Low-Sodium Snack 'Apeels' to Health/Environmental Consumers

San Francisco, June 2010 According to nutritionists, some of the best low-sodium snacks are fruits. With the U.S. eating 50% more sodium than the already-lenient recommended daily maximum of 2300 mg, the FDA is planning an initiative to reduce the sodium in food products, as well as the recommended maximum itself. But some snack products already pass the salt test. Bear Fruit Bar is among a handful of organic, very low sodium (none added), snacks that also contain potassium, a mineral that we need more of per day than sodium. Reducing sodium intake and increasing potassium are both known to lower blood pressure. And according to USDA’s Dietary Guidelines, “a potassium-rich diet also blunts the effects of salt on blood pressure, may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones, and possibly decrease bone loss with age.” Translation: a high potassium-to-sodium ratio is the best. One Bear Fruit Bar contains about 200 mg potassium but just 10 mg sodium. The 100-calorie bar is made of only organic ingredients – mostly dried apple – and is a good source of fiber (i.e., has at least 10% of the Daily Value), due to use of the whole apple, including the peel, where most of the nutrients are found. Many fruit bars are made of apple puree that lacks the peel. The calories and natural sugars are about the same as in a medium apple, and the bar meets the strict FDA criteria for a “healthy” food. “Grabbing a piece of fresh fruit is not always practical,” says avid backpacker Craig Gass of Mountain Organic Foods, maker of the bar. “This snack option wraps up many of the benefits of fresh fruit in a flavorful, convenient form, and without the sodium. We use only organic fruit, out of concern for the environment and to avoid pesticide residues that can be high, especially in non-organic apples.” Bear Fruit Bar comes in four flavors. It is distributed by UNFI, and carried in stores throughout California, including select Whole Foods stores, Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco, and New Leaf markets on the California central coast. For more information about Bear Fruit Bar, to purchase online, or to set up a wholesale account, visit www.morfoods.com.