Nation's Top Fresh Salsa Manufacturer, Garden Fresh Gourmet, Seeks To Distance Itself From Garden Fresh Foods Recall

FERNDALE, Mich., Nov. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ferndale, Mich.-based Garden Fresh Gourmet (www.gardenfreshgourmet.com), manufacturers of the top-selling Garden Fresh Gourmet Salsa brand and other leading deli food items, is looking to distance itself from the growing recall of products manufactured by Garden Fresh Foods (www.garden-freshfoods.com), a separate company operating under a similar name.

Garden Fresh Gourmet wants consumers to be aware that its line of Garden Fresh Gourmet salsas, Garden Fresh Gourmet tortilla chips, Garden Fresh Gourmet hummus and Garden Fresh Gourmet dips are not part of the 74 branded items currently involved in the Garden Fresh Foods recall.

Since news of the Wisconsin-based Garden Fresh Foods recall first came to light back in Sept. Garden Fresh Gourmet has received hundreds of inquiries from concerned customers regarding the safety of their favorite deli brand. The company's ownership seeks to make clear the fact that Garden Fresh Gourmet has nothing to do with the similarly named Garden Fresh Foods company.

"We've done our best to clarify via our own website and social media spaces the fact that our salsa, hummus, dips and tortilla chip products are perfectly safe to eat," said Garden Fresh Gourmet founder and CEO, Jack Aronson."Despite our best effort to clarify the issue, the two brand names are so close that we fear there is still a great amount of confusion out there."

Aronson noted that Garden Fresh Gourmet has an unblemished record of food safety, and that its plants are certified not only by the FDA, but also by the Safe Quality Food Institute (www.sqfi.com), which is considered the gold standard in the manufacture of safe foods.

"We understand it's atypical to issue a press release regarding a product recall that doesn't involve your own company, but the sheer volume of calls and the close similarity of names has us turning to this unusual tactic," added Aronson. "Obviously, we wish nothing but the best of outcomes for Garden Fresh Foods of Wisconsin, and the safety of all the consumers who have purchased their products."

For the latest on the active Garden Fresh Foods recall, please visit: www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/ucm369696.htm

About Garden Fresh Gourmet
Ferndale, Michigan-based Garden Fresh Gourmet is the nation's largest provider of premium salsas, tortilla chips, hummus and dips. Its revolutionary line of Garden Fresh Gourmet Salsas ignited the category when introduced 15 years ago, and today it is the number-one selling fresh salsa brand in the world. The Garden Fresh Gourmet line of tortilla chips is the best-selling deli brand in the nation, and Garden Fresh Gourmet is among the top three producers of hummus in the U.S. With a small-batch approach to manufacturing and an ingredients panel that features only the freshest natural ingredients, Garden Fresh Gourmet has established itself as one of the leading providers of premium deli products. For more information, visit www.GardenFreshGourmet.com.

SOURCE Garden Fresh Gourmet