bonus e-cookbook. To sign up and receive a copy of this bonus e-cookbook visit http://www.gourmayeats.com/recipe.html.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:54 PM | Comments (0)

Singapore McDonalds Looks to Ad.WRIGHT to Rebrand and Rebuild the McDonalds Singapore Website

If you have used Google to look for a Singapore McDonalds you would have been surprised in not being able to find www.mcdonalds.com.sg, the official website from McDonalds Singapore in the results.

(PRWEB) October 25, 2005 -- Many companies in Singapore have the same problem that McDonalds is facing, which is the fact that they have forgotten the online aspect of their brand.

These companies are soon learning that the search engines are like the yellow pages, people know your business name but will use the yellow pages to find your phone number, likewise people know your business name but will use the search engines to find your website.

This is especially true in the Singapore marketplace where people are unsure if the official website is a dot com, dot net, dot org, or a dot com dot sg so they let the search engines tell them the official website.

In McDonalds case the over 200,000 people that look for McDonalds every month are finding 3rd party website that is talking about a kids toy they where giving away in the past.

Luckily McDonalds has become aware of this problem and has looked to Ad.WRIGHT a Singapore branding and advertising agency to help solve this problem for them. Ash Singh the director of the web strategy division of Ad.WRIGHT had this to say “McDonalds came to us as they realized the need to bring in outside support to correct and manage their brand properly.” These types of statements are normal in America but strangely in Singapore it has taken McDonalds a few extra years to realize they can’t do everything themselves.

Ash Singh is looking forward to helping the Singapore McDonalds understand the value of their online brand and he hopes that the other McDonalds in the region like Malaysia McDonalds and Thailand McDonalds also start taking better care of their brands online.

We’ll do a follow up article in 3 months and let you know the results of Ad.WRIGHTs rebranding and rebuilding of the McDonalds Singapore website, but we expect and hope that in 3 months when you search for Singapore McDonalds in Google that you will see www.mcdonalds.com.sg listed #1.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)

October 24, 2005

White Mountain Foods Takes Brand to the Streets with Outdoor Mobile Ad Campaign

White Mountain Foods, the Austin, Texas-based creator of White Mountain Yogurt and healthy vegetarian foods, is taking its brand to Austin streets in its first-ever billboard advertising campaign. White Mountain Foods has partnered with Admobile Austin to capitalize of Admobile's ability to provide name recognition 15 times greater than any other form of advertising.

(PRWEB) October 24, 2005 -- White Mountain Foods, an Austin-based manufacturer and wholesaler of White Mountain Yogurt and healthy vegetarian foods, is taking its brand to Austin streets with the launch of an innovative and stylistic mobile advertising campaign. White Mountain has partnered with Admobile Austin for the display of the ad, which audaciously depicts a female mouth with a spoonful of White Mountain Foods yogurt to her lips and the tag line “changing the way the world eats”.

In its first-ever billboard advertising campaign, White Mountain Foods seeks to increase its regional brand and loyal following in the Austin area with an ad that is boldly and largely displayed on the side of one of Admobile Austin’s mobile billboards. The mobile billboard provides a presentation of the ad every eight seconds.

White Mountain Foods, who has long been known as the company who creates “real food for real people", has made a cultural transition into a company that is placing focus squarely on its efforts in the promotion and practical application of socially responsible business practices and corporate citizenship.

As a testament to the popularity of White Mountain Foods is their recognition from loyal consumers. The company has received the Austin Chronicle’s Reader Poll Best Local Food Company in 2004 and 2005, and won a previous award for Best Vegetarian Fare for Non-Vegetarians. White Mountain Yogurt, the only yogurt on the market sold in glass containers, has deservedly earned a reputation as great tasting health food due to its protein and calcium value and live starter cultures that can aid digestion. Where fans of White Mountain consider other yogurts just dessert, White Mountain Yogurt has captured an unofficial title of ‘The Cadillac of Yogurts’.

"We’re Austin through and through,” said Jeff Murray, CEO of White Mountain Foods. “Our mobile ad campaign was built to reinforce our position and dedication to our hometown – and what better way to display it than on Admobile Austin’s mobile billboard.”

The White Mountain Foods ad is visible daily to an estimated 86,700 Austinites on a route that cuts through Historic downtown on Congress Avenue, connecting to Barton Springs, North Lamar, and East 6th Street, and continuing to Caesar Chavez and the I-35 corridor.

Continued Murray, “We’re offering delicious products that fuel the body in a natural and nutritious way and provide a means for Austin consumers to support our Austin business, as well as minimize the waste caused by shipping in food from other locations.”

About White Mountain Foods
Founded in 1980, White Mountain Foods has developed a strong reputation for healthy, natural and great tasting food products. In addition to the company’s popular Bulgarian-style yogurt, other White Mountain products created exclusively in Austin include five flavors of tofu salads and dips, BBQ, No-Meata-Fajitas and tamales, including their newest creations sweet potato pecan tamales and chipotle mushroom tamales. White Mountain products can be purchased from all the best natural foods retailers locally.

For additional information, visit www.whitemountainfoods.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:35 AM | Comments (0)

“Alternative” Seafood Market Poised to Reach $6.3 Billion by 2009

New York (PRWEB) October 24, 2005 -- Driven by innovations in convenience and heavy health-related advertising, the ever-growing market for “alternative” seafood—frozen, shelf stable, and refrigerated fish—appears to be headed toward the $6.3 billion mark by 2009, according to The U.S. Market for Seafood, a new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com.

Even as marketers and nutritionists tout the health benefits of fish, the market for fresh fish has declined of late, and Packaged Facts projects that this downward trend will continue well into 2009 due to factors, such as availability, price, and continued customer fears over mercury and PCB content. On the other hand, sales of products, such as shelf-stable fish in sealed pouches and quick-frozen varieties of seafood, should continue to climb at a steady rate as the major players continue to shift their marketing focus to build consumer confidence.

“With the advent of new technologies, flavor choices, and marketable health benefits, we’re seeing an increased acceptance of alternatives to fresh seafood,” said Don Montuori, the publisher of Packaged Facts. “The current industry-wide focus on consumer education and new consumer choice options should help to stabilize future sales and open up new opportunities for growth.”

Sales of frozen seafood—the fastest growing industry sector—increased steadily from 2000 to 2004 to reach nearly $1.6 billion in 2004. Increased promotion, greater consumer acceptance of frozen seafood, and advanced storing techniques all played a major role in giving frozen seafood the largest segment—nearly 50%—of the non-fresh seafood market.

The U.S. Market for Seafood provides a comprehensive look at the market for all varieties of fresh and saltwater finfish, molluscan shellfish, crustaceans, and other forms of aquatic animal life. The report examines new product trends, offers competitive profiles of industry leaders (and up and comers), and looks at consumer trends and behaviors surrounding all varieties of seafood, including organic. Priced at $3,000, this report can be purchased directly from Packaged Facts at: http://www.packagedfacts.com/pub/1073732.html. It is also available at MarketResearch.com.

About Packaged Facts
Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes research reports on a wide range of consumer industries, including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, and demographics. For more information visit www.PackagedFacts.com, or contact Tom Ehart at 301-468-3650 x250.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:34 AM | Comments (0)

A Sharp Knife is a Safe Knife: New Cutting Board Offers a Built-In Knife Sharpener

The new Cut Sharp Cutting Board is the first cutting board on the market to offer a built-in knife sharpener. We have taken the sharpening skill and put it right into the board creating safety and convenience.

Vero Beach, FL (PRWEB) October 23, 2005 -- The mistake that most people make when they learn how to cook or have been cooking for a number of years is that they never bother to keep their knives sharp. They don’t sharpen their knives before they cook. Sharpening a knife is a very important part of cutting that most people ignore. The new Cut Sharp Cutting Board is the first cutting board on the market to offer a built-in knife sharpener. We have taken the sharpening skill and put it right into the board creating safety and convenience.

"The concept is great. Many cooks don’t sharpen their knives often enough. When you sharpen a knife, it’s a safer knife because it easier to control during a cut. Your products come out cleaner and more uniform and your cutting speed is increased. Cut Sharp makes it much more convenient to keep your knives sharp during prep," says Carl Braunlich, Associate Professor, Purdue University's hotel and restaurant management program.

The key behind Cut Sharp is Whetstone. The ceramic cones produce the Whetstone effect. Whetstone is an old technology but very efficient for sound engineering reasons. When a person cuts or chops food, they simply run their knife along the cones every so often to keep their knives sharp. The ceramic cones are impervious to bacteria.

About the Inventor:
Derek Heath, the inventor and designer of the Levelheaded Hat has successfully invented, patented and sold several products primarily in the dental community. In 1995 he sold his company in Johnson City, TN and retired to Vero Beach, FL where he continually improves his golf handicap and develops innovative products. Recently, he started a new company called Invent Futures to assist other inventors with bringing their ideas to market.

For more information, please contact Tricia Kent: 772-633-8337

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:34 AM | Comments (0)

Waverley TBS – The Total Drinks Company – Choose Imaje for their Total Coding Requirements

Identification of product is a priority for Waverley TBS. They currently employ four different coding technologies, all supplied by Imaje, to meet their varying demands; small and large character inkjet printers, desktop label printers and label print and apply equipment.

(PRWEB) October 23, 2005 -- Following the merger of Waverley Vintners and the Beer Seller, Waverley TBS has become the UK’s largest drinks distributor. The bottling and packing facility in Gateshead supplies wines to several major supermarkets, as well as numerous other outlets including public houses, restaurants, clubs and hotels.

Imaje has worked with Waverley for over 10 years assisting them with their coding and marking requirements, which change according to their customers’ preferences.

Identification of product is a priority for Waverley TBS. They currently employ four different coding technologies, all supplied by Imaje, to meet their varying demands; small and large character inkjet printers, desktop label printers and label print and apply equipment.

“Our most important consideration when purchasing any new equipment is reliability and ease of use,” explained Production Shift Manager, Jim Sisson. “We currently operate 24 hours a day, 6 days a week; and our coding equipment must do the same otherwise production would be adversely affected.”

The Gateshead plant bottles and packs a large selection of wines from all over the world. Imaje S4 and S8 small character inkjet printers are used to print the Lot number (Julian date) on the neck of each bottle and, if required, onto the bottle back label prior to application. The small character printers are also used to print information (Lot No., % Alcohol, Wine Description, Best Before Date, etc) onto the boxes used for bags of wine (ie Bag in a Box).

Last year Waverley packaged approximately 30 million litres of wine in varying sizes of bottles and wine bags. With throughput on the main bottling line running at approximately 9,000 bottles per hour, and another 8,000 bottles per hour running on the smaller bottling line, Waverley have to use equipment they can count on.

The bottles are packed in cases of 6, 12 or 24 (depending on the bottle size and customers requirement) and continue down the line where the cases are printed on using Imaje Crayon large character printers. The Crayons print directly onto the outer case all, or some of the following :- the Lot number, time of packaging, wine description, case contents (ie 6 x 75cl), plus any information requested by the customer.

“The Crayon printers are basic, good value, easy to use machines,” stated Mr Sisson. “We set them up at the start of each run and then just leave them to do their job, and apart from replacing empty ink bottles, the operator intervention is minimal.”

With an increased demand from customers requiring more information and good quality, machine-readable barcodes on case labels, Waverley TBS looked at alternatives to pre-printing labels and applying them to the outer cases with a label applicator. This is a time consuming and labour intensive process. The new Imaje 2000 print & apply system underwent rigorous on-site testing and was Waverley’s final choice.

“Having researched numerous suppliers of Print & Apply Equipment, we agreed to trial the new Imaje 2000 system. The 5000-label roll was a distinct advantage as our previous label applicator could only accommodate a 2000- label roll – plus the labels had to be pre-printed. We were also impressed by the minimal time required to change consumables, thereby considerably reducing printer downtime,” commented Mr Sisson, “The pre-installed label design software simplified the process of changing from one label design to another for different customers.”

The 2000, fitted with a tamp applicator, is capable of producing labels with the customer name, wine description, size of bottle, weight of case, barcode and customer specific codes.

Since installation Mr Sisson reckons throughput on the packing line has increased.

“This is mainly due to the increased size of blank label rolls; now the line is only stopped every 5 hours to replace the roll, instead of every 2 hours. The shift supervisor also no longer has to leave the production floor to arrange for labels to be pre-printed. He is now able to spend more of his time proactively monitoring the line, which again has resulted in a reduction in line-downtime,” explained Mr Sisson.

Waverley TBS also operate a “Bag in a Box” packaging line. An Imaje Nova desktop printer preprints labels, which are loaded into a label applicator for application to the 3 litre or 10 litre boxes.

Mr Sisson concluded, “Our business demands good quality, reliable equipment backed up by a responsive support network. Our long association with Imaje speaks for itself. The equipment is adaptable, easy to operate and, above all reliable. If we do experience difficulties we know we can receive immediate assistance via the telephone Helpdesk, although with regular preventative maintenance visits from the Imaje service engineers, this is kept to a minimum.”

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:33 AM | Comments (0)

ScoringAg's Web-based Livestock Databank Gives Animal Traceback in Just Seconds

Just entering an animal's ear tag number into ScoringAg's Web-based databank can give immediate access to public source data for the animal in real time.

(PRWEB) October 22, 2005 -- With the Public Records "Search" function found on the www.ScoringAg.com Home page, reading (RFID tag), scanning (barcode tag), or entering (manually) the animal's ear tag number into the search page's entry block gives the user access to the public information for the animal: such as, breed, other ID tag data, name, date of birth, sex, brand, tattoo, color, and dam / sire names.

In addition, the animal's traceback history from origin to the present is displayed by unique premises ID (PIDC), activity name, and activity date / time. The expanded details of the animal's history are accessible only by the animal and Web page owner, available only by entering the owner's login and password.

The public information page for the animal can be found with ScoringAg's search function in two other ways: by entering the unique ScoringAg number for the animal (SSI-EID); and by entering the premises ID (PIDC) for the location where the animal is found.

For an example of how quickly and easily ScoringAg's instant public access system works, go to the www.ScoringAg.com Home page and enter the following numbers in the appropriate blocks in the "Search" drop-down menu:

RFID 804000000045821

SSI-EID 030053744

PIDC 011M13N47222310MW0874409+000

Instead of waiting for hours or days, ScoringAg system is able to deliver this level of public information in a matter of seconds -- like no other system. The Public Records pages also show a photo of the animal, giving an additional means of animal ID when ear tags are lost or stolen, and only unique identifying characteristics can give positive ID for the animal.

Earlier this year, at the ID INFO EXPO 2005 held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Chicago-O'Hare, September 26–29, 2005, ScoringSystem demonstrated this unique feature of ScoringAg's Web-based agriculture databank, showing booth visitors how Public Records could be accessed instantly by scanning RFID ear tags into the "Public Search" function. Using RFID readers, such as the Idology wireless LightningROD Reader and AVID's PowerTracker V, field data was collected by reading RIFD ear tag numbers. Then, by transferring the data to the ScoringAg Public Search via Bluetooth or RS-232, the animal's public source data was available immediately, in real time, as it is retrieved on-line from ScoringAg's Web-based databank.

Another exclusive feature of ScoringAg's Web-based system is animal and location premises ID data entry using 2D DataMatrix barcode labels and the Nokia 6610 cell phone with Semacode programming. This unique cell phone application allows users to access ScoringAg Web pages by scanning DataMatrix barcoded labels in the field using 2D DataMatrix labels for a variety of product and location identification labeling.

ScoringAg.com and its traceback and traceup system for agriculture products, featuring Site-Specific Recordkeeping™ and PIDC location code, is one of the many divisions of ScoringSystem, Inc. Located in Sarasota, Florida USA , the company specializes in providing solutions with mobile data, via wireless PDAs, laptops, and Semacode-programmed Nokia, Siemens, and Sony Ericsson cell phones. Whether using RFID or barcodes for traceup and traceback of livestock, from birth through the packing plants and on to the consumer; or tracking transport containers or perishable meats and other food consumer goods, www.ScoringAg.com makes managing data easier -- and does it in an extremely cost effective manner from "Field-to-Fork."

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:32 AM | Comments (0)

Groundbreaking Report Finds Consumer Awareness of Food Safety Issues “HIGH”

“Safety” is one of the most basic factors driving consumer food purchasing behaviors, and consumer awareness of food safety issues is high, according to Understanding Consumer Attitudes About Food Safety: How Food Manufacturers, Retailers and the Food Service Industry Can Build Consumer Trust, a collaborative new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, and Wharf Research.

New York (PRWEB) October 22, 2005 -- “Safety” is one of the most basic factors driving consumer food purchasing behaviors, and consumer awareness of food safety issues is high, according to Understanding Consumer Attitudes About Food Safety: How Food Manufacturers, Retailers and the Food Service Industry Can Build Consumer Trust, a collaborative new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, and Wharf Research.

In this groundbreaking report, Packaged Facts reveals that a full 25% of the general population can be classified as “highly aware”, concerned, and actively avoiding foods and food sources they believe to be unsafe. Yet safety rarely gets the focus it deserves from manufacturers, retailers, and food service providers—until there’s a problem.

“Paramount for the food industry is understanding that safety has grown from the sporadic scares about Salmonella and E.coli contamination into a huge area of consumer concern,” said Don Montuori, the publisher of Packaged Facts. “Consumers are educating themselves about major food issues, such as allergens, contamination and spoilage, growing and processing practices, and ingredient content such as GMOs. This awareness is growing swiftly in every demographic in society and is affecting how and where consumers are spending their food dollars.”

Drawing on more than six months of primary, proprietary research that involved more than 400 U.S. consumers, Understanding Consumer Attitudes About Food Safety demonstrates consumers’ sense of perceived safeness for both foods and food sources, as well as the steps they take to avoid foods and establishments which they consider unsafe. Additionally, consumers responded to a battery of over 140 statements, enabling the compilation of the first-ever Attitudinal Segmentation of Food Safety Perceptions and psychographic profiles.

Understanding Consumer Attitudes About Food Safety offers the food industry first-hand insight into the consumer psyche surrounding safety, and offers a unique roadmap to responding to, and benefiting from, these insights. Priced at $6000, this report can be purchased directly from Packaged Facts by clicking: http://www.packagedfacts.com/pub/1034737.html. It is also available at MarketResearch.com.

About Packaged Facts
Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes research reports on a wide range of consumer industries, including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, and demographics. For more information visit www.PackagedFacts.com, or contact Tom Ehart at 301-468-3650 x250, or e-mail protected from spam bots.

About Wharf Research
Wharf Research is a full service quantitative and qualitative research company serving the consumer goods marketplace. At its San Francisco headquarters, the company conducts proprietary research among the nationally diverse visitors from all 50 states. For more information, visit www.wharfresearch.com or contact Kimberly Egan at 405-693-8900.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:30 AM | Comments (0)

October 21, 2005

AllyAllez.co.uk Won a New Client for a Go-to-Market Interim Management Assignment: Agitor.com – the Patented Beverage Stirring System

A unique stirring system, which allows on-the-go commuters to stir and drink coffee, tea and other beverages without delays or spillage, is now being marketed in Europe by AllyAllez – Interim Management.

London, U.K. (PRWEB) October 21, 2005 -- Developed by innovation specialists Tinkatec, the cost-effective Agitor stirring system also has wide-ranging benefits for vendors, eliminating inefficient queues of customers waiting to add milk, sugar and other condiments to their drinks, saving storage space, and lowering customer turnaround times.

Tinkatec owner Creighton Schlebach says the Agitor system, which safely and efficiently stirs the beverage through the application of finger pressure to the side or bottom of a sealed cup, ensures that consumers, whether walking, motoring or commuting by train, cannot be scalded or soiled by spilled coffee.

He developed the Agitor stirring system after several unpleasant and time-consuming experiences with conventional take-away beverage containers.

"The system can be economically produced for drinking vessels ranging from disposable paper or plastic cups to commuter mugs. The convenience of being able to collect your drink and leave the shop immediately, without waiting to stir in milk and sugar, must be obvious in today hurried world. The safety and hygiene of stirring a sealed cup are added benefits."

Details of Tinkatec's Agitor system are available on the Website www.agitor.com.

About AllyAllez:
AllyAllez is a provider of services to the growth market of partnerships, coalitions, networks and alliances within the field of inter-organisational cooperative arrangements to track 'tomorrow's customer'.

Contact:
AllyAllez London
Thomas Kostrzewa
www.allyallez.co.uk

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:27 AM | Comments (0)

Interflex Announces an 85 Percent Renewal Rate on Awardedbids.com Subscriptions

Interflex Inc., the leading provider of technology solutions for the institutional foodservice industry, announced an 85 percent subscription renewal rate on its Awardedbids.com service.

(PRWEB) October 21, 2005 -- Interflex’s Awardedbids.com service is an internet based research tool that provides subscribers with the ability to search 500 of the top public school districts most recent competitive foodservice bid award results.

The information in Awardedbids.com comprises approximately 46 percent of all purchasing data for the entire K-12 foodservice marketplace. The system provides an easy method of searching for bid award information based on school, product, bid category, manufacturer or distributor.

“We are happy that so many of our customers are seeing the benefits of Awardedbids.com,” said Jonathan Fleck, President – Interflex, Inc. “We attribute this to our high standards of quality in the data we provide, as well as our flexibility in quickly dealing with customer issues.”

The internet based system allows users to view the information anywhere, anytime with an internet connection and a web browser. Interflex utilizes proprietary technology and research methodology to gather information from the largest school districts, then sort and categorize the bid award information to assist organizations with gaining valuable research information.

“The folks at Interflex Inc., have done the leg work, retrieved the information, and put it all at your fingertips,” said Susan Young, Sales Analyst - Sara Lee Foodservice. “It paid for itself when we won a historically large bid by using the information from Awardedbids.com”

About Interflex, Inc.
Since first working within the Institutional Foodservice market in 2000, Interflex realized the industry is underserved with technology applications and began the planning and development of a suite of solutions with a specific focus on increasing communication and streamlining the competitive bidding process. Industry leading companies such as Sara Lee Corporation, Kellogg’s Corporation, H.J. Heinz Company, General Mills, ConAgra Foods, Rich-SeaPak Corporation, and Pierre Foods are currently utilizing the various solutions offered by Interflex, Inc. to increase communication and streamline the bid process. Interflex is headquartered in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, and can be reached at 1-800-293-2909 or at www.interflex.net.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:26 AM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2005

Milk Blog: How Faulty Consumer Research Leads to Misleading Marketing and Reduces Milk Consumption

Milk is Milk blog addresses consumer research and marketing influences impacting attitudes about milk and corresponding purchasing behavior.

(PRWEB via PR Web Direct) October 20, 2005 -- Alex Avery has posted his second entry in a two-part Milk is Milk blog which addresses consumer research and marketing influences impacting attitudes about milk and corresponding purchasing behavior. Part one of Avery’s analysis and commentary challenged the validity of certain types of consumer research regarding dairy-related issues. In part two, Avery reviews how that research is translated into misleading marketing claims and how these claims ultimately reduce milk consumption.

Avery writes, “[It’s about creating a market for higher priced products by scaring consumers about conventional, non-organic milk. Farmers being led to believe that they should abandon tools like productivity supplements, antibiotics or traditional crop protection methods beware. It's a slippery slope to marketing your product out of demand while shrinking the total dairy market.”

Blogger Alex Avery’s latest Milk is Milk blog on the subject can be found at http://www.milkismilk.com/blog.htm.

Avery is the research director for the Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Food Issues; his blog addresses marketing issues in the dairy industry which affect consumers, dairy farmers and processors. To learn more, visit http://www.milkismilk.com or http://www.cgfi.org.

Resources:

http://www.milkismilk.com
http://www.milkismilk.com/blog.htm
http://www.milkismilk.com/2005/10/real-consumer-attitudes-milk.html (Part 1)
http://www.milkismilk.com/2005/10/real-consumer-attitudes-milk_19.html (Part 2)
http://www.cgfi.org
http://www.stoplabelinglies.com

CONTACT:
Alex Avery, Director of Research
(540) 337-6354 (O)
(540) 255-6378 (M)

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)

Cookshack Features Frank Terranova at International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show

Cookshack, Inc., manufacturer of smoker ovens, announces that chef Frank Terranova of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI will prepare a variety of smoked food dishes in the Cookshack booth at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show on November 13 – 15, 2005 in New York City.

(PRWEB via PR Web Direct) October 20, 2005 -- Cookshack, Inc. is proud to announce that Chef Frank Terranova, associate instructor at Johnson & Wales University’s prestigious College of Culinary Arts will prepare a variety of smoked food dishes in Cookshack booth 1866 at the 2005 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York. Terranova is the host of Cooking with Class, a daily television cooking segment on Channel 10, the NBC affiliate in Providence, RI.

Terranova's culinary career began at the popular Twin Oaks Restaurant in Cranston, RI, where he worked as a chef for 15 years. Prior to joining the faculty at Johnson & Wales, he was a culinary instructor at high schools in Massachusetts. Terranova also was executive chef of the Culinary Arts School at Rhode Island School of Design.

A seafood and grilling specialist, Terranova has been named the grand prize winner in national seafood and smoked foods competitions. He is the recipient of numerous other medals and awards for his culinary accomplishments. With a culinary career that spans 30 years, Terranova is a certified executive chef and a certified culinary educator through the American Culinary Federation (ACF). He resides with his family in Cranston, RI.

Frank Terranova is the co-author of "New Paradigm Cooking: A Tasteful Shift in Healthy Eating," published by Favorite Recipes Press (1996). The book was developed to feature healthy foods that taste great. Registered dietitian Nancy Sandbach co-authored the book, and recipes include a nutritional profile and a wine selection is provided for each entrée. "New Paradigm Cooking" is available at www.amazon.com, as well in bookstores throughout Rhode Island, or by calling 401-942-3215.

Cookshack, Inc. has manufactured fine quality smoker ovens for over 40 years. Its product lines serve residential customers, commercial operations and competition cooks. Cookshack offers barbecue sauces; dry spice blends and rubs woods for smoking and barbecue accessories. In late 2003, Cookshack added the Fast Eddy’s line of 100% wood burning pits to its selection. To learn more about Cookshack and Fast Eddy’s by Cookshack products, call 1-800-423-0698 or visit www.cookshack.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:03 PM | Comments (0)

Virgo Publishing To Acquire Food Product Design Magazine

Virgo Publishing announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Northbrook, Ill.-based Food Product Design magazine, the leading publication in the food ingredient and flavors industry.

PHOENIX (PRWEB) October 20, 2005 -- Virgo Publishing announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Northbrook, Ill.-based Food Product Design magazine, the leading publication in the food ingredient and flavors industry. Closing is scheduled for later this week. Food Product Design operations will remain in the Northbrook office, with Bob Weeks maintaining his role as publisher, Lynn Kuntz continuing in her position as editor, and Michael Leonard as sales manager.

"Food Product Design will continue to fulfill its mission of delivering practical, use-it-now, take it to the bench editorial to those in the food industry who are involved in developing products for the retail, foodservice and functional food markets," said Bob Weeks, publisher of Food Product Design. "The prospect of bringing Virgo Publishing's capabilities and experience in the areas of trade shows, conferences, information systems and electronic media to bear on the Food Product Design franchise is very exciting. It will allow us to further solidify Food Product Design's position as the industry's leading product development content and information source while significantly increasing value to both our reader and advertiser audiences. I am truly excited about the future of Food Product Design as a part of the Virgo Publishing family."

Virgo Publishing produces more than 18 business magazine titles and eight trade shows and conferences. The Health & Nutrition division of Virgo Publishing publishes Natural Products INSIDER and HSR: Health Supplement Retailer magazines and produces the largest event for the nutritional ingredients business, SupplySide. SupplySide, launched in 1997, produces two shows per year, SupplySide East and SupplySide West. More than 750 booths for nutritional ingredients are on display at SupplySide West, making it the largest show in the world for the supplement ingredient industry.

"Acquiring Food Product Design is an important part of our plan to expand our reach beyond serving the supplement ingredient market into the food ingredient side of the business," said Jenny Bolton, president of Virgo Publishing. "We currently have a growing readership and attendee base from the food ingredient business, and this merger will allow us to expand more quickly into the food segment of the market. As consumers continue to seek foods with healthy and functional ingredients, the aligning of business media covering supplement ingredients and food ingredients is natural. This acquisition positions us perfectly to take advantage of the growth both these markets will enjoy in the future."

Food Product Design will become part of the Health & Nutrition division of Virgo Publishing under the leadership of Peggy Jackson, director of publishing. Jackson stated, "We are ecstatic to join forces with the Food Product Design team. The synergy of our two groups uniting will bring great value to all of our readers, advertisers and industries. This will make our already successful magazines, events and communications services even better."

About Virgo Publishing
Virgo Publishing, founded in 1986, is based in Phoenix, and produces leading business-to-business titles and trade shows/conferences in the telecom, medical, health, lifestyle and light industrial industries. Virgo Publishing, a diversified business media company, employs more than 130 talented individuals.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)

Boyd Food Machinery Strengthens Sales Team

Boyd Food Machinery, Europe’s leading supplier of used and reconditioned food processing machinery, has announced the appointment of two Sales Executives.

(PRWEB) October 20, 2005 -- Carolina Orden, who recently graduated with a degree in European Economics, will be concentrating on raising the profile of Boyd Food Machinery within Europe and further afield. As an internationally renowned company, Boyd Food Machinery is keen to build on existing customer relationships around the world and establish new contacts for the future.

UK based Sales Executive Tim Wright brings with him an extensive knowledge of the bakery industry having previously worked for Thomas Auld & Sons. This, together with his more recent role as Account Manager for Scotland in an engineering group, has provided Tim with a strong background in machinery and food processing, enabling him to assist customers in locating the exact machine for their specific requirements.

Commenting on the new appointments David Boyd, Chairman of Boyd Food Machinery, said: “Our vision has always been to be the world's most trusted supplier of used and reconditioned food processing machinery and refrigeration equipment. Tim and Carolina will strategically escalate the recognition of Boyd Food Machinery on a global scale, expanding our international client base whilst strengthening existing customer relations.”

With growth trends in the food industry relatively unpredictable in recent years, manufacturers are relying on the speed and reliability of both new and used food processing equipment to keep apace with constant changes. The immediate availability of second hand food machinery from Boyd Food Machinery removes any need to wait for new equipment - providing food manufacturers with the ability to make the necessary adjustments to their production quickly and efficiently.

As a worldwide leading supplier and purchaser of pre-owned and refurbished food machinery, Boyd Food Machinery can supply all makes of processing and packaging machinery as well as refrigeration plant. Most of the second hand food processing machinery in stock can be viewed, along with pictures and product specifications at www.boydfood.com. If you have food machinery to sell please visit the Machinery To Sell section of the website where you can enter details of your machinery and upload pictures.

If you need to update an existing piece of machinery or are looking for a complete new line to expand your product range, then buying reconditioned machinery could be the answer. Boyd Food Machinery employs specialist engineers who are available to dismantle, remove, refurbish and re-install the machinery ensuring that customer satisfaction is maintained at all times.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:01 PM | Comments (0)

Arrowsight Names Silliker As A Partner For Verification Of Its Remote Video Auditing Service

Arrowsight Names Silliker As A Partner For Verification Of Its Remote Video Auditing Service.

Mt. Kisco, NY (PRWEB) October 20, 2005 -- Arrowsight, Inc., the leading developer of remote viewing services and software, has named Silliker, Inc. a recognized partner for its Remote Video Auditing (RVA) service.

Silliker and Arrowsight will develop detailed video audits for new customer implementations and collaborate with Grandin Livestock Handling Systems, Inc. and other Arrowsight partners to verify the application of critical QA policies, procedures and best practices at food processing operations.

Adam Aronson, Arrowsight CEO, said, “We are pleased to welcome Silliker, a global leader in food safety and quality solutions, as a Remote Video Auditing partner. Their experience and knowledge will help our customers achieve even higher food safety standards throughout their operations.”

Dr. Russ Flowers, President and CEO of Silliker, Inc., added, “RVA can help food and meat processors improve food safety and strengthen food defense. We look forward to working with Arrowsight and Dr. Temple Grandin, in particular, on meeting customer needs for improved animal welfare audits in slaughterhouse facilities.”

Arrowsight’s Remote Video Auditing service utilizes video hardware to monitor and audit operational performance at critical control points in the food processing chain, allowing processors to realize increased higher food safety standards and food defense through new levels of compliance and oversight.

Under the program, managers receive weekly e-mail "score cards" summarizing an individual location's performance. These reports contain hyper-links to video clips and still images, providing visual documentation of the events uncovered by the auditing service. Managers can also view their facilities online from any location via the Web.

RVA incorporates HACCP, sanitation, food safety, and food defense criteria through the integration of a plant’s security and food monitoring systems.

For more information visit: www.arrowsight.com.

About Arrowsight
Arrowsight, a Web-based Application Services Provider, is the leading developer of remote viewing services and software. Arrowsight has helped improve practices, compliance and employee morale in safety-sensitive industries, such as food processing, food services and manufacturing. Arrowsight technology is also being used at Plumrose USA and leading food processing plants and distribution centers.

About Silliker, Inc.
With 28 labs in 10 countries, Silliker, Inc. provides consulting, testing, auditing, research and training services that help assure food safety and nutrition worldwide. Silliker is recognized for its expertise in providing recommendations that help identify operational problems, anticipate areas of concern, and institute practical controls associated with food safety and quality risks.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:00 PM | Comments (0)

Astor Wines & Spirits unveils Astor Center

Workhouse Publicity is now scheduling construction tours with Astor Wines & Spirits/ Astor Center owner Andrew Fisher contact Workhouse Publicity, CEO Adam Nelson directly at 212. 645. 8006

NEW YORK (PRWEB) October 20, 2005 -- Workhouse Publicity is proud to announce that it has been selected by Astor Wines & Spirits as the Agency of Record for U.S. marketing and domestic publicity concerning the establishment of the much anticipated Astor Center, an epicurean cultural center to be located at the landmark Theodore De Vinne Press Building on the corner of Fourth and Lafayette Streets in New York City.

To schedule a walk thru during construction or to interview Andrew Fisher, President of Astor Wines & Spirits/Astor Center, interested media please contact Workhouse Publicity, CEO Adam Nelson directly by telephone 212. 645. 8006.

Due to open February 2006, Astor Center will become an integrated cultural center for food and wine education designed for laymen and connoisseurs alike. The Center celebrates what’s next in wine and culinary arts with the relocation and expansion of downtown landmark Astor Wines & Spirits, serving as the cornerstone of the Center, and the creation of The Study, an important epicurean classroom and event space to be located on the second floor. Carrying on the tradition of making wine approachable, Astor Center will uphold an open forum for learning, encouraging a world in which artisan producers, merchants, life-long enthusiasts, professionals and novices share in the advancement of knowledge and a cultural exchange about food and wine.

Founded by Edwin Fisher in 1968, Astor Wines & Spirits is a downtown institution that holds the distinction of being New York City’s largest wine store. The new location allows Astor Wines & Spirits to increase its selling space by almost 50%, providing an even larger selection of wines and spirits and offering unparalleled opportunities to focus on artisan and organic wines. The Study at Astor Center, New York City’s first home to a world-renowned culinary institute, will provide a forum for the advancement of food and wine knowledge through professional and novice classes, tastings, and events. The landmark De Vinne Press Building will house Astor Center, enhancing all shopping and learning experiences by providing a warm historic venue in which participants can embrace the exchange of gastronomic information.

“My father has been a visionary in the wine and spirits industry. The creation of Astor Center has been fueled by his legacy and the family commitment to contribute to making great wine more accessible. When we expanded Astor Wines & Spirits in 1980, we stood apart from other stores by allowing for an approachable and extensive wine selection in an unpretentious environment. Astor Center is the next step in a life-long commitment to expanding the accessibility of food and wine and to our ongoing role as members of a thriving and diverse community.” Andrew Fisher, President of Astor Wines & Spirits/Astor Center.

Under the direction of Andrew Fisher, Astor Center’s team includes Richard Leal, Executive Vice President, Bill Kenny, General Manager, Lorena Ascencios, Wine Buyer, Kristin Bundy, Promotions Manager, Doug Duda, (Host of A&E’s The Well-Seasoned Traveler), Executive Director, Gregory Dal Piaz, Director of Educational Programming, Kym Apotas, Assistant Wine Buyer, Amanda Crawford, Sales Manager, Astor Wines & Spirits/ Astor Center, Michele Humes, Product Manager, Andy Jacobson, Creative Director and Juan Carlos Casas and Javier Romero, Graphic Designers. Fisher sought out New Jersey-based architects from Tricarico Architecture and Design and their team of engineers to create the multi-level Center.

Amenities at Astor Center
• THE STUDY: A premier epicurean event space serving as a wine and food enthusiast’s resource for prominent seminars, lectures, conferences and classes in a dazzling space. The wealth and diversity of wine and culinary heritage is brought to life through showcases of talent who offer everything from the art of cooking to the sampling of diverse cuisines and wines from around the world. The Study will offer introductory hands-on classes, intensive boot camp courses, career programs, live cooking demonstrations, visiting chef signings, public and private wine tastings, and more. The Study is a 3500-square-foot food and wine tasting school that includes a special events space able to accommodate up to up to 75 people for parties and receptions and a 36-seat classroom featuring amenities fit for professional wine classes—classroom seating, white table tops, sinks at each station and a special lighted area at each station suited to examine the color and clarity of each wine. The Study’s events will be serviced by a top-of-the-line kitchen equipped with digital audio and visual that allows participants to see and speak with the chefs at work. Visitors to The Study at Astor Center can purchase wine essentials used within the showcases at Astor Wines & Spirits downstairs.
• COOL ROOM: A state of the art, temperature-controlled room containing fragile, organic, old-vintage and rare wines. The cool room will house approximately 500 wines. They will not be chosen based on price, rather by the fragility of the wines that require a constant temperature of approximately 58 degrees to maintain the wines’ integrity. In this vein, the cool room is intended for every customer, not just for those looking for expensive bottles; prices range from $10 and up. Astor experts offer guidance as to the quality of each item and the reason why each require a temperature-controlled environment.
• ORGANICS: Astor Wines & Spirits is expanding their organic wine selection and featuring these wines in a large special section for promotion and educational purposes. With the exception of those which require the Cool Room environment, all organic wines will be grouped together, including biodynamic, certified organic, practicing organic and natural wines.
• SAKÉ: Astor Center will house the largest selection of saké in New York City, and whether it’s on display in the store or stored in the cellar, all saké will be maintained at 40 degrees. Astor’s extraordinary selection will be expanded to include more Nama, Junmai, Ginjo, and Daiginjo sakés.
• RESEARCH: Astor’s wine buyers sample wines daily in the search for excellent releases to add to Astor’s selection. Three times a week, Astor’s wine consultants taste new and existing items with Astor’s wine buyers to become familiar with the new selections. The “Research” room is the staff tasting room where all of this happens, and it can now be viewed from the sales floor. As specialists in wine, Astor wine buyers and consultants believe that demonstrating their continuous interaction with new selections is invaluable customer service, ensuring that each customer is confident in the expertise of Astor’s wine consultants and the choice of wines available at Astor.
• TASTINGS: The tasting area of Astor Wines & Spirits has been improved and expanded to accommodate its free weekly tastings. New amenities to the tasting area include proper tasting glasses, running water and much more space to augment customer comfort.
• LIBRARY: The center will develop and maintain a comprehensive library of literature imbued with a “sit-and-stay-awhile” feel. Astor Wines & Spirits will expand its book collection pertaining to its philosophy on wines and the wines that the store promotes—most notably artisan producers and organics.

"We've always taken pride in supporting the organic producers, whose practices are respectful of nature and of the consumer. We believe in unmanipulated wines that are an honest expression of variety, terroir and vintage. Astor's new, larger space will allow us to showcase the best of what these producers have to offer." Lorena Ascencios, Wine Buyer Astor Wines & Spirits/Astor Center

“With the unparalleled ability to provide a top-notch setting and service to both the casual foodie and most ardent wine aficionado, Astor Center will change the culinary landscape of New York City. Starting with a blank slate, we have the unique advantage of customizing our facility to meet the specific needs of both the food and wine communities. No aspect of either our state-of-the-art classroom or our gracious dining room has been ignored. I am excited by the flexibility this affords us and am looking forward to presenting the finest chefs, winemakers, and products in a setting that allows them to make the most of the time they share with our guests.” Gregory Dal Piaz,Director of Educational Programming, Astor Wines & Spirits/Astor Center

"We look forward to offering our customers a better experience in learning about food and wine by enhancing our services and expanding our programming. A fresh outlook on novice and professional food and wine classes is an important part of our growth, as is the addition of private tasting events for small groups, winemaker tasting events, interactive learning stations and educational customer correspondence. Through existing relationships with fellow neighborhood institutions like The Public Theater, Cooper Union and Merchant's House Museum, we hope to expand our programming to the community as well." Kristin Bundy, Promotions Manager, Astor Wines & Spirits/Astor Center.

“The team behind Astor Center is committed to the creation of an environment where everyone can taste and discuss food and wine in an atmosphere that complements the full range of this experience. In building Astor Center, we wanted to find a way to express the creative nature of our business in epicurean terms. To that end, we’ve created a comfortable environment where customers can not only find their favorite wines, but learn and explore new and interesting wines. Our staff is incredibly enthusiastic about sharing their discoveries, and we are proud to offer their expertise in both a shopping and learning environment.” states Andrew Fisher, President of Astor Wines & Spirits/Astor Center.

ASTOR WINES & SPIRITS: The Fisher Family
After World War II, Edwin Fisher started what became a chain of 24 liquor stores in New Jersey, and in 1968 bought a Manhattan store, Astor Liquors, now a large operation at the southwest corner of Astor Place and Lafayette Street and aptly named Astor Wines & Spirits. Andrew Fisher, along with his father have been actively involved in the downtown community since the late sixties. Andrew was one of the founders of “Committee for Astor Place”, along with John Sawhill, President of New York University and former Secretary of Energy, and Jack White, President of Cooper Union. In the 80’s the Committee for Astor Place took on neighborhood problems while focusing on ways to build and improve the neighborhood’s facilities. The crowning achievement of the Committee was the complete renovation of the Astor Place Subway Station. Edwin Fisher is one of the founders of the NOHO Business Improvement District (BID) and is currently serving as its Vice President. Along with the impeccably restored land mark DeVinne Press Building, he has overseen the commercial revitalization of NOHO and its surrounds.

"Converting the first level of this magnificent turn of the century structure has taken months of design and preparation in order to create the ultimate wine shopping experience in New York City. The job will necessitate maintaining the guidelines of the building’s distinguished Landmarks Status, while making the store practical, accessible and inviting to our customers. The designs feature exposed brick and clay arched ceilings, opening a 15’ span in a 36” thick wall, temperature-controlled wine storage and an ample wine tasting area. A semicircular cash wrap will finish the customer experience with ease of payment and expedited delivery processing." Richard Leal, Executive Vice President, Astor Wines & Spirits/Astor Center.

THEODORE DE VINNE PRESS BUILDING
The De Vinne Press Building is among the most sophisticated works of masonry in New York, a tour de force of honest, simple bricklaying built for one of the premier printing companies of a century ago. Although first developed in the 1830s as a street of top-tier urban houses, after the mid-19th century Lafayette Place (renamed Lafayette Street around 1900) evolved into a literary and cultural center. The Astor Library (now the Joseph Papp Public Theater) was built there from 1853 to 1881, and Cooper Union was finished nearby in 1859. After the Civil War, Lafayette and the surrounding streets began to fill up with publishers, paper dealers, stationers, bookbinders, printers, engravers and a broad variety of periodicals, like ''The Homeless Child,'' an advocacy journal published out of the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin at Lafayette and Great Jones Street in the 1880's and 1890's. The Aldine Club, for printers and publishers, was in an old house just south of the Astor Library. In 1886, Theodore De Vinne built a new building for his printing company at the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Lafayette. De Vinne was already established as a leading American printer; a founder of the Grolier Club, an organization devoted to the history of printing, he had printed the club's first publication, ''Decree of the Star Chamber Concerning Printing.'' Born in 1828, he entered the printing business in the 1840's and printed many of the leading American magazines, like the St. Nicholas Magazine, Scribner's Monthly and The Century. A connoisseur of the printed work, De Vinne wrote books like ''The Invention of Printing,'' ''Correct Composition'' and ''Title Pages.'' He was successful in business but still considered printing nearly an art. Writing in 1897 in the magazine The Outlook, he said that to try to teach it was no better than giving ''a formula for the painting of a picture or the writing of a poem.'' Designed by Babb, Cook & Willard, the De Vinne building is a masterpiece of understated power, big, broad plain brick walls decorated almost entirely by their own constructive elements— strapwork quoining at the corners, high deep arches, multipaned windows—and a sweeping arcade of window openings across the top. Writing in The Architectural Record in 1904, the critic Russell Sturgis said: ''No photographs give the full sense of its bigness, its breadth and its mass. More than once visitors on their way to see it have been pulled up suddenly by a sudden sense of its large presence.'' De Vinne's building, along with most Victorian architecture, was in eclipse by the mid-20th century, although the critic Lewis Mumford went out of his way to call it ''a special bouquet'' in The New York Times in 1953. In the rediscovery of the city's architectural history beginning in the 1960's, it was designated a landmark in 1966. In their book ''Rise of the New York Skyscraper” (Yale, 1996), Sarah Bradford Landau and Carl W. Condit call it ''one of the nation's outstanding architectural monuments,'' tracing its muscular, arched character back to the German rundbogenstil of the mid-19th century.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:59 PM | Comments (0)

Aroma Kitchen & Winebar Selects Workhouse Publicity

Workhouse Publicity announced that it has been selected by Aroma Kitchen & Wine bar as the Agency of Record for U.S. marketing and domestic publicity.

(PRWEB) October 20, 2005 -- Workhouse Publicity announced that it has been selected by Aroma Kitchen & Wine bar as the Agency of Record for U.S. marketing and domestic publicity.

Aroma Kitchen & Wine bar is a new Italian restaurant intent on taking guests to refreshing levels of Italian food and wine enjoyment. Located next to the Bowery Bar in the East Village at 36 E. 4th Street between Bowery and Lafayette, Aroma feels like a secret wine bar in Rome. From the moment Alexandra Degiorgio greets you at the door, to the first scent of wine selected by Vito Polosa, to the taste of that first bite of Chef Chris Daly's cuisine, visitors to Aroma experience the unexpected bonus of fine dining in a casual, honest environment.

The kitchen turns out Italian cuisine with surprisingly big flavors. It’s classically trained chef prepares regional Italian food with a sharp focus on local ingredients. The wine list includes over 100 Italian wines, divided by region, including an extensive “by the glass” program. With seats comfortable enough for dining at the bar, two dining booths in the back and sidewalk seating, the restaurant seats 30.

To schedule an Aroma tasting or an interview with owners Alexandra Degiorgio & Vito Polosa or Chef Chris Daly, interested media should contact the Workhouse Publicity CEO, Adam Nelson, directly by telephone 212. 645. 8006.

2005-2006 MENU
Inspired by New York's seasons, Chef Daly's menu is influenced by a different region of Italy in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and reflects his understanding of healthy eating. His winter 2005 menu focuses on Tuscan dishes, emphasizing warming risotto rather than pasta. He lightens his signature dishes as the seasons change, relying on locally available produce from the Union Square Greenmarket and upstate New York, near where he grew up.

This spring 2006, he'll be cooking with fresh white asparagus, bright green fava beans, spring peas and hand-harvested wild arugula and braising greens. The menu moves further south in Italy as the weather in New York heats up.

Summer will bring Sicilian and Sardinian flavors: spicy green olive oil, eggplant and tomato. "You won't see tomatoes on the pasta in winter at Aroma. We wait until they are coming from Long Island or New Jersey," says Daly.

This summer, he'll be cooking with heirloom Italian tomatoes from the Hudson Valley and tristar strawberries with 100-year-old Balsamic vinegar. Daly's cooking relies on beautifully balanced flavors; sweet and savory, spicy when you least expect it, and wonderful textures, crunchy balanced with smooth and rich flavors.

The fresh pastas are made in-house. They include black pepper straccetti with a ragu of meaty wild mushrooms and gratin of gnocchi with swiss chard, fontina and nutmeg béchamel. Signatures include: braised duck salad with baby frisee, poached egg, pancetta and walnut oil, double lamb with mustard caponata and 28-year old balsamic vinegar and monkfish with sardinian fregola paella in lobster broth.

All desserts are made in and include pomegranate sorbet with florentine cookies and white chocolate, signature new york style cheesecake, with poached dried fruits, brandied cherries and hot fudge sauce and a decadent chocolate mocha cake with walnut and peanut butter pesto. Vito is also available to suggest the appropriate dessert wines to match.

ATMOSPHERE
Aroma is a study in contrasts: The urban/rustic interior features exposed brick, a dark wood bar with natural edges juxtaposed with mirrors framed with brushed steel. The room is softly lit by both contemporary chandeliers and flickering candles.

Brought together by their shared passion for food, wine and entertaining, owners Degiorgio and Polosa are both as active behind the scenes as they are in front of the house. Alexandra, a native of Malta, was formerly a consultant for American Management Systems (AMS), an international information technology firm. Vito, from Potenza, Italy (just South of Naples) has extensive experience in service as waiter, head waiter or manager at such NYC restaurants as Fiamma, Da Silvano, Bice and Il Gattopardo.

Polosa and Degiorgio found their perfect counterpart and match in executive chef Christopher Daly. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Daly has bicoastal experience. His CIA externship was in the kitchen of Jean-Francois Mettingmer at L'Orangerie in Los Angeles, he was chef de partie for Thomas Keller at Checkers in LA, and taught at the Los Angeles International Culinary Institute alongside world-renowned classic cooking expert, Raymond Hoffmeister. In New York, he was executive chef at West Broadway Restaurant Gallery Bar in Soho, The Edwardian Room at the Plaza Hotel, and co-created the progressive American restaurant, Bellew. In 2000, Daly founded HIP4Kids, Hospitality Industry Professionals for Kids (www.hip4kids.org), a New-York based non-profit initiative to spotlight his concern for obesity in children and to teach kids good eating habits in a fun way.

HOURS
Aroma is also open for Brunch, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3:30 P.M. Italian variations on the standards take brunch to the next level: Polenta waffles with Amaretto syrup and crispy pancetta; wild boar bacon BLT with olive oil potato chips and desserts such as Nutella brioche and Arborio rice pudding with poached fruits as well as aperitifs such as tangerine mimosa, and white peach bellini. Aroma is open for dinner Tuesday-Thursday, 6 P.M. – 12 A.M., Friday-Saturday 6 P.M.-2 A.M. Brunch Saturday-Sunday from noon to 3:30 P.M. Aroma is located at 36 E. 4th Street between Bowery and Lafayette. For more information call 212-375-0100.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:58 PM | Comments (0)

October 19, 2005

St. Cloud, Minnesota 3PL Provider Arctic Cold Storage Selects Headwater’s Delfour SmartEnterprise 2 for Logistics Management

Growing Minnesota 3PL enterprise needed advanced logistics management solution, bought Headwater solution based on recommendations from clients and competitors.

ST. CLOUD, Minnesota (PRWEB) October 19, 2005 -- Arctic Cold Storage, a growing family-owned refrigerated warehouse company specializing in temperature-controlled storage of meats, poultry, packaged foods, and raw materials for food processing, has purchased Headwater Technology Solutions Inc.’s Delfour SmartEnterprise 2 third party logistics software and expects to convert its operations to the new solution in mid-November, it was announced today by General Manager Jay Condon and Headwater Senior Vice President Joe E. Couto. SmartEnterprise 2 is replacing a limited warehouse management solution that relies on many manual activities, a local area network and data in the Microsoft Office productivity suite.

Artic Cold Storage originated some 50 years ago as a food distribution company, converting to an exclusively cold storage operation with the sale of its distribution arm in 1990. The company serves approximately a dozen clients located in Minnesota and Wisconsin, including such well-known firms as Jennie-O Turkey Store, Gold N Plump Poultry, and Kraft Foods, distributing product nationwide.

Currently, the company operates approximately 3,000,000 cubic feet of controlled temperature warehouse space, with another 2,400,000 cubic feet under construction. Its staff of 15 warehouse workers will expand to about 35 once the addition is completed, Condon said, “Our expansion and the needs of our customers encouraged us to explore more advanced software solutions and several of our customers and even some competitors recommended SmartEnterprise 2, he said. “Headwater demonstrated powerful command of the industry’s requirements as well as the ability to accommodate our needs well and quickly.”

In Arctic’s implementation, SmartEnterprise 2 will run in the Linux environment under the Oracle database. The software suite includes the Enterprise Foundation integration layer, Headwater’s RF Foundation, the WarehouseLogic logistics management software, the Active Desktop GUI-based single point access and control module, the d’Amigo alert management and reporting tool, the e-Vista web-based visibility tool, and the EZConnect EDI-XML data translation and connectivity solution, which it will implement immediately for two of its largest trading partners. Headwater will provide the professional services for mapping the various EDI documents required.

According to Condon, the ability to handle catch weights was one of the key requirements and one that will dramatically increase efficiency, automating what has been a tedious and time-consuming process. It involved breaking pallet loads, recording the appropriate number of weights and taking the handwritten notes to the office for manual input into Microsoft Excel, after which the weights were subtracted from customer inventory records. In the Headwater solution, the weights will enter the SmartEnterprise 2 applications automatically as the RF device reads them, with customer inventory adjusted automatically.

“This is the kind of power and functionality that we need to support our growth and our customers’ increasing needs,” Condon said. “Other key benefits include alerts, which are critical for perishable food storage, trackability of product, time stamping and accountability. We will also be able to automate report distributions through use of electronic document templates that are customized for each client. Currently, reports are issued manually every Monday morning, a laborious and time-intensive process.
“Our customers are excited about the availability of the browser-based e-Vista, which gives them 24/7 visibility of their inventory status via the web. SmartEnterprise 2 enables our users to keep costs down and profitability up by introducing a high level of automation, a greater efficiency and ultimately higher levels of customer service” Couto added. “It makes employees more effective and actually enables them to be more productive with less effort.”

ABOUT HEADWATER TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INC.:

Headwater Technology Solutions Inc. is a supply chain software development and professional services firm that provides logistics management consulting and solutions, transportation management solutions, and an array of corporate/financial consulting and implementation services. Headwater’s Delfour SmartEnterprise 2 and Freight Logix third/fourth/corporate party logistics and transportation solutions enable seamless supply chain planning and execution that leads to smarter and more profitable management of goods as they move through the supply chain. The company’s supply chain consultation and implementation services focus on the Oracle, SAP and Microsoft platforms, with proficiency in warehouse and transportation management systems, RF and RFID technologies, and materials management systems (MMS). Headwater maintains corporate headquarters in the Toronto suburb of Markham and a regional office in Oakville, marketing its services and solutions internationally. For information, call 866 306 0999, email e-mail protected from spam bots or visit www.headwaterinc.com.

CONTACT:
Tina Langridge
866 306 0999

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:48 AM | Comments (0)

BigOven Searches for Most Mouth-Watering Food Photo; $2,000 in Prizes to be Awarded in Fun, Free Contest

BigOven.com announces it is searching for the most Mouth Watering Food Photo taken by an amateur photographer, and is queuing up roughly $2,000 in prizes to find it.

(PRWEB) October 19, 2005 -- BigOven.com (http://www.bigoven.com), a fun and comprehensive recipe sharing community for the Web, Windows, and mobile devices, announces the BigOven Amateur Food Photo Contest 2005.

Prizes will be awarded for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Most Mouth-Watering Recipe Photo, as well as 1st and 2nd Most Photos Submitted and Approved. Do you like to cook? Do you have a digital camera? Simply submit the best recipe photos between now and December 31st, 2005, and you could win a grand prize of up to $1,000 in kitchen equipment. [$2,000 in prizes will be awarded in total

All are eligible to enter, and multiple entries are encouraged. All submissions must be received by December 31st, 2005. Visit http://www.bigoven.com/recipe-photo-contest.htm for more details.

About BigOven
BigOven (www.bigoven.com) is an easy new way to find, organize and share recipes with friends. The BigOven network includes a recipe archive with over 150,000 recipes, an award-winning Windows recipe organizer, and free companions for the Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices. Since its first release in February 2004, BigOven has received 5/5 stars from more than twenty consecutive independent reviews, including the highest possible honors at C|NET, Tucows, Softpicks.net, Sofotex, Global Shareware, TopPicks.net and Promaxum. BigOven also received mention as Pick of the Day by USAToday.com and ZDNet. In October, BigOven earned the Windows User Group Networks (WUGNET's) coveted "Hall of Fame" and " Pick of the Week" designations, awarded to less than 2% of applications they review.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:47 AM | Comments (0)

Vitamin Angel Alliance Calls for Nutritional Aid for Guatemalan Flood Victims

In response to the massive flooding from Hurricane Stan that has left 120,000 Guatemalans homeless and living in shelters, Vitamin Angel Alliance has issued a call for nutritional supplements and products to help victims avert a food crisis in the region. Vitamin Angel is working with a consortium of companies in the natural products and pharmaceutical industries to provide the nutritional component of the relief effort.

Santa Barbara, CA (PR WEB) October 19, 2005 –- In response to the massive flooding from Hurricane Stan that has left 120,000 Guatemalans homeless and living in shelters, Vitamin Angel Alliance has issued a call for nutritional supplements and products to help victims avert a food crisis in the region. Vitamin Angel is working with a consortium of companies in the natural products and pharmaceutical industries to provide the nutritional component of the relief effort.

Vitamin Angels in partnership with their sister organization, Direct Relief International and other relief colleagues is working to consolidate nutritional supplement shipments that will begin being flown in along with medical supplies as early as next week.

“We’re now talking with relief personnel who are asking for children’s multiple vitamins, adult multiples and nutrition bars.” said Howard B. Schiffer, Vitamin Angel Alliance President, “The fear is that the worst is yet to come with sanitation and water supplies broken down, epidemics are a key concern. Basic nutrition can play a vital role in keeping these people healthy during the recovery period.”

Vitamin Angel Alliance is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization dedicated to providing basic nutrition and fighting vitamin A deficiency childhood blindness and other vitamin deficiency diseases around the world since 1994. Last year Vitamin Angels donated 23.4 million supplements to people in need in 40 countries around the world.

“Disease is a big worry,” said Ken Herfst, a Canadian helping with the relief effort, “It’s the kids we are worried about, they go down so fast.”

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:47 AM | Comments (0)

Legal Lunches at Downtown Joe's Benefit Volunteer Center of Napa Valley

On Wednesdays between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. anyone offering their name or business cardat Downtown Joe's will have 10% of the lunch bill donated back to the Volunteer Center of Napa Valley.

(PRWEB) October 19, 2005 -- Downtown Joe's invites retired and active attorneys, paralegals, judges, clerks, police officers, correction officers, firefighters, members of the media who cover legal issues, and their spouses and friends to have lunch on Wednesdays between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to make a difference in the Napa County. Simply show the waiter your business card or badge, or mention this program to your waiter, and 10 percent of your bill will go to the Volunteer Center of Napa Valley.

The Volunteer Center of Napa Valley works collaboratively with members of the legal profession to offer services through Sexual Assault Victims Services, Victim and Witness Services and Elder Abuse Prevention Programs.

Downtown Joe's is located at 902 Main St. in Napa, phone: 258-2337.

Joe Peatman Jr. of downtown Joe's was this year’s winner of the Corporate Sector Outstanding Community Service Award proudly sponsered by The Napa Valley Register. His commitment to the community is seen throughout the community. Peatman opened Downtown Joe’s 11 years ago, and has been actively supporting local non-profits, service clubs, schools, needy community members, disaster aid, police and firefighters, the list goes on and on.

We are so excited that Downtown Joe's has partnered with us in this fashion.” Stated Caryl Hallberg Executive Director of the Volunteer Center of Napa Valley. “Together, we are the hearts of Napa Valley.”

The Volunteer Center of Napa Valley is dedicated to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteerism in Napa County by helping people help
themselves and others. Contact us today at 707-252-6222 or on our website www.VolunteerNapa.org to find out how you can volunteer in our community.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:46 AM | Comments (0)

82nd Street Wireless Introduces Prepaid & Complimentary Wi-Fi Hotspot Kits for Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes

82nd Street Wireless is pleased to introduce our Prepaid & Complimentary Wi-Fi Hotspot Kits for the hospitality industry. Location Partners can provision "fee-based" or "free" Wi-Fi access to guests by simply plugging our wireless access point into any dedicated, "always-on" high speed internet connection.

(PRWEB) October 19, 2005 -- 82nd Street Wireless is pleased to introduce our Prepaid & Complimentary Wi-Fi Hotspot Kits for the hospitality industry. Location Partners can provision "fee-based" or "free" Wi-Fi access to guests by simply plugging our wireless access point into any dedicated, "always-on" high speed internet connection.

Guests access the service by opening their web browser at any Location Partner Hotspot at which point they will be automatically redirected to our secure login page. They will be prompted to either (a) purchase airtime or (b) to create a free account depending on the Hotspot Kit chosen by the Location Partner.

Location Partner Benefits:

1) More Customers – We drive wireless customers to Location Partner Hotspots by advertising them online via our own directory as well as via the major third-party directories.

2) More Revenues – In addition to selling wireless internet airtime (if applicable), Location Partners sell more in-house products as wireless customers tend to stay longer and spend more than average.

3) Repeat Customers – Laptop equipped "regulars" are becoming an increasingly common sight at many cafes. If the coffee doesn't keep them coming back, the wireless just might.

Customer Benefits:

1) Commercial Grade Security – Includes remote monitoring, an SSL-encrypted login page, support for VPN pass-through and blocking access to other computers on the local network.

2) Live Telephone Support.

---------------------------------------------

For further information on our Managed Wi-Fi Services, please contact:

Wade McMunn, President
82nd Street Wireless
Tel: (204) 475-4525
Website: http://www.82ndstreetwireless.com/

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:45 AM | Comments (0)

Chipotle Goes High Tech with eRestaurant Services

Chipotle Restaurants, the Denver-based burrito joint, has selected Altametrics, the leading provider of enterprise solutions to the foodservice industry, to deploy the eRestaurant Services Back Office Suite throughout all company restaurants. More than 500 company restaurants will use the application to manage daily business operations, including managing, inventory levels, food procurement, and production planning.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) October 19, 2005 -- Chipotle Restaurants, the Denver-based burrito joint, has selected Altametrics, the leading provider of enterprise solutions to the foodservice industry, to deploy the eRestaurant Services Back Office Suite throughout all company restaurants. The application will be implemented in more than 500 company restaurants and will be used to manage daily business operations, including managing, inventory levels, food procurement, and production planning.

eRestaurant Services’ Back Office Suite is a powerful web-based application that contains several solution modules aimed at helping restaurant managers operate their business. In particular, the Food Management module is a key component of the application that will be used to streamline and manage Chipotle’s food costs, supply chain and store operations. The Food Management module tracks physical inventory levels and provides tools to accurately procure, receive, and analyze food purchases and usage.

“We were looking for a system that would improve our overall operational efficiency and streamline the flow of information from our restaurants to our offices,” said Ben Novak, Director of Information Technology at Chipotle. “eRestaruant’s Back Office Suite was an ideal tool to help us meet those needs.”

“The addition of Chipotle strengthens eRestaurant Services’ position as a leading provider of technology solutions to the restaurant industry,” said Altametrics Vice President of Sales, David Zepnick. “Our enterprise solutions power millions of dollars in ROI to thousands of restaurants around the world.”

About Chipotle:

Chipotle was founded in 1993 by Steve Ells, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. His idea was simple: Offer a simple menu of great food prepared fresh each day, using many of the same cooking techniques as gourmet restaurants and serve it in a cool atmosphere. For 12 years and with some 450 restaurants, Chipotle has stayed true to its original concept, featuring a decidedly focused menu consisting of burritos, tacos, and burrito bols (a burrito without the tortilla), made to order from a variety of freshly prepared, gourmet quality ingredients. For more information visit www.Chipotle.com

About Altametrics eRestaurant Services:

Altametrics was established in 1997 and is the leading provider of enterprise solutions to the restaurant industry. The company’s solutions are designed to help restaurant chains drive efficiencies by better managing daily restaurant operations and providing visibility and control of the supply chain. eRestaurant Services currently has an installed base of over 6,000 locations and is used by some of the largest and fastest growing chains in America and Europe. All of eRestaurant Services solutions are web-based applications and can be delivered either as a subscription ASP or a traditional software license agreement. For more information, please visit the website at www.Altametrics.com, or call (800) 676-1281.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:44 AM | Comments (0)

E-Control Sys. Presents a New Manual and Automated HACCP Control Solution for Foodservice Divisions in Schools and new Handheld device (PDA) for Data Logging of HACCP

E-Control Systems to present a new manual and automated HACCP Control Solution for Foodservice Divisions in Schools and new handheld device (PDA) for data logging of HACCP Control Points at the School Foodservice Exhibition – New York State School Foodservice Association NYSSFSA 2005, in Oncenter, Syracuse, NY , Oct. 21-22, 2005

Chatsworth, CA (PRWEB) October 19, 2005 -- E-Control Systems, Inc., a trusted leader of hardware and software products for the foodservice industry's Online Kitchen and HACCP control, present a new manual and automated HACCP Control solution for foodservice divisions in schools and new handheld device (PDA) for data logging of HACCP Control Points into RWS™, an Enterprise-wide software solutions for the foodservice industry and commercial kitchen, including schools, hospitals, restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores and hotels.

E-Control Systems will be showing this new manual and automated HACCP Control Solution for Foodservice Divisions in Schools and new Handheld device (PDA) at the School Foodservice Exhibition - – New York State School Foodservice Association NYSSFSA 2005 , at the Oncenter, Syracuse, NY , Oct. 21-22, 2005

E-Control Systems, the leader in Automated HACCP systems, with hundreds of installations nationwide presents its recently announced program that allows schools districts to immediately automate HACCP in all their schools – Getting the Manual version of E-Control Systems software at no charge.
This program will help school district to meet the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) mandated guidance on implementing a food safety system in schools by the end of School year 2005/2006
Under this new promotion provided by E-Control Systems, any school district that will introduce E-Control Systems’ automated HACCP System, using Raptor Web Software™ (RWS™) into at least one of its schools will get free of charge for school year 2005/2006, a license to use the manual monitoring module for HACCP data collection for all of their other schools. This allows the school district’s foodservice department to use the same tools to manage and monitor the critical control points (CCPs) needed for food safety (HACCP) from the very beginning.

E-Control Systems also provides the option to use the manual version without any commitment to purchase their products in the future. For school districts wishing to go along this program, E-Control Systems will provide the software for an evaluation period of 45 days at no charge. If the School District decides to use the software in its schools for the rest of the school year, E-Control Systems and the school district will estimate the needed support for the use of the software at the specific school district and get the school district’s commitment for this support.

About E-Control Systems, Inc.
E-Control Systems, Inc. is the leader for NAFEM Data Protocol compliant hardware and software for the food service industry. Its enterprise management and information software allows easy integration, automation, and HACCP control of any size restaurant or commercial kitchen. Its scalable architecture and SQL compliant database makes this system useful in single location, 10-location, or 10,000-location installations. E-Control Systems’ hardware and software are used in many commercial equipment for the food service industry including walk-in coolers and freezers, reach-ins, under-counters, grills, fryers, ice machines, washers, and many more. These integrated solutions leverage state-of-the-art technologies and innovative practices to enhance performance, profitability, and competitive advantage. To learn more about E-Control Systems, Inc. and how we can help you, please visit us online at www.eControlSystems.com

E-Control System Contact:
Tommy Orpaz
Vice President Business Development
Tel: (818) 885-5228
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:43 AM | Comments (0)

Halutza Introduces New Line Of Israeli Olives

Halutza brings olives straight from kibbutz to U. S.

New York (PRWEB) October 19, 2005 -- Halutza, an Israeli producer and importer of high quality olive oil and olives will introduce a brand new line of outstanding Israeli olives to their exisiting award-winning Israeli olive oils in November 2005. Just in time for the Kosherfest Show in New York.

Many types of olives are grown on Halutza orchards: Manzanilla,Soury,Picual in additon to the Barnea used for their olive oils. As their first offering will be a selection of whole, pitted and sliced olives in attractive silver barrel designs. Premium olives will be offered first and then Organic olives to follow. All products are absolutely kosher and kosher for Passover.

It all began years before with dreams of bringing life and growth to barren Negev desert. All olives are grown in the Halutza Highlands in the heart of the Negev desert using brackish water to irragte orchards,this creates their unique flavor. The olives will be in keeping with the company's natural, healthy and organic principals. They are scheduled to be on store shelves December 2005.

Halutza Israeli Olive Oils are already featured in many natural, gourmet and specialty stores nationwide.

For retailers interested in carrying Halutza, products are available direct to store from the company's NJ warehouse or through distributors in the U.S.

-DPI Mid-Atlantic
-DPI Rocky Mountain
-DPI Northwest
-DPI West
-Haddon House
-Cavallaro Foods
-GIT USA

Please see http://www.halutza.com for latest developments
For additional information please contact:
Contact: Laura Burke
Phone: (917) 207- 9146

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:40 AM | Comments (0)

October 18, 2005

Smoothie recipes for Weight Loss

Smoothies are a tasty choice for weight loss meal replacements.
October 18, 2005

A tasty way to lose weight is to try these smoothie recipes.

In addition to soy protein mix for smoothies and weight loss shakes, this website offers products to help control cravings.

You can also find weight loss tips including

• Tips for Grocery Shopping while on a Weight Loss Program
• Snacking Your Way to Weight Loss. Such a great concept! This article gives you a few of the best weight loss snacks

Weight Loss Programs offered at this website are top quality and are doctor recommended.

Posted by Industrial at 06:56 PM | Comments (0)

Picking Inventory Management Software That Won’t Get You Fired

Supply chain management executives are beating the odds and getting promoted by selecting the right WMS—here's how they did it.

(PRWEB) October 18, 2005 -- When MFI Furniture’s inventory software system mistakenly had them making three deliveries per order, the resultant higher transportation costs and triple-picking workload forced the supply chain management out the door. British grocery retailer Sainsbury had the same experience when its $700 million warehouse management software (WMS) project flopped and the entire supply chain team subsequently joined the ranks of the unemployed. Yet, not all WMS implementations have to end with firings and demotions. Instead, knowing how to pick the right http: inventory management software can help point the way to a corner office.

“People considering inventory software should start by paying attention to the fate of those who previously selected and implemented the system,” says Ann Price, CEO of Motek, a Beverly Hills, California-based company that developed the Priya Warehouse Management System. “Demand a vendor that can provide the names and contact information of several executives promoted for WMS implementations.”

For example, corporate heroes who have implemented the Priya inventory management software include David Trenkenshoe, who landed a plant manager position after managing a WMS project at SSI, the central distribution center for Raley’s and Savemart; and Jan Gage, who’s decision to automate the distribution facility for Sunclipse, a publicly held Australian paper company, earned her a spot on the board of directors.

After verifying that the WMS in question can propel logistics managers into higher ranks, Price recommends confirmation of a customer base that is using the current version or latest release. If you cannot find three reference sites on the same release running the same code, it is a sure sign that the vendor does not have a real product.

Another characteristic of quality warehouse management software is a customer-configurable product, as opposed to a vendor-customized creation.

“Many executives end up chained to their desks managing a WMS for years because extensive customizations require their constant attention” says Dennis Waliczek, Vice President of Information Technology for USF Logistics, whose first task at USF was to replace the heavily customized WMS installed by his predecessor. In it's place,
Waliczek chose the Priya warehouse management software, partly because it was the first radio-frequency-enabled warehouse management system based on Windows NT (R) and Windows 2000.

It also is best to identify a "deep" inventory management software system that focuses on supply chain management. All WMS functions should be included in “in the box.” An example of deep functionality within the Priya system is its seamless interface with all major RF mobile computers and input devices like bar code scanners and voice recognition products.

Lastly, consider implementation. A simplified approach works best; one that can be reproduced at additional sites without the vendor. Motek, for one, offers a standardized implementation methodology, called Tycan (R), which provides a roadmap which guides the project step-by-step.

“We subsequently configured, tested and went live in our facilities without any onsite vendor help,” said Nelson Longenecker -- Vice President of Organizational Development of Four Seasons Produce in Ephrata, Pennsylvania -- referring to his company's implementation of the Priya inventory management software. It is the only fully-featured, Microsoft Windows(R)-based WMS solution currently available that can support more than 300 concurrent mobile users.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:50 AM | Comments (0)

On Lucies Farm in Sunny Worcestershire, Traditions Make a Difference

At Lucies Farm, pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle are raised in the traditional Japanese Kobe style. The farm also has begun raising Kurobuta pork from pure-bred Berkshire pigs and cares for a handful of pampered doggie guests in its luxury Dog Resort, complete with dog massages, canine hydrotherapy, and even canine acupuncture.

Worcester, England (PRWEB) October 18, 2005 -- If one picture is worth a thousand words -- Lucies Farm has attached a six thousand word article.

Lucies Farm has begun raising Kurobuta pork from pure-bred Berkshire pigs. Its pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle are raised in the traditional Japanese Kobe style.

In the tradition of luxury, Lucies Farm cares for a handful of pampered doggie guests in its newly opened luxury Dog Resort, complete with dog massages, canine hydrotherapy, and even canine acupuncture.

* Pedigree Beef Raised in the Japanese Kobe Tradition

Customers are willing to wait up to one month for Scottish | Kobe sirloin steaks and three months for Scottish | Kobe beef fillet steaks. The Lucies Farm pedigree Highland and Aberdeen Angus cattle enjoy a luxurious diet of grain and beer. Farm staff massage them regularly. The resulting beef is aged for 21 days before being taken to a traditional butcher for dressing out.

* Kurobuta: The Most Prized Pork in the World

Kurobuta means "black pork" and it comes from the UK's very own Berkshire breed. In Japan, Kurobuta pork is almost as famous as Kobe beef. The Lucies Farm pure-bred Berkshire pigs adore their special grain and beer diet. And, while the cattle don't like the bubbles, the pigs love their lager cold, right from the can. In addition to Berkshires, the farm raises pure-bred Tamworths. While rare in numbers today, the two breeds have long-defined fine British pork.

* Even the Dogs Run Free on Our Farm

Lucies Farm recently opened its Dog Resort and the Ritz Canine, a day spa for dogs. The Resort specialises in pampering just a handful of dogs at any one time. Resort guests enjoy:

• individualised attention
• three one-hour walks daily in a private 17-acre woodland
• nutritionally-balanced meals made on the farm

Owners can check on their companions 24/7 by way of the resort webcam, or visit an online gallery for photographs of their dog at play. As a memento of a stay at Lucies Farm, the "pho-dographer" can turn gallery images into canvas prints, handbags, or a coffee table book.

The Ritz Canine day spa gives resort guests opportunities to go swimming in a heated pool, relax with a massage or obtain relief from aches and pains with an acupuncture treatment.

As a side note, farm staff quickly realised that the pigs enjoy swimming, too. The Midlands equivalent of swimming with dolphins at a farm in sunny Worcestershire. And you won't even need a personal flotation device.

About Lucies Farm Ltd.

Lucies Farm Ltd. is one of the leading breeders of pedigree Aberdeen Angus and Highland cattle in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1985, our fold has won many local and national competitions. We are located near Malvern, in Worcestershire, and welcome visitors by appointment. Inquires and information: Craig Walsh, Lucies Farm Ltd, Whitecroft, Colletts Green, Worcester WR2 4RY, Tel 01905-830-380.

Our family of websites:

http://www.luciesfarm.co.uk - Lucies Farm Ltd. website, where you can order any of our products

http://www.dog-hotel.co.uk - The Resort at Lucies Farm – Pamper your canine in luxury

http://www.ritz-canine.com - The Ritz Canine Day Spa

http://www.bark.ch – Lucies Farm and Canine Resort Photo Galleries

http://www.kobe-beef.org - The Kobe beef resource, brought to you by Lucies Farm

http://www.kurobuta.org - Information about our Tamworth and Berkshire pigs, along with the history of Kurobuta pork

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:49 AM | Comments (0)

Farm Assurance Specialists EFSIS Welcomes the End of 30 Month Rule

EFSIS-FABBL, farm assurance specialist, welcomes the government’s decision to end the OTMS scheme on 7 November.

(PRWEB) October 18, 2005 -- “This is a great opportunity for the UK beef and dairy sectors,” says Chris Reading, EFSIS-FABBL General Manager of Agriculture UK. “It means that dairy producers and suckler cow producers will be able to get their cow beef back into the market, providing a valuable contribution to the profitability of their business at a time of tight margins.”

Many dairy farmers are already covered by EFSIS-FABBL assurance for beef and the opportunity to sell cull cows without additional assurance costs for them.

Suckler herd beef producers will, at last, have a potentially profitable route to the market for their cull cows, with low-cost, low-hassle beef assurance available from EFSIS-FABBL.

Around 2000 dairy farmers are already assured for beef by EFSIS-FABBL. “I can reassure them that they are already covered by the inspection we’ve done for beef,” says Chris Reading. “EFSIS won’t charge them a penny extra to cover the beef from their dairy herd if it is on the same holding as their beef enterprise.”

EFSIS-FABBL can combine inspection for beef with schemes in every sector of agriculture including inspection and certification to the National Dairy Farm Assurance Scheme.

“For suckler cow producers the best way to be credible in the beef market is EFSIS-FABBL beef assurance,” says Chris Reading. “We’re advising suckler cow producers to get assured as quickly as possible.”

“UK agriculture has been successful in the fight against BSE, with a constant decline in cases over the past ten years,” he continued. “The end of the OTMS scheme is another reminder that British beef is among the safest in the world. It lifts a ban on a business which has an important role to play in the economy of many farms.”

Farmers planning to enter the beef market for the first time, or lacking proper assurance, should contact EFSIS on (0870 241 6787) or e-mail (e-mail protected from spam bots)

EFSIS Information
-EFSIS was founded in 1989 when the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) and Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) joined forces to create a food inspection company

-EFSIS operates in over 70 countries world wide

-EFSIS operates from 9 offices around Europe, based in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Scandinavia, Hungary and one office in Thailand covering the Asia Pacific region

-EFSIS is currently inspecting 65 per cent of all food products worldwide, which are subject to a third party certificated supplier evaluation

-EFSIS has a client base of over 5000 food manufacturers and 25,000 farmers, across 17 different sections of the food industry from fresh produce to fish, poultry, dairy and meat

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:48 AM | Comments (0)

The World's First Healthy Coffee with Ganoderma Offers Increased Energy and Vigor While Reducing Fatigue

Cupofmoney.com markets a variety of products which contain the life changing, life enhancing ingredient Ganoderma Lucidum, including the world's first healthy coffee. Ganoderma is known as 'the miraculous king of herbs' and provides an extensive list of health benefits including increased energy and vigor. Ganoderma has history dating back in the Oriental culture for over 2,000 years and is more powerful than Ginseng. The world's first healthy coffee is now available online. Distributor inquiries are welcome at www.cupofmoney.com

(PRWEB) October 18, 2005 -- Cupofmoney.com, an affiliate of Gano Excel, announced today that they are offering coffee lovers the opportunity to try a free sample of the world’s first healthy coffee. Simply visit www.cafegano.com/?6422744, enclose your name, phone number and e-mail address and the company will contact you and send you a free sample of the world’s first healthy coffee.

Gano Café is the world's first great-tasting healthy coffee produced by Gano Excel. It is a delicious coffee drink that helps to provide energy and vigor, while reducing fatigue. Ganoderma, provides the lift in energy that coffee drinkers look for, but without the caffeine jitters.

Gano Café helps the body fight disease the way nature intended. Ganoderma Lucidum (the natural substance in all of Gano Excel's products) is said to help enhance health by removing toxins from the body and then building up the body's immune system.

Ganoderma Lucidum is the scientific name for a species of Red Mushrooms and is said to be more powerful than Ginseng. Known as the "Miraculous King of Herbs," Ganoderma (also known as Lingzhi in China, Reishi in Japan, and Youngchi in Korea) is listed as a Superior Herb in Sheng Nong's Pharmacopeia, an ancient Chinese Herbal Text dating back over 2,000 years.

Gano Excel is a global company with corporate headquarters in Malaysia, and operations and offices in 21 countries and growing. Founded in 1995, Gano Excel has over one million consumers and Independent Distributors worldwide. Gano Excel (USA) maintains office and warehouse facilities in California. Gano Excel (Canada) maintains office and warehouse facilities in Richmond, B.C.

Here are some coffee industry facts:

* Coffee is the second largest commodity in the world -- next to oil.
* Starbucks buys over 100 million pounds of coffee each year.
* 2.4 billion pounds of coffee are sold per year in the United States.
* The United States is the world's largest consumer of coffee.
* The entire U.S. population consumes more than 500 million cups a day.

A typical cup of coffee contains approximately 138 mg of caffeine. The unique blend of ganoderma in this product neutralizes the caffeine dramatically to only 9 mg per cup, but still provides that "lift" and boost in energy that coffee drinkers are looking for, but without the caffeine jitters.

Each serving is individually and neatly packed making them great for travel or outdoor events. Simply pour contents of one package into a cup, mix with boiling water, stir and enjoy! Want a summer refresher? Try this unique healthy coffee blend over ice, or throw it into a blender with ice cream for a real treat.

Cupofmoney.com provides online ordering and direct to door delivery for their entire line of products. Simply log-on to www.cupofmoney.com; click on shop, click on general and choose from the companies list of healthy beverages: mocha, classic, 3 in 1, tea, or even hot chocolate.

Customers that register for the company's autoship program can experience substantial discounts off of retail pricing, in addition to every 7th order being free.

At last somebody has come up with a definitive healthy coffee. And they did it without sacrificing the rich full flavor experience that coffee brings: that delightful lift to our mood and mental outlook every morning of every day of our lives. And what they’ve done is take the most perfectly selected batch of rich Brazilian coffee bean, crystallize their finest flavor secrets and blend them into a superb combination of rich taste and powerful nutrition.

For more information on Ganoderma Lucidum or to try a free sample of these healthy beverages visit www.cafegano.com/?6422744 or contact Darren Little at 604-771-1901. For a brief overview of the business call 1-888-793-9888.

About Cupofmoney.com:
Cupofmoney.com markets a variety of products which contain the life changing, life enhancing ingredient Ganoderma Lucidum, including the world's first healthy coffee. Ganoderma is known as "the miraculous king of herbs" and provides an extensive list of health benefits including increased energy and vigor. Ganoderma has history dating back in the Oriental culture for over 2,000 years and is more powerful than Ginseng. The world's first healthy coffee is now available online. Distributor inquiries are welcome at www.cupofmoney.com. Entrepreneurs and business opportunists should also visit www.teamgano.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:47 AM | Comments (0)

Birth of the Internet Birthday Gift Resource Directory

Birthday-Gift-Basket.com provides comprehensive resources for anyone searching for that special birthday gift or gifts for other special occasions.

(PRWEB) October 18, 2005 -- You may have practically torn your hair out sometimes over wondering what to get someone for a birthday gift. Well the developers of this website have and they created Birthday-Gift-Basket.com for their benefit and yours.

It has literally thousands of links to good places to buy birthday gifts and gifts for ANY occasion! There are gift baskets aplenty (their favorite is the favorite of Presidents and Hollywood celebrities, MrsBeasleys.com) and gifts for holidays, not only birthday gifts although birthday gifts are the main emphasis: if you need a birthday gift idea there is no place better. But it is also just as good for a gift basket idea or a holiday gift idea too, your imagination is the only limit because all the possibilities are there. From Lobster Grams to Corsican Cribs to the NASA Space Store, Birthday-Gift-Basket.com has it all.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:46 AM | Comments (0)

British Sugar's New Invasweet Is Perfect for Plant Bakers

British Sugar’s product development team has recently added Invasweet, an invert syrup to its extensive portfolio, creating an easy-to-use syrup suitable for plant bakers.

(PRWEB) October 18, 2005 -- British Sugar’s product development team has recently added Invasweet, an invert syrup for plant bakers to its extensive portfolio.

Easy to use, highly versatile and suitable for a variety of applications, Invasweet, has been developed in British Sugar’s Food Centre, a technical facility which offers customers unrivalled expertise and service.

“Invasweet was developed to meet the bakery market’s very specific need for a pumpable product with a lower soluble solids specification,” says British Sugar’s marketing manager, Myra Hales. “It’s available in 1.25 tonne pallecons or convenient 25kg pails and is both simple to use and easy to handle. It’s ideal for automated production systems which require exact control of dosing,” she said.

“The development of Invasweet is a perfect example of the Food Centre’s capabilities,” she says. “We have expertise in a whole range of sectors; including soft drinks, bakery, jams and preserves and confectionery. The team can take a product from the basic concept through bench scale testing to the point where it can go out to one of British Sugar’s processing plants for a full scale trial.”

“Invasweet has a tremendous range of applications including morning goods, burger buns and sweet fruited breads,” says Myra. “It can be used in cakes and gateaux, cookies and biscuits, as well as flapjacks and muffins. And it is great for sugar paste, icings, fudges and frostings.”

Invasweet, like all British Sugar products, has been developed in close co-operation with potential users. “British Sugar’s policy is to share our expertise to make sure customers get the best out of our products,” she says. “In particular, we will help with the practicalities to ensure the introduction of Invasweet into a customers’ process is as straightforward as possible.”

Note to editors:
British Sugar is the leading supplier of sugar to the UK. It produces around 1.3 million tonnes a year from beet in six factories

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:45 AM | Comments (0)

New 2005 Edition: Food Industry China

Dublin (PRWEB) October 18, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c25882) has announced the addition of Food Industry China 2005ed to their offering

The food industry in China is expected to generate an income of US$241.8bn in 2005 - a 325% increase in 8 years. Its post-Communist market is being driven by the increased spending power and changing food habits of the country's ever-wealthier people. However, there are significant risks with an emerging market of this size, complexity and relative immaturity. With the main goal over recent years being 'feed the nation', not enough has been done to safeguard health and safety. The country is frantically trying to get in line with international regulations in order to cash in on valuable product exports. Reducing pesticides is one issue being tackled, along with the much talked about 'bird flu'. Risks of a pandemic are real according to the World Health Organisation and the industry can expect stringent quality testing and a damaging lack of consumer confidence. In addition to health and safety issues, this briefing also looks at export opportunities, raw materials, packaged and processed food and the manufacturers.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c25882

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:44 AM | Comments (0)

Halutza Israeli Olive Oil Introduces New USDA Organic Oil

Due to demand kibbutz grown Halutza offers new organic oil.

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 18, 2005 -- Halutza "Israel's Best Olive Oil" has just introduced a USDA organic version. This new creation is in direct response to growing requests from buyers for organic. Halutza is constantly striving to make higher quality, healthier olive oil. The kosher original is still sold as premium on it's merit as a superior, award winning quality olive oil.

Halutza is made using Barnea olive which are seldom seen outside of Israel. The olives are grown in the heart of the Negev desert using brackish water technology. Every element of the process is expertly supervised. Olive are made into oil minutes after picking to insure
freshness and superb taste. All growing, processing, and bottling done on Kibbutz Revivim in Israel. Halutza organic will be offered by many retailers nationwide, please check website for retail locations.

About the company, Halutza is an established brand in Israel,that has in the last two years just begun to bring their outstanding olive oil and olives to the U.S. Israel itself is an up and coming country just being discovered by olive oil enthusiasts here in U.S. In fast paced U.S.
culture there is an appeal to the leisurely paced Israeli kibbutz where attention to olives and making of fine handcrafted olive oil are an ancient tradition. Please visit the website for more information www.halutza.com

Contact: Laura Burke
Phone: (917) 207-9146

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:43 AM | Comments (0)

Milk Blog: What Real Consumers Want in Milk

The latest entry for Alex Avery's Milk is Milk blog concerns consumer attitudes about milk.

(PRWEB via PR Web Direct) October 17, 2005 -- The latest entry for Alex Avery’s Milk is Milk blog concerns consumer attitudes about milk. The blog’s author warns retailers and dairy producers to “beware 'consumer research' that claims to know what consumers demand when it comes to production standards for animal agriculture.” The second entry of this two-part article, to be posted later in the week, reviews the impact on dairy consumption of these marketing issues.

Blogger Alex Avery’s latest Milk is Milk blog on the subject can be found at http://www.milkismilk.com/blog.htm.

Avery is the research director for the Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Food Issues; his blog addresses marketing issues in the dairy industry which affect consumers, dairy farmers and processors. To learn more, visit http://www.milkismilk.com or http://www.cgfi.org.

Contact:
Alex Avery, Director of Research
(540) 337-6354 (O)
(540) 255-6378 (M)

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:43 AM | Comments (0)

Are Artificial Sweeteners Really Safe? Ask the Experts

For over two decades, experts sounded the warnings on artificial sweeteners - citing the scientific research showing harm. With backgrounds in Law and Journalism, they answer the questions everyone is asking today. Are aspartame and sucralose really safe? Are Class Action suits in the works? This topic is 'hotter than hot,' with new sweeteners like Neotame and Splenda approved by FDA for foods, drinks, medications, vitamins and gum. How safe is our food supply?

(PRWEB) October 17, 2005 -- For over two decades, experts on artificial sweeteners sounded the warnings. With backgrounds in Law and Journalism, they answer the questions everyone is asking today. Are aspartame and sucralose really safe? Are Class Action suits in the works?

This topic is 'hotter than hot,' with new sweeteners like Neotame and Splenda approved by the FDA for foods, drinks, medications, vitamins and gum. How safe is our food supply?

In 1987, Washington consumer advocate, James Turner, Esq., asked broadcast journalist and appointed Texas state judge, Mary Nash Stoddard to head the fledgling anti-aspartame movement and take it international, which she did and the rest is history.

For nearly two decades, Aspartame Consumer Safety Network has supplied scientific, documented information and support to mainstream media, other consumer organizations, the general public, and health care professionals on five continents. Following the brain tumor death of her young husband, in 1985, Stoddard suffered a serious reaction (Eosinophilia) to the artificial sweetener, aspartame. Upon cessation of use, her symptoms abated.

Stoddard kicked the campaign into high gear when she gave testimony at the November 3, 1987 Senate Hearings on the safety of aspartame. She and Aspartame Consumer Safety Network cofounder, Turner are the only campaigners on the Internet who were actually there to give Senators their testimony. They are the only ones on the net who have qualified in court as Expert Medical Witnesses on this topic.

Stoddard was a member of the national President's Council On Food Safety from 1998 to 1999 and a current voting member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. She received an award for her work from the government of Mexico, following a keynote address to their conference on sweeteners in 1998. Stoddard was the first non-M.D. paid to teach a class on aspartame safety at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, and has guest lectured at colleges and universities all over the U.S.

Long before artificial sweeteners became a ‘hot' topic, the team of Stoddard and Turner were heating up broadcasting airwaves and generating dozens of articles in print [in flying magazines and top newspapers all over the world, to their credit. Appearing nationally on NBC’s TODAY Show, CBS’ Sixty Minutes and CNN. With articles about ACSN leaders in The Dallas Morning News, Mademoiselle magazine, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The New York Post, U.S. Air Force Flying Safety magazine, London Daily Mirror and others.

Thousands of websites have jumped on the bandwagon to echo Stoddard's and Turner's warnings, using the information disseminated originally, by Dallas and Washington based, Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, founded in 1987.

One strangely anonymous source even went so far as to turn ACSN's well documented scientific information into bizarre gibberish - in the so-called, Nancy Markle email - resulting in a botched attempt to discredit Stoddard and Turner’s credibility with media and the public.

Are there safe alternatives to artificial sweeteners such as aspartame/Equal & NutraSweet and the new sucralose/Splenda? Ask Stoddard and Turner. They know.

(Stoddard and Turner are available for interview by calling: 214.387.4001)
Bios available on: www.aspartamesafety.com

Contact
Mary Stoddard
Stoddard Media Services
P.O. Box 2001 - Frisco, TX 75034
tel. 1.214.387.4001
www.stoddardmedia.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:41 AM | Comments (0)

October 17, 2005

Funk Ventures Invests in Organic To Go

Funk Ventures Capital Partners announces its investment in organic food services company Organic To Go

Canoga Park, CA (PRWEB) October 17, 2005 -- Funk Ventures Capital Partners (“FVCP”), the venture capital arm of Funk Ventures, announced today that it has invested in Organic Holding Company, Inc. ("Organic To Go"), a fast-growing organic food services company with retail and delivery operations and currently 12 locations in Seattle, Los Angeles and Orange County.

Organic To Go brings together high quality and healthy ingredients from all over the United States to create great tasting, ready-to-enjoy meals that can easily be picked up or delivered. The company's aggressive pursuit of the relatively untapped office lunch delivery market has already proven itself popular and profitable, with plans on expanding into additional markets across the United States. The company's core business model calls for targeting the corporate breakfast and lunch delivery market. This out-of-the box marketing strategy has propelled Organic To Go as the fast casual leader in Seattle in a mere eight months.

"Our venture capital unit continues to position itself at the forefront of the wellness investment arena", says Andy J. Funk, CEO of Funk Ventures and Managing Director of FVCP. "The organic foods sector is of significant interest to us, and Organic To Go is yet another example of our dedication to continue to make meaningful and impactful investments in the wellness industry."

Organic To Go raised $2.5 million in new capital in this Series B round, with a total of $5.5 million raised in 2005.

The Series B funding will be used primarily to accelerate Organic To Go's expansion in California and Washington. Based in Seattle, Washington, the company currently operates six locations in Washington and recently opened three Los Angeles area and three Orange County area stores.

About Funk Ventures:
Funk Ventures is a multi-faceted investment firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm’s diversified business segments span from venture capital to investment banking and real estate. The firm’s venture capital arm, which makes value-add investments in promising companies in the wellness space, is complemented by an investment banking unit which provides access to outside capital to private and emerging companies. Funk Ventures is also actively involved in developing and investing in real estate, with a focus on resort destinations and sustainable living communities. For more information, visit www.funkventures.com or call (818) 716-0413. Funk Ventures is a registered trademark of Funk Ventures, Inc.

About Organic to Go:
Formed in November 2004, Organic Holding Company is a retail store, caterer and meal delivery service that provides delicious and natural soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees packaged for convenient take-out or delivery. All O To Go fare is made with organic ingredients whenever possible and is always natural, wholesome and free of harmful chemicals and grown and raised with care. Organic to Go brings similar pricing and delivery services as other box lunch retailers and cafes, even though its ingredients are typically more costly to produce. For more information, visit www.organictogo.com or call 425-890-9183.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:39 AM | Comments (0)

Vitamin Angel Alliance Reports Ongoing Donations Crucial for U.S. and Worldwide Disaster Relief– Rainbow Light and NPI Donate 3/4 Million Supplements in September

In the wake of destruction following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, there is mounting concern over malnutrition, infection and disease among the survivors. While donations have been pouring into Vitamin Angel Alliance’s hurricane relief warehouse in Texas to benefit affected areas, much more is immediately needed. Continued support over the next six months is critical to help protect survivors from serious or fatal health complications. And now with the earthquake destruction in Pakistan and India, continued support is urgently needed.

SANTA CRUZ, CALIF., (PRWEB) October 17, 2005 -- In the wake of destruction following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, there is mounting concern over malnutrition, infection and disease among the survivors. While donations have been pouring into Vitamin Angel Alliance’s hurricane relief warehouse in Texas to benefit affected areas, much more is immediately needed. Continued support over the next six months is critical to help protect survivors from serious or fatal health complications. And now with the earthquake destruction in Pakistan and India, continued support is urgently needed.

Since the Katrina disaster, Rainbow Light Nutritional Systems and its affiliated manufacturing company, Nature’s Products Inc. (NPI), have contributed 750,000 supplements to the relief efforts through Vitamin Angel Alliance. Together, Rainbow Light and NPI have donated children’s chewable multivitamins, adult multivitamins designed to help women, men and older persons meet their specific nutritional requirements, multi-mineral tablets and immune-enhancing supplements such as High Potency Micro-Clear™ and Deep Defense™ formulas. “We’re concerned that many hurricane survivors are not getting the basic vitamins and minerals they need to stave off malnutrition because of limited food supplies in the affected areas,” explains Rainbow Light President Linda Kahler. “A food-based supplement can bolster an inadequate diet, providing essential nutrients required to maintain good health, while building the body’s natural immune system defenses against opportunistic infection and disease.”

Rainbow Light and NPI take a prominent place among the many socially responsible companies in our industry who’ve given generously to this cause. “The response from the natural products industry has been outstanding,” reported Howard B. Schiffer, Vitamin Angel Alliance President. He continues, “This is going to be a long-term relief effort. We’re going to need 20 million supplements to get these people through the next 6 months.”

Vitamin Angel Alliance is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization dedicated to providing basic nutrition and fighting vitamin A deficiency childhood blindness and other vitamin deficiency diseases around the world. Last year Vitamin Angels donated 23.4 million supplements to people in need in 40 countries around the world. To make donations to Vitamin Angel Alliance visit their website at: www.VitaminAngel.org. For product donations, call 805-564 -8400.

Rainbow Light is the founding donor of prenatal nutrition to Vitamin Angel Alliance’s Maternal and Child Health Project, and has been working with the Vitamin Angel Alliance since its inception in 1994. Founded in 1981, Rainbow Light has long been recognized for its strength and leadership in premium quality food-based supplementation, consumer education, and contribution to innovative social programs with a long-standing commitment to excellence, social responsibility and promoting human health and wellbeing locally and globally.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:38 AM | Comments (0)

Local Nonprofit Beer Company Hosts Fund Raiser To Benefit The Bridge for Runaway Youth

“Spudtoberfest” To Feature Irish Music and Food Including Recipes for Spuds Lovers.

MINNEAPOLIS (PRWEB) October 16, 2005 -- The Spud Society, the non-profit arm of the Minneapolis-brewed Finnegan’s Irish Amber, is hosting its third annual Spudtoberfest fund raiser to benefit The Bridge for Runaway Youth. The event, to be held October 22 at Kieren’s Irish Pub, will feature a silent auction, Irish music and Irish food including a smorgasboard of potato-inspired fare.

The Spud Society funds various community programs that help vulnerable children, teens and the working poor through the sale of Finnegan’s Irish Amber beer. The nonprofit also produced a documentary, Stories of the Working Poor, which is used by shelter providers to raise awareness on the subject. Since 2000, the Spud Society has donated more than $44,000 throughout the Twin Cities.

“Finnegan’s is setting an example for good business,” said Monica Nilsson, director of community development for The Bridge. “It’s a product with a positive message about philanthropy that develops fun events around serious issues. Its supporters become the supporters of youth in need, which benefits our entire community.”

For 35 years, the Bridge has provided immediate shelter, counseling and housing assistance to kids in crisis, and recently launched a $5.5 million capital campaign to expand its services. Funds raised will increase housing units, build an education and career center, and a health clinic.

Spudtoberfest attendees will enjoy live music, Irish food and a complimentary pint of Finnegan’s Irish Amber. Pub owner Kieran Folliard, will emcee the event, which also will feature Hennepin County Commissioners Peter McLaughlin and Gail Dorfman. Spud lovers are encouraged to bring their most creative potato recipe cards for the first-ever Spud Recipe Competition.

Last year’s fund raiser raised more than $12,000 the Lindquist Apartments, which provide 24 housing units to youth who are homeless or in transition from foster care.

Details of event:
Place: Kieran’s Irish Pub
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2005
Time: Event starts 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $25 in advance (online), $35 at door

About Finnegan’s and the Spud Society
Finnegan’s Inc. is a beer company based in Minneapolis that donates 100 percent of its profits to funding programs for at-risk youth and the working poor in Minnesota through its nonprofit, Spud Society. Since its inception in 2000, the sale of Finnegan’s Irish Amber, which is now available in more than 140 restaurants and bars and 200 liquor stores throughout the Twin Cities as well as in Duluth, Brainerd, Mankato and St. Cloud, has quadrupled. For more information, visit www.spudsociety.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:37 AM | Comments (0)

Abby's Soda Jerk and Candy Shop Announces New Menu Additions

New Menu Additions Announcement. Now offering Wraps and New Abby's Soda Jerk smores and bimini splits.

PRESS RELEASE

Abby’s Soda Jerk and Candy Shop Announces New Menus Additions

10/13/05

Immediate Release
Contact: Alvin Lexander Gunawidjaja, Marketing Program Director
507.454.7816

Winona, MN, October 13, 2005 – Abby’s Soda Jerk announces new additions to our existing menu. Due to the request of many customers, Abby’s Soda Jerk has decided to expand on its menu selections. Our latest additions can be divided into 2 sub categories of Dreamy cool treats and Steamy good eats. In Dreamy Cool Treats we have four new splits that are available. Smores Split, a smores cookie with one scoop of vanilla ice cream, marshmallow cream topping and whip cream. Coffee split, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel coffee ice cream, grilled banana halves covered in hot fudge and caramel, all topped with whip cream and nuts. Waffle split, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, grilled banana topped with hot caramel, hot fudge, whip cream, cherry sprinkles and powdered sugar. Bimini split, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and coconut cream, chocolate dipped banana, all topped with hot fudge, whip cream, nuts and cherry. In our steamy good eats section we have wraps as our new additions. Try our new Ribeye and Wasabi Sauce Wrap, Abby’s own oriental horseradish puts a kick into our succulent ribeye wrap.

About Abby’s Soda Jerk and Candy Shop:
Abby’s Soda Jerk is a Winona – based restaurant that provides customers with a 1950’s theme soda and malt shop dining experience that serves specialty entrees such as the Original Ted’s Steamer Cheeseburgers, old fashioned fountain sodas, and old time bulk candy.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:35 AM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2005

Business Brochures and Literature Printing

Color brochures and well designed literature is an important part of marketing. Color postcards are also used to follow up with customers. Postcards are common in the real estate industry, but can also be used for keeping in touch with your clients in the food industry.

You can read more articles at articles and more articles

Posted by Industrial at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)

October 14, 2005

Vancouver Chocolatiers DC DUBY Wild Sweets Launches Winter‘05 "Harvest Collection" and "Science Kit"

Molecular Gastronomy research culminates in delectable chocolate holiday gifts and dessert "experiments"

RICHMOND, British Columbia (PRWEB) October 14, 2005 -- Canadian chocolatiers, Dominique and Cindy Duby of Wild Sweets are pleased to announce the launch of their annual Limited Release Collection "Harvest" and newly designed "Science Kit" novel concept.

The Harvest Collection is a specially packaged assortment of individual chocolates presented in a sleek custom-designed and textured to the touch 2-pieces gift box, sold in 12-pieces selection for C$39.95 or 20-pieces selection for C$49.95 (shipping and applicable taxes not included). The Science Kit concept is similarly packaged in a custom-designed kit box and gift sleeve. The kit is intended for 8-persons and includes components for 4 distinctly unique chocolate desserts "experiments" (two temperature versions of each for a total of 64 portions), each based on a scientific principle. The collection and kit will be released just in time for the 2005 holiday season and available North America wide through DC DUBY Wild Sweets Virtual Boutique at www.dcduby.com.

Dominique and Cindy Duby are part of a growing group of international chefs that all have one thing in common: Molecular Gastronomy. Molecular gastronomy is the application of scientific principles and techniques for the understanding and improvement of small-scale artisan food production.

The winter ‘05 Wild Sweets Collection is the culmination of months of research and development that focused on expanding the palette of ingredients available to traditional chocolatiers. This year theme of "Harvest" is based on fruits, nuts and vegetables gathered from surrounding orchards, fields, and woods and includes smooth ganache / emulsions, luscious caramels, soft fragrant gelées and/or texturally contrasting nut pralinés. All designed with DC DUBY’s "wild" signature featuring untraditional flavour pairings such as Red pepper-raspberry-Vodka emulsion. Summer sweet pea emulsion and almond nougat. Parsnip-pear-vanilla emulsion, Apple-red cabbage gelée and chestnut praliné. Mincemeat caramel and butternut squash emulsion or Barbecue tomato jam and Matcha-lime emulsion. The collection also reflects the harvest of vineyards and includes wine-based confections such as Rhubarb-Stilton emulsion and Port wine reduction, Morel-Icewine emulsion and walnut-Panko toast or Chanterelle-apricot emulsion and plum wine reduction. The Limited Release collection will be available from November 15, 2005 through February 14, 2006.

The "Science Kit" is a home-chef gift version of the "Wild Sweets Tasting Flight", a novel concept originally created by the Dubys’ for their participation at the 2005 Masters of Food & Wine. And that now has become an integral part of their international culinary activities such as the recent luxurious "Chocolate Thesis" dinner at the eponymous Hotel Bel-Air in Beverly Hills where the Dubys’ showcased chocolate in most unique forms (sweet & savoury) in an exquisite 8-courses menu. [The event was filmed for an episode to air on the Canadian Food TV Network, more information to follow soon].

Now that there is a better understanding of how the process of "taste" works, science and psychology have become an integral part of a modern food experience. The Dubys call this "Brain-Based-Eating" or the physiological aspect of food appreciation. The Science Kit focus is to showcase and experience chocolate from a multi-sensory perspective. For example, the Tensioactivity experiment consist of "foaming" a pear-anise-moscovado infusion - hot as a "consommé" and frozen as a "frappé" – and served laced with chocolate "caviar". Or the Dispersion experiment consisting of "gelling" chocolate into a hot "cake" in less than 60-seconds, served with a pouch of "exploding" crunch. The kit comes complete with all food elements (except for a handful of commonly available fresh ingredients), a recipe booklet with wine pairing suggestions and video DVD demonstrating how to make and serve each dessert "experiments". The Science Kit will be virtually launched via video December 01, 2005 on dcduby.com (9:00 AM PST).

Dominique and Cindy Duby are Canada’s most notable pastry chefs and sought after "Sweet Ambassadors." In 1995, they founded DC Duby Hospitality Services, an international firm offering education, consultation and creative services to culinary concerns worldwide. The couple also owns DC DUBY Wild Sweets, a critically acclaimed exotic chocolate atelier that unveils a commercial collection of chocolates seasonally. They are the authors of Wild Sweets – Exotic Dessert & Wine Pairings, foreword by Charlie Trotter. The book won the 2003 Best Book in the World for Food & Wine Matching from Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Spain. They are regularly invited to participate in prestigious international food and wine events around the world. And were the first Canadian pastry chefs to be invited to participate in the Annual 2005 Masters of Food & Wine in California, which is recognized as one of the most celebrated gatherings of chefs and winemakers in the world.
For more information, visit www.dcduby.com.

Video introduction of Wild Sweets, Harvest Collection, photos of Dominique and Cindy Duby and of their sweet creations are available.

For DVD, images and other media requests, please contact:

Dominique or Cindy Duby - Managing Directors
DC DUBY Wild Sweets – A Trademark division of:
DC DUBY Hospitality Services Inc.
604-277-6102

To place an order for Wild Sweets products, visit www.dcduby.com, or contact above.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:42 AM | Comments (0)

Survey Highlights Great Vegetarian Dining in the San Francisco Bay Area

Bay Area Vegetarians' survey community to find outstanding vegetarian dining opportunities in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. Supporters may vote through November 15th for their favorite Bay Area restaurants, and also be eligible to win prizes.

San Francisco (PRWEB) October 14, 2005 -- Bay Area Vegetarians (BAVeg), one of the largest regional grassroots vegetarian advocacy group in the U.S., is holding its third annual BEST OF VEG survey. Every year since 2003, the BEST OF VEG survey has recognized outstanding vegetarian dining in the San Francisco Bay Area based on the votes of Bay Area residents. Voting for the 2005 survey started on October 1st, celebrated as World Vegetarian Day across the nation, and continues through November 15th. Supporters will vote for the next 5 weeks for their favorite Bay Area restaurants. Survey categories include:

BEST VEGAN FOODS at both vegetarian and non-vegetarian restaurants, including:
Best Asian, Indian, Mexican and Raw Cuisine
Best Veggie Burger
Best Pizza
Best Dessert

BEST VEGETARIAN/VEGAN RESTAURANT:
By location (San Francisco, East Bay, North Bay and South Bay)
Best New Restaurant
Best Special Occasion Restaurant
Best Everyday Food
Best Service
Best Restaurant for a Casual Veggie Date
Best Overall Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants

BAVeg uses the top ten most popular choices from its Ultimate Guide to Vegetarian Living in the SF Bay Area to determine the initial selections for the 33-question survey. Residents can vote for their favorites online at www.bayareaveg.org/vote and be eligible to win special prizes. Ten voters will be selected at random to win prizes that taste great, and resources that educate and entertain: Cookie Gift Basket from Sun Flour Baking, Tofurky feast from Turtle Island Foods, Soy Delicious ice cream from Turtle Mountain, Satya magazine subscription, and the new McLibel DVD.

"The BEST OF VEG survey let’s people vote for the many great restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area that cater to vegetarians," says BAVeg Vice-President and co-founder Chris James. "Unlike typical surveys where vegetarian restaurants have one category, our survey has multiple categories that help define the best places to eat when you want a pizza, burger, or go out for a casual date or special occasion. Many past winners proudly post their BEST OF VEG award certificates prominently in their establishments so that customers know they are local favorites."

Based in Montara, BAVeg is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with over 2000 members throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the fastest-growing all-volunteer groups in the region, and was recently profiled in the San Francisco Chronicle (visit www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/05/PNGILDVEHB1.DTL or http://tinyurl.com/92h2x to read the article).

BAVeg regularly hosts a variety of events to promote vegetarian living, including lectures, restaurant outings and film screenings. To learn more about BAVeg and the many resources it offers, visit www.bayareaveg.org.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:40 AM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2005

California Gourmet Granola Line Hits Store Shelves; Traci's Gourmet Granola Launches into Whole Food Markets

African-American owned Traci’s Gourmet Granola, the California-based granola company, has partnered up with Whole Food Markets in the Northern California region.

(PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- Traci’s Gourmet Granola, the California-based granola company, has partnered up with Whole Food Markets in the Northern California region. Whole Food Markets is the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket found in 176 locations throughout North America and the United Kingdom. The new partnership between Traci’s Gourmet Granola and Whole Food Markets increases the company’s visibility in various natural and gourmet markets nationwide.

“We are thrilled at the opportunity to have our product on the shelves of Whole Food Markets. Since my company’s inception in 2002, it has been my goal to grace the shelves of a premier natural foods store, such as Whole Foods, since we share the same consumer," said company founder, Traci Fellows. "Health food customers are health conscious and discerning about what they consume, so are my customers. A healthy lifestyle is our ultimate goal.”

The company began in 2000 when Traci attempted to bake Snicker Doodles for a friend. She was watching one of her favorite food show host making granola when the idea hit. She rummaged through her kitchen pantry for all of her favorite ingredients-- organic oats, fruits, nuts and maple syrup. After mixing them all together, she whipped up what is now known as “Fruit & Nut Crunch.”

Since then, African-American Traci Fellows -- affectionately known as “The Granola Lady” around the San Francisco Bay Area -- is putting her name (and green satin ribbon) on the gourmet granola industry. Her passion for a balanced and healthy lifestyle, combined with her love for baking has always been part of her way of life. In September of 2002, she decided to combine both and introduced Traci’s Gourmet Granola.

About Traci’s Gourmet Granola
Since its two-year inception, the demand for Traci’s Gourmet Granola has increased dramatically. The product line is eaten by professional athletes, Hollywood trainers and musicians. Traci’s Gourmet Granola gives back to the community through the sponsorship of various charity events.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:31 AM | Comments (0)

Second Annual "Wines of the Andes" Presentation to Take Place on November 07, 2005 at the Argentine Consulate office 12 W 56th St. NY,NY.

The 2nd annual wines of the andes presentation will be held on November 7th 2005 at the Argentine Consulate office in New York City. Representatives from various wineries and hotels of Mendoza Argentina will participate in the presentation highlighting Argentine wines and the Andean region of Mendoza.

(PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- Aymara Wine Tourism of Mendoza Argentina will be presenting the “Wines of the Andes” featuring the noble Mablec grape from wineries such as Dolium, Catena, Zuccardi to name just a few. Come join the wine enologist and representatives from Mendoza to explore the Argentine phenomenon of the Malbec grape in its’ truest form.

Thousands of different grapes are grown in different ways in all sorts of soils and climates every year and in many countries before the wine making process even begins. Moreover, the process involves many stages and countless variations that affect the finished product in significant ways. All of this adds up to magnificent and complex equations. The clearest example of this phenomenon is the synergy between the Malbec grape and the Mendoza region in Argentina. The Malbec's origins lie in France, where the grape has been in conspicuous decline for more than a century. There, it is sensitive to an array of maladies that affect grapes such as frost damage, downy mildew and bunch rot. Consequently, vinyards have deserted Malbec in droves, and the only significant French appellation in which Malbec now plays a leading role is Cahors.

Malbec made the trip to South America when modern vineyards were established there in the mid-19th century. It found its true home in the front range of the Andes above Mendoza, where the grape has ascended from pretty good to truly great, making Malbec Argentina's best wine. Growing conditions in this remarkable area are almost perfectly suited to Malbec's needs, forgiving its vulnerabilities and enhancing its strengths. The best vineyards are situated at altitudes between 2,000 and 3,500 feet above sea level. The Andean mountain range protects the area from pacific storms and pollution. The combination of high altitude and pure air makes for particularly intense sunlight and, therefore, strong photosynthetic ripening in Mendoza's vineyards. Warm daytime temperatures also help with ripening, but thanks to the cool nights of the high-altitude setting, Malbec grapes retain sufficient acidity to be balanced and pure in their ripeness.

The weather-related problems the Malbec endures in France are greatly minimized in the moderate climate above Mendoza, where frost is not a problem. Although the area is relatively dry in terms of rainfall, water for irrigation is available in abundance from rivers carrying runoff from the Andean snow pack. Dry conditions make it virtually unnecessary to spray against the risk of rot. The only threat the Malbec faces is in the form of hail, caused by occasional atmospheric turbulence resulting from the Andes.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:30 AM | Comments (0)

Mäni's Bakery Café Announces Their Newest Sweet Spot

Hollywood bakery-to-the-stars opens communication to customers with a new blog.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- Mäni's Bakery Café, an independent eatery that specializes in healthy alternatives to baked goods and cuisine, announced today the launch of their new blog at http://www.manisblog.com. Dubbed as the Hollywood bakery to the stars, Mäni's has become famous in the Los Angeles community for being one of the first cafes to integrate organic and less refined ingredients into their baked goods and fare. Much of Mäni's acclaimed offerings are prepared with organically grown wheat flour and ingredients that retain more nutritional value than what is found in typical baked goods. Mäni's motto to offer good food that is good for you, has created best selling items such as the Chocolate Truffle Cream Heart Cookie and their famous turkey chili, which has attracted celebs including Kate Beahan and Lucia Rijker.

"Mäni's blog will serve as a virtual suggestion box, as well as a way to communicate both important and interesting health-related information directly to our clientele," says founder Larry Maiman. "With healthy eating at the top of everyone’s minds, it is vital that we take another step towards opening a dialogue with our customers."

Mäni/s Bakery Café, which opened its doors in 1989 and is still at its original location on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles, felt a priority to interact with customers - something few in the industry have chosen to do. In addition to offering the most up-to-date information about what the restaurant and bakery are doing to make food healthier, the blog will be an educational format that promises to offer nutritional, lifestyle and health information as well as recommended links to other sites in the industry.

Press information:
Larry Maiman
323 964-0840 Ext: 10

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:29 AM | Comments (0)

Food Processing Plant Saves Water While Protecting Their Ion Exchange Unit -- A Real World Documented Case Study

How the Ronningen-Petter self-cleaning filter saved a food processing plant water while protecting their ion exchange unit.

(PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- How the Ronningen-Petter self-cleaning filter saved a food processing plant water while protecting their ion exchange unit.

SITUATION:
A food processor was removing contaminants from gelatin liquor with pressure leaf filters that were pre-coated with diatomaceous earth (DE). The DE, however, would periodically break off, travel downstream, and plug the ion exchange unit. This resulted in two-days of downtime to allow employees to manually clean the column.

RONNINGEN-PETTER SOLUTION:
Based on these criteria, the food-processing plan installed a Ronningen-Petter (RPA Process Technologies), self-cleaning filter to completely remove rust and scale, while allowing the quench polymer to flow freely.

In addition, automating the filter later helped the company minimize waste by saving water. How? Operators in the past had been cleaning the filter too often and for too long a period. However, a Ronningen-Petter automation package began telling the filter precisely when cleaning was needed, and how long each cleaning cycle should be.

RESULTS:
After installing a manual self-cleaning filter, the column never plugged again -- this meant the filter paid for itself within eight months.

-- by Ask Filter Man
www.RPAprocess.com

For questions about industrial filtration, please visit the Ask Filter Man forum at http://www.rpaprocess.com/Ask-Filter-Man-Blog.asp.

If you would like to discuss this filtration, solution with one of RPA Process Technologies highly trained Applications Specialists, please visit http://www.rpaprocess.com/ContactUs/Contact-Us.asp.

http://www.RPAprocess.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:28 AM | Comments (0)

Vending Solutions, LLC. Enters Into Joint Venture with Pelican Communications

Vending Solutions announced it has entered into a new venture with Pelican Communications. Vending Solutions and Pelican Communications will work together to manage the vending and amusement services for a large resort group.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- Vending Solutions announced it has entered into a new venture with Pelican Communications. Vending Solutions and Pelican Communications will work together to manage the vending and amusement services for a large resort group.

Both companies will provide a variety of different services to each resort and will include beverage vending machines, snack vending machines, crane vending machines, arcade games, and other types of amusement vending. The machines will help generate extra revenue for each resort as well as expand the services available to guests.

The goal of the new partnership is to combine the unique skill sets of each company and maximize customer satisfaction. Vending Solutions specializes in providing beverage and snack vending machines while Pelican Communications specializes in amusement vending and arcade vending machines. Together the two vending companies complement each other perfectly.

“I am really excited to work with Pelican Communications. They bring a lot of experience to the table. I know that together we can be the best answer for vending services to a whole new level of client utilizing a much more broad platform” said Daniel Dermody, Director of Internet Sales and Marketing when asked about Pelican. “ I want to work with them to help improve www.vendingsolutions.com and get the word out about our new combined vending services.”

In the coming years Vending Solutions plans add more leisure businesses to their growing portfolio. Pelican Communication will be an invaluable partner in the future success of resort vending. Both companies are currently working to put together more vending programs for many other key industries.

“There is a great opportunity to grow and reach out to more companies and explain the success of our revenue generating programs. The expansion of vending machines into new markets in limitless. The potential of this new vending services relationship is also limitless,” added Mr. Dermody.

Vending Solutions is a national vending management company that specializes in vending machines and vending services. Vending Solutions provides free full service vending machines to companies of 40 employees or more. Vending Solutions services a wide variety of locations including schools, malls, and many other locations.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:27 AM | Comments (0)

Seal-It's Shrink Labels Add Color and Graphics to Stallone's Salad Dressings

Seal-It’s heat shrink labels made of PVC are gravure printed in 10 eye-catching colors for Stallone’s salad dressing. The combination label incorporates a tamper-evident seal with a horizontal perforation. When the perforation is broken, the seal is removed and the label remains on the bottle. By offering a 360-degree image area, there is room enough to convey the beautiful graphics inspired by scenes of Italian cities, nutrition facts, ingredients, UPC code and a brief description of the history of the company.

(PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- Seal-It’s vibrantly printed PVC shrink labels are being used by Stallone’s on its salad dressings. The label graphics were inspired by scenes of Italian cities, which enhance the branding of the dressings, provide tamper-evidence and maximize point of purchase appeal.

Made of heat shrink PVC, the Seal-It labels are rotogravure printed in 10 eye-catching colors and are being used on a glass bottle. By offering a 360-degree image area, there is room enough to convey the beautiful graphics, nutrition facts, ingredients, UPC code and a brief description of the history of the company. This combination label incorporates a tamper-evident seal with a horizontal perforation. When the perforation is broken, the seal is removed and the label remains on the bottle. These labels can be applied by automatic equipment or by hand.

Seal-It is the leading manufacturer, converter and printer of heat shrink PVC, PETG & OPS films used by food, dairy, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and chemical companies to solve labeling problems. We print 10 colors in rotogravure or modified flexographic, offering short lead times and press approvals.

Contact: Barbara Drillings
(800) 325-3965

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:26 AM | Comments (0)

Three Angels Gourmet Co. Announces Its Newest Product and Offers Blog Support for the Discriminating Buyer

Creator of "heavenly gourmet mixes" is catering to the trend in upscale brownie mix flavors with its new Amaretto Brownie Mix and tips for its use on the company blog.

(PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- Today’s consumer wants upscale brownie mixes in unexpected flavors, and the Three Angels Gourmet Co. is catering to that trend with its new Amaretto Brownie Mix and blog support for this item, offering consumers and wholesale buyers additional tips and recipes to introduce this product.

"We sampled our new Raspberry Brownie Mix at trade shows and other markets last spring," says Three Angels Gourmet Co. owner, Suzanne Lieurance. "People raved about it, so we’ve been working on an Amaretto Mix for several months. We finally came up with the correct flavoring that makes this product just as good as our Raspberry Brownie Mix."

Amaretto Brownie Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. is rich and fudgy, with the warm taste of Amaretto, and the crunchiness of sliced almonds. The mix comes attractively packaged in a clear cello bag with the company’s forest green bow on the label. Wholesale buyers also have the option of requesting an Angel Whisper (a short inspirational poem, or Scripture verse, like a mini-greeting card) in each package. Plus, each case comes with a free package of mix for customer sampling.

"Both of our flavored brownie mixes include a full one ounce package of sliced almonds to sprinkle over the batter before baking, which makes for a finished product that looks and tastes like it came from a gourmet food store or bakery," says Lieurance, "yet the mixes require only eggs and oil, and take just a few minutes to prepare."

Debra Steiner, sales rep for Three Angels Gourmet Co., explains, "The new cello packaging, combined with the full ounce of sliced almonds, shows the customer at a quick glance both beauty and value, and makes for a fast easy decision to purchase. People usually expect to buy almonds separately for a mix like this, so this product gives them unexpected value." Steiner adds, "The company blog features additional tips and recipes for this mix, offering added support for the discriminating buyer. Not many other food companies are doing that yet. And, for a limited time, I'm able to offer wholesale customers an introductory special on this item. All these things make for a very exciting new product."

The Three Angels Gourmet Co. produces a line of "heavenly gourmet mixes" created from original recipes. For more information, or to place an order, call 913-963-1733, or log on to their website at: www.threeangelsgourmet.com, or visit the company blog at www.threeangelsgourmet.blogspot.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:25 AM | Comments (0)

Transgenic and Hybrid Seeds in Argentina 2005 - Spanish Version

(PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c25627) has announced the addition of Transgenic and Hybrid Seeds in Argentina 2005 - Spanish Version to their offering

This report analyzes the Argentine transgenic and hybrid seed market, its present situation and specific prospects for its segments of corn, sunflower, sorghum and soybean seeds. Likewise, this report shows the volumes per harvest season, its recent development, and the main products used per geographical area, as well as each competing company share, their strategies and competitive positioning of their brands before the producer.

Topics Covered
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 Executive synthesis
1.2 Prospects
1.2.1 Threats and opportunities

2. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT
2.1. Business identification and segmentation
2.1.1. Introduction. Activity definition
2.1.2. Business segmentation
2.2 Foreign Trade and apparent consumption
2.2.1 Activity development
2.2.2 Seasonality
2.2.3 Apparent consumption
2.2.4 Exports
2.2.5 Imports
2.2.6 MERCOSUR
2.3. Domestic demand
2.3.1. Typology of the demand
2.3.1.1 Demand by type of product
2.3.1.2 Geographical concentration of the demand
2.3.2. Use functions and substitute products
2.3.3 Client groups
2.3.4 Life cycle
2.4. Competitive forces, barriers and key success factors
2.4.1 Intensity and mobility of competitive forces
2.4.1.1 Competence
2.4.1.2 Suppliers
2.4.1.3 Customers
2.4.1.4 Pressure of substitute products
2.4.1.5 Potential competitors
2.4.2 Sector barriers: Intensity and mobility
2.4.2.1 Barriers to entry
2.4.2.2 Barriers to exit
2.4.3 Mobility of key success factors
2.4.4 Value chain

3. ANALYSIS OF THE COMPETENCE
3.1. Supply structure
3.1.1. Companies
3.1.2 Ownership of capital
3.2 Competitive strategies and maneuvers
3.2.1 Strategic groups
3.2.2 Competitive strategies
3.2.3 Field of action: diversification and integration
3.2.4 Positioning of the companies before key success factors
3.2.5. Promotion and advertising
3.3 Competitive performance
3.3.1 Shares
3.3.1.1 Domestic market
3.3.1.2 Export
3.3.1.3 Import
3.3.2 Profitability
3.3.3 Debt and Financing
3.3.4 Final conclusions

4. ANNEX
4.1. Consulted sources
4.2. Main company directory
4.3. Statistical annex
4.4. Methodological glossary

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c25627

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:25 AM | Comments (0)

Invent-Tech Joins Inventors In The Fight For Better Health

(PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- Gaining weight during the holiday season is a customary concern that usually begins a few weeks prior to the annual feasts scheduled by friends, family and work. According to recent statistics, more than 58 million Americans are overweight. Beyond those staggering numbers are the folks who simply don’t want to gain any unhealthy extra weight during the holidays or any other time, thank you very much.

In preparation for the festivities, many people begin to exercise weeks ahead of time in order to combat the mountains of food that will soon tempt them. Others prepare their “fat clothing” in anticipation, while many simply choose to deal with the consequences after the fact. In the end, all of us have undoubtedly experienced gathering around the table and eating until we can no longer breathe comfortably.

To prevent those holiday pounds from creeping up, Invent-Tech has joined efforts with Xavier Carr from Orange, New Jersey, the inventor of the Ani X, and Joseph James, from Phoenix, Arizona, the inventor of the Bed Bike to incorporate fitness into everyday activities, even if you lead a hectic lifestyle with very little time for exercise.

The Ani X provides an effective new method of weight loss. It is the solution for those who have searched for a safe and effective way to tone their bodies without resorting to unproven chemicals or gimmicks. Its unique design is unobtrusive and uses the body’s own movement to accelerate calorie burning, weight loss, toning and strengthening.

The Bed Bike offers users an easier way to exercise and stay in shape. It is super-convenient and can easily be incorporated into a moment of relaxation. The Bed Bike doesn’t occupy much space and makes it easy to use daily. It is a great product for anyone interested in improving their fitness and health – especially those that hate exercising.

Additional information about these inventions can be obtained by contacting the Publicity/Press Department of Invent-Tech at (800) 940-9020 ext 2285. Invent Tech is a Coral Gables, Florida based company that is handling the publicity and public relations for these and many other clever inventions. Website: http://www.invent-tech.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:24 AM | Comments (0)

October 12, 2005

Elusive Rodents Ignite Pest Control Business Start Ups

Entrepreneurs - from a former Internet sales director to a full time fireman/paramedic – are finding explosive business growth in burrowing rodent control.

(PRWEB) October 12, 2005 -- As the former district sales manager of a now defunct Internet business, the last place Mark Ayers expected to find himself was in the pest control business, hunting gophers before daybreak. Yet he recently found himself on a Healdsberg, California vineyard, the protector of 650 Zinfandel vines.

The gophers, which voraciously dine on plant roots and can produce up to three litters of young a year, lay entrenched in tunnels beneath Ayers’ feet across 2.5 acres of terraced vineyard. Wielding a wandlike device that injects a mix of propane and oxygen into the pests’ burrows then ignites it, Ayers took the fight to the troublesome varmints.

Five billable hours later, Ayers was $400 richer including a $50 tip the vineyard owner gave him for “sending the critters to gopher heaven.”

“Not bad for a first day’s work,” says Ayers, whose California-licensed pest management company Rodent Eradication Services is off to a roaring start. “In a few months of part-time work, I paid for the equipment. I recently made $3,700 for 5 days work. It doesn’t get much easier.”

Part of the allure of starting a pest control business for burrowing rodents is that the field is wide open. Anywhere plants, crops, or landscaping must be kept healthy or safe is a potential customer. This includes not only agricultural fields, orchards and nurseries but also horse stables, cemeteries, golf courses and schools.

Opportunity stems also from drawbacks in traditional pest control methods, such as time consuming bait traps, poisons that can cause collateral damage to pets that eat poisoned animals, the introduction of natural predators, and shooting.

Another glaring omission in all these traditional methods is they do nothing to remove underground tunnel systems, which new pests can inhabit. New propane-oxygen injection systems like the Rodenator Pro used by Ayers remedy this by destroying the tunnels along with the pests.

“Because oxygen mixed with propane is heavier than air, the mix sinks into the rodents’ tunnels and dens. When it’s ignited it produces an expanding force traveling at 5,000 feet per second,” explains Joe Costigan, a veteran fireman/paramedic in Northeast Oregon who currently runs his company, Underground Pest Control, with the help of his family. “The concussion collapses the tunnel network and produces first pass kill rates up to 90% when I follow up with trapping to catch stragglers.”

Costigan is using the Rodenator Pro to combat a recent population explosion of moles and gophers in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

“I was trapping 40 gophers a week on one 10 acre property,” explains Costigan. “We cut that to three or four gophers after one pass.”

“When they understand what the Rodenator can do, most bring out lawn chairs, martinis, and invite their friends to watch,” adds Costigan. “As far as they’re concerned, it’s payback time for each gopher that may have wrecked their lawns or savaged their crops.”

Even at Costigan’s rate of $100 per hour, his pest control business has flourished. “Initially, rodent control was going to be a spare change business,” he explains. “But it’s turned into such a significant business opportunity that I’m considering hiring employees.”

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:11 AM | Comments (0)

Make Your Holiday Gathering A Simmering Success

Wine warmed with nuts, fruits and spices is a flavorful and festive Italian tradition

(PRWEB) October 12, 2005 -- Warmth and friendship are hallmarks of the holiday season. This year, welcome your guests with a traditional Italian winter aperitivo, or before-dinner cocktail, of warm wine flavored with a variety of nuts, dried fruits and spices. Or, if you prefer, serve this as an after-dinner beverage with Italian Christmas cookies or panatone, sweet Italian bread.

“Throughout the holidays we add hot, peeled chestnuts, a cinnamon stick and a little brandy to a nice, full Chianti,” says Sicily-native Paolo Lafata, executive chef for Olive Garden. “We sip it slowly, enjoy the company of family and good friends, and are warmed from head to toe.”

Lafata offers two suggestions to create variations of this simple holiday beverage enjoyed throughout Italy.

First, select a bottle of medium- to full-bodied wine.

For red, consider a Chianti, Barbera or Cabernet:

*24 ounces red wine
*About 8 chestnuts, cooked and peeled (2 per person)
*3 fresh, whole cinnamon sticks
*1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
*1/8 teaspoon allspice
*1/4 cup sugar
*2 teaspoons cognac or Sicilian brandy, optional

Combine first five ingredients in 2 quart saucepan. Heat at a steady simmer for 5 minutes, but do not boil. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Turn off heat and allow to steep, or sit, for 10 minutes, to let the flavors infuse the wine. Add up to another 1/4 cup of sugar based on preference, and cognac or brandy, as desired.

------------
For white, Chardonnay is a good choice:

*1/4 cup whole almonds
*1/4 cup dried apricots, sliced
*1/2 vanilla bean
*24 ounces Chardonnay
*1/8 cup sugar

Toast almonds and apricots in 2 quart saucepan for 1 to 2 minutes or until you smell aromas. Split vanilla bean down the center and add to pan. Add wine and sugar and bring to a steady simmer for 5 minutes, but do not boil. Turn off heat and allow steeping, or sitting, for 10 minutes, to let the flavors infuse the wine. Add up to another 1/8 cup of sugar based on preference.

Use a ladle to pour mixture into wine glasses with sugared rims or garnish with cinnamon sticks, orange peel or freshly ground nutmeg.

“The best part is what’s left at the bottom of the glass,” said Lafata. “The wine-soaked fruit and nuts are a delicious ending.”

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:10 AM | Comments (0)

Le P’tit Bistro Brings Authentic French Dining Experience to Seattle’s North Belltown Neighborhood

Le P'tit Bistro is a new restaurant started by two French natives in the quieter north end of Seattle’s trendy Belltown neighborhood. Chef/co-owner Laurent Baldini emphasizes the freshest ingredients to serve up savory lunch and dinner menus that span French classics, sandwiches, crepes, and amazing home-baked tarts and pastries.

Seattle WA (PRWEB) October 12, 2005 -- Le P'tit Bistro is a new restaurant started by two French natives in the quieter north end of Seattle’s trendy Belltown neighborhood. Chef/co-owner Laurent Baldini emphasizes the freshest ingredients to serve up savory lunch and dinner menus that span French classics, sandwiches, crepes, and amazing home-baked tarts and pastries.

In French provincial cities like Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, or Grenoble, a brief search almost always reveals an excellent “Petit Bistro”, the kind of simple establishment where clean, crisp place settings, a good bottle of wine, and excellent food have delivered value for generations. Now, nestled in amongst the new residential towers and Puget Sound views, “L’ptit Bistro” brings the quieter north end of Seattle’s trendy Belltown neighborhood just such an experience.

“During a recent visit from France, we quickly realized that Seattle was the kind of community that would really appreciate the food we prepare” said Laurent Baldini, Chef and co-owner of Le P’tit Bistro. “We looked for a location with access to great people and great ingredients, and the Belltown area seemed like it offered just that”

As they did in Grenoble, France, Chef Laurent and Manager Danielle Baldini, scour Seattle’s plethora of markets and suppliers to gather the freshest of ingredients. Laurent passion for fine, fresh ingredients, from vegetables to seafood, lamb or beef, and seasonal selections, is evident in the savory plates he serves up. The menu spans French classics like Cote D’Agneau (lamb chops) and Tomates Provencales, tasty lunch items such as pâté sandwiches on organic baguettes, and savory crepes stuffed with fresh spinach, salmon and other wholesome items.

Then, of course comes the home baked French pastries. Laurent makes all his own his tarts, cakes and quiches. One of Laurent’s fruit tarts is a distinctive work of art, a thin affair with ornamental arrangements of fresh sliced fruit, set in a crispy crust. And, the desserts come in all shapes and sizes, from assortments of small pastries to larger pies and even birthday cakes. Toss in a “Pegasus” espresso, selected clearly for its similarity to those stout shots you get in France and your meal is complete.

Inside Le P’tit Bistro, you’ll immediately feel you are in a different kind of a restaurant. Not a noisy bar, nor a fancy three-fork affair, Le P’tit Bistro sports a bright atmosphere with big windows fronting Second Avenue, plenty of space, and a view through to Laurent’s kitchen. The pastel colors, mementos from Grenoble, and French music welcome a range of clients from local residents and workers, to Francophone families from the eastside and 20- something urbanites. Pleasing clients who appreciate good food is Danielle and Laurent’s top goal.

Le P’tit Bistro is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday plus weekend Brunch. The restaurant seats 50 people and offers a full menu of starters, sandwiches, salads, crepes, entrees, and deserts. The wine list offers a selection of French reds and whites which Laurent and Danielle have hand selected, all of which are available by the glass.

Le P’tit Bistro is located between Cedar and Vine at 2616 2nd Avenue, directly under the Seattle Heights residential tower. Hours are Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., and 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m., and 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

For reservations, please call: 206-728-4141

Website http://www.leptitbistro.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:09 AM | Comments (0)

Sales Growth in the UK Fast Food & Home Delivery Outlets Market in the Period 2005 to 2009 is Forecast to be Less than the Previous Five Years

Dublin (PRWEB) October 12, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c25517) has announced the addition of Fast Food & Home Delivery Outlets Market Report Plus 2005 to their offering

The UK fast-food/takeaway and home delivery market was valued at an estimated £8.38bn in 2004 at retail selling prices (RSP), representing a sales growth of 3.9% over the previous year. The pace of growth in the market quickened in 2004 following a sales increase of just 3% in 2003.

More consumers are looking for convenience in their food purchases, while busier working lives have also benefited fast-food sales. The opportunities to purchase fast food are also extending, with a wider range of outlets now serving sandwiches, snacks and hot food. Traditional high-street sites have been joined by more outlets in transport terminals, by the roadside, in leisure venues and shopping centres. Standalone sites from the global fast-food brands are also facing growing competition from sales in supermarkets, high-street stores, convenience stores and petrol forecourts. Major obstacles to sales growth during 2004 have been growing concerns about obesity and the negative media coverage of the fast-food industry.

Sandwiches form the largest market segment contributing 36.5% of all sales in 2004. Sandwich sales have benefited from the trends towards shorter lunch breaks and the corresponding demands for light lunches and snacks. Rapid expansion of chains such as Subway and Benjys have also helped sales, along with more variety in the fillings and bread types available.

The second-largest segment is burgers, which is recovering after a year of poor sales in 2001. Menu diversification means that traditional burgers now take a smaller share of sales. Burger outlets, in particular, have tried to counteract the negative publicity associated with obesity by introducing healthier foods such as salads, fruits, more vegetarian options and healthier breakfasts. The strongest growth in 2004 occurred in the pizza market driven by increased sales in the home delivery category. New product developments (NPDs) have also helped sales. The sales performance of the chicken sector was weaker in 2004 than in 2003, but outlets continue to gain from some customers switching from burger restaurants. Sales growth in the fish and chips sector remains limited.

The other fast-food and takeaway sector includes a variety of outlets, such as coffee shops, Indian and Chinese outlets, sushi and noodle bars, soup bars, salad bars, organic food outlets, and doughnut and muffin shops. Traditional market segments, such as Chinese and Indian, are mature sectors experiencing little growth, but the coffee shop segment continues to exhibit healthy growth. Several menus in coffee shops are diversifying.

Over 54% of all adults have used a fast-food outlet in the year 2003/2004 so penetration is relatively high. Sales growth in the period 2005 to 2009 is forecast to be less than the previous 5 years, partly due to concerns over healthy eating issues, increased competition from other outlets and saturation in some market segments.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c25517

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:08 AM | Comments (0)

New Unique and Personable Catering Service Now Available in New Jersey

From small dinner parties to the grandest of weddings, Chanterelles Catering is a hit. Custom design your own event or just give us an idea, and let is do the rest. We make any event stress free and enjoyable.

(PRWEB) October 12, 2005 -- Chanterelles Catering is personal service for the discriminating palette. We specialize in informal to black tie affairs, offering French, Italian, Asian, and New American cuisine. Organic produce, sustainable seafood, and grass fed meats are products of choice with Chanterelles Catering.

It is headed up by executive chef, Brandon Carter. Earning a degree with honors from the Academy of Culinary Arts in Mays Landing, New Jersey in 1995, Chef Carter has run and owned several successful restaurants throughout New Jersey. Most recently he led the fine seafood establishment, Opah Grille, in Gladstone, New Jersey. Earning accolades from critics including one of the Star Ledger’s top 10 restaurant awards in New Jersey in 2004 only scratched the surface of his accolades. New Jersey Monthly also named Opah Grille the best seafood restaurant by one critic in 2004.

At the Opah Grille, Chef Carter was the sole inspiration behind serving seafood that came strictly from purveyors using sustainable seafood practices and in removing the endangered Chilean Sea Bass from the menu, replacing it with the superior Black Cod. He is also known for using superior meat products such as grass-fed meats, and also for using organic produce.

Other successful restaurants led by Chef Brandon included David’s Yellow Brick Toad in Lambertville, New Jersey and The Riverfront Steakhouse in Sea Bright, New Jersey. In 1995, Brandon owned an intimate and successful restaurant in Little Silver, New Jersey.

At Chanterelles Catering, Chef Brandon and his staff are committed to excellence, working with a client’s specific requests and creating delicious French, Italian, Asian and New American cuisine. Working with Chef Carter, and managing and coordinating all events is Michael Virtue. Beginning his career in the food industry at 17, Michael has worked in the restaurant industry for almost ten years. Wearing the hats of not only manager, but server, bartender, bar manager, and cook, he is well versed in all aspects of the business.

Fresh off a year working under celebrated chef Rick Moonen inside the luxurious Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, at his new and highly acclaimed RM Seafood, Michael and Chef Carter are back working hand in hand. He and Michael met in 2001 at the Opah Grille, and it has been full steam ahead since then. Mr. Virtue knows the rhythm and beat of Chef Brandons' culinary style. Backed with strong experience, talent, and a keen sense for working with Chef Brandon, Michael is able to ensure that all of your service needs are met.

He and Chef Carter will work with you from start to finish so that your event is enjoyable and successful.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:06 AM | Comments (0)

Free Fair Trade Certified Tea

October is Fair Trade month and Tempest Tea is serving free tea lattes all month in support of Fair Trade products.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) October 12, 2005 -- October is Fair Trade month and Tempest Tea is serving free tea lattes all month in support of Fair Trade products.

“Tempest Tea is committed to supporting Fair Trade tea estates and assisting tea producing countries in their efforts to improve the lives of their workers. Additionally, many of these teas are of a superior quality, and Tempest is dedicated to bringing that quality to our customers,” says Jody Rudman, co-founder of Tempest Tea.

During the month of October, retailers nationwide will be promoting Fair Trade Certified products to raise awareness. In support of these national efforts, Tempest Tea is offering Free Tea Lattes throughout the month. Each day, one of Tempest's premium, Fair Trade Certified™ teas will be blended with milk for a warm and delicious tea latte.

Tempest Tea has one of the largest selections of Fair Trade Certified™ tea available in the market and is the only national tea wholesaler with a retail café selling Fair Trade teas.

For more information on the Free Tea Latte promotion, go to www.tempesttea.com. To find out more about Fair Trade Certified™ products and events during October, go to http://www.transfairusa.org/content/support/events_ftm_05.php#TX.

Tempest Tea, a market leader in premium teas, offers a full line of tea blends and healthy beverages including Organic/Fair Trade Certified™ teas, chai teas and herbal boosts. Tempest Tea is located at 5600 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 111, Dallas TX 75209. Additional information is available at 214-351-4TEA (4832) or www.tempesttea.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:05 AM | Comments (0)

October 11, 2005

Edible Arrangements Announces Signing of 250th Franchise

Hamden, CT (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) October 11, 2005 -- Continuing its meteoric growth of signing an additional 25 new franchisees a month, Edible Arrangements Franchise Group, the leading purveyor of exquisite, hand-sculpted, fresh fruit arrangements that resemble floral bouquets, today announced the signing of its 250th franchise store. The new store is slated to open in New York City’s Greenwich Village by year’s end at a location that is currently being finalized.

The signing marks an important milestone in the company’s growth. Edible Arrangements has been signing an average of 25 franchises a month and opening an average of three stores a week. The company has grown from 100 franchise stores in January 2005 to 250 today. Average annual sales for Edible Arrangements’ stores open more than 12 months are $419,600; year-to-date companywide sales for 2005 are $25.8 million, up from $11 million for the same period in 2004.

Edible Arrangements’ growth has been acknowledged by the franchising community, including being ranked eighth in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top New Franchises in 2005” that analyzes companies that have been franchising since 2000. It is based on cumulative scores that factor in the franchise's financial strength and stability, growth rate, system size, number of years in business, length of time franchising and start-up costs.

“We are proud and delighted to welcome the 250th franchise into the Edible Arrangements system,” said Tariq Farid, Founder and CEO, Edible Arrangements Franchise Group. “When we began franchising in 1999, we only envisioned 35 stores opening over five years. Needless to say, we’ve surpassed our initial vision exponentially. We now plan to have 1,000 stores within 10 years as we continue to launch franchises across the U.S. and internationally.”

“We investigated several franchising opportunities and Edible Arrangements impressed us the most,” said Dana Perrone, Edible Arrangements 250th franchisee. “Their concept is well-conceived, consumers respond phenomenally well to their products and their proprietary systems for product and inventory tracking, accounting and supply chain management really take the guesswork out of running a profitable retail store. Moreover, their training and support are first-rate. They’ve been helping us every step of the way.”

“When we began to work with Edible Arrangements it was immediately clear that there were few, if any, concepts in franchising today as well-positioned, as well-supported and as exciting as Edible Arrangements,” said franchising expert, Michael Seid, founder and managing director of Michael H. Seid & Associates, based in West Hartford, Conn. “There simply is no other consumer brand that is better positioned to maximize sales in the consumer or corporate gift segment for their franchisees.”

“An Edible Arrangements franchise is an excellent financial opportunity for those with extensive business experience or those with very little. Our average sale and profit margins are substantially higher than typical franchises and less labor-intensive. Moreover, we provide a set of proven systems and technologies that we developed in-house and use in our corporate store every day. They are driven by experience, not theory,” said Farid.

“Of course, it doesn’t hurt that our products are uniquely healthful, wholesome and very much in demand. In a sense, they sell themselves,” he added.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Hamden, Conn., Edible Arrangements Franchise Group is the leading purveyor of luscious fresh fruit “bouquets” that artfully resemble their floral counterparts. The company’s corporate store and rapidly expanding franchises hand deliver these wholesome and festive products across the U.S. and Canada. Arrangements can be ordered through the company’s Web site, by telephone or at one of its stores. The company was ranked eighth in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top New Franchises in 2005. For more information, please visit www.ediblearrangements.com.

For more information, please contact:
Wendy Marx
203-445-2850

Hanna Lee
212-721-2090

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:58 PM | Comments (0)

Arizona Vanilla Company Teams with Oculus Consulting Group to Enhance Growing Business Needs

As Arizona Vanilla Company continues to expand, there has arisen the need to ensure that the quality processes and procedures of the company measure up to industry best practices. Arizona Vanilla has teamed up with Oculus Consulting Group to do a complete audit on all of the quality processes and procedures within the organization.

(PRWEB) October 11, 2005 -- Arizona Vanilla Company, a dynamic online retailer and distributor of high-end specialty seasonings announced today that it has teamed with the Oculus Consulting Group to ensure the company’s global business processes satisfy stringent international quality standards as the company continues to expand its online seasoning distribution business.

“Our business is growing rapidly”, says Arizona Vanilla CEO, Eric C. Elsberry. “To maximize our expanding wholesale distribution business a complete review of our internal business processes is necessary. We’ve asked Oculus Consulting to assist us in reaching our goal of becoming a world-class organization while we continue to focus on price and quality. Their expertise in business process development and strategic design will be an integral part of helping us achieve the next phase of our growth plan.”

Elsberry notes that as Arizona Vanilla is expanding the international distribution of its vanilla based products, the need for a business partner who understands the international demands of HACCP procedures, customer service, and supply chain business processes is essential. “We believe the strengths and accomplishments of the Oculus Consulting Group will be an important element in ensuring that we are prepared for the dynamic growth demands of our business”, says Elsberry.

Together, Oculus Consulting Group and Arizona Vanilla Company will work to ensure that a complete audit of the quality processes and back office procedures has been executed. “Where it makes sense for a process to be outsourced or revised, Oculus Consulting Group will provide the strategic leadership and back office capability to ensure that the Arizona Vanilla Company remains focused on it’s core business of providing high quality products and enhancing consumer value,” says Oculus Consulting Group Managing Director, Preston D. Cameron. “Our experience in reengineering and evaluating international business processes for our clients has resulted in measurable world-class “Best-in-Class” designations for these clients. In addition, the design and development of performance measures and strategic objectives recognized by an independent magazine as a “national model” for our clients was a key decision differentiator for Arizona Vanilla Company. Our demonstrable and measurable accomplishments were a deciding factor in their selection of our services”, says Cameron. “We are excited to be assisting Arizona Vanilla Company as they meet their growing business needs”.

As Arizona Vanilla Company continues to expand its’ business; there has arisen the need to ensure that the quality processes and procedures of the company measure up to stringent industry best practices. “The total analysis of our company and industry by Oculus Consulting Group will help Arizona Vanilla reach the next level of service and customer quality,” states Eric Elsberry, CEO of Arizona Vanilla Company.

About Arizona Vanilla Company
Arizona Vanilla Company is a rapidly growing online distributor of bulk and processed vanilla products including the Madagascar, Mexican, Tahitian, and Bourbon vanilla varieties. Arizona Vanilla Company works directly with vanilla growers to ensure the highest quality and freshest products are delivered to their wholesale and retail customers. The company also offers a select variety of specialty seasonings and products. For more information on the Arizona Vanilla Company and their products, visit them online at www.arizonavanilla.com.

About Oculus Consulting Group LLC
Oculus Consulting Group LLC works with public and private organizations of all shapes and sizes to enhance their business strategy, process, technology, project management, and performance measurement activities. Oculus Consulting Group clients have earned “Best-in-Class” recognition as a result of their use of Oculus Consulting Group services. To learn how Oculus Consulting can help you transform your organization’s vision into a measurable reality, visit them online at www.oculus-consulting.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)

China's Fruit and Vegetable Market One of the Last to be Affected by New Retail Formats

Dublin (PRWEB) October 11, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c25380) has announced the addition of Fruit in China 2005 to their offering

China's fruit and vegetable market combined is the largest sector in the country's retail food market, it remains one of the last to be affected by the development of new retail formats in the mainland market. The vast majority of fruit sales continue to take place at free wet markets in designated open areas or on streets. Here, local farmers supply produce direct from the field to the end consumer.China's retail fruit retailers do not only sell to individual consumers. Many also supply to institutions and companies, such as restaurants. In these instances, fruit and vegetable retail markets are effectively serving as wholesale traders especially since some fruit wholesalers also sell retail. With conventional definitions blurred thus, this report does not attempt to differentiate between wholesale and retail sales, since doing so would make little sense in terms of how the market is structured

This report covers the fresh fruit market in China, which is barely affected by the development of new retail formats. The fruit retailers in China do not only sell to individual consumers but also to institutions and companies, such as restaurants. The vast majority of fruit sales continue to take place at free wet markets in designated open areas or on streets. China's fruit market has therefore less to do with market and brand shares than about sector growth.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c25380

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:54 PM | Comments (0)

October 10, 2005

Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes and More Opens Flagship Fast Casual Restaurant

Astral Foods, a leader in the mail order sale of Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes through QVC and its own mailorder business, branches out with a flagship retail restauarant in affluent Hunt Valley, Md. Plans stores in select markets coast to coast.

Baltimore (PRWEB) October 10, 2005 -- Astral Foods, the parent company for Chesapeake Bay Brand and Chesapeake Bay Gourmet announces the grand opening of it's flagship retail outlet, "Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes & More," October 11,2005, in the newly renovated Hunt Valley Towne Center in Hunt Valley, MD. The 1,500 square ft. restaurant will specialize in prepared gourmet seafood specialties for lunch, dinner, and catering.

Celebrating it's 25th anniversary manufacturing gourmet Maryland style crab cakes and other seafood delicacies for their highly successful catalog and retail businesses, the company has embarked on this new venture to bring its products to "Main Street USA."

"We like the idea of having our restaurant on Main Street, a place where our customers can stop by and pick up our Gourmet Crab Cakes and a Hot Bowl of Soup in a quick service style setting," say Steve Cohen, CEO. Other regional favorites such as Crab Puffs, Shrimp Puffs, Seafood Dips, Crab Quesadillas, Soft Shell Crabs, and Lobster Pizzas will be highlighted on the menu. Even a Jumbo Lump Low Fat crab cake will be served for those on a diet.

"We will also take orders in the restaurant for items people wish to have shipped around the country and for Corporate Gifts,” says Cohen. In fact, the company won an award for the BEST CRAB CAKES YOU CAN GET BY MAIL by Baltimore Magazine. Cohen reports the company plans to open additional stores in select markets. Visit their website at cbgourmet.com.

The new open air “Main Street” setting in Hunt Valley Towne Center will include approximately 269,000 sq. ft. of new retail, service and entertainment tenants joining 475,000 sq. ft. of existing high-traffic tenants. Surrounded by one of the largest employment centers containing over 7 million sq. ft. of office space, approximately 50,000 daily workers and five hotels. More than 1 million people in a 15 mile radius boast an average household income of $140,000. Wegmans Food Market, the nation’s premier grocer, has chosen this site for its first Maryland location.

For more information call
Linda Eckhardt
Spotlight Foods P.R.
973 313 9705
samples available upon request

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:58 PM | Comments (0)

The Ummah is Changing: Aerosol Arabic and Muslimyouth.net Join the Launch of the UK’s Second MUSLIM Chocolate Bar

Ummah Foods today announced the launch of the Ummah Orange chocolate bar. The Halal milk chocolate bar with an orange creme centre is the second of Ummah Foods’ products and will hit the stores after Ramadan 2005.

London (PRWEB) October 10, 2005 -- Ummah Foods today announced the launch of the Ummah Orange chocolate bar. The Halal milk chocolate bar with an orange creme centre is the second of Ummah Foods’ products and will hit the stores after Ramadan 2005. Following on from the original Caramel bar it will similarly be available in Islamic Book Shops, Newsagents, Grocers, Mosques, Hospitals and Universities reaching the ever increasing number of Muslim consumers in the UK.

The launch of Ummah Orange is encapsulated by Ummah Foods’ new brand ethos "THE UMMAH IS CHANGING" – the theme of all future branding and marketing exercises. The Managing Director of Ummah Foods, Mr K Sharif, perceives the brand as an articulation of the “changing Muslim world and its culture” moving forward in an exciting and wholesome manner. Sharif reiterates, “Like all our products the Ummah Orange will be halal and ten percent of all net profits will go to Muslim and non-Muslim charities as well as community projects.”

This socio-political venture is mirrored between the partners and the brand itself: Sharif stated in reference to Ummah Orange, “Launching has taken slightly longer than we expected but it was worth the wait. We have been able to harness strong relationships with our partners each representing needs of the wider community: Ummah Foods is a charity and community orientated business; Aerosol Arabic gives voice to urban Islamic artists; Muslimyouth.net provides a crucial service to the, so far ignored, British Muslim youth."

The revival of Islamic Art amongst British Muslims aptly reflects the idea of “The Ummah is changing”. In support for Aerosolarabic.com Ummah Foods commissioned the up and coming British Muslim artist, Mohammed Ali, to design the Ummah Orange wrapper.

Ali stated “I don’t usually do product packaging, however Ummah Foods and “the Ummah is changing” is a philosophy and company I was keen to support and work with. For the Ummah Orange packaging I tried to illustrate the idea of “the Ummah is changing” by pictorially expressing the evolving British Muslim identity using a traditional Arabic script in the guise of contemporary graffiti. The two juxtaposed styles complement each other, representing the current endeavour for Islam to emerge with its own distinctive and balanced identity in the West.”

Muslimyouth.net’s Project Manager Imran Saithna expressed his enthusiasm passionately advocating how "it has recently become clear that the future of Muslim enterprise in the UK lies in collaborative partnerships with both Muslim and non-Muslim socially conscious organisations."

Mr Sharif added "It is important for Ummah Foods to work closely with charities. Ummah Foods is young and thus does not have global reach or vast financial capability however there are limitless areas where a company our size can support the community. Our sponsors greatly appreciate the publicity leveraged from such a launch as it does successfully increase awareness of their own efforts in the community. We created the Ummah Foods Business model intending to perpetuate the integration of charity and community projects at every single level of our business. I think there are too many expectations of new companies to be everything to everyone, we would like to lead by example to show that small companies can work successfully alongside charities”

Ummah Foods will be carrying out marketing in the mainstream media, Muslim media, as well as a more targeted campaign raising awareness of “The Ummah Is Changing” in the streets and mosques, for example. In collaboration with Muslimyouth.net a marketing campaign is being prepared for national roll out throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Ummah Foods will also be working with Muslimyouth.net's parent organisation Muslim Youth Helpline to provide 2,000 chocolate bars for their Ramadan Prison Campaign – the Helpline is preparing to send Eid gifts to young Muslims in prison. Mr Sharif said "The work this charity is doing is amazing, and since 10% of the prison population is Muslim we need to address the matter with urgency. Muslimyouth.net is Britain’s first online support and guidance forum for Muslim youth. The forum provides an open space for young Muslims to discuss issues which are relevant and important to them, without fear of censure or condemnation. Sharif appealed that “they still need more funding for this project so I invite other companies to get in touch in order to help facilitate their fantastically important work which would perish without the community’s support".

The Ummah Orange Creme Chocolate launch will be at the Halal Food Exhibition of the World Food Market in London in November, with mainstream availability planned for December 2005. The product will have a recommend retail price of 40 pence.

For more information contact: Khalid Sharif (Director)
07967 171073

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:57 PM | Comments (0)

Indian Creek Hotel in Miami Beach Announces Opening of New Restaurant, Creek 28

Indian Creek hotel in Miami Beach, newly renovated boutique hotel, announce opening of the Creek 28 - a restaurant with eclectic menu with Mediterranean touch.

Miami Beach, FL (PRWEB) October 10, 2005 -- The Indian Creek Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, is pleased to announce and welcome a new member of our team, renowned executive chef Kira Volz, formerly the executive chef of the famed Abbey Dining Room at The Abbey Hotel, a restaurant named "Neighborhood Gem" by the Gourmet magazine 2002 guide to America's Best Restaurants and a Top 500 Restaurant by the Florida Trend Magazine. After the Abbey was recently sold, Chef Volz agreed to join us in creating a new neighborhood restaurant in Miami Beach - the Creek 28.

Chef Volz brings with her 15 years of experience in the culinary field. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she honed her talents at such renowned Seattle hotspots as Marco's Supperclub and Nell's. Upon moving to the Sunshine State, chef Volz found her place at the Abbey Dining Room, where she created a signature Mediterranean-inspired menu. As a sign of recognition of her superior culinary skills, last fall Ms. Volz was also invited to serve as a Celebrity Guest Chef aboard Cunard's flagship liner Queen Mary II.

Chef Volz specializes in Mediterranean fare, an eclectic and sumptuous blend of Moroccan, Greek, Turkish and Spanish specialties with an added touch of Italy, southern France, Algeria and Egypt. At the Abbey Dining Room, her spécialités de la maison were lamb Tagine with couscous and harrissa, Paella de Mariscos with Valencia rice or Black Angus beef tenderloin with asparagus, while her dessert staple was feather-light baklava with cinnamon ice cream, poached apricots and candied orange slice.

Despite her busy work schedule and high profile, Chef Volz enjoys working with the community and for the community. Back in Seattle, she served as a guest chef for the Fare Start program, designed to provide homeless people with professional training and job placement within the food service industry. In Miami, she took the time to participate in the Taste of the Nation event, organized by Share Our Strength and aimed at fighting hunger and poverty throughout Florida.

We welcome Chef Volz to our team and will be very happy to welcome guests to the Creek 28 restaurant, located at the newly renovated Indian Creek Hotel. The restaurant will open its doors to the public in November. Please visit us at: www.indiancreekhotel.com, or call 305-531-2727.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)

Volterra and Rombauer Vineyards Welcome Guests for Intimate Dinner

On Wednesday, October 12, local celebrity Chef Don Curtiss will host Rombauer Vineyards for an intimate five-course dinner at his wildly-successful new restaurant, Volterra.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) October 10, 2005 -- On Wednesday, October 12, local celebrity Chef Don Curtiss will host Rombauer Vineyards for an intimate five-course dinner at his wildly-successful new restaurant, Volterra.

The evening will begin with an assortment of seasonal antipasti, paired with the 2001 Carneros Chardonnay. Warm lentil salad with pancetta and mustard vinaigrette, candied walnuts and brunet cheese (2001 Napa Valley Merlot) will follow. Next, housemade lobster ravioli in a tomato cream sauce (2002 Zinfandel) will be served, followed by Venison Osso Bucco with creamy white polenta (2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon). The evening with culminate with a warm, flourless chocolate cake topped with chocolate mousse, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a Florentine cookie (Zinfandel Port).

Overlooking the verdant, undulating hills of northern Napa Valley, the winery at Rombauer Vineyards is built into a tree-covered knoll, creating a cave-like atmosphere ideal for the vinification and aging of premium wines. Food and wine go hand-in-hand at this family-run winery - proprietor Koerner Rombauer is the great-nephew of Irma Rombauer, author of the world famous cookbook, The Joy of Cooking. Since the winery's first vintage in 1982, its buttery, creamy Carneros Chardonnay has become legendary among lovers of the varietal worldwide, and the winery has enjoyed incredible success with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon as well.

The dinner is $70 per guest plus tax and gratuity. To make reservations or for more information, please call 206-789-5100.

Volterra, open for dinner every night and brunch on weekends, features seasonal Tuscan specialties, all natural and organic meats and poultry, and fresh pasta. The 75-seat restaurant also features a warm-weather patio, late-night dining in the bar, an extensive list of Italian and local wines by the bottle or glass, and housemade limoncello.

Volterra is at 5411 Ballard Avenue Northwest in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. Hours of operation are Monday - Thursday 5:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., Friday 5:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m., and Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:55 PM | Comments (0)

Bagged "Pre-Washed" Lettuce: Is Convenience Worth the Risk?

At least 23 Minnesotans have become ill with E. coli O157:H7 infections after eating bagged, pre-washed lettuce. At least 245,000 bags of lettuce were recalled for potential E. coli contamination nationwide, and some of the recalled lettuce was found to be contaminated with the same E. coli that sickened the 23 Minnesotans. E. coli attorney William Marler asks, "Is the convenience worth the risk?" What more needs to be done to prevent future outbreaks?

(PRWEB) October 10, 2005 -- With at least 23 people in Minnesota sickened with the deadly E. coli O157:H7 bacterium, 8 of them hospitalized, and 1 child developing acute kidney failure, all from apparently eating bagged, "pre-washed" lettuce, one needs to ask if the convenience is worth the risk? According to the FDA, more than 245,000 bags of lettuce might be affected nationwide. An alert and recall has been launched. Some of the recalled lettuce has been found to be contaminated with the same E. coli that has sickened the 23 Minnesotans. Is the convenience worth the risk? What more needs to be done?

As maintained in a recent article in the Salinas Californian, 23 percent of all salads in the United States are bagged, and in 2004 bagged lettuce reached $4 billion in sales. This, despite numerous outbreaks traced to E. coli-contaminated produce in the last few years.

In October 2003, 13 residents of a California retirement center were sickened and 2 died after eating E. coli-contaminated "pre-washed" spinach. In September 2003, nearly 40 patrons of a California restaurant chain became ill after eating salads prepared with bagged, "pre-washed" lettuce. In July 2002, over 50 young women were stricken with E. coli at a dance camp after eating "pre-washed" lettuce, leaving several hospitalized, and 1 with life-long kidney damage. The Center for Science in the Public Interest found that of 225 food-poisoning outbreaks from 1990 to 1998, nearly 20 percent (55 outbreaks) were linked to fresh fruits, vegetables or salads.

What about bagged, "pre-washed" lettuce and other fresh fruits and vegetables? Is "pre-washing" enough? Has this $4 billion industry done enough to protect consumers? Should consumers wash again the "pre- washed" product? Perhaps; however, in a study published in the January 2002 journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, washing lettuce, no matter how often, may not make the product safe. The study found it possible that lettuce can be contaminated "through transport of the pathogen into the plant by the root system."

So, what should consumers do to protect themselves? What can the industry do to protect its customers? Research, more research -- we need to find a way to make sure pathogenic E. coli stays out of products that are not cooked before eaten -- like salads. We need to know if washing (repeatedly) is enough, or if other, more invasive procedures, are necessary. Is the convenience worth the risk? Research should tell us.

BACKGROUND: Marler Clark has represented thousands of victims of foodborne illness outbreaks, including the most severely injured children who became ill with E. coli O157:H7 during the 2002 dance camp outbreak at EWU, and the 2003 Pat & Oscar's outbreak, as well as one of the victims and the family of a woman who died during the outbreak at the Sequoias retirement facility. Marler Clark has also represented victims of outbreaks linked to contaminated orange juice, cantaloupe, sprouts, and almonds. For more information about E. coli O157:H7, visit http://www.about-ecoli.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:54 PM | Comments (0)

Product Innovation — Particularly in the “Health” Realm — Will Help Drive Growth in Flat Market for Ice Cream

Move over coffee cafe and make room for the ice cream shop—the new social gathering spot for kids, families and even singles. Now that $4.00 lattes are the norm, consumers have no qualms about spending $7.00 on an ice cream cone, as well as a couple of hours in an ice cream parlor outfitted with sofas and internet access.

New York (PRWEB) October 10, 2005 -- Innovation in flavors and product types is the key to standing out and generating income in the relatively stagnant market for ice cream, according The U.S. Market for Ice Cream and Related Frozen Novelties, a new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com.

Packaged Facts projects that the ice cream market will reach $21.6 billion in 2005, which is a modest 3.0% increase over 2004. When considering categories, the report projects that frozen novelties (ice cream sandwiches, pops, cones, etc.) will have the best compound annual growth rate from 2000 to 2010, at 4.3%.

One factor keeping the market flat is that people aren’t eating more ice cream, and that any growth is the result of consumers migrating to better quality, more expensive products.

Another clear trend is that innovation in products perceived as healthier—lower in calories, fat, carbs (although less so)—yet maintaining a certain degree of indulgence will help marketers in the industry standout. Brands are having success with “slow-churned” light products as well as product lines that distinguish the dessert’s health attributes.

“Healthier ice cream is going to grow, and marketers who invest in technologies to lower fat and calories and improve overall nutritional profiles of ice cream products will experience growth,” said Don Montuori, the publisher of Packaged Facts. “With newer technologies, lighter ice cream tastes like full-fat ice cream and is changing purchasing trends in frozen desserts.”

Now in its 4th edition, The U.S. Market for Ice Cream and Related Frozen Desserts provides a comprehensive look at the market for ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet/sorbet, and frozen novelties. The report examines new product trends, offers competitive profiles of industry leaders (and up and comers), and looks at consumer trends and behaviors surrounding ice cream. Priced at $3000, this report can be purchased directly from Packaged Facts by clicking: http://www.packagedfacts.com/pub/1119532.html. It is also available at MarketResearch.com.

About Packaged Facts
Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes research reports on a wide range of consumer industries, including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, and demographics. For more information visit www.PackagedFacts.com, or contact Irina Frukhtbeyn at 301-468-3650 x203.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:54 PM | Comments (0)

Milk Moguls Found Untruthful, Dishonest and Unsubstantiated as Dairy Shown Red Light by Vegans

Small UK Vegan Charity win case against global dairy giant in false health and nutrition claims. The UK Advertising Standards Authority have upheld The Vegan Society’s complaint about Nestle’s misleading nutrition and health claims that cow's milk is an essential part of the human diet.

(PRWEB) October 9, 2005 -- Following the UK ASA findings against Nestle top London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston said "Manufacturers and agencies that promote cow's milk products will have to be far more careful in the future. Cows’ milk is a good source of calcium for a baby cow - helping it grow to the size of a small shed in a few weeks. Human nutritional needs are more complex - we need magnesium and vitamins K & D to fully utilise calcium and we certainly don't need all that saturated animal fat that comes free with cows’ milk."

It’s not more milk but more fruit and vegetables that are needed in people's diets - especially green leafy veg rich in essential fats, vitamins, minerals, antioxidents and phytonutrients.

There have been a lot of snake oil type misleading claims about cows’ milk recently - the Nestle advert is just one amongst many. Despite attempts to feed cows fish and genetically engineer the cows to make their milk more suitable for humans cows’ milk is still best suited for calves.

It’s anticipated that milk will also suffer in the new UK Food Standards Agency traffic light system for healthier food labelling. It’s so tempting for manufacturers and caterers to ditch the dairy to move a dish from a red light category to an amber label in the midst of increasing consumer consciousness about nutrition, diet and healthy eating.

Complaint:

The Vegan Society and a member of the public objected to an advertorial on the AOL website. The article was aimed at women and entitled "Mastering Your Metabolism Part 3: Eat well, feel great." One paragraph was headed "Dairy Products" and stated "Essential for healthy bones ...". The complainants objected that the ad was misleading because it was not necessary to eat dairy products to obtain healthy bones. ( Codes Section: 3.1, 6.1, 7.1 (Ed 11))

Adjudication:

Complaints upheld
Nestle UK said they recognised that there were other sources of calcium and they had not intended to suggest that dairy products were the only source of calcium.

The ASA considered that the use of the word "essential" implied dairy products were the only source of calcium. Because that was not correct, they concluded that the advertorial was likely to mislead and advised Nestle to amend the claim and to seek assistance from the CAP Copy Advice team before using a similar campaign in future.

The advertorial breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation), 6.1 (Honesty) and 7.1 (Truthfulness).

Editors Notes

Full adjudication.
http://www.asa.org.uk
/asa/adjudications/non_broadcast/Adjudication+Details.htm?Adjudication_id=40314

http://www.nestle.com
http://www.vegansociety.com
http://www.news.foodsforlife.org

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:53 PM | Comments (0)

'Clam Chowder', a Book and a Game Offers Nutrition for the Soul

Thanks to Matt Lehman, screenwriter, poet and assistant director who makes his living as a waiter, 'Clam Chowder' is now a book and a game designed to offer restaurant waitstaff inspiration in making their jobs less frustrating.

(PRWEB) October 8, 2005 -- Now 'Clam Chowder' is more than just a tasty soup.

Thanks to Matt Lehman, screenwriter, poet and assistant director who makes his living as a waiter, 'Clam Chowder' is now a book and a game designed to offer restaurant waitstaff inspiration in making their jobs less frustrating.

It's a book that should not be read at home, but on the job, Lehman says.

"That doesn't mean to start reading when you are busy with customers, but the time just before all three orders come out and you're betting the bartender you can do more shots of Tabasco than she can? This is the time to whip it out. I mean, the book. It will make you laugh. I promise."

The book, more formally called, "Clam Chowder: The Server's Field Manual," is Lehman's second book and is available through most mail order bookstores and at his own website, www.clamchowder.biz.

The publisher describes the book as "a cleansing of the soul for those that have survived the front of the house and an eye-opening experience for those that have never donned an apron and said, 'What can I get you to drink'. The 6 main chapters cover which restaurants to work in, why wait tables in the first place, with whom you'll be working, customers, what to do while you are at work, and the dungeon - the real life stories of debauchery the author has seen and done, too obnoxious to be real, but all are completely true."

Others of Lehman's profession agree. Karen Anderson of British Columbia, Canada writes, "Matt has this wonderful way of stringing words together to bring to life the madness that is the reality of the biz. Loved it! If you are in the hospitality industry, do yourself a favor and buy the book and the game!"

Gary Davis of oncewritten.com writes, "I always thought that being a server could be a cool way to make money if you could handle picky customers, extreme walking and a lot of garbage. But once you read this book you'll understand why every career Server should have one. They all really need a Servers manual complete with tips, tricks and games to fight stress, help prevent mental illness and all the rest of the occupational hazards that come with a tough gig."

The game, "Clam Chowder, The Server's Game", makes a card game out of serving. Sample cards include "get a customer to give you a bite of their entree" and "have a guest draw you a picture with crayons to put on the freezer door." Even "tell a table you're aspiring to be an opera singer and give them a sample."

Lehman adds the warning, though, that the game is "sold as a novelty only! It should not be played in an actually live (or dead) restaurant environment. There is a risk that it could cause someone to get written up, fired, or worse."

Cost of either the book or the game when ordered through www.clamchowder.biz is $10.95 or $17.95 when purchased together.

Information: Matt Lehman, (323) 252-8167

Attention editors: High resolution photographs are available. Please query with e-mail.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:52 PM | Comments (0)

Tempest Tea Brews up Flavorful Fall Treats: Pumpkin Bubble Tea and Pumpkin Tea Lattes

Tempest Tea's Pumpkin Bubble Tea and Pumpkin Spice Tea Latte are a delicious way to satisfy those fall cravings. Enjoy the blend of Ceylon black tea, hints of pumpkin, nutmeg, vanilla and seasonal spices.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) October 8, 2005 -- Back by popular demand, Tempest Tea is proud to offer for a limited time its Pumpkin Spice bubble tea and Pumpkin tea latte.

Made from a delicious base of Ceylon black tea blended with hints of pumpkin, nutmeg, vanilla and seasonal spices, the Tempest Tea Pumpkin Spice bubble tea provides a sweet taste of autumn, long before Thanksgiving. Pumpkin Spice bubble tea has a sweet and hearty flavor profile that is wonderfully unique and different from more traditional bubble tea flavors.

The same sweet and spicy pumpkin spice black tea is also featured in Tempest's seasonal Pumpkin Spice tea latte. Sweet and creamy, but lacking sugar, syrups and other empty calories, Pumpkin Spice tea latte is a perfect way for Tempest Tea and its customers to welcome the fall while remaining true to the health benefits of tea.

Tempest's pumpkin spice drinks are available for a limited time, while supplies last.

Tempest Tea, a market leader in premium teas, offers a full line of Organic and Fair Trade Certified black, green, white, oolong and rooibos teas, chai teas and herbal boosts. Tempest Tea is located at 5600 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 111, Dallas TX 75209. Additional information is available at 214-351-4TEA (4832) or www.tempesttea.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)

Drink Green, Wear Pink

10% of all Tempest Tea Green tea sales support Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) October 8, 2005 -- October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Tempest Tea is doing its part to support this important cause. During the entire month, 10% of every purchase of green tea, in any format, will go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Recent studies have shown that increased consumption of green tea has positive effects on preventing breast cancer and other forms of cancer. Studies by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Texas in Houston showed that an extract of green tea inhibits breast cancer cells from making a chemical that supports tumors.*

“We have long known that the antioxidants in green tea are good for the metabolism, weight loss and myriad other health benefits.” Says Dr. Brian Rudman, co-founder of Tempest Tea. “With these new studies showing the positive affects on breast cancer prevention, Tempest Tea has redoubled efforts to do its part to spread the word and make a difference.”

Customers can purchase any of Tempest Tea's unique and innovative, Organic, Fair Trade Certified TM green teas at Tempest Tea's retail location in Dallas, TX or online at www.tempsettea.com.

Tempest Tea, a market leader in premium teas, offers a full line of Organic and Fair Trade Certified green, black, white, oolong and rooibos teas, chai teas and herbal boosts. Tempest Tea is located at 5600 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 111, Dallas TX 75209. Additional information is available at 214-351-4TEA (4832) or www.tempesttea.com.

* Source: Raloff, J. 2005 Another Green That Might Prevent Breast Cancer. Science News (Sept. 2005). Available at www.sciencenews.org.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)

Sugar Rea's Confections Announces the Launch of their Holiday Cakes

Sugar Rea's Confections, a startup company out of Huntsville, AL specializes in three dimensional cakes made from scratch, using fresh all natural ingredients.

(PRWEB) October 8, 2005 -- Sugar Rea's Confections is pleased to announce the launch of its three dimensional Holiday Cakes, featuring pumpkin and white pumpkin cakes. Handmade from scratch using whole grain flours, fresh fruits and other fine natural ingredients.

Sherea Gordon, Sugar Rea's founder, started the company after many years of creating cakes for family members and friends. "I enjoy creating cakes that not only serve as a dessert, but also can be used as a center piece, especially during the holiday season."

The result? White Pumpkin and Pumpkin cakes made from scratch. The White Pumpkin Cake is actually an apple spice cake; baked with chunks of fresh apples, nutmeg, cloves with a cream cheese filling and covered in white chocolate fondant.

The Pumpkin Cake is a pumpkin spice cake with rich spices, cream cheese filling and covered in white chocolate fondant. Each cake is hand sculpted right down to the stem of the pumpkin which is delicious milk chocolate.

Sugar Rea's believes in making cakes from scratch. No mixes or pre-made batters are used. "Pure natural ingredients is the foundation for our cakes," Sherea explains. "We truly believe that 'The best things in life are sweet'."

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)

Innuendo Enterprises LLC Garners First Place in Chile Pepper Magazine’s 10th Anniversary Fiery Food Challenge

Innuendo Enterprises LLC took home the coveted First Place (Golden Chile) Award during the 10th Anniversary Fiery Food Challenge on September 9 in Fort Worth, Texas, in the Habanero Hot Sauce category. This award was presented to Innuendo for their “Bucky Goldstien’s Hot Sauce.”

Gilroy, CA (PRWEB) October 8, 2005 -- Innuendo Enterprises LLC took home the coveted First Place (Golden Chile) Award during the 10th Anniversary Fiery Food Challenge on September 9 in Fort Worth, Texas, in the Habanero Hot Sauce category. This award was presented to Innuendo for their “Bucky Goldstien’s Hot Sauce."

The Fiery Food Challenge is the most recognized, most prestigious competition of zesty products. With 79 categories, the competition was stiff. To find the best zest, culinary expert judges sampled every product through a series of blind tasting; marketing professionals judged entries in the Marketing and Merchandise categories.

“This competition is the industry benchmark for superior bold, spicy and flavorful products,” says LaDonna Thorne, director, Fiery Food Challenge. “Winning an award in the Fiery Food Challenge is indeed a prestigious honor.”

The competition is sponsored by Chile Pepper magazine, which produces the annual ZestFest food festival.

Innuendo’s Ron Levi was honored to receive an award of this stature. “The Golden Chile Award is a symbol of how we do things at Innuendo Enterprises”.

For more information on award-winning “Bucky Goldstien’s Hot Sauce, contact Innuendo Enterprises LLC at (408) 847-4047.

About Chile Pepper Magazine
Chile Pepper magazine, founded as a spicy food lover’s journal in 1987, has grown to be the national authority on the zesty lifestyle. Published six times per year, each issue contains the latest on flavorful products, restaurants, recipes, events and celebrity chefs. Each fall, Chile Pepper holds its annual Fiery Food Challenge, which has been nationally televised on the Food Network, and ZestFest in Fort Worth, Texas, that attracts crowds of more than 10,000.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)

October 07, 2005

Sensatronics Temperature Monitors from OPENXTRA Aid Retailers, Brand Owners, Food Distributors and Cold Storage Warehouses to Reach BRC and CMi Accreditation Standards

Any organisation involved in the preparation or storage of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat or fish has a legal obligation to demonstrate ‘due diligence’. Managers need to ensure that there are food safety systems implemented within the organisation in order to maintain and be able to prove the highest levels of quality and safety at all times. Continuous, networked environmental monitoring can help ensure that such standards are monitored and maintained.

(PRWEB) October 7, 2005 -- A revised standard to update the 2002 version of the Food Hygiene Regulations was published in January of this year to reflect new EU legislation designed to improve traceability and the control of allergens. The Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2005 will require companies to start recording and verifying food safety management based on HACCP principles, proportionate to the size and the nature of the business. What this means is that businesses now need to put monitoring systems in place which will record and log that food safety standards have been maintained.

OPENXTRA, http://www.openxtra.co.uk can assist UK companies with the implementation of BRC (British Retail Consortium) and CMi ((formerly Checkmate International) Accreditation Standards and has already assisted members of Kentish Garden Marketing and Northern Ireland Seafood. Installing the Sensatronics monitors in warehouses, food processing plants or coldstores will ensure that temperature and humidity, condensation or wetness can be continuously monitored, graphed and logged. In addition, the Sensatronics monitoring solution can alert the user instantly to problems such as an air conditioning, temperature control or freezer breakdown, no matter where they are or at what time of day, so that they can quickly pinpoint the problem and take measures to save stock.

Sensatronics Temperature and Environmental Monitors, http://www.openxtra.co.uk/section.php/4/0 are easy to set up and connect directly to a computer network, or, as with the F Model, can connect directly to a PC. Permanent probes (from 50-2500ft in length) are then placed wherever temperature, humidity and wetness need to be measured. These probes feed the data back to a base unit which has a built-in web server. With the monitoring software the user can then view, graph and log environmental parameters on a PC; set the frequency with which you want temperature etc to be polled (down to a minimum of every minute); and set up alerts and alarms should temperatures rise or fall outside set parameters. The alarms feature will allow individuals or teams to be alerted via email or SMS texting to mobiles or fixed line phones.
Packaged systems are available from around 400GBP. Further information can be obtained from the website at http://www.openxtra.co.uk/section.php/4/0 or by phone on +44 (0)1943 465918.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:53 AM | Comments (0)

UPDATE: L.A.’s Fight to Combat Obesity - Cultural Restaurants Take Aim

UPDATE: With more than 40% of school children in some L.A. communities overweight, last month the governor of California signed a bill to ban sodas and some vending machine items from public schools across the state. Cultural LA restaurants are also lending a helping hand.

Los Angeles (PRWEB) October 7, 2005 -- Spunka, Inc., L.A.’s most innovative special events company, invites you to a very special press conference luncheon to discuss the hot topic of combating obesity. (Culinary experts from different cultural restaurants around Los Angeles will be sharing nutritional tips on combating obesity.)

The press conference luncheon, hosted at the Kitchen Academy in Hollywood, will feature re-known Chef Host and Kitchen Academy Instructor Alexx Guevara, who will be guiding the event and performing nutritious culinary demonstrations. Celebrity Chef Tommy Tang will also be making a special appearance to demonstrate his fine culinary arts. Delight your taste buds to this appetizing teaser as we announce details of the 2006 Los Angeles Cultural Dining Tour.

The Los Angeles Cultural Dining Tour is not a typical charity event, food fair or restaurant week. February 2006 will mark the first time in L.A. where over 100 cultural restaurants will not only share their food to our communities, but also showcase their heritage through various educational and/or entertaining events at their restaurants. A portion of the proceeds from the 2006 Los Angeles Cultural Dining Tour will benefit two featured charities: the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness (LACEHH) and Community Outreach for Prevention & Education (COPE).

Representatives from the event’s advisory board will also be in attendance at the October 11th press event; members include the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, the Los Angeles Conventions & Visitors Bureau, the Los Angeles Downtown Center Business Improvement District and Nexus Forums.

This will certainly not be your average press conference. It is an interactive lunch party where attendees will be able to learn how world cuisines are challenging obesity trends and sample some healthy cultural foods brought in by participating restaurants around Los Angeles such as Chaba Thai Bay Grill, Kabab Curry of India and Rita Flora Kitchen, Teru Sushi, Havana on Sunset, La Bruschetta Ristorante, Marguerite Café, Max Restaurant, Senor Fred’s, Finn McCool’s and Messob Ethiopian. All press conference participants should be prepared to have a good time at this international cuisine sampling!

Space is limited at the Kitchen Academy. Please RSVP by calling 310-566-7342.

RSVP deadline: Sunday, October 9, 2005

Contact: Spunka, Inc.
Suzanne Canon, President
Michael Kao, Vice President
Tel#: 310-566-7342
Fax#: 310-566-7343
Websites: www.spunka.com and www.culturaldining.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:53 AM | Comments (0)

Small California Wineries Support Small Farmers Affected by Katrina

Dover Canyon Winery in Paso Robles, California is one of five wineries in the U.S. to join the Slow Wine for Slow Foods movement sponsored by Slow Foods USA. Dover Canyon and The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards in Livermoore, California will donate a portion of their wine sales for the entire month of October. Dover Canyon was one of many Paso Robles wineries affected by an earthquake on December 23, 2003 that measured 6.5 on the Richter scale.

(PRWEB) October 7, 2005 -- Dover Canyon Winery in Paso Robles, California is one of five wineries in the U.S. to join the Slow Wine for Slow Foods movement sponsored by Slow Foods USA. Dover Canyon and The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards in Livermoore, California will donate a portion of their wine sales for the entire month of October.

“I would really like to see more wineries supporting our small and artisanal food producers,” said Mary Baker, administrative partner of the Dover Canyon. “What is wine without food?”

Throughout the month of October, Slow-spirited restaurants, wineries and wine shops across the country will donate a portion of their wine sales to Slow Food USA. (For a complete list of participants, check the SlowFoodsUSA website at http://www.slowfoodusa.org/events/slow_wine_supporters.html.) The money will go toward ongoing Slow Food USA programs as well as to a special fund initiated for the small farmers, fishers and food producers affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Among the millions of people affected by Katrina are hundreds of small farmers, fishers and food producers. The struggle to stitch back together their businesses and their lives will take months, even years. Among the hardships the region now faces:
* Damage to livestock and crops estimated at one billion dollars.
* Loss of 70% of South Florida's avocado crop.
* Almost total loss of pecan crops in Southwest Alabama.
* Suspension of Louisiana shrimping and oyster harvesting.
* Rise in costs of distribution and cultivation of produce.

Dover Canyon is a small, family-run winery producing less than 2500 cases a year. Although the winery also purchases fruit from nearby vineyards, the owners maintain a small, sustainably farmed vineyard and walnut orchard. The property is a certified wildlife habitat through the National Wildlife Federation.

“The original intent of Slow Wines for Slow Foods was to raise money for Slow Foods USA,” said Baker, “but when Slow Foods recognized the plight of food producers affected by Katrina, they revised their plans. I had already committed to donate, and I was pleased and proud when they phoned to inform me that they would be diverting funds to Katrina-affected producers as well.

Dover Canyon was one of many Paso Robles wineries affected by an earthquake on December 23, 2003 that measured 6.5 on the Richter scale.

“We can’t undo this loss,” said Baker, referring to Katrina. “This is about courage, and rebuilding, and loving what you do.”

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:51 AM | Comments (0)

One of the biggest reasons for Dish Networks recent success is it’s affiliation with VMC Satellite. Over the last three years, VMC has become the largest online distributor of Dish Network products. Through affiliate marketers as well as partnerships wi

Bella's Cookies, Delaware's 1st All Natural and Organic Cookie Company, to release its 3rd variety to the public "Hunky Punky" this Saturday at the Apple Scrapple festival in Bridgeville,DE.

Milton, DE (PRWEB) October 7, 2005 -- Bella's Cookies, will release its 3rd variety available to the public "Hunky Punky" this Saturday at the Apple Scrapple Festival in Bridgeville.

The company, which is the first all natural and organic cookie company in Delaware, introduced their cookies to the Cape region in July with the debut of their "Champion Chunk" cookie and in mid August dropped the "Choco-Bomb" for many eager chocolate lovers. Cookie lovers everywhere can once again delight, with the release of their latest creation.

At a festival where the masses will walk the streets of Bridgeville surrounded by the aroma of Apples and Scrapple, Bella's Cookies will unveil their newest creation ... "Hunky Punky." "There isn't a day that goes by that someone doesn't ask me when this one is coming out," said Mark Leishear (Director of Sales and Marketing) "Hunky Punky" is the company's pumpkin ginger cookie ... 100% pure pumpkin married with chunks of crystallized Chinese ginger in a cookie loaded with spices appropriate for this time of year.

The story of "Hunky Punky" comes out as a cross between Pinocchio and Henny Penny. "The ending is quite a surprise," said Mark "but it's definitely my favorite story so far.” Kelly Leishear, President of Bella's Cookies, along with her husband Mark founded Bella's Cookies on the premise that children should have a "cleaner" choice in the treats they eat. Kelly and Mark’s daughter, Bella (4), is the face behind the company and along with their son Liam (2) are their inspiration and chief tasters. Bella’s Cookies contain no trans fats, no hydrogenated oils, no artificial colors/flavors or preservatives and no high fructose corn syrup. "The ingredients we use are definitely not what you get in a pack of anything you get from the store," said Mark "but with our cookies you eat one, you enjoy it, and you can carry a clean conscience along with it ... there isn't much out there you can do that with."

Bella's Cookies will set up their 10x15 booth in the center of Walnut St. in Bridgeville for this year's Apple Scrapple festival. "Hunky Punky" has some tough competition as the company promises their other two varieties will be available too, but the double pack with the orange and green tag will take the spotlight this Saturday. All Natural and Organic Foods are growing in popularity, and studies have suggested eating such foods promotes living a healthier lifestyle. “Everyone enjoys a good treat, so as we say … treat yourself right!"

Bella's Cookies is Delaware's 1st All-Natural & Organic Cookie Company & specializes in the aforementioned and vegan "breakfast" cookies. Cookies can be ordered in a variety of ways ... for more information call 302-684-8152 or visit www.bellascookies.com.

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October 06, 2005

Italian Cheeses Inspire Olive Garden's New Dishes

Olive Garden introduces new menu items of Four Cheese Tortellini & Shrimp and Smoked Mozzarella Chicken.

Orlando, Fla. (PRWEB) October 6, 2005 -- Olive Garden brings together the flavors of some of Italy’s most celebrated cheeses with the introduction of Four Cheese Tortellini & Shrimp and Smoked Mozzarella Chicken available on the menu from Oct. 17, 2005 through Jan. 1, 2006.

“These specialties were inspired by Olive Garden’s Culinary Institute and restaurant in Tuscany, Italy, and are a tribute to the time-honored craft of cheese-making and the passion Italians have for cheese,” said Terry Stanley, senior vice president of culinary and beverage for Olive Garden.

Olive Garden’s Smoked Mozzarella Chicken is a savory dish of sautéed chicken breasts topped with smoked mozzarella cheese, coupled with penne pasta that has been tossed with sweet roasted red peppers and a signature cheese sauce of provolone, mozzarella, gouda and Parmesan, one of the 24 sauces made from fresh ingredients every day at Olive Garden. The light, smoky flavor calls for a rich and robust Italian wine, such as Gabbiano Chianti, a new addition to Olive Garden’s wine list.

A showcase of Italian cheeses, Olive Garden’s Four Cheese Tortellini & Shrimp features large sautéed shrimp and multi-colored tortellini filled with ricotta, Romano, Parmesan and fontina tossed in Olive Garden’s signature cheese sauce. This dish is best paired with a crisp and refreshing white wine, such as Bertani Due Uve, a blend of Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.

Every year, 100 Olive Garden restaurant managers travel to Italy to the company’s Culinary Institute of Tuscany to learn more about Italian food, wine and hospitality. Here, an integral part of the weeklong study is dedicated to learning about and tasting the local specialties of regions throughout Italy, including cheeses.

Olive Garden’s Culinary Institute of Tuscany and fine Italian cheeses also serve as the inspiration for dishes on Olive Garden’s year-round menu:

* Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta: a blend of oven-baked smoked mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan and Romano cheeses served with fresh Tuscan bread

* Stuffed Chicken Marsala: seven Italian cheeses are hand-stuffed inside an oven-roasted chicken breast, which is then topped with mushrooms and a creamy Marsala sauce

* Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo: succulent grilled beef medallions lightly drizzled with balsamic glaze, served over fettuccine and spinach in a rich Gorgonzola-Alfredo sauce

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with 566 restaurants, 70,000 employees and more than $2 billion in annual sales. Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE:DRI), the world’s largest casual dining company. For more information, visit Olive Garden’s Web site at www.olivegarden.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:17 AM | Comments (0)

The Perfect Pair: Hummus and Pita; Coming Soon to All Food Places Near You

The Perfect Pita decided to re-brand its two strongest products ‘Hummus and Pita’ in an effort to expand its business to larger distribution channels.

Springfield, VA (PRWEB) October 6, 2005 -- “Our years of strong commitment to high quality gourmet food products has been paying off. Our Hummus and Pita are so good that we are confident to call them ‘Perfect,’" says Mr. Atilla Kan, President of The Perfect Pita.

Over 10 years of experience, 3 stores and many satisfied corporate and retail customers later, The Perfect Pita decided to re-brand its two strongest products ‘Hummus and Pita’ in an effort to expand its business to larger distribution channels.

Nazli Yuzak adds that there is a place for the "perfect pair" in every food establishment. “We are planning to reach every hotel, restaurant, bar, cafeteria (educational institutions and corporate), café, deli, catering firm in the Greater Washington DC area -to start with, through our distributors.”

She is currently in the process of establishing relationships with the area distributors who can become ‘growth partners’ for the company.
The Perfect Pita’s four Hummus (traditional, roasted red pepper, jalapeno, black bean and cilantro) and two Pita (white and whole wheat) varieties are being produced daily at the company production facility in Springfield, Virginia.

"The Perfect Pair Hummus and Pita" is the wholesale business branch of "The Perfect Pita" which is a family owned business out of Springfield, Virginia. Since its foundation in 1994, the Perfect Pita has been serving its retail customers in 3 different locations in the VA and DC area, as well as many corporate customers; such as Whole Foods, Sutton Place Gourmet and Dean and Deluca. For additional information and/or to schedule a sampling, contact Nazli Yuzak or visit www.hummuspita.com.

Nazli Yuzak
The Perfect Pair: Hummus and Pita
Cell 703 731 3084
Fax 703 644 7311

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:15 AM | Comments (0)

Tempest Tea Introduces Innovative Green Tea Blends

Tempest Tea answers consumer demand for unique green tea blends.

Dallas (PRWEB) October 6, 2005 -- In response to increased popularity and demand for green teas, Tempest Tea introduces two innovative new blends: Green Tropical, and Green Peaches and Apricot. Each starts with a base of full-leaf Sri Lankan green tea from a Fair Trade CertifiedTM estate. Both blends are organic and use only premium blending ingredients, including organic apricots, peaches and other fruits. Each is available in loose-leaf, tea bags and iced tea formats.

“In the past, green tea has shown significant sales growth in the natural and specialty food industry segments. Now, mainstream media is taking notice of and publicizing the significant myriad health benefits of green tea, and consumers across the board are demanding quality blends and variety of options. The appearance of green tea on the shelves of major mainstream stores, and sales of this product, demonstrate just how far this segment has penetrated the industry,” says Dr. Brian Rudman, M.D., co-founder of Tempest Tea. “At Tempest we felt it was the perfect time to expand our green tea line, and we are proud to offer these two unique and delicious blends.”

Tempest Tea, a market leader in premium quality teas, offers a full line of green tea blends including Mint Green, Jasmine Green and Matcha, as well as Organic and Fair Trade Certified, premium black, white, oolong and rooibos teas, chai teas and herbal boosts.

Tempest Tea is located at 5600 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 111, Dallas TX 75209. Additional information is available at 214-351-4TEA (4832) or www.tempesttea.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 05:15 AM | Comments (0)

October 05, 2005

Instill Takes Trade Spend Management to the Next Level -- Foodservice Industry Turns to Instill to Improve Contract Management

Instill Trade Spend Management is a customer-proven, web-based solution designed to help foodservice manufacturers gain critical insights into their business to grow sales and dramatically reduce the costs typically associated with trade program settlement. The solution retrieves, transforms, and feeds standardized trade program claim and sales performance information into an intuitive contract management application, allowing manufacturers to efficiently manage each phase of the trade spend process including program planning, contracting, claim validation, settlement, and analysis.

REDWOOD CITY, CA (PRWEB) October 5, 2005 -- Instill Corporation, the leading provider of technology solutions and services for the foodservice industry, today announced the release of version 3.0 of Instill Trade Spend Management. The latest release of the company’s industry leading, end-to-end solution, a unique combination of supply chain information services and robust contract management capabilities, allows foodservice companies to improve trade spending effectiveness and enhance collaboration with trading partners and customers.

"In an environment where trade spend costs are rising faster than sales, charting a path to higher impact trade programs has become a strategic imperative for most foodservice manufacturers," said Anthony Wilson, president & CEO of Instill. "Our customers look to us for foodservice expertise and the technology solution required to enable their trade spend initiatives."

Instill Trade Spend Management is a customer-proven, web-based solution designed to help foodservice manufacturers gain critical insights into their business to grow sales and dramatically reduce the costs typically associated with trade program settlement. The solution retrieves, transforms, and feeds standardized trade program claim and sales performance information into an intuitive contract management application, allowing manufacturers to efficiently manage each phase of the trade spend process including program planning, contracting, claim validation, settlement, and analysis.

The latest release of the solution improves on industry leading capabilities that include:

- Automated collection, standardization, and integration of claim and proof of performance information submitted by distributors and operators
- Systematic monitoring of reported claims for timeliness and completeness
- Central repository to store, track, and measure all trade spend agreements
- Expanded set of easy-to-use contract creation izards based on specific contract types
- Intelligent contract flow, approvals routing, and notifications
- Automated term validation, exception identification, and settlement of claims, bill-backs, and deductions
- Integration with back-end financial systems enabling automated payment
- Configurable set of reports and analysis that provide immediate insights into claim activity, contract commitments, purchase activity, product usage trends, program effectiveness, compliance, and more.

For more information, please visit www.instill.com or feel free to call 1-888-INSTILL.

About Instill Corporation
Information to Understand Your Business

For more than a decade, Instill has been helping customers build enterprise value by applying innovative technology and industry expertise to address the unique challenges facing foodservice companies. Industry leading companies such as General Mills, Procter & Gamble, International Multifoods, Sodexho, and SUBWAY/IPC leverage Instill’s solutions – a unique combination of supply chain information services and analytic applications – to reduce costs, control risks, and grow revenues. Instill is headquartered in Redwood City, California, and can be reached at 1-888-Instill or at www.instill.com.

©Instill Corporation 2005. All rights reserved. Instill, the Instill logo and Instill Trade Spend Management are registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Instill Corporation.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:22 AM | Comments (0)

Inventory Management Software Implementation Excels with 99.88% Shipping Accuracy and 64% Reduction in Inventory Control Labor Hours

Pryia TM inventory software streamlines operations at warehousing and distribution facility.

(PRWEB) October 5, 2005 -- Today's warehouse managers that make correct decisions when selecting a supply chain management system stand to be revered as heroes not just for improvements in warehouse operations, but for improving an organization's bottom line.

In the recent case of Four Seasons Produce Company - one of the largest produce distributors in America - the warehouse management team scored big with a 60% reduction in mis-picks and shorted product, a 64% reduction in inventory control labor hours, and 99.88% shipping accuracy by implementing a new inventory management software system.

“We now record only 12 errors in 10,000 cases picked, compared to 40 before, and overall productivity has been greatly enhanced,” says Nelson Longenecker, Vice President of Organizational Development for Four Seasons. “We have a world-class work environment that gives us a definite competitive advantage.”

Originally spread out among four warehouse facilities, its distributed warehouse operation used manual processes. “With so many manual transactions taking place, we were always one step behind the product,” says Longenecker. “It wasn’t uncommon to lose track of whole pallets, which affected service levels and ate into profits.”

When it came time to consolidate operations into a new 262,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, Longenecker and his warehouse team went through an exhaustive selection process to equip it with a new inventory management software system.

The selection team identified the salient difference between inventory software choices when they started visiting several customer-reference sites. One inventory management software vendor whose customers all used the same software release, running the same source code, stood out. So did the fact that customers could configure their systems in different environments without vendor assistance, and who could also install the system in subsequent sites independently. In the end, Four Seasons selected the Priya TM warehouse management system by Motek, a Beverly Hills, California-based warehouse management software developer.

Motek's Priya inventory management software is the only fully featured, Microsoft Windows(R)-based, warehouse management software currently available that can support more than 300 concurrent mobile users. Its open architecture allows straightforward interface with a number of ERP systems, transportation management systems, and other supply chain management applications.

“Priya gave us all the features we required, along with an implementation path that made sense in our world," says Longenecker. "Furthermore, we could deploy it on our existing Windows-based infrastructure. It was the only real Microsoft warehouse solution we found giving us vendor independence and a comprehensive implementation approach we believed in.”

Longenecker's conclusions proved correct, as the new supply chain management software quickly overcame several challenges such as construction delays at the new facility.

“As the Priya inventory software recognized our inventory levels in all buildings, it expedited the move,” says Longenecker. “Since produce is perishable, we couldn’t stop. We configured, tested and 'went live' without any onsite vendor help. We filled all our orders and made the transition during a 36-hour shut down over a holiday weekend.”

The use of the Priya inventory management software, has raised case selection productivity at Four Seasons from 155 to 230 cases per hour, achieved a 22% reduction in lost sales due to errors, and case inventory accuracy has been boosted to 99.8%.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:22 AM | Comments (0)

Buffalo's Historic Anchor Bar to Franchise

Creators of the world-famous "Buffalo Chicken Wing" to offer three unique restaurant concepts.

Buffalo, New York (PRWEB) October 5, 2005 -- The proprietors of the Anchor Bar and the Anchor Bar Franchise Company LLC announced today that the New York State Department of Law has accepted for filing the company’s franchise offering. This is the first step in bringing Buffalo’s historic and internationally recognized Frank & Teressa's Anchor Bar to communities across the nation.

Located at 1047 Main Street in the heart of downtown Buffalo, the Anchor Bar is a landmark whose founders are famous for creating and being the first to serve "Buffalo Wings." Today, the restaurant is a regular stop for thousands of locals and tourists alike, and is known around the world for its great food and atmosphere.

In partnership with the proprietors of the original Anchor Bar, the Anchor Bar Franchise Company will be offering three unique restaurant concepts. Full-service replicas of the original Anchor Bar will be the largest of the three. Each will feature the Anchor Bar's famous wings, sauces as well as a comprehensive upscale menu based on that of the original restaurant. With full bars and entertainment, these restaurants will recreate the fun atmosphere and experience enjoyed by thousands each year at the original Anchor Bar. Replica restaurants will provide a unique dining opportunity for patrons who have never had the opportunity to visit Buffalo. The restaurants' upscale menu has been designed to meet the American taste profile. Food offerings will be diverse, ranging from Buffalo wings to traditional American favorites such as meatloaf and pizza. From the menu to the décor and the audio and visual entertainment, each restaurant will offer a uniquely Buffalo experience.

Designed for locations with less space, the Anchor Bar Franchise Company will also offer a smaller version of the replica restaurant concept. Called Anchor Bar In-Line, they will be approximately 2,500 square feet and offer beer and wine, original wings and an upscale menu.

For the fast food market, the company has created the Anchor Bar To Go. A take-out only location, customers will have the opportunity to enjoy the original, famous Buffalo wings and other menu items at malls, at sporting venues, on the road or at home. Anchor Bars To Go will be 900 to 1,200 square foot take out locations, perfectly designed for store fronts and walk-away counters at malls. Original wings will be offered as well as an upscale take out menu.

'The Anchor Bar is known around the world as a place where people come to enjoy the original Buffalo wings, great food and be entertained," said Ivano Toscani, the Anchor Bar’s Executive Chef and Manager. "Regular patrons and one-time guests alike can't get enough of our food and Anchor Bar atmosphere. We now have the foundation in place to start bringing our special approach to food and our uniquely Buffalo experience to the rest of the country."

The Anchor Bar Franchise Company LLC has retained Tom Bailey, of the law firm of Phillips Lytle LLP, of Buffalo, New York to assist in the creation of the required documents for filing with the New York State Department of Law.

The Anchor Bar and its products are synonymous with the City of Buffalo and New York State. Both the restaurant and the Anchor Bar Wing Sauces are part of the prestigious "Pride of New York Program," dedicated to products that represent the best of New York State.

The Anchor Bar Franchise Company LLC will be marketing and managing the Anchor Bar franchise concept and restaurants. Additional information about the Anchor Bar can be found at www.anchorbar.com or www.buffalowings.com.

This release is not an offering. An offering can only be made by a prospectus first filed with the Department of Law of the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:20 AM | Comments (0)

Dust Explosions in the Food Industry, Fact or Fiction?

Cv Technology specializes in the prevention and elimination of explosion hazards in all industries which process powders and dry bulk materials, using revolutionary and completely unique explosion prevention and mitigation technologies.

(PRWEB) October 5, 2005 -- It is quite common to hear a refrain along the following lines: “We don’t feel that there is a dust explosion risk at our plant because we have been operating for 20 years and have never had a problem.” Yet according to information released by FM Global, the largest industrial insurer, the food processing industry experiences the second largest number of losses compared to all other industrial segments.

In a recent 10-year period FM reported 18 losses in the food processing industry with an average loss of almost $400,000 per claim. In another 10-year period, the same company reported 12 losses with even higher per loss costs, but they also point out that their loss statistics reflect only a small part of the total losses for industry. Getting an accurate picture of the true risk of loss due to dust explosions is extremely difficult because companies often sustain losses that are below deductibles, and in all cases there is a reluctance to go public with what is clearly a negative experience. Public image, litigation, unwanted regulatory scrutiny, fines, increased insurance costs, all inhibit any desire to talk about this subject.

Periodically a spectacular dust explosion makes the news. Last fall, for example, there was a dust explosion at Hormel Foods that sent 5 people to the hospital, at least one with serious injuries. More recently, we have all become aware of unfortunate dust explosions in North Carolina and Kentucky. Beyond the human tragedy of serious injury or even death, there is the loss of livelihood with forced plant closures, loss of revenue, costs for reconstruction and so on. The actuarial value used to assess the fiscal consequences for the loss of one life in an industrial accident is $1,000,000. One fortune 50 corporate manager told me that the real cost used internally at his company is ten times that value. Clearly life safety issues go beyond mere dollars, but irrespective of the value placed on life, there is a growing awareness that losses of this kind must be avoided whenever possible. No responsible manager wants to appear uninformed, much less negligent in matters of this gravity.

So, for the decision-makers at my hypothetical food plant that have not yet had a dust explosion experience, how do they determine if they are at risk? One useful reference point is to look at the causes for dust explosions. The NFPA Explosion Handbook provides some useful information. Mechanical sparks ignited 26.2 % of dust explosions in one study, and 4.6% in another. Smoldering nests, 11.3% and 13.6%. Mechanical friction, 9.0% and 22.7%. Electrostatic discharges, 8.7% and 0%. Fire, 7.8% and 9.1%. Spontaneous ignition, 4.9% and 0%. Hot surfaces, 4.9% and 9.1%. Cutting/welding, 4.9% and 6.8%. Electrical equipment, 2.8% and 15.9%. Unknown or others, 19.5% and 18.2%. Is there a modern food processing plant that does not have one or more of these?

Another way to look at the risk for dust explosions is to look at the types of dry bulk ingredients that are being processed. In a broad sense any organic dust, handled in large quantities, posses a risk. A very short list of examples of well known agricultural dusts that have fueled dust explosions in the food processing industry include: Milk powder, sugar, starch, fructose, flour, whey, cocoa, and malt. Flavorings are a mixed bag, obviously salt is inorganic and does not burn, but organic based spices and flavorings can be quite reactive. Some food additives such as threonine are particularly ignition sensitive. If you are unsure, the best thing to do is to have your dust(s) tested.

FM Global reports that the greatest number of losses in the food processing industry have occurred in bucket elevators, silos, bins, and dust collectors. Other equipment with the potential for significant loss includes dryers such as: Drum, fluid bed, and spray types. Equipment that imparts a lot of kinetic energy to the product is a good candidate for trouble including: High-speed mills, grinders, blenders, and mixers. Vibrating screeners can be the location for losses if, for example, bonding is lost between the vibrating screen and the stationary housing; and where the dust has a very low ignition energy such as fructose or some food additives.

A simple example of how to put all this information together might be helpful. Sugar is size reduced in a grinder, with the fine powder then transferred via conveyor to a filter receiver. Here several factors indicate that there is risk for dust explosion.

Often, there is little appreciation for the increased risk posed by fugitive dust, that is dust laying on the floor or on “I” beams etcetera. In a typical event, a primary explosion occurs inside a vessel that results in breach of the vessel. The escaping pressure wave hits fugitive dust and lifts it up into a cloud. The flame ball that emerges through the breach then ignites the suspended dust cloud in the room and a secondary explosion ensues. Very likely this secondary event will be far worse than the initial explosion. So, walk through your plant and look for fugitive dust. If inspection reveals that there is a layer of dust the thickness of a paperclip, you have a problem.

The proper assessment of risk really requires the help of a qualified professional. Dust explosions are not only rare events, but they are highly complex and extremely difficult to predict. If you are handling large quantities of organic dusts such as those mentioned, have any of the types of equipment discussed, and recognize the presence of one or more of the common causes for ignition, then you probably do have a risk. Realize too, that dust explosions are typically over in 100 milliseconds or less. There is no time for people to react; such as would be the case in the event of fire. Couple this concern with the sizeable losses commonly reported, and it is should be possible to assess your exposure and make an informed decision about the need for professional consultation. If you remain unsure of your situation, then it would be better to err on the side of safety and hire a qualified explosion consultant to evaluate your process, the inherent risks, potential consequences, and make appropriate recommendations. Finally, if you get an opinion that you don’t like, get a second opinion if necessary, but whatever you do, don’t ignore the risk. The potential consequences are not in your favor, and the food processing industry has historical loss data to substantiate that statement.

For more information:
CV TECHNOLOGY, INC
2580 Metrocentre Boulevard
Suite 1
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
USA
Phone: (561) 683 - 1200
Fax: (561) 683 - 1215
E-mail: e-mail protected from spam bots
Web at: www.cvtechnology.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:20 AM | Comments (0)

Motek Garners 'Technology Fast 50' Award in Deloitte's Annual Ranking of L.A.'s Fastest Growing Companies

Success of Motek's Priya TM inventory management software that helps businesses streamline their warehousing and distribution operations accounts for Motek's fifth award.

(PRWEB) October 5, 2005 -- Motek Inc., developer of the Priya TM warehouse management software, has once again captured a spot among the leaders in Deloitte & Touche's annual “Technology Fast 50” program for the Los Angeles area. This year marks the fifth time that Motek has been included among the winners on the list compiled by Deloitte, one of the nation's leading professional services firms.

To qualify for the "Technology Fast 50" program a company must have had operating revenues of at least $1,000,000 in 2004 and be a "technology company," defined as a company that owns proprietary technology that contributes to a significant portion of operating revenues, or devotes a significant proportion of revenues to the research and development of technology. L.A.-area recipients are then ranked according to percentage revenue growth over the five-year period from 2000 to 2004.

"Our increased profits and organic growth stem form an ability to deliver one, all inclusive, product to all our customers in a market focused on service revenue and customizations," says Motek's President and CEO, Ann Price. "By providing an easy to configure, easy to install, and easy to maintain warehouse management system we reduce our customer's total cost of ownership.”

Warehouse managers who want an all inclusive, off the shelf product at a cost-effective price seek out Motek. They are tired of being unable to support or upgrade complicated, customized software. Motek's Priya inventory management software provides them with a simple, configurable solution."

Priya is, the only fully-featured, Microsoft Windows -based ® inventory management software solution that can support over 300 concurrent mobile users. This kind of throughput was previously limited to more expensive AS400 and UNIX-based warehouse management systems running custom or vendor-configured code. Priya also features an open architecture that allows straightforward interface with a number of ERP systems, transportation management systems, and other supply chain management applications.

Founded in 1991, Motek further differentiates itself from other warehouse management software developers by utilizing a standardized implementation methodology. Called Tycan TM, this methodology provides customers with a cookbook approach to inventory management software implementation with every hour accounted for and a roadmap that guides the project step-by-step wrapped in a structure for proactively resolving implementation issues quickly. Rapid start-up allows companies to attain an ROI in less than a year, as opposed to inflexible, custom applications whose long implementations create vendor dependence. Motek customers use Tycan to implement the same inventory management software in subsequent facilities without vendor assistance.

"We're unique in our marketplace because while everyone focuses on increasing service revenue we actively pursue low cost of ownership through reduced implementation and support costs," says Price. "We pride ourselves on making warehouse managers, not us, the heroes in the eyes of their corporate management. This allows these individuals to advance within their own organization, and accounts for a 100% satisfaction rate."

"The past five years have been a roller coaster ride for technology companies," said Tim Lovoy, Partner in the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Group at Deloitte's base in Los Angeles. "The companies on the Deloitte Los Angeles Technology Fast 50 have shown they can prosper in challenging economies and marketplaces. Deloitte is pleased to recognize their achievements."

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:19 AM | Comments (0)

Motek Corporate Relocation Reduces Overhead - Warehouse Customers Benefit from Cost Savings

New move allows Motek to continue offering Priya TM warehouse management software (WMS) at competitive price point.

(PRWEB) October 5, 2005 -- With an eye focused on cost-effectiveness, Motek Inc., developer of award-winning Priya warehouse management software, announces today the move of its corporate headquarters to a new location: 113 North San Vicente Blvd., Third Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. Purchase of the 15,000 square-foot facility will allow Motek to expand to meet the growing demand for its unique inventory management software solution, Priya, while reducing overhead previously allotted to leasing expenses.

"We're unique in that we're privately held without outside investors or partners. This means we can move quickly to take advantage of opportunities that allow us to reduce operating expenses and immediately pass the savings onto our warehouse customers," notes Ann Price, President, CEO and Motek's sole stockholder. "This move to own our own building ensures Motek remains immune to future rent increases, and can continue offering our Priya warehouse software at a competitive price."

Founded by Price in 1991, Motek immediately differentiated itself from other inventory management software developers through a singular philosophy. This philosophy recognizes that warehouse managers seek a standard, highly-configurable product that can be implemented rapidly to yield an ROI in less than a year, as opposed to inflexible, custom applications whose implementation extends well into the future and inextricably binds the warehouse to the software vendor even longer.

Motek fulfills its promise via Priya, the only fully-featured, Microsoft Windows TM-based inventory management software solution currently available that can support more than 300 concurrent mobile users. This kind of throughput was previously limited to more expensive AS400 and UNIX-based systems running custom or vendor-configured code. Priya also features an open architecture that allows straightforward interface with a number of ERP systems, transportation management systems, and other supply chain management applications.

"Leasing in Beverly Hills made sense 15 years ago when the city had the highest vacancy rate, but when our lease expired last year and the Southern California real estate market soared, purchasing the building next door was a perfect solution," said Motek Controller Caroline Neal. "By moving next door we increased square feet, reduced overhead, and maintained all our established business partners and services in one step."

Differentiating itself through constant innovation, Motek was the first inventory management software supplier to develop a radio-frequency-enabled warehouse management system on a PC, the first on Windows NT TM, the first on Windows 2000 TM, and the first with real-time labor standards. The Priya inventory management software can be configured to support 10 to 300 concurrent users, making it one of the most scaleable and cost-effective systems available

Motek continues its commitment to solve the operational requirements of both low transaction warehouses and high-volume distribution centers. The company does this via its standardized implementation methodology, Tycan TM, that ensures rapid realization of benefits such as: improved worker productivity and process improvement; cost savings by eliminating excess inventory and "safety stock;" improved space utilization; the elimination of data entry errors and "double-keying;" and improved customer service levels.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:19 AM | Comments (0)

China's Fruit and Vegetable Market Remains One of the Last to be Affected by the Development of New Retail Formats in the Mainland Market

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c24936) has announced the addition of Vegetables In China - A Market Analysis to their offering.

Dublin (PRWEB) October 5, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c24936) has announced the addition of Vegetables In China - A Market Analysis to their offering

This report covers the vegetables market in China. The vegetables market is the largest sector of the retail food market in China, yet barely affected by the development of new retail formats.

Although China's fruit and vegetable market is the largest sector in the country's retail food market, it remains one of the last to be affected by the development of new retail formats in the mainland market. The vast majority of fruit and vegetable sales continue to take place at free wet markets in designated open areas or on streets. Here, local farmers supply produce direct from the field to the end consumer.

China's retail vegetable markets do not only sell to individual consumers. Many also supply to institutions and companies, such as restaurants. In these instances, fruit and vegetable retail markets are effectively serving as wholesale traders especially since some fruit and vegetable wholesalers also sell retail. With conventional definitions blurred thus, this report does not attempt to differentiate between wholesale and retail sales, since doing so would make little sense in terms of how the market is structured.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c24936

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:17 AM | Comments (0)

Water Solubility and Low-Temperature Heat-Transfer-Fluid Performance

Paratherm Corporation to present new research at Chem Show Educational Conference in New York City November 2, 2005.

(PRWEB via PR Web Direct) October 4, 2005 -- Sean Stoner, Research and Product Development Manager at Paratherm Corporation, recently undertook to explore how the difference in water solubility of two chemically similar heat transfer fluids directly affects coil freeze-ups at fluid temperatures down to -90°C.

Low-temperature heat transfer fluids are used in the chemical processing industries, typically at temperatures down to -50°C, for reactor temperature-control loops, condenser cooling, and freeze drying.

Further lowering that temperature capability, to -70°, -80°, or even -90°C, can theoretically provide fine- and specialty-chemical producers with more options to increase yields, reduce cycle times and/or increase throughput.

But a number of factors come into play at these low temperatures, factors that can sometimes prevent the application of these theoretical advantages. It can be difficult to completely eliminate and prevent water ingress in these closed-loop cooling circuits. While very small amounts typically pose no problem, above certain threshold quantities dissolved water freezes onto the coil surface forming an ice layer that can significantly reduce cooling efficiency and capacity.

Mr. Stoner will present this work at the Chem Show Educational Conference at the Jacob Javits center in New York City, New York on Wednesday, November 2 at 10:30 a.m., as part of the Keep Your Plant Safe, Compliant and Efficient conference track.

Paratherm Corporation's product line has grown to seven heat transfer fluids and two high-performance system-cleaner liquids, but the service mission of Paratherm Engineers and Staff has remained the same; to use their thorough knowledge and experience with thermal systems and heat transfer fluids, their relationships with heater and equipment manufacturers, and their focused attention on the needs of customers, to deliver smoothly operating systems and applications, and maximum production, to processors that choose Paratherm. Paratherm will exhibit at the Chem Show at Javits Center in New York City November 1-3, 2005, in booth 934.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:17 AM | Comments (0)

October 04, 2005

Lake Champlain Chocolates Introduces Valentine's Day Gifts For 2006

Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC), a gourmet Vermont chocolate maker, has introduced its Valentine’s Day line of retail products.

Burlington, VT (PRWEB) October 4, 2005 -- Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC), a gourmet Vermont chocolate maker, has introduced its Valentine's Day line of retail products. Made in small batches from Belgian chocolate and the finest all-natural ingredients, Lake Champlain Chocolates are carefully crafted by chocolatiers who are fanatical about creating chocolates with the honest individuality, charm, quality, and freshness which are synonymous with the spirit of Vermont. Maintaining its tradition of award-winning packaging, LCC again brings customers one-of-a-kind chocolate gifts for Valentine’s Day. The new gifts cross-merchandise well with flowers and champagne.

"Sales of chocolates on February 14th greatly exceed any other single selling day of the year," said Allyson Brown, Director of Sales. “Knowing the difficulty of customizing gifts on such a busy day, retailers stock up on ready-to-give gifts like classic heart-shaped boxes."

Heart Shaped Boxes --
The luxurious assortment of twenty-two gourmet chocolates in the Grand Heart includes milk & dark chocolate truffles, raspberry creams, and caramels, all in a keepsake heart-shaped box tied with pink ribbon. The Sweetheart’s Assortment tucks eighteen sumptuous chocolates in two stacked trays. The Petite Heart Truffles box holds eight truffles. Six chocolates are nestled in the Small Heart Box. New this year, the Hearts Gift Box is more than 25 milk, dark, and dark mint crunch chocolate hearts wrapped in gold, red, and fuchsia foil.

Additional Gifts --
Five truffles fill the Valentine Truffles box. The delectable dark chocolate Raspberry Truffle Heart Throb is completely handcrafted. Additional products include Valentine Conversation Squares, Hearts Bags, Heart Pops, and new Raspberry Cream Hearts.

Lake Champlain Chocolates offers sweet indulgences that capture the essence of Vermont, the tradition of making fine chocolate, and the pride that goes into each bite. Preservative-free and Kosher-certified, Lake Champlain Chocolates are crafted in small batches from the finest quality Belgian chocolate and select natural ingredients including local Vermont cream, sweet butter, maple syrup, and honey. Lake Champlain Chocolates are available online at www.lakechamplainchocolates.com, toll-free at 1-800-465-5909, as corporate gifts & wedding favors, at three company-owned retail stores in Vermont, and nationwide at specialty food & gift stores and upscale hotels & inns.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:15 AM | Comments (0)

October 03, 2005

FoodGoods and Susan Spicer Collaborate on Relief Effort

FoodGoods, a company that creates goods for food lovers, today announced that it will donate all proceeds from the sale of its 'may the spice be with you' shirt to the Share our Strength Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. Designed specially by FoodGoods and New Orleans chef Susan Spicer of Bayona Restaurant, the tee celebrates Chef Spicer’s eclectic global cuisine to bring hunger relief to those are in need after Hurricane Katrina.

New York (PRWEB) October 3, 2005 -- FoodGoods, a company that creates goods for food lovers, today announced that it will donate all proceeds from the sale of its “may the spice be with you” shirt to the Share our Strength Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. Designed specially by FoodGoods and New Orleans chef Susan Spicer of Bayona Restaurant, the tee celebrates Chef Spicer's eclectic global cuisine to bring hunger relief to those are in need after Hurricane Katrina.

“With so many friends and family in Louisiana and Texas, our hearts were breaking for the communities hit by the hurricane,” said FoodGoods designer Staci Strauss. “We were thrilled to work with Susan to help provide for those who are in need. Share our Strength's dedication to ending hunger was a natural fit; we hope our efforts offer some comfort to the Katrina victims.” she added.

The black American Apparel shirt is printed with green lettering and comes in unisex S,M, L,XL, 2XL and 3 XL. The shirt retails for $35.00, and is available online at www.foodgoods.com or by calling (917) 327-9394.

About Share Our Strength:
Share Our Strength is a national nonprofit that inspires and organizes individuals and businesses to share their strengths in innovative ways to help end hunger. Their Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund is directed to local organizations assisting victims in the affected areas. For more information, check out http://www.strength.org/act/katrina/.

About FoodGoods:
FoodGoodsTM is a line of culinarily-inspired soft goods that strives to promote healthy eating and living while heralding the delectable words associated with food and wine. The company was founded by Staci Strauss and Craig McCord in 2004, and is based in Lower Manhattan. The line of t-shirts, aprons and tote bags, as well as information on FoodGoods' philanthropic partnerships, can be found online at www.foodgoods.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:58 AM | Comments (0)

NEW “Award Winning” SMARTER TARTAR

Innovative new award winning versatile product

Mercer Island, WA (PRWEB) October 2, 2005 -- Get ready for a Smarter Tartar. Have you ever considered using Tartar Sauce on more than seafood or fries? With Puget Sound Foods new Alder Smoked Walla Walla Onion Tartar Sauce…you should.

This versatile new taste sensation was recently awarded the 2005 Outstanding Savory Condiment, Sauce or Flavor Enhancer finalist and the favorite Tartar Sauce selected by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade.

Not only is this Tartar smarter because it’s made with all-natural, preservative free ingredients. Puget Sound Foods new Alder Smoked Walla Walla Onion Tartar Sauce enhances Chicken, Turkey, Pork and so much more. In addition, it is excellent for baking, grilling or barbequing when used as a marinade or basting sauce. With over 30 special ingredients, it will add a wonderful flavor. It also helps keep the food moist by sealing in the juices.

“Our goal was to create a new original flavor for fresh seafood and beyond.” says John Lettengarver, President & C.E.O. “Based on the response we’ve received across the country from our customers, consumers and the industry…mission accomplished.”

Alder Smoked Walla Walla Onion Tartar is marketed under the Puget Sound Foods “World Famous” Pike Place Fish Market Naturals brand which also includes a variety of sauces, condiments, spice blends, rubs, wild smoked salmon and grilling planks.

Headquartered in Mercer Island, Washington, Puget Sound Foods is known for its innovative labeling, marketing and great tasting products.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:57 AM | Comments (0)

Friendly's Restaurants Seen As One of the Most Family Friendly Restaurants on Long Island

“What goes better than chicken fingers and crayons if you have kids?” asked Channel 12 correspondent Elizabeth Hashagen. According to those who voted on www.news12.com, she announced, Friendly’s Long Island is considered one of the “favorite places to eat for families” because it is one of the most “family friendly restaurants” on Long Island.

Ronkonkoma, NY (PRWEB) October 2, 2005 -- “What goes better than chicken fingers and crayons if you have kids?” asked Channel 12 correspondent Elizabeth Hashagen. According to those who voted on www.news12.com, she announced, Friendly’s Long Island is considered one of the “favorite places to eat for families” because it is one of the most “family friendly restaurants” on Long Island.

“Families with children want to eat at a place where everybody can enjoy the experience,” explained Jamie Fahey, Sr, Executive Director of Operations, J&B Restaurant Partners, the company that operates all of the Friendly’s restaurants on Long Island. “For us, it’s all about families and kids,” Fahey said. “We have special menus for kids that give them a lot of different options, with five or six different meals. Plus ice cream,” he added.

With 34 Friendly’s restaurants across Long Island, families have a selection of delicious food choices and neighborhoods to eat in. “We are really excited about this recognition by our customers,” said Joe Vitrano, President and CEO, J&B Restaurant Partners. “As I was growing up on Long Island, going to the local Friendly’s was an important and fun part of my childhood – and even my teenage years – so I am very happy that our work continues to contribute to fun times and wonderful memories for our customers.”

Children aren’t the only ones treated well at Friendly’s. “We have a special senior section for grandparents,” Fahey said. “We also offer low-carb and low-fat food to parents.”

“We realize that if your kids have a good time at Friendly’s, you going to come back,” added Fahey, “because all parents want their kids to be happy. For us, Friendly’s is not just a name; it’s a way of life.”

J&B Restaurant Partners, a Ronkonkoma-based company, operates 50 national-brand restaurants throughout Long Island: Pizza Hut Express, KFC Express, Taco Bell, Friendly’s, Nathan’s Famous and Starbucks Coffee. In addition to these restaurants, J&B also operates all the concessions at Jones Beach and Robert Moses State Parks and the food court at Nassau Community College.

Contact:
Alyssa Nightingale
Nightingale & Nightingale
631-367-8599

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:57 AM | Comments (0)

Historic Savannah's Ballastone Inn Unveils An Up-Close-and-Personal Introduction to Boutique Vintners

Patriarch of Savannah’s luxury bed and breakfast historic mansion inns, The Ballastone Inn introduces a new touchstone -- Ballastone's Wine Tasting Salon. Touted to deliver a pleasurable, unanticipated amenity to the celebrated Inn’s well-traveled guests, the series of periodic wine tasting events will feature the prestigious mansion’s select boutique wine vintners.

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA (PRWEB) October 1, 2005 -- Flourishing through a philosophy of excellence and enthusiasm to exceed guest expectations, Savannah’s premier luxury bed and breakfast mansion introduces a new touchstone -- The Ballastone Inn’s Wine Tasting Salon.

“Uniquely, our carefully selected boutique wines compliment and enhance the privileged mansion Inn experience offered here in Savannah at The Ballastone,” co-owner and Innkeeper Jennifer Salandi shares, giving insights to the Inn’s announcement. “The setting of our handsome Victorian bar is an ideal place for my husband, Jim, and I to facilitate an up-close-and-personal introduction between our affluent guests and our select vintners.”

Set to begin with an event on October 1, 2005, Matt Hobbs, Vice President of the Paul Hobbs Winery in Sonoma County, California, will be showcasing Argentina and California wines from the acclaimed Paul Hobbs Winery. The awarding winning Inn will bring together an evening of boutique, small vineyard wines and a complement of food pairings from the Inn’s richly-praised signature hors d’oeuvres. Featured wines include Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina, and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from California.

More than one review connoisseur introduces Paul Hobbs as a California producer whose new breed of wines enjoys legitimate cult status. “I'm one of the few winemakers making single-vineyard wines. It's a challenge. In my case, obviously, an irresistible challenge. It exemplifies everything that attracted me to winemaking in the first place. I love to take the grapes from a particular site and let them show me different possibilities in the varietal, to make a wine in which the subtleties of the individual vineyard come through -- a wine, you might say, with both a first and last name,” quotes one interview with Paul Hobbs.

Cozily nestled in the hub of the Landmark Savannah Historic District, The Ballastone Inn reports that the historic hotel’s manly bar is one of the most favored places, but one of the historic mansion’s best kept secrets. Touted to deliver a pleasurable, unanticipated amenity to the celebrated Inn’s well-traveled guests, the series of periodic Ballastone’s Wine Tasting Salon events will feature the prestigious mansion’s select vintners. At least for now, the internationally-chic-meets-gracious-Southern-charm event is exclusive to The Ballastone Inn’s guests.

About The Ballastone Inn:
Built in 1838, this sumptuous historic district Inn occupies a four-story Italianate mansion that once served as a bordello and Prohibition Era speakeasy in Savannah, Georgia USA. Named in historical recognition of the King Cotton-era ship’s ballast stones [balancing stones which were discharged on the Savannah River docks from international ports, the landmark move in 1979 began renovations on the mansion which set in motion an affair and honored fascination with the media, industry critics, as well as repeat guests. Today the elegance of the Golden Era and the best of legendary southern etiquette are featured at Ballastone -- Savannah’s distinguished first luxury bed & breakfast small hotel featuring 16 southern-themed private guestrooms and suites. The Inn’s “table for two privacy”(sm), elevator, handsome Victorian hotel bar and 24/7 concierge services differentiate the luxury bed and breakfast mansion in the hub of the Landmark Savannah Historic District. On the National Register as a city historic site, Ballastone is a 2005 Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Grand Award Winner, is recommended by Conde’ Nast Johansens, Fodor’s, Frommer's, and AAA Four-Diamond rated property. Toll free 800-822-4553. On the Internet: www.ballastone.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:56 AM | Comments (0)

AGEL Pre-Launch Creates 'Instant Wellness,' Seeks Distributors

AGEL, a Salt Lake City-based gelceutical manufacturer, will launch the world's first "instant wellness" product line on October 21, 2005.

(PRWEB) October 1, 2005 -- AGEL, a Salt Lake City-based gelceutical manufacturer, will launch the world's first "instant wellness" product line on October 21, 2005. Designed to be the healthy alternative to junk food, but just as good tasting and convenient, AGEL is poised to disrupt both the junk food and health food industries by delivering the best of both worlds, namely, all the nutritional benefits of vitamin and mineral supplements, but in a delivery mechanism that is satisfying to the taste buds and easy to consume as a candy bar or a bag of chips.

The initial launch will comprise four specific functional food products that can be taken together or in isolation depending on lifestyle or health need:

* AGEL MIN (basic nutritional supplement)
* AGEL OHM (energy boosting supplement for athletes and other active people)
* AGEL FIT (a weight loss product that uses no harmful stimulants), and
* AGEL EXO (an immune system support supplement to fight and prevent disease)

AGEL Seeks Distributors, Adds Proprietary Search Marketing Tools and Strategy

AGEL is currently building up its distribution channel to meet the anticipated demand. "Now's the best time to get in. After the launch, everyone will want to a piece of the action," said Valerie Wleczyk, an independent AGEL distributor based out of Austin, TX. "But it may be too late by then," she added.

Wleczyk's distributorship has also added a proprietary marketing strategy to its arsenal in hopes that it will attract more would-be home-based distributors by leveraging the Internet for sales instead of pushy sales tactics.

"This is largely a grassroots undertaking that enjoys a major technological advantage. We have secured the help of Home Biz Ops, an independent research and marketing company to implement a proprietary marketing program that will migrate 80 percent of the sales efforts from arduous word-of-mouth campaigns to the Internet. In effect, Home Biz Ops will be removing 'cold calling' and 'pestering friend and relatives' out of the equation, two impediments that have always steered people away from home-based business opportunities. So we are not only excited about our revolutionary product line but the way in which customers will come to us instead we having to seek them out; the best of both worlds," Wleczyk continued.

To learn more about AGEL, call Valerie Wleczyk at 512-914-1086 or email her at e-mail protected from spam bots

To learn more about Home Biz Ops, go to http://www.home-biz-ops.org or email John Balla at e-mail protected from spam bots.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:55 AM | Comments (0)

Announcing the opening of Arizona Vanilla Company

A new vanilla company has just opened their doors for business. Arizona Vanilla Company of Mesa, Arizona is proud to offer vanilla beans and other vanilla products from their new location.

MESA, Ariz. (PRWEB) October 1, 2005 -- We would like to announce the opening of the Arizona Vanilla Company, in Mesa, Arizona. The Arizona Vanilla Company offers bulk vanilla beans and vanilla products possible. The varieties that can be purchased from Arizona Vanilla Company are Madagascar, Mexican, Tahitian and Bourbon vanilla beans. The Arizona Vanilla Company works directly with the growers of the vanilla bean to ensure the freshness of their products.

The year 2005 had a TREMENDOUS vanilla bean harvest. After several years of hurricanes and other problems in 2000 and 2001 that almost wiped out the entire production as well as the plantations, 2005 has become the turn around year. Vanilla prices are at all times lows, and Arizona Vanilla Company is making sure to pass these prices onto their customers.

Arizona Vanilla Company also offers vanilla extracts, and ground vanilla. In addition to these fine products, Iranian Sargol Saffron and some uniquely Arizona products are offered by the company. In season Arizona Navel Oranges can be purchased as well as Orange Blossom Honey, year round.

Be sure to visit Arizona Vanilla Company at www.arizonavanilla.com.

Arizona Vanilla Company
www.arizonavanilla.com
1509 N. Seton
Mesa, Arizona 85205

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:55 AM | Comments (0)

New Chapter Marketing SuperCharges Home-Based Businesses with 'Instant Wellness' Product

World's first 'instant wellness' product is poised to disrupt both the junk food and food supplements market. Launch planned for October 21, 2005 will focus on weight loss, immune system supprt, energy and basic nutrition.

(PRWEB) October 1, 2005 -- World's first "instant wellness" product is poised to disrupt both the junk food and food supplements markets. Launch slated for October 21, 2005 will focus on weight loss, immune system support, energy and basic nutrition.

AGEL, a Salt Lake City-based gelceutical manufacturer, will launch the world's first “instant wellness” product line on October 21, 2005. Designed to be the healthy alternative to junk food, but just as good tasting and convenient, the initial launch will comprise four specific functional food products that can be taken together or in isolation depending on lifestyle or health need:

- AGEL MIN (basic nutritional supplement)
- AGEL OHM (energy boosting supplement for athletes and other active people)
- AGEL FIT (a weight loss product that uses no harmful stimulants), and
- AGEL EXO (an immune system support supplement to fight and prevent disease)

New Chapter Marketing, a major AGEL distributor, has formed a strategic partnership with Home Biz Ops (http://www.home-biz-ops.org), an independent research and marketing firm that offers free advice on home-based business issues and technology as well as several fee-based services, to bolster the AGEL launch with its proprietary "Home-Based Business SuperCharger," a search engine marketing tool that migrates virtually all sales from pushy, in-your-face tactics, to a pull strategy that automatically pre-qualifies interested prospects from around the world via the Internet.

"We are excited to be working with Home-Biz-Ops.org because traditionally home-based business opportunities have been limited to grassroots sales tactics which were often 'pushy' and alienating to one's friends and family," said Laura King, President of New Chapter Marketing. "With our new partnership, we can now ween ourselves off this dependency and make our entire distributorship network infinitely scaleable and at the same time, much more exciting to our recruits," she added. "With Home-Biz-Ops' Marketing SuperCharger in our arsenal, the revenue opportunities are virtually limitless to our entire network. I believe this is the single most significant innovation to hit home-based business since the advent of the Internet itself. And together, with Agel's disruptive product line, we are creating a new paradigm in home-based opportunities that will forever change the landscape of small business," King continued.

To learn more about AGEL Distributorship, call Laura King at 512-423-5573.

To learn more about Home Biz Ops, go to http://www.home-biz-ops.org.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:54 AM | Comments (0)

AGEL Pre-Launch Creates “Instant Wellness,” Seeks Distributors

AGEL, a Salt Lake City-based gelceutical manufacturer, will launch the world’s first “instant wellness” product line on October 21, 2005.

(PRWEB) October 1, 2005 -- AGEL, a Salt Lake City-based gelceutical manufacturer, will launch the world’s first “instant wellness” product line on October 21, 2005. Designed to be the healthy alternative to junk food, but just as good tasting and convenient, AGEL is poised to disrupt both the junk food and health food industries by delivering the best of both worlds, namely, all the nutritional benefits of vitamin and mineral supplements, but in a delivery mechanism that is satisfying to the taste buds and easy to consume as a candy bar or a bag of chips.

The initial launch will comprise four specific functional food products that can be taken together or in isolation depending on lifestyle or health need:

• AGEL MIN (basic nutritional supplement)
• AGEL OHM (energy boosting supplement for athletes and other active people)
• AGEL FIT (a weight loss product that uses no harmful stimulants), and
• AGEL EXO (an immune system support supplement to fight and prevent disease)

AGEL Seeks Distributors, Adds Proprietary Search Marketing Tools and Strategy

AGEL is currently building up its distribution channel to meet the anticipated demand. “Now’s the best time to get in. After the launch, everyone will want to a piece of the action,” said Valerie Wleczyk, an independent AGEL distributor based out of Austin, TX. “But it may be too late by then.

Wleczyk’s distributorship has also added a proprietary marketing strategy to its arsenal in hopes that it will attract more would-be home-based distributors by leveraging the Internet for sales instead of pushy sales tactics.

“This is largely a grassroots undertaking that enjoys a major technological advantage. We have secured the help of Home Biz Ops, an independent research and marketing company to implement a proprietary marketing program that will migrate 80 percent of the sales efforts from arduous word-of-mouth campaigns to the Internet. In effect, Home Biz Ops will be removing ‘cold calling’ and ‘pestering friend and relatives’ out of the equation, two impediments that have always steered people away from home-based business opportunities. So we are not only excited about our revolutionary product line but the way in which customers will come to us instead we having to seek them out; the best of both worlds,” Wleczyk continued.

To learn more about AGEL, call Valerie Wleczyk at 512-914-1086 or email her at healthyuvalerie @ yahoo.com

To learn more about Home Biz Ops, go to http://www.home-biz-ops.org or email John Balla at jballa @ msn.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:53 AM | Comments (0)

Food Advocacy Groups Profiled on Milk Blog

The Center for Global Food Issues (CGFI), a food and farming related non-profit research and public policy organization, is providing analysis and commentary on several organizations currently lobbying on food-related issues.

Churchville, VA (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) September 30, 2005 -- The Center for Global Food Issues (CGFI), a food and farming related non-profit research and public policy organization, is providing analysis and commentary on several organizations currently lobbying on food-related issues. The profiles and commentary, published in CGFI’s popular Milk is Milk blog, include such organizations as: the Weston A. Price Foundation, Citizens for Health, and Mercola.com (run by Joe Mercola).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering limiting health claims on food labels that aren't completely proven after a government study found such statements confuse consumers. CGFI urges similar scrutiny to all food safety claims, both positive and negative, beyond those found on food labels to include Web sites, marketing materials and other sources.

The full text of CGFI’s commentary can be found at: http://www.milkismilk.com/blog.htm

The Center for Global Food Issues is a project of the Hudson Institute, a tax-exempt non-profit public policy organization, providing factual, science-based information on important food and farming issues.

For more information:

http://www.cgfi.org
http://www.milkismilk.com
http://www.milkismilk.com/blog.htm
http://www.stoplabelinglies.com
http://www.highyieldconservation.org
http://www.earthfarmfriendly.com

Contact:

Alex Avery
Center for Global Food Issues
(540) 337-6354

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:52 AM | Comments (0)

San Antonio chosen by leader in quick-service Mexican restaurants for fresh, new outlet.

Taco Maker will enter a 17th state with location number 156.

San Antonio, TX (PRWEB) October 1, 2005 -- The Rolling Oaks Mall was recently chosen by the leader in Mexican quick service restaurants, The Taco Maker, as its newest outlet. The Mex Grill themed resturant is the 156th store to be opened by Ogden-based Taco Maker in September.

"This will be the seventeenth state with a Taco Maker location," said Gil Craig, CEO. "We have outlets from California to Florida, and from Portugal to the Philippines." The store will be in the Rolling Oaks Mall, located between San Antonio and Austin, Texas.

Rolling Oaks Mall is anchored by Dillard's, Foley's, Sears, and JCPennys. Rolling Oaks has over 100 specialty shops.

Taco Maker features Mexican-American cuisine and was started by Craig in Ogden, Utah in 1978.

"Mexican Quick Service restaurants (QSR) are enjoying an unprecedented rate of growth , outpacing all other segments of the restaurant industry," said Craig. "The Taco Maker is firmly seated as a leader in the Mexican QSR segment."

"The Taco Maker offers various outlet types to meet almost every need from traditional free-standing buildings and mall food courts to its fast growing programs for non-traditional locations which complements the dual branding or co branding concept. The Taco Maker is uniquely positioned to capture its share in the fast growing segment."

Taco Maker is opening an average of two to three franchises per month.

"Taco Maker might be slightly more expensive than many of our competitors," said Craig, "but we take pride in using fresh ingredients and in cooking everything fresh every day."

The chain employs about 1,600 people, with very little turnover.

In 1968, Gil L. Craig began his career in Mexican fast food. After gaining invaluable experience in successfully developing a large franchise system, Mr. Craig founded his own company, The Taco Maker, Inc. (TTM). What was once only a dream has blossomed into an international franchise system in the United States (47 locations), Latin America (90 locations), and even the Far East (10 locations).
(Hear audio clip about Gil Craig as featured on Speaking on Business, August 10, 2005. http://smallbiz.ksl.com/speak-12235i.php )

The world headquarters The Taco Maker, Inc., are located in Ogden, Utah. With new outlet development, outlet sales have continued to grow rapidly. Mexican Quick Service restaurants (QSR) are enjoying an unprecedented rate of growth , outpacing all other segments of the restaurant industry. The Taco Maker is firmly seated as a leader in the Mexican QSR segment.

Long known for its fresh, high quality and flavorful Mexican fast food, The Taco Maker offers various outlet types to meet almost every need fromtraditional free-standing buildings and mall food courts to its fast growing programs for non-traditional locations which complements the dual branding or co branding concept. The Taco Maker is uniquely positioned to capture its share in the fast growing segment.

In 1996 and 1997, TTM began franchising two new concepts -- Jake's Over the Top (18 locations) and Mayan Jamma Juice (5 locations). Jake's Over the Top features a '50's atmosphere and offers a unique line of hamburgers and sandwiches along with fries, onion rings, and all the trappings. Its "over the top" shakes rise two to three inches above the rim of the cup. TTM's Mayan Jamma Juice concept is all about smooth, cool, nutritious and delicious. Real fruit juices are blended with fruit, berries, ice, and other flavorful ingredients for a "tropically refreshing" drink.

Corporate CONTACT:
Name: Dave Champlin
Title: Senior Marketing Director
Street address: 4605 Harrison Blvd
Town, state, zip code: Ogden, UT 84415
Phone: 1-800-207-5804
Fax: 801-476-9788
E-mail: e-mail protected from spam bots

San Antonio CONTACT:
Name: Raj Patel
Title: Owner-Operator
Street address: Rolling Oaks Mall, 6909 North Loop 1604 East
Town, state, zip code: San Antonio, TX 78247
Phone: 210-831-7728
Fax: 210-497-2464
E-mail: e-mail protected from spam bots
Anna Harrier
Area Asst. Mgr. of Mall Marketing
Rolling Oaks Mall/Ingram Park Mall
6909 N. Loop 1604 E.
San Antonio, Tx. 78247
O: (210)651-5601/(210)523-1228
F: (210)651-6326/(210)681-4614

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:52 AM | Comments (0)