New Bulk Offering Will Serve the Growing Interest From Manufacturers, Retailers & Food Service

Winnipeg, Manitoba (August 3, 2006) - Manitoba Harvest has announced the addition of Organic Hemp Seed Nut to their line of bulk organic products.  This nutritious ingredient and snack food is offered in 5 pound, 25 pound and 200 pound pails and is a bulk item designed to meet the needs of food manufacturers, retailers with bulk food sections, restaurants and food service companies. 

Demand for hemp seed nut continues to grow as more health-conscious people are discovering its amazing nutrition profile, rich flavor and culinary versatility.  Manitoba Harvest Organic Hemp Seed Nut has a soft texture, attractive sesame seed-like appearance and offers a nutty flavor similar to pine nuts.  It is increasingly used by food companies as a nutritious ingredient in bread, cereal, cookies, nutrition bars, muffins and grain dishes.  Examples of successful natural food companies that add hemp seed to their products include French Meadow Bakery (bread), and Nature’s Path (waffles & cereal). 
There are many recipes for organic hemp seed nut at www.manitobaharvest.com/recipes, but perhaps the most common kitchen use is to toss it into a salad. 

“Hemp seed nut is nature’s best and most-balanced source of omega-3 and omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) and that is fueling interest from nutrition experts, consumers, retailers and manufacturers,” says Mike Fata, President and co-founder of Manitoba Harvest.   In addition to the high concentration of EFAs, hemp foods have a strong digestible protein profile, abundant fiber content, and a wealth of minerals and natural antioxidants including Vitamin E, Vitamin C and chlorophyll. 

“The organic movement has taken off and many of the food companies that use hemp seed in their products are creating new organic offerings that require organic ingredients like our organic hemp seed nut,” says Fata.  “To keep up with demand, Manitoba Harvest increased their organic hemp seed acreage by 500% this year.  “Our increased acreage and facility expansion will allow us to offer Organic Hemp Seed Nut in our consumer packaging later this year,” says Fata.

Manitoba Harvest Organic Hemp Seed Nut is made fresh on-demand – an approach that is important for ensuring the nutritional value and flavor of hemp foods.  Manitoba Harvest products are packaged in containers that are impermeable to light and oxygen to prevent degradation of nutrients, and the packages are flushed with an inert gas to seal in freshness. 

Founded in 1998, Manitoba Harvest is proud to be a hemp foods-only company that contracts hemp seed production on 5,000 acres by more than 25 farmers who are shareholders in the company.  Their organic, non-GMO seed is processed into hemp protein powder, hemp seed oil, hemp seed nut, and hemp seed nut butter at the company’s USDA organic certified processing plant.   Since Manitoba Harvest is an integrated producer of hemp food products, the largest in North America, they control production from “seed to shelf,” and are therefore able to ensure freshness and quality.  Manitoba Harvest products are offered by more than 3,000 natural food retailers in North America, including Whole Foods markets and Wild Oats.  For more information, please visit www.manitobaharvest.com.