Neil Jones Food Company Announces Organic Offerings for 2009 Season

The Neil Jones Food Company introduces six new organic tomato products this season. Packed from fresh, organic California tomatoes, these new product offerings have the same rich flavor of San Joaquin Valley tomatoes, yet provide the added benefit of organic harvesting that consumers are now drawn to. Certified organic by both the USDA and CCOF, the seals give consumers the peace of mind that the company has undergone rigorous inspection of farm fields adn the processing facilities. Packed in Hollister, CA, these items are currently available through select distributors across the country.



The new items include Organic Diced Tomatoes in Juice, Organic Whole Peeled Tomatoes in Juice, Organic Fully Prepared Pizza Sauce, Organic Tomato Sauce, Organic Tomato Paste, and Organic Tomato Puree. Available in #10 cans under the nationally recognized San Benito label, expect the same quality and value associated with teh brand for over 75 years. With various applications, each item offers a different menu option for foodservice operators.



The Neil Jones Food Company proudly supports sustainable harvest practices with goals to preserve environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. The organic growers are held to strict requirements to ensure tomato crops are of the best quality while protecting the environment and human health. Sustainable agriculture and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) are the keystones to the NJFC philosophy.

California Tomato Harvest

The California Tomato Harvest is coming to an end. So far, we've seen high yields and great quality. Per the current USDA audits, we are showing about 12.3 million tons harvested as of 10-3. This is right on target with the original estimate of 13.5 million tons for the 2009 pack season. The chart below is provided by the Processing Tomato Advisory Board. Check out their website for more up-to-date information regarding harvest.

http://ptab.org/

2009 Tomato Processing Industry at a Glance

The California Tomato Processing Industry set a new record high last week and will likely set another record for the upcoming week if the projections are accurate.

Week ending 8/1/09 = 1.08 million tons

YTD = 3.02 million tons

Projections for week ending 8/8/09 = 1.11 million tons

More information can be found at http://www.ptab.org/

How Healthy Are You Living?

The gentle rains, the moderate temperatures and the rich fertile soil of the Pacific Northwest provide the perfect growing conditions for Bartlett Pears, Purple Plums, Bing and Mt. Rainier Cherries and Cranberries. At NWPacking we pack in the traditional canning style utilizing the latest technology. We carefully select fruit from the finest orchards to ensure that the fruit packed under our Oregon Trail label is the highest quality available. Quality assurance monitors the entire process through palletizing, but our obsession with quality control isn't limited to the processing line. Our field technicians begin with the growers, working with them to develop better planting, growing and harvesting techniques. We also operate a completely equipped food laboratory. Fully trained food technologists test the product at every stage of processing to assure the highest standard of quality.

Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. All forms of fruits and vegetables provide a positive contribution to the diet, not just fresh. Our canned fruits provide a convenient and inexpensive alternative to less nutritious snacks and menu items.

As seen on the chart below, cranberries have the highest levels of antioxidants per gram. Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. They may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection. Take advantage of our NEW Oregon Trail Canned Cranberry Sauces for a nutritious addition to your holiday menu.

Contact The Neil Jones Food Company for current information regarding 2010 pack. Packing canned sweet cherries, purple plums, Bartlett pears and cranberry sauce NOW!

www.neiljonesfoodcompany.com

Value, Value, Value

Two products offered exclusively by San Benito offer mega yield and rich tomato flavor. Don't miss out on Diciotto Mega Yield Pizza Sauce with Basil and Cuore Del Sole Ground Unpeeled Tomatoes in Puree.

Diciotto delivers maxiumum pizzas per case, cutting costs per pie. Each case is fresh-packed within six hours of harvest using only hand selected, vine-ripened California tomatoes from the San Joaquin Valley. DICIOTTO (de-cho-to) means 18 in Italian, as in 18% minimum tomato solids. When Diciotto talks about Mega Yield, we like to lay it on thick.

Cuore Del Sole Ground Unpeeled Tomatoes in Heavy Puree are made from the same freshpacked, hand selected, vine-ripened California tomatoes in the San Joaquin Valley. The product has abundant tomato particulate, giving it a rougher, more natural look and texture. With a vibrant red color, this product has a wide range of uses. Try it in your pizza sauce, pasta sauce, as a base for salsa, and even marinara sauce.

For further product information, or for product samples, call 1-800-291-3862 or visit us at http://www.neiljonesfoodcompany.com/

SW Foodservice Expo

In just over 30 days the Southwest Foodservice Expo will be held in Dallas, Texas at the Dallas Convention Center. From June 28-30, exhibitors will be showcasing new products and services to the Southwest region. The Southwest Foodservice Expo is one of the largest foodservice tradeshows in the nation, attracting foodservice professionals from across the United States. It’s a great place to network, see new products, and learn about new services. New this year, Expo is bringing a Taste of Italy to the show floor in the Taste of Italy Pavilion. Join us at booth #946 in this pavillion to see our full line of tomato products. Italian food is one of the most popular and fastest growing segments of the foodservice industry. The Neil Jones Food Company will showcase the products that go into this cuisine- marinara sauce, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, and whole peeled pear tomatoes are just a few options. See what's new and how you can incorporate a little taste of Italy in your menu.

Eating Tomatoes for Better Health

BENEFITS

Tomato consumers should be advised that several independent studies have confirmed health benefits from the consumption of tomatoes. Tomatoes have a red-pigmented antioxidant called lycopene. Lycopene neutralizes free radicals that can damage cells in the body. Several studies have linked diets high in tomatoes with lower risks of cancers, heart disease, atherosclerosis and mascular degeneration. Lycopene may also play a role in reducing blood pressure and high cholesterol. Along with the massive benefits lycopene provide, tomatoes also contain large amounts of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Potassium and Iron, contributing to a balanced and healthy diet.

DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS

There is no recommended dietary allowance or dietary reference intake for lycopene, but studies suggest that about 30 mg daily is beneficial. That's roughly 1-1/2 cups tomato juice or a single serving of fettuccine with tomato sauce (Harder, CNN.com).

FRESH VS. CANNED

You might be wondering about the comparison between fresh and canned tomatoes, well, cooked tomatoes weaken the fruit's cell walls, which make it easier for your body to absorb the lycopene. A 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce is equivalent to as much as five medium raw tomatoes. The lycopene is located in the cell wall of the tomato, so by cooking it, the healing compound is more fully released. Tomatoes don't lose any of their nutritional value in the high heat processing, making canned tomatoes just as viable and beneficial as fresh tomatoes.

California's Fight for a Water Solution

The tomatoes we use for processing are grown in the San Joaquin Valley of California. The California sun is ideal for vegetative growth and tomato plants thrive in the warm temperatures, though the fields require adequate soil moisture, which has provided quite a challenge this year. California has been in a severe water crisis and many districts were on zero allocations. Reservoirs were drawn so low last year, that we are currently 20% below normal. Recent rainfall has had a positive impact, but not enough to pull California out of the drought.

Two weeks ago Congress held a hearing to assess actions by federal and state agencies responding to the emergency. Representative Devin Nunes, who was giving testimony in front of the panel, said “The solutions to this drought are clear. In the short term, we must turn the delta pumps back on and start pumping the water to the communities, water users and farmers who need it most. The long term solutions to the problems in the delta are alternative conveyance and storage” (Campbell, House committee reviews state's drought crisis)

The national news focusing on California’s issues have garnered the attention of Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salazar have been working to come up with an economic stimulus project that would help water infrastructure in California. The Governor and Secretary Salazar announced $260 million in economic stimulus projects from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) to help on water instrastructure, drought relief and fish restoration projects. The direct impact of the $260 million on California's farm workers has been fairly vague, but they did release a breakdown of funding for important projects.

Funding for Projects Announced April 15:

$40 million for immediate emergency drought relief in the West, focused on California. These investments will allow for the installation of groundwater wells to boost water supplies to agricultural and urban contractors, the facilitation of the delivery of Federal water to Reclamation contractors through water transfers and exchanges, and the installation of rock barriers in the Sacramento Delta to meet water quality standards during low flows;

$109.8 million to build a screened pumping plant at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam to protect fish populations while delivering water to agricultural users irrigating approximately 150,000 acres; $22.3 million to address dam safety concerns at the Folsom Dam near Sacramento, which is currently among the highest risk dams in the country for public safety;

$8.5 million to repair water-related infrastructure at Folsom Dam;

$20 million for the Contra Costa Canal to protect water supplies for 500,000 Californians and to build fish screens to restore winter-run Chinook salmon and the endangered Delta smelt;

$4.5 million to restore the Trinity River and honor the Federal government’s responsibility to the Native American Tribes;

$26 million for Battle Creek Salmon/Steelhead Restoration project, which will help restore fisheries that support thousands of jobs in northern California.

$4 million to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan for conveyance systems to move Central Valley Project and State Water Project water, habitat restoration and adaptive management;

$4 million to broaden scientific knowledge of Klamath River sedimentation for future management decision-making;

$20.7 million in smaller water infrastructure and related projects across California.

Although we face crisis today, the solutions are on the way. California farmers are optimistic that with this news of federal funding, they will receive help to maintain their fields and keep the agriculture of California afloat. With improved water conditions, tomato farmers in the San Joaquin Valley are optimistic that the overall 2009 crop will be fair to good-sized, though it is still too early to make any valid guesstimates on the overall tonnage.

Economic Challenges Shed Light on the Neil Jones Food Company’s Flexible Pouch Packaging

Several issues are giving the tomato processing industry a real challenge for new pack ’09. Pricing will be affected by the rising cost of steel, raw product costs, and the limited water California is receiving.

Known industry wide, the cost of tinplate has risen dramatically since last year. An unavoidable increase was eminent when the steel suppliers announced an increase for ’09 at +48.2%. The increase was driven by a significant increase in global tinplate pricing, rising labor costs, and energy and freight costs. This is undoubtedly the biggest influence on increased pricing affecting the entire industry of tomato processors, though raw product costs and water shortages in California will also affect this years harvest.

The silver lining to the issue is that The Neil Jones Food Company has a cost saving line of tomato products available; Old California Pouch Packs. TomaTek, one of three processing facilities operated by the Neil Jones Food Company has been processing California tomatoes and fresh-packing in flexible plastic pouches since 1989. These pouches provide numerous benefits to customers, including ease of handling, energy efficiencies, reduction in waste costs and they take up less storage space. The Old California line comes in #10 can equivalent sizes and is shelf stable for up to 2 years. The product cases have less case cube and weight than the #10 can cases. This innovative packaging provides the same great flavor and quality to our vine-ripened California tomatoes as the canned counterparts.

The Old California line includes:

Chopped Tomatoes in Light Puree
Ground Peeled Tomatoes in Heavy Puree
Extra Heavy Concentrated Crushed Tomatoes
Super Heavy Concentrated Crushed Tomatoes
Fully Prepared Pizza Sauce with Oil & Spices
Tomato Paste
Heavy Tomato Puree
Extra Heavy Tomato Puree
Tomato Catsup
Marinara Sauce
Tomato Sauce
Chili Sauce

Our Competitive Edge

The Neil Jones Food Company is a US food processor producing Finest Quality Natural and Organic Tomatoes, Northwest Fruits, Cranberry Sauces, Juice Concentrates and Custom Sauce Blends. We are a privately owned, family-run corporation based in Vancouver, WA. We operate three processing facilities, all of which run on the tradition of excellence and high standards.

Our nationally recognized brands include:
Oregon Trail Canned Pears, Cherries, Plums and Cranberry Sauces
Earthpure Canned Organic Tomato Products
NWPacking Juice Concentrates
San Benito Canned Tomato Products
Old California Pouch Tomato Products
Earthpure Pouch Organic Tomato Products
Perfect Pouch Custom Sauce Blends
TomaTek Industrial Tomato & Sauce Ingredients
*Our product offerings are completed with our Pacific Breeze Canned Pineapple, Mandarins, Peaches, Apricots, Fruit Cocktail, Pepperoncinis and Kalamata Olives which are imported from some of the best growing regions around the world.

The company is an important supplier to the retail, foodservice and industrial segments of the food industry. In addition to shipping directly from our processing facilities, we replenish over 18 forward warehouses across North America to enhance service to our customer base. Product packaging includes cans in all key sizes, 55 gallon drums, pails, 300 gallon bins and hot fill pouches ranging in size from 4 oz to 190+ oz. We are under continuous USDA inspection, are Kosher & Halal certified, hold CCOF Organic certification, and are EDI capable. The Neil Jones Food Company’s tradition of service and quality has been passed down through generations and continues to be the foundation of our business.

As food industry competition increases, the need for manufacturers, distributors and operators to provide value has never been greater. With that in mind, we continue to invest and innovate in our production facilities, information technology and our raw product sourcing.



If you'd like more information regarding our company's history or any of our product offerings, contact our Marketing Coordinator at 800.291.3862.