Headlines

Anaheim Convention Center(3/7-10) 

Strong Turnout Spurs Big Business 
at 22nd Annual Natural Products West　
Back-to-Business Attitude 
Shared by Manufacturers and Retailers Alike 
At Industry's Largest Trade Show

Anaheim, CA-March 15, 2002- More than 25,300 natural product retailers,　 manufacturers and　journalists visited the 22nd annual Natural Products Expo West 2002 at the Anaheim Convention　Center in Anaheim, CA., March 8-10, 2002. Over 2,200 exhibits showcased the latest product　introductions from manufacturers in 67 countries, ranging from Australia to Malaysia. "Manufacturers and suppliers indicated to me that they are seeing an increase in sales and,　as a result, are looking for strong first quarters," said Fred Linder, president, New Hope Natural Media, producers of the annual event. "Buyers and exhibitors alike were excited about　just getting back to business, and we heard comments that this was the best show in the　natural products industry they've seen in years."

"We not only increased the caliber of buyer at the show but were able to bring in more new　buyers than ever before," according to Brian Henderson, senior v.p. trade shows, New Hope　Natural Media. "These qualified buyers made the show a tremendous success." Twinlab's Curt　Comba, vp of sales, western division, echoed those sentiments. "We had a very successful show, lots of positive　energy and we wrote a lot of orders! This was one of the best shows for us　that I can remember in 12 years." The Expo featured a new "show within a show" format with pavilions showcasing products　including supplements; organic; vegetarian and specialty foods; personal care; complementary　and alternative medicine; international; natural living; pet products; raw materials; store　supplies and equipment and others. Each category area was highlighted by a distinct color　scheme, consistent in everything from the carpeting and draperies in each area to the show　signage and color-coded map in the show's directory.

(New Hope Natural Media Online)

Makuhari Convention Center(3/12-15)

Exhibition: FOODEX JAPAN 2002 ( The 27th International Food & Beverage Exhibition)
Date: March 12 [Tue.]-15[Fri.], 2002 10:00-17:00[10:00-16:30/Last day]
Venue: Makuhari Messe (Nippon Convention Center), Chiba Hall 1 - 8

Theme: The Number 1 Food and Beverage Trade Show in Asia and the Pacific Rim.
- Importing the heart and flavor of the source -

Organizers: Japan Management Association, Japan Hotel Association, Japan Ryokan
Association, Japan Tourist Hotel Association, Japan Restaurant Association, Japan Tourist
Accommodation Association

Authorized by (expected) : Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, The Prefecture of Chiba, The City of Chiba, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)

Supported by (expected): 40 organizations
Number of Exhibitors (expected): 2,350 companies / 27,000sq.m.(net)
Number of Visitors (expected): Approx. 90,000

Exhibits at FOODEX:
Food / Agricultural Products, Herbs and Spices, Bread and Cereals, Ingredients, Confectionery, Meat and Meat Products, Dairy Products, Sea Foods, Eggs and Poultry, Seasonings and Condiments, Frozen Food Products, Fruits and Vegetables, Soup Stock
Beverage / Beer, Brandy, Liqueur, Spirits, Whiskey, Wine, Coffee and Tea, Fruit Juice, Mineral Water, Soft Drinks Others / Transportation Services, Books, Magazines, Newspapers

Who comes to FOODEX?:
Procurement Managers / from supermarkets, department stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, trading companies, importers, wholesalers, food manufacturers and processors, Sales Managers/ from trading companies, importers and wholesalers, Owners,
Chefs and Sommeliers / from restaurants, fast food, caterers, bars, coffee shops, cafes and
hotels, Others / food consultants, product planners, from food manufactures, public relations etc.

FOODEX JAPAN 2003 (tentative)
March 11 [Tue.] -14 [Fri.], 2003
Makuhari Messe (Nippon Convention Center)

Kakiuchi Exhibit Booth

　

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  A Door To Japan

 (from Los Angeles Times on March 27, 2002) 

In Torrance, a Door to Japan 

I-naba's spare, stylish décor includes bamboo shades and dainty flowers; add cuisine of sashimi and tempura to evoke the land of its inspiration.
BE THERE
Prices: Dinner for two, $28 to $90.
What to Get: Sea bass saikyoyaki, ten-seiro, shrimp tempura gozen, tempura gozen 

     The minute I cross the threshold at I-naba, I'm overcome by déjà vu. In a Torrance mini-mall, I feel as if I've walked into a restaurant in a small Japanese town.
     It's a stylish place of dainty flower arrangements, slanted mirrors and mustard-yellow tablecloths. Delicate bamboo shades shield the windows. All you hear is hushed conversation and faint music—at least when the sizzling deep fryer momentarily falls silent.
     This spare dining room is not the only place to eat here, though. Hidden by curtains is a private tempura bar for customers who advance-order lavish yorokobi-an dinners.
     Slightly worn blue curtains hang above the main kitchen, but not so low as to hide what the chefs are doing. Mostly, they are frying.
     I-naba serves a wide range of hot and cold Japanese dishes as well as the obligatory sashimi first course for those with more to spend. But crisp, clean-tasting tempura is the main event here. It comes in elegant, complex set menus; you're supposed to work your way into tempura gradually (rarely, if ever, will you see a Japanese diner plunging directly into a fried food course).
     Tempura gozen ($30) starts with perfectly cut sashimi of tuna, yellowtail, white fish, geoduck and octopus, followed by a green salad tossed with a ginger vinaigrette. You also get a bowl of miso soup and a dish of chawan-mushi (a custard stocked with ginkgo nuts, shiitake, shrimp and fish).
     Then, and only then, comes some of the best tempura anywhere outside Japan. First, three long shrimp, tails pointing skyward, flanked by two pieces of boned sole. These are followed by a plate of batter-fried green beans, eggplant, onion, pumpkin and a hot pepper stuffed with a little ground beef.

I-naba CARLOS CHAVEZ

     On the side, there is a dipping sauce laced with grated white radish. Steamed short-grain Japanese rice is served in a covered bowl. There are also salty homemade pickles (tsukemono) cured in rice wine with rock salt and basil. Expect to find tiny slices of cucumber, yellow radish and, if you're lucky, purple basil.
     There are options. Shrimp tempura gozen ($22) gets you some of the sashimi, no custard and fewer pieces of tempura. An assorted tempura course ($40), the largest of the tempura set menus, adds a second wave of tempura, cold soba noodles and an unexpected dessert, such as New York cheesecake.
     Still, tempura isn't all I-naba serves. One entire page of the menu is devoted to fried buckwheat noodles (soba) with toppings, cold with dipping sauce or hot in dashi, the familiar Japanese broth of dried bonito. There are bento dinner boxes, pressed sushi dinners and a variety of wonderful appetizers, a few of which have surprising touches.
     I-naba is proud that it makes its soba by hand. My favorite way to eat it here is ten-seiro ($9.50), for which the noodles are served cold on a wickerwork bamboo plate alongside a bowl of hot broth crowned with kaki-age, a deep-fried patty of chopped seafood and vegetables in tempura batter.
     The appetizer menu deserves notice. Washu-gyu is a clone of the incomparably tender Kobe beef raised in Oregon. It's cut into bite-sized chunks, broiled and served with dipping sauce. Oddly, it comes with a big scoop of American tuna salad, made with plenty of mayo. Perhaps the chef is attempting a Japanese take on vitello tonnato.
     Another appetizer is saikyoyaki, miso-marinated sea bass broiled in the oven. This is one of the best fish ideas anywhere, buttery and sweet with notes of caramel and smoke in every bite.
     If you feel adventurous, call a day in advance and order one of those yorokobi-an dinners (basically, Japanese tea ceremony food plus tempura dishes), which range in price from $40 to $70. As in any Japanese restaurant that serves tea ceremony food, it's impossible to predict what ingredients will appear in the meal, only that you can expect everything to be extremely fresh.
     And that tempura, in all its deep fried glory, will be the featured player in your dinner.

--MAX JACOBSON, Special to The Times

Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; dinner 5:30 to 9:45 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 5 to 8:45 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays.

The company's sustainable farming practices distinguish these chickens from those raised conventionally in this country. While each brand is distinct, the three birds share the following characteristics:

Their feed contains no antibiotics. In contrast, conventional growers use antibiotics to stimulate growth. Chickens taste like what they eat, and at Petaluma Poultry the vegetarian diet consists of corn and soybean meal. Conventional feed contains animal fat and animal byproducts. The chickens grow from day one to maturity in a stress free environment - spacious poultry houses that have natural daylight. They roam freely throughout these barns; the earth floor is covered with a layer of rice hulls, a natural bedding. The chickens receive humane treatment at all times during their lives. The ranchers use sustainable farming methods. (from Product page)

Petaluma Web Site

Welcome to Amy's Kitchen - A Brief History

We didn’t set out to become the nation’s leading natural frozen food brand. All we wanted to do was create a business that would allow us to earn a living by providing convenient and tasty natural vegetarian meals for people like ourselves, who appreciated good food, but were often too busy to cook "from scratch."

We started on a "shoestring," using our own house and barn as headquarters. The founding meetings were held in the same room where we were married and where our daughter Amy was born.

This was in 1987, before the idea of "organic" food had become well known, and when there were very few frozen meals available for vegetarians to eat, either in health food stores or supermarkets. We were, however, very fortunate in being in the right place at the right time. The number of vegetarians had increased dramatically, as had consumer awareness of the harmful effects on their health and the environment of chemicals in the food supply.

Our first product, a vegetable pot pie, was an instant success.

Other products followed in rapid succession, and we made the amazing discovery that they were being eaten not only by vegetarians and those interested in natural foods, but by millions of people looking for easy to prepare meals that really tasted good.

Since then Amy’s has created over 60 frozen meals, including pizzas, pocket sandwiches, pot pies, entrees, snacks and whole meals. In addition, we recently added line of canned soups and chilis and bottled pasta sauces. Our foods are carried by all natural food stores, supermarkets and some club stores in the United States, Canada and abroad.

Although we have considerably expanded our production facilities and the number of people we employ, we have remained a family owned and operated business, sensitive to the needs of our customers.

In spite of the fact that many companies now produce similar products, Amy’s is still #1 in popularity and sales. Our total commitment to quality has made the difference.(from about us page)


Amy's Kitchen Web Site

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