Whole Foods Market(R) Expands Kosher Selection in Time for Passover

AUSTIN, Texas, March 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI) has expanded its line of kosher food products in all U.S. locations, making it easy for families preparing this year's Passover celebrations. In addition to kosher turkey and chicken, Whole Foods Market offers kosher for Passover matzo, cake mixes and macaroons, as well as traditional celebration foods like gefilte fish, smoked salmon and lamb shank bones.  

"With the addition of so many kosher for Passover foods, Whole Foods Market is a one-stop shop for complete Passover and Seder menus," says Errol Schweizer, Whole Foods Market global grocery director. "We have more kosher food products than ever, many of which are also organic and whole grain."

From now through Passover, Whole Foods Market offers menu suggestions and recipes to help plan Seder dinner and Passover menus.  

Since September 2009, Whole Foods Market has offered kosher chicken and turkey products, provided by Kosher Valley™, which are certified by Rabbi Yechiel Babad and the Orthodox Union.  Kosher Valley's antibiotic-free kosher line is one of the first of its kind in the United States.

"There has been huge demand for our antibiotic-free, kosher poultry products since we began offering them six months ago," says Theo Weening, the company's global meat coordinator.  "Besides being kosher and antibiotic free, the Kosher Valley poultry also has terrific flavor that our shoppers keep coming back for."

Exclusive to Whole Foods Market are two new kosher for Passover matzo products: Aviv organic matzo and Yehuda organic and whole wheat matzo.  Whole Foods Market continues its partnership with Streit's, the only family-owned and -operated matzo producer in the United States, which has removed artificial ingredients and preservatives from many of its products.  In addition to Streit's matzo, Whole Foods Market offers Streit's vegetarian and gluten-free macaroons, all-natural, vegetarian cake mixes and stuffing mixes that are free of hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and MSG.

Avvio grape juice, an essential part of the Passover Seder, is exclusively available at Whole Foods Market.  Shoppers can complete their Seder Plates with lamb shank bones, offered free of charge.  

For Passover recipes and more information, go to blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2010/03/celebrate-passover%E2%80%A6naturally/.

SOURCE Whole Foods Market