NatureSweet Introduces Adora Heirloom Tomato
NatureSweet, North America’s largest vertically integrated controlled-environment agricultural company and the number one snacking tomato brand is proud to introduce its award-winning Adora Heirloom Tomato to select stores. This unique tomato redefines the taste, appearance, and texture of tomatoes. Adora is a tomato like no other and has earned the ultimate recognition, the Crystal Taste Award, a prestigious distinction given to products by world class chefs with the International Taste Institute that achieved the 3-star Superior Taste Award for three consecutive years. Adora consistently won the award in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Adora offers a one-of-a-kind taste experience, with a perfect balance of sweetness, subtle savory notes, and a hint of smokiness. With a Brix level higher than seven, Adora is the ideal combination of ripeness and flavor. Its high in water content (94 percent) makes it exceptionally hydrating and refreshing. The smooth transition from green to brown along its grooves signals the optimum ripening point, making it easy to identify when it’s at its peak. Renowned for its visual culinary appeal, Adora has even been called the “best heirloom tomato in the world.”
“This is a tomato like you’ve never eaten before,” says Monica Najera Morales, senior brand manager at NatureSweet. “Adora’s superior flavor can elevate any meal, transforming it from ordinary to gourmet. It’s a game changer, and there’s no coincidence that it’s the only tomato with this level of recognition.”
In addition to its robust flavor, Adora is also rich in vitamins A and C, and an excellent source of potassium, which supports fluid balance, muscle function, and nerve signaling. Packed with antioxidants called carotenoids, Adora may help reduce blood pressure, protect against stroke, and lower the risk of chronic diseases.
Adora tomatoes comes in a 17-oz tray (7”x 3”x 2”) and will be available for a limited time at select Aldi grocery stores across the United States starting in mid-November and running through March of 2025.
NatureSweet is the single-source solution for greenhouse-grown vegetables and is the number one best-selling brand in snacking tomatoes. The largest vertically integrated controlled environment agriculture company in North America, NatureSweet guarantees great tasting produce year-round, both organic and conventional.
Its vegetables are carefully grown, harvested, and packaged by about 9,000 company Associates. NatureSweet tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet peppers are handpicked at the peak of freshness and sold at major supermarket retailers throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
NatureSweet is dedicated to having a positive social, environmental, and economic impact within our communities, and its purpose is to transform the lives of millions of agricultural workers in North America through a profitable business model that encourages other companies to replicate. Our efforts around sustainability and social impact have led us to earn B Corp, Fair Trade, and the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) certifications.
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SpartanNash to Acquire Markham Enterprises/Oil
Food solutions company SpartanNash has entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Markham Enterprises, Markham Oil and its affiliates, a three-store chain of convenience stores and fuel distributor in mid-Michigan. Following the closing of this transaction in early December, SpartanNash will continue employment of Markham Enterprises’ 42 team members.
This deal follows the company’s acquisition of Fresh Encounter Inc., announced earlier this month.
“Markham Enterprises fits well in our current retail portfolio, as we look to expand our fuel center and convenience store footprint,” said SpartanNash Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Information Officer Masiar Tayebi. “We are in the process of refreshing many of our existing fuel centers, so this acquisition is another exciting milestone in our investment in this part of our business – and in our strategic growth plans overall.
“We will continue to leverage insights from our fuel centers and convenience stores to continuously innovate our products and operations across our wholesale business, unlocking new customer potential.”
“Our team is impressed with SpartanNash’s business model and the importance they place on their People First culture,” said Markham President and CEO Denise Markham. “We are excited for the ways SpartanNash will expand this business and continue to serve the Perry, Howell and Lansing communities – and our associates.”
The transaction is expected to close in December, subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
SpartanNash is a food solutions company that delivers the ingredients for a better life. Committed to fostering a People First culture, the SpartanNash family of Associates is 17,000 strong. SpartanNash operates two complementary business segments – food wholesale and grocery retail.
Its global supply chain network serves wholesale customers that include independent and chain grocers, national retail brands, e-commerce platforms, and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges. The company distributes products for every aisle in the grocery store, from fresh produce to household goods to its OwnBrands, which include the Our Family portfolio of products.
On the retail side, SpartanNash operates 147 brick-and-mortar grocery stores, primarily under the banners of Family Fare, Martin’s Super Markets and D&W Fresh Market, in addition to dozens of pharmacies and fuel centers. Leveraging insights and solutions across its segments, SpartanNash offers a full suite of support services for independent grocers.
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Elmhurst 1925 Brings Seasonal Collection Back Again
Elmhurst 1925, maker of the world’s finest plant-based dairy products, announces the return of its seasonal collection of fan-favorite products: Apple Pie Spice Blend, Pumpkin Spice Oat Creamer and OatNog. These limited-edition flavors are now available for purchase as shoppers gear up for the holiday season.
Elmhurst 1925’s Apple Pie Spice Blend starts with a creamy oat-cashew base infused with notes of baked apple and flaky pie crust. Barista-approved for crafting the perfect plant-based latte, Apple Pie Spice performs beautifully in hot or iced coffee, and even shines in hot applications like baking. Another fall must-have, Elmhurst’s Pumpkin Spice Oat Creamer, is a simple dairy-free option for adding a touch of cozy sweetness to coffee or tea, with just 1 gram of sugar and 15 calories per serving. And for the winter season, Elmhurst is reintroducing a festive favorite – OatNog! This vegan twist on the holiday classic is crafted with the simplest ingredients and can be sipped on its own, frothed into coffee or hot chocolate, or even spiked with your choice of liquor for holiday cocktails. True to Elmhurst’s clean-label promise, these seasonal treats are made without added gums, oils, or emulsifiers. Available for a limited time, they’ll be on shelves alongside Elmhurst’s core lines of Plant Milks and Creamers.
“Year after year, our customers eagerly await the return of these popular, limited-edition flavors, which made it an easy decision to offer them once again,” said Heba Mahmoud Senior Director of Brand Innovation at Elmhurst. “Fall and winter are a time to indulge in our favorite seasonal treats, and we wanted plant-based consumers to be able to partake without sacrificing flavor or texture. These better-for-you, clean-label alternatives to classic holiday flavors enable everyone to savor the season without the usual sugary syrups, gums or oils found in other seasonal offerings.”
Last year, 46% of consumers purchased fall-flavored food and beverage products and that number is continuing to rise, with more and more companies creating fall flavored products. As consumers prioritize exceptionally made, clean-label products, the brand’s seasonal flavor offerings are perfect for indulging without any sugar-coated guilt.
With roots as a former dairy, Elmhurst’s standards are high when it comes to how plant-based beverages should taste. This is why the brand has expertly selected the simplest ingredients to get these fan-favorite flavors just right, so dairy-free drinkers don’t miss out on any of the fun this season. Indulgent holiday classics consumers can feel good about, Apple Pie Spice Seasonal Blend, OatNog and Pumpkin Spice Oat Creamer are unbelievably creamy, flavor-packed, never diluted, plant-based options with minimal sugar. Known to satisfy even the most passionate dairy-lovers, the three seasonal varieties are crafted with no more than six simple ingredients.
– Apple Pie Spice Seasonal Blend: Enjoy the warm flavors of apple pie with no baking required. Elmhurst’s thoughtfully crafted Apple Pie Spice Blend delivers the classic flavor with just six wholesome ingredients, including dreamy whole grain oats and cashews. Now available exclusively in stores for fall sipping at an SRP of $6.99 (32 fl. oz.)
– Pumpkin Spice Oat Creamer: Celebrate autumn with this delectable limited-edition creamer. At just 15 calories, it’s crafted with whole grain oats and a touch of cane sugar for the perfect sweetness, and free from gums and oils. Enjoy a velvety, creamy texture that brings the taste of autumn to your cup all season long. Now available exclusively in stores at an SRP of $5.99 (16 fl. oz.)
– OatNog: Get into the holiday spirit with this plant-based nog, guaranteed to make your season bright. Made with whole grain oats, buttery cashews, and cozy holiday spices, it’s so luxuriously creamy and rich, you’ll be amazed it’s dairy-free. Now available at an SRP of $6.99 (32 fl. oz.)
Like all Elmhurst products, the seasonal collection is Non-GMO Product Verified, gluten-free, dairy-free, OU Kosher, vegan, and crafted through the company’s unique HydroRelease™ method. Using just water, this process separates the nutritional components of a nut, grain or seed before reassembling them as a creamy plant milk, maintaining the full nutrition of the source ingredient without added gums or emulsifiers. HydroRelease™ upcycles any waste into energy and is powered by 100% renewable Hydroelectric Power to drive sustainability every step of the way.
As a part of Elmhurst’s ongoing recycling program, currently saving approximately 10,000 mature trees annually, all cartons are 100% recyclable and made from FSC-certified paperboard. The brand transitioned from plastic to paper-based shipping materials for direct-to-consumer orders and uses primarily PCR materials for molded fiberboard trays and scrap corrugate as protective filler.
Apple Pie Spice Blend is now available nationwide in Sprouts, Whole Foods Market, World Market, Fresh Thyme, Haggen, Tops and New Seasons Market stores as well as online through Fresh Direct at an SRP of $6.99. Pumpkin Spice Oat Creamer is now available nationwide at Sprouts, The Fresh Market, World Market, Earth Fare, and Tops stores at an SRP of $5.99. OatNog is now available online at Elmhurst1925.com, and will be available later this season through Fresh Direct as well as at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Wegmans, The Fresh Market, Fresh Thyme, World Market, Earth Fare, Jewel Osco, Haggen, Tops and New Seasons Market stores at an SRP of $6.99. To learn more about Elmhurst’s plant-based milks, please visit www.elmhurst1925.com.
Elmhurst 1925 makes simple, nutritious, and incredibly delicious plant-based dairy products. Elmhurst was founded in 2017, but the company’s roots date back to 1925. Originally Elmhurst Dairy, the multigenerational, family-run organization operated for almost a century under Max Schwartz and son Henry. After a meeting with plant nutrition pioneer, Dr. Cheryl Mitchell, Henry made a progressive pivot and decided to close his famous dairy plant and found Elmhurst Milked. All Elmhurst plant milks are created through a unique HydroRelease™ method, which uses water to harness the full nutritional content of raw nuts, grains, and seeds. Nutrients are separated and recombined naturally to form a smooth, creamy beverage without the use of added gums or stabilizers. All Elmhurst varieties have six ingredients or less, no added gums or emulsifiers, and up to four times as many nuts as other leading brands. To learn more about Elmhurst, please visit www.elmhurst1925.com, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.
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