Fresh Vegetables Made Easy
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November 2009 Newsletter

November is a busy month. Health wise the awareness spotlight is on National Diabetes Month, National Alzheimer's Month, and National Lung Cancer Month.

Holidays to celebrate are November 11th, Veteran's Day, November 17th World Peace Day and a national favorite Thanksgiving Day, November 26th.

During the busiest months it is even more important to take care of your health. At Mann Packing we will stay focused on our Mission: Fresh Vegetables Made Easy.

We reinforce our commitment to our consumers to provide you with the freshest vegetables for your everyday and holiday tables.

Sweet Potato Interview With Gina Nucci & Produce Business
Gina Nucci, Director of Food Service Marketing gave a detailed interview with Produce Business about the nutritional value of Sweet Potatoes and the health benefits.
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This vitamin packed vegetable is available year round, and Mann's has made the prep work easy for you. They are peeled, cut and ready to cook. They are not just for the winter holidays!

Diet Sodas May Increase Your Appetite
Last week Jorge Cruise published an article in ThinkSmart regarding diet sodas and artificial sweeteners. According to Mr. Cruise's article regular sodas are linked to many things including weight gain, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

He goes on to point out that according to Rory Freeman and Kim Barnouin, authors of the best seller "Skinny Bitch" that diet soda's with artificial sweeteners may actually increase your appetite, rather than suppress it. So we agree, reach for the water and scrap the sodas!

Dining Out Instead of Cooking?
If you are dining out instead of cooking this month you can still enjoy Mann's fresh vegetables. PF Chang's and Pei Wei Restaurants serve Mann's Stringless Sugar Snap Peas. And you can always order Broccolini at the California Pizza Kitchens, located nationwide. It is listed on their menu as baby broccoli.

Ovarian Cancer Warning Signs
Annually more than 20,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and nearly 15,000 succumb to the disease. There is so much information about breast cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer but little about ovarian cancer. This disease is more prevalent in white women over sixty, although no age or ethnic group is immune. The low rate of survival is because it is hard to detect, and once detected it is often in stage 3 or 4. Paying attention to these early symptoms can make a difference:

1. Stomach bloating
2. Increased sensation of stomach feeling full
3. Frequent occurrence of Urinary Tract Infections
4. Increasing pain or pressure in stomach, back and pelvic area

A yearly C125 blood test is another tool in detecting this disease. For more detail go to Mayo Clinic My sister is celebrating her birthday today, 2 1/2 years after being diagnosed and treated. It's good to be in the 25%. Happy Birthday Sister!

Butternut Squash Starts Shipping to Retailers November 10th
This week our new cube cut Butternut Squash will start shipping to retailers. In the USA look for them to start showing up at Safeway, Raley's and Nob Hill Markets. In Canada we are beginning to ship to the CO-OP stores. We will be passing on other retailers as they are confirmed. Besides our on line recipes we found a tempting holiday dish on Epicurious, developed by Jill Hough, who has done some Sugar Snap recipes for us in the past. Try this Butternut Squash Cheddar Bread Pudding.

Epicurious Recipe

Lo Mein Stir Fry is a classic we are bringing back to the marketplace by customer request. It was 1st introduced in 1999. It is currently shipping to Safeway in the North West and Meijer & Spartan Stores in the Mid-West.

Mann's On-Pack Coupon Partners with Gourmet Garden® Herbs & Spices
Mann Packing Company is partnering with Gourmet Garden® Herbs & Spices this month. Shoppers will save $0.55 off any tube of Gourmet Garden® Herb & Spices with the purchase of a 2lb bag of Mann's Broccoli Wokly. And bonus, there are 2 recipes included with this instantly redeemable coupon! Now that's the way to spice up on those cold winter days!

The Women & Men Behind Mann!
Mann Employee Profile
Our very Cool Employee: Scott Silva, Refrigeration Supervisor

On paper, Scott Silva is the Refrigeration Supervisor at Mann Packing; but in reality he manages and does a whole lot more to keep things running at the company's main plant in Salinas on a daily basis.

The Refrigeration Department includes eight full-time employees who work together to maintain the refrigeration systems, cooling systems, cooling and chilling operations, fire and sprinkler systems, water systems and main electrical systems.
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Consumer Questions & Answers
Most frequently asked questions for November 2009:

Question # 1 : Can you reprint the "Thanksgiving Safety Tips" from last year? They were very helpful. They reminded me of my mom. Luella from Dallas.

Answer # 1 : Here you go:
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. For you turkey lovers out there we have a few food safety tips for your big bird! Keep fresh turkeys refrigerated no higher than 40ƒ in your refrigerator before cooking. Frozen turkeys can be thawed in the refrigerator. Allow 24 hours for every 5 lbs and make sure your refrigerator temperature is set to 40ƒ. Cold water thawing is also effective for frozen turkeys. Make sure your turkey is in leak proof packaging. Submerge your frozen turkey in cold water, allowing it to soak for 30 minutes per pound. Keep the water fresh and change it every 30 minutes. Microwave thawing is the third option. If you choose this option, follow the manufactures instructions for minutes per pound. Because microwave thawing will cause "hot spots", only use this method when you are going to cook your turkey immediately after thawing.

When stuffing your holiday bird, only do so just before placing in the oven. Never stuff your bird the night before, as bacteria can develop. Never thaw your poultry at room temperature. Bacteria can multiply rapidly and lead to potential food poisoning. Never refreeze raw poultry that has been thawed.

Whichever cooking method you prefer, be sure to use a meat thermometer. Turkeys need to reach and internal temperature of 165ƒ to avoid bacteria developing.

Mann has some perfect side dishes for you Thanksgiving Feast. Try our Harvest Salad With Sweet Potatoes or Mann's Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Rosemary & Parmesan This one is a savory change from mom's sweet potatoes with marshmallows! Sweet Potato Recipes

And don't forget all of the ways you can use Mann's Broccolini™. This is one amazing vegetable! Broccolini Recipes

Watch for the newest addition of Butternut Squash, peeled, cubed and ready to cook. The side dish possibilities are endless! Butternut Squash Recipes

Whatever your holiday plans are we hope they include good healthy food, good friends & family. And may all of your choices be as easy as Lucy's! She is pondering turkey...broccolini.....turkey....broccolini. I think she should go for both before they come back in the room!

Sincerely,

Susan Cameron
Mann Packing Co.
Fresh Vegetables Made Easy!