Organic Fruit Bar Makes Online List of Snacks With Taste and Nutrition

PR Newswire, July 14, 2005. HOOD RIVER, Ore., July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The new Bear Fruit Bar from Mountain Organic Foods has been added to a list of snack foods with "great taste and good nutrition" at Winningfoods.com (http://www.winningfoods.com/snacks.html). The bar, available in 4 flavors and made entirely from organic apples and organic fruit juice concentrates, was selected for its nutrition merits and its "winning" taste, texture and convenience -- qualities that encourage consumption of healthier foods such as fruit. Each bar contains more than one apple, with no added sugar or citric acid (a tart-tasting preservative). Dried apple, the primary ingredient, contains soluble fiber from pectin, making it heart-healthy, diabetes-friendly (it's low on the Glycemic Index) and dieter-friendly (it provides satiety longer than most "carbs," for fewer calories). Because of its fiber content and lack of fat, the Bear Fruit Bar meets newly enacted school nutrition criteria for snacks in various states (e.g., California, pursuant to SB19). The bars contain no allergens such as wheat, dairy or nuts. Ken Newman, an organic fruit farmer in Oregon, and Craig Gass, a San Francisco area backpacker/climber/attorney, created Mountain Organic Foods with the goal of finding new markets for organic fruit that might otherwise end up in the "conventionally grown" sales channels. Bear Fruit Bars are made using a patented process that combines organic fruit and fruit juice concentrate in a way that eliminates the need for preservatives and results in a two-year shelf life. "When climbing, I wanted something indestructible, sweet but with staying power, easy to digest and free of junk," says co-owner Craig Gass. "This is the un-candy bar, for those who prefer real food for their energy boost." Bear Fruit Bars are a convenient "organic apple a day" for those at work, school or backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail. The bars are sold online and at select stores in Oregon and California, including the Kaiser Medical Center's Food Farm'acy in Oakland, CA, which has nutrition criteria for all products sold. For more information, including links to organic resources, visit http://www.morfoods.com. Since 2003, http://www.winningfoods.com has been a consumer-friendly showcase of food products selected for their winning combination of taste, nutrition and convenience. SOURCE Palate Works Web Site: http://www.morfoods.com