New Item! Mrs. Robertson's Shortbread Cookies

Mrs. Robertson’s Shortbread Cookies now available!

Grandmother Robertson emigrated from Scotland in 1912 and brought with her a cherished family recipe for shortbread.

Mrs. Robertson's grandson Joseph has drawn upon her recipe to create a traditional shortbread masterpiece. The cookies are baked with quality ingredients and the real creamery butter gives them an extraordinarily rich and delicious flavor.

Mrs Robertson's Shortbread Cookies are baked in small batches by the 1st place winner of the prestigious 2005 Coupe Du Monde Boulangerie (World Cup Of Baking) held in Paris, France.

Vantage is proud to be selected as a wholesale supplier for these wonderful treats. We offer buyers the choice of retail-ready 8 ounce packages or gift tins which make great gift or gift basket additions.

You can view the Mrs. Robertson's Shortbread Cookie listing on our web site by clicking on this link: http://www.vantageusa.net/products.asp?category=15

What is "Natural" anyway?

Over the past few years there has been much written and discussed regarding the terminology of the word "natural" in particular relation to its usage in marketing food products.

In its origin, a reference to a foodstuff as natural went without further question. If something had "natural" listed on its packaging, or if it was sold in a strange-smelling and small 3-or-4 isle store with natural somewhere in its name...then that product was assumed to be as wholesome and clean as anything can be.

With the proliferation of health concerns in countless categories; everything from our kids to the aging population, from food-animal welfare to the environmental stewardship, it's no wonder that marketers have caught on - and in many cases exploited - the perceived benefits of labeling something as "natural".

Enter the U.S. Government. Our U.S.D.A. Food Safety and Inspection Service has set-forth the definition and criteria of legally labeling meat and poultry products as "natural" as this: "A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product) may be labeled natural.
The label must explain the use of the term natural (such as - no added colorings or artificial ingredients; minimally processed.)

Although this labeling criteria was a benefit to consumers as there wasn't a previous standard, it does leave many loopholes for savvy (?) marketers to slip through, and still legally label their products as natural.

Here at Vantage, we are steadfast in upkeeping the USDA mandates for legal labeling of products. This includes ALL categories; from natural to organic and everything in-between, such as "antibiotic free" and hormone free".

We segregate items which carry these claims in the product category area of our web site, and they are grouped together under sections which are labeled by their specific claims, such as "USDA Natural, USDA Organic, USDA Antibiotic Free, etc.

All of our products or suppliers that carry and/or display any of these categorical terms are verifiable by official U.S. Government-sanctioned certifying bodies, and we supply the actual certification document to this fact for our customers right at our web site.

Holiday Wholesale Product Specials

It's that time of year again! Time to plan your holiday food item offerings, and as usual, Vantage has a wide range of incredible products to make it easy for you to offer your customers the very best.

This year, we have natural turkeys from Bell & Evans. These fresh turkeys are raised on a vegetarian diet with no animal by-products, and are antibiotic free.

* Each turkey is fed a diet that consits of corn, soy, vitamins and minerals.

* Raised in modern, spotless, open sided pole barns.

* The turkeys are free to roam, with plenty of fresh air and clean well water.

* Each house produces only one flock per year to avoid disease and the need for drugs.

* The turkeys are bred to grow slower to produce an extremely broad breast.

* Bell & Evans turkeys are confirmed "Lite" by the USDA.

* 55% less fat and 25% less calories than other raw turkey.

* Packed in a clear bag so you can see what you are getting.

* Each turkey has a specially-designed pop-up timer to assist with cooking.

Vantage is also offering several types of holiday hams. We have Amish Valley spiral sliced hickory smoked hams, as well as spiral cut bone-in half hams from both Smithfield and Tyson.

For further product details and information, be sure to visit the Holiday Specials page by clicking on this link:

http://www.VantageUSA.net/Holiday.asp

Happy Holidays from Vantage!

Antibiotics In Meat Production

The use of antibiotics has substantially boosted the efficiency of meat production. However, some medical experts fear that this practice will impart resistance to antibiotics in bacterial pathogens, rendering the antibiotics useless in treating disease.

Microbiologists Dr. Mark Rasmussen and Dr. Tom Casey of Iowa State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service Veterinary Medical Officer Dr. Steven Carlson recently documented for the first time the strengthening of disease-causing bacteria from the interaction with protozoa inside the rumen of beef cattle. This research, during which an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella became especially virulent while inside rumen protozoa, suggests that naturally occurring, digestive-tract protozoa may be a place where dangerous bacteria can hide and develop.

The researchers, who are with the ARS National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa made the findings while following up on research regarding protozoa behavior, microbial response to antibiotics, and the hiding places inside cattle of a highly pathogenic strain of E. coli.

Meat Traceability

One of the biggest issues surrounding food safety these days is with regard to the traceability of the supply. No more contentious is this opportunity than in the beef business. With the proliferation of B.S.E. (Mad Cow Disease), E. coli 0157:H7 and other connected problems, the beef industry is scrambling to enact systems in hopes of negating these threats.
As an example of this massive industry-wide effort, a research company in New Zealand has recently developed a DNA traceability technique for use with meats which could be used by processors as a source verification method. The company said it developed the method to help processors sell top quality meat with guaranteed origin certified labeling. The method could allow them to charge a "considerable premium" for their meat, say the scientists.

Insert Vantage. We understand the potential perils and negative environmental effects of mass animal raising and production. Our Heritage Farms Natural Angus Beef is a testament to our commitment in the area of small farm/ranch environmental husbandry and source verifiable production.

Heritage Farms does not raise animals for many different programs - only for one. When the animals are ready for fabrication, they are the only animals in process. This system completely eliminates the co-mingling of products, and means the traceability of the meat goes all the way back to the exact place where the animal was raised.

Newfangled methods of verification such as retina scanning and laboratory DNA testing inevitably add significant costs to products. The Heritage Farms program relies on tried-and-true, simple and cost effective small batch production.

Heritage Farms Natural Angus Beef. Wholesomeness you can trust from the company you've relied on for years.

New Retail Bison Products

Vantage is pleased to announce the addition of new retail packaged bison meat products from Tender Bison!









The Tender Bison brand from North American Bison Cooperative is the culmination of more than 300 member bison ranches in the United States and Canada. The NABC was formed in 1992 and operates a state-of-the-art USDA processing plant in North Dakota which is HACCP as well as EU certified.

Vantage has expanded on its line of wholesale bison and is now offering several portioned and retail packaged bison products from Tender Bison:

• Bison Burgers 1/4 Pound Patties

• Bison Steaks:

Bison Denver Strip Steak, Bison Sirloin Steak & Bison Tip Steak

• Bison Chuck Roast

• Bison Hot Polish Sausage, Bison Bratwurst & Bison Hot Dogs

• Ground Bison

Tender Bison is a free-roaming, all-natural product which is antibiotic and hormone free. The bison are never fed any animal by-products, which eliminates concern for BSE and related diseases.

Report: Nitrites in cured meat linked to lung disease

Reported by By Stephen Daniells for FoodNavigator.com:

"People who regularly eat cured meats are 71 per cent more likely to have symptoms of lung disease than people who never eat this type of meat, says a new study from the US.The nitrite content of cured meat has been proposed to be behind the observations. But R. Graham Barr, an assistant professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York told FoodNavigator.com that the research, the first to look at the effects of nitrite consumption in humans, has no current implications for the cured meat industry.
"This is a first, cross-sectional, observational study. Further research is needed before we make any recommendations regarding public health," he said.
Nitrites are added to meat to retard rancidity, stabilise flavour, and establish the characteristic pink colour of cured meat. Studies and recommendations by health and governmental organisations ensure the safety of such products.
The implications of the research, said Professor Barr, may be on our understanding on what causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) beyond cigarette smoke.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mainly affects smokers, and is the number four cause of death worldwide. It is characterised by chronic inflammation in the small airways of the lung and leads to excessive mucus production, excessive fibrous connective tissue development (fibrosis), and degradation of proteins (proteolysis). There is no cure.
Yet a reported 10 per cent of people who die from COPD are said to have never smoked in their lives, a statistic that suggests that other factors beyond smoking may play a role in the development of the disease.
One such factor may be nitrites in cured meat, Barr and his co-worker Rui Jiang told attendees at last weeks European Respiratory Society annual congress in Munich.
The American researchers noted that animal studies have shown that nitrites in food can produce reactive forms of nitrogen that can damage the lungs, causing alterations in lung structure similar to those that characterise emphysema."