WHOLE FOODS PARTNERS WITH STREITS

From Whole Food’s blog Whole Story:

Latkes

…Expanding our selection of kosher products that meet our strict quality standards has been a challenge. Many suppliers still use artificial preservatives and other ingredients we will not carry in our stores. That’s why we are excited to announce that Streit’s has agreed to take the artificial additives and preservatives out of many of their products. Streit’s is a well-known kosher foods producer, the only family owned and operated Matzo producer in the U.S. – they are still based in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

We’ve partnered with Streit’s to bring the first ever sulfite-free potato pancake mix to market. The “clean” potato pancake mix will be featured at our stores this holiday season, and Streit’s has been converting their whole production line to move away from artificial ingredients. In addition, we will be carrying their traditional matzo ball soup mix, as well as a mix made with whole wheat flour.

Our partnership with Streit’s is having a nice ripple effect on the kosher food industry as a whole. Andrew Lansman, head of kosher distributor A&L Foods, puts it this way: “Five years ago, kosher manufacturers didn’t even care about being all natural. Now, most are trying to reformulate their product line so they can be all natural. If they do have clean items, they are promoting it on the packaging and in their sales presentations. In addition to the reformulation of existing products, many new items have been developed because of Whole Foods Market’s influence, including many whole grain and organic products. If a new item is being developed, the first question the kosher manufacturer will, of course, ask is if they can do it kosher, but the second question they will ask is if they can produce it clean.”

Aaron Gross, President of Streit’s, sums it up: “Being a family owned and run company, we have a strong sense of holiday and place great importance on family gatherings. We understand the importance of providing healthy products that use clean nutritional ingredients while still placing a strong emphasis on traditional kosher meals.”…