California Raisin Marketing Board Announces New Category in Third Annual 'America's Best Raisin Bread Contest'

FRESNO, Calif., March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Raisin Marketing Board (CRMB), the state marketing order that represents nearly 3,000 growers of California Raisins, today announced the expansion of its third annual America's Best Raisin Bread Contest. The contest, open now through August 16, 2010, has expanded the categories of Artisan and Commercial breads to now include rolls, pastries, scones, coffee cakes and any other breakfast breads containing California Raisins.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100309/CG66806)

"As interest in America's Best Raisin Bread Contest grows, we decided to open up the competition to include a broader range of delicious California Raisin bakery products," said Larry Blagg, senior vice president of marketing, California Raisin Marketing Board. "While adding the new category, we are staying true to the competition's original purpose – to recognize aspiring and working bakers for their skills and to celebrate one of nature's best baking ingredients, California Raisins."

Preliminary judging will take place in September to select nine finalists from each professional category and three finalists from each student category to participate in the final bake-off. A total of 36 finalists will receive an expenses-paid trip to the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kansas on October 14 -16, 2010 where they will bake their formulas in front of a panel of distinguished judges from both the artisan and commercial baking industries.  

Twelve winners will be selected based on their formulas' taste, appearance, originality and value.  In addition to industry-wide recognition, winning bakers will receive a five-day California vacation with visits to the Culinary Institute of America, Yosemite National Park, and the San Joaquin Valley – the home of California Raisins!  

To qualify, submitted formulas should be for raisin bread and raisin bakery products currently available in the market or planned for sale in the future. Applications must be submitted along with color photos of the cut cross section and whole finished loaf and filled out in baker's percentages.  Raisin breads, at a minimum, must include 50 percent of raisin content to dry flour weight while other raisin bakery products must include a minimum of 25 percent raisins to dry flour weight.  California Raisin content may include California Natural Sun-Dried Raisins, California Golden Raisins, California Raisin Paste and/or California Raisin Juice Concentrate.  

The contest application, full set of rules and examples of past winning formulas are available online at www.LoveYourRaisins.com.

For questions or additional information, contact Genaro Gonzales at 559-248-0287 or [email protected].

About the California Raisin Marketing Board

A State Marketing Order in 1998 created the 100-percent grower-funded California Raisin Marketing Board. Its mission is to support and promote the increased use of California-grown raisins and sponsor crop production, nutrition and market research.  For more information about the California Raisin Marketing Board and to browse delicious recipes, visit www.LoveYourRaisins.com.

SOURCE California Raisin Marketing Board