NEVADA, Iowa—Toppings manufacturer Burke Corp. announced the launch of its NaturaSelect line of four fully cooked meat toppings: Italian sausage, seasoned ground beef, sliced Canadian-style bacon and pepperoni.
According to a news release, NaturaSelect products are made from premium-quality, natural, fresh pork and beef that are minimally processed using no artificial ingredients. The pork and beef are raised without the use of antibiotics and fed natural feeds, and the beef is raised without growth hormones. No nitrites or nitrates are added to the Canadian-style bacon or pepperoni.
All products in this new line are fully cooked to reduce labor and training costs and quick-frozen to maintain freshness and shelf life.
"Interest in natural and organic foods in the U.S. seems to be exploding," said Liz Hertz, Burke marketing manager. "Once a niche market, this category is moving into the mainstream—everyday foods for everyday people. Consumers now expect to find natural foods not only as ingredients in specialty aisles, but also on restaurant menus and in frozen prepared foods."
According to the Natural Marketing Institute, about two-thirds of consumers regularly used natural foods and 40 percent used organic foods in 2004.
NaturaSelect products are ideal for menu applications and frozen prepared foods where a natural choice is important: pizza, pasta, appetizers, soups, sandwiches, and casseroles. The meat is packaged in 10-pound cases for foodservice.
Iowa-based Burke Corporation is an industry leader in fully cooked ethnic and specialty meats for foodservice, industrial and retail markets, with products under five brands: Premoro Italian meats, Tezzata Mexican meats, MagniFoods specialty meats, NaturaSelect natural meats and Burke retail meats, as well as customized private-label products.
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