FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NASFT MEDIA CONTACTS:
Ron Tanner VP, Communications & Education | rtanner@nasft.org | 646.878.0115
Louise Kramer, Communications Director | lkramer@nasft.org | 646.878.0130

Diversity Suppliers Featured at Winter Fancy Food Show
Culinary Creativity on Display from Minority-Owned Businesses

San Francisco (Jan. 20, 2013) -- (Virtual Press Office) --  The Winter Fancy Food Show presents the latest twists on global flavors, reinventions of American classics and best-in-class standards from diversity suppliers exhibiting at the show.

Among their offerings are pomegranate aloe juice imported from Korea, spicy barbecue sauce from Honolulu, organic chai from Boulder, Colo., duck mousse pâté from Neptune, N.J., and red pepper fettuccine from Charlottesville, Va.

Now in its 38^th year, the show is the largest marketplace for specialty foods and beverages on the West Coast, with 1,300 exhibitors presenting 80,000 products from across the U.S. and around the world. It runs Jan. 20 – 22, 2013, at Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Among the exhibitors are more than 35 companies owned by African American, Asian, Caribbean, Native American, Middle Eastern and women food entrepreneurs in the Diversity Program offered by the show's owner, the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc. (NASFT). Their products are also in the show's What's New, What's Hot display.

Established in 2002, the Diversity Program aims to encourage and support the participation of minorities and women in the $75-billion specialty food industry through mentoring, education, networking and research.

In the past year, the NASFT and its Diversity Council presented two full-day conferences led by industry leaders on how to go to market with specialty food products. Together they attracted more than 100 specialty food manufacturers, retailers and emerging food entrepreneurs. Immediately before the Winter Fancy Food Show the NASFT held a networking event at Chronicle Books in San Francisco that focused on minority and women-owned companies.

"We are helping food entrepreneurs grow their businesses by presenting opportunities to network, get practical advice and make important industry connections," says Ron Tanner, NASFT's vice president of communications and education.  "The Winter Fancy Food Show provides an important forum for diversity suppliers to connect with the right buyers."

Diversity Program exhibitors include:

The NASFT's Diversity Council is co-chaired by Marsha Echols, NASFT's legal advisor and Laurie Cummins, Alexian Pâtés, Neptune, N.J. The council members include Judi Arnold, Dufour Pastry Kitchens, Bronx, N.Y.; Nikhil Arora, Back to the Roots, Oakland, Calif.; Wendy Chan, Definity Marketing, New York; Shufina English, Caifornia Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity, San Francisco; Cara Figgins, Partners, a tasteful choice company, Seattle (serves as NASFT board liaison); Katrina Markoff, Vosges Chocolate, Chicago;  Paula Rimer, Crepini, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Sukhi Singh, Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Foods, Hayward, Calif.; and Felix Villa, Global Sales and Marketing Solutions, Westchester, Ill.

Fancy Food Show Exhibitor News: specialtyfood.com/winternews

About the NASFT
The NASFT is celebrating its 60th anniversary. It is a not-for-profit trade association established in 1952 to foster commerce and interest in the specialty food industry. Today there are more than 3,075 members in the U.S. and abroad. The NASFT's website for consumers, foodspring.com, provides an insider's look at specialty foods and the companies, food entrepreneurs and artisans behind them. For more information on the NASFT and its Fancy Food Shows, go to specialtyfood.com.

NASFT MEDIA CONTACTS:
Ron Tanner, VP Communications & Education; 646-878-0115, rtanner@nasft.org
Louise Kramer, Communications Director; 646-878-0130, lkramer@nasft.org

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