It's always better to buy organic produce, but some are a little dirtier than others. So which ones should you really buy organic?
Enter the DIRTY DOZEN and CLEAN FIFTEEN report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The lists draw from 32,000 samples of 48 popular produce items tested by the USDA and FDA. Some items on the dirty list can contain up fifteen different pesticides!
Do you want to know which produce items benefit from organic farming? Read more here!
Ginger is one of the oldest spices to be cultivated, and plays an integral part in medicinal and culinary aspects of Chinese and Indian cultures. Ginger is known to be a flavor enhancer, but many people tout the potential health benefits of ginger.
Our sliced and TBC ginger root are great in the following applications:
Our ground ginger root work wonderfully well in culinary applications like cookies, bread, and crackers.
If you would like more information on our ginger offerings, please contact us here.
Have you read the news?
Walmart recently announced their Organic Food private brand partnership with Wild Oats, a brand that has been pioneering healthy eating since the 80s. Walmart aims to drive down organic food pricing as much as 25 percent lower than that of competitor's brands. They will be introducing over 100 products, including daily staples like canned beans and olive oil.
The sheer volume and scale of big boxed retailers like Walmart will drive overall demand - this means that more and more people will be switching to organic!
We are looking forward to more and more manufacturers switching to organic ingredients - we'll be here, ready to supply your needs.
The human body only needs 500 mg of sodium daily to function properly, and most processed foods' sodium content far exceeds this number. For example, a pre-portioned single slice serving of cheese has 1,662 mg of sodium, and even then you may need to add salt to your recipes to enhance flavor or extend their shelf life.
There is a large concern over the general intake of this mineral both by doctors and the public. It’s clear that we all need some of this important electrolyte in our diets for our bodies to function properly, but in some people, too much sodium can lead to hypertension. People with congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis, and kidney disease must monitor their sodium intake, and everyone else should be aware of the potential dangers of too much sodium in the diet.
There’s been reaction in the food industry regarding the addition of salt to their products, and a variety of “low sodium” and “no added salt” products are now available.
At OSI, we understand your need as a manufacturer in this day and age. Our ingredients are clearly marked on our labels - we will never add anything to our products without you knowing about it, so you can be sure about what goes into your food. All of our seasoning blends are salt and sugar free, so that leaves you in full control over your final product. That’s part of our pledge to you.
Oleoresins are a naturally occurring combination of oil and resin that can be extracted from plants. They are a highly concentrated substance that exists in liquid form.
The extraction process begins with raw spices that are cleaned and ground, then the spices' oils are distilled using an organic solvent.
Different plants require different methods of extraction; common ways to extract are through water (steam distillation), oil, and alcohol, and each can vary in the level of concentration they produce. The content can be controlled and fine tuned through the use of various solvents and pressures.
For final use, these products are typically dispersed in a dry neutral carrier or liquid such as vegetable oil to the desired strength. They have many applications:
Because they have the same properties as the original spice, they can replace whole or ground spices without compromising aroma, flavor, or texture.
As a result, oleoresins have a lot of advantages over whole or ground spices. Oleoresins are easy to store and transport because concentrated forms reduce space and bulk. They can be more heat stable than raw spices and have a longer shelf life due to lower moisture content.
Radiation, synthetic chemicals, and high heat destroy precious plant properties. Distinguishing various methods of extraction for each particular plant and working in small batches ensures product freshness. Our oleoresins are free from contamination and standardized so you are assured of consistent concentration and flavor.
Asafoetida, or hing, is a spice that can be alarming to the uninitiated - strong, brash, and potent, it's not for the weak palate. Used mostly in central Asian cuisine, western nicknames for this spice are devil's dung and stinking gum. In fact, the name Asafoetida is derived from the word "fetid" - or, "smelling extremely unpleasant".
While odorous right out of the container, asafoetida tempers beautifully when cooked. Traditionally, a small amount is sauteed with hot ghee or oil, and then the oil is used to cook curries. Asafoetida is a popular substitute for onion and garlic in Eastern buddhist cuisine, and the flavor is reminiscent of leeks.
Asafoetida is harvested gum from the Ferula plant, and is usually "cut" with flour so that it can be easily used in culinary applications. Our organic asafoetida product is cut with ground fenugreek, so it's gluten-free and anyone can enjoy it!
Inquire about our organic, gluten-free asafoetida.
We are proud to announce the release of the these new products:
(click on the names to see product details)
- Organic Aji Amarillo
- Organic Chervil
- Organic Chia Seeds
- Organic Grains of Paradise
- Organic Leek Flakes
- Organic Achiote Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Balti Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Bangkok Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Blackened Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Cake Spice, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Falafel Seasoning
- Organic Fisherman's Wharf Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Paella Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Rogan Josh Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Shichimi Togarashi, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Steakhouse Rub Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Tagine Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Tikka Masala Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Togarashi Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Turkish Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
- Organic Vadouvan Seasoning, Salt and Sugar Free
If you would like to obtain estimates or place an order, please contact your rep.
If you're new to us, contact us here and our New Business Development team will get back you.
Products are subject to availability.
We are excited to work with Trou Normand, a local restaurant in the Soma district of San Francisco.
Chef Salvatore Cracco uses only organic spices (from our retail SPICELY line) to create delicious charcuterie, such as guanciale, mortadella, pate, and various sausages.
[click for more photos]
Culinary trends tend to trickle down from innovative forerunners like Trou Normand (a sister restaurant to the James Beard award winning Bar Agricole). We expect that in the next couple of years, more and more restaurants will be switching from conventional to organic ingredients. The growing trend is that eaters want to assurance that their food is real - traceability and certifications will play a larger role in both restaurant hospitality and food manufacturing.
Does your business already use our certified organic spices and herbs? If so, we'd love to feature you on our blog!
Please contact us and our PR team will get back to you as soon as possible.
While consumer ecommerce is getting more and more sophisticated, online B2B commerce lags behind. Yet the case for B2B ecommerce has never been stronger. Forrester Research reports that moving your B2B customers from offline to online ordering channels delivers significant competitive advantages, including decreased customer acquisition costs, higher average order value, ability to service more accounts, increased customer lifetime value, and an 80% decrease in commerce related error. With such clear benefits, B2B ecommerce is on its way to becoming universally adopted.
OSI has created a powerful B2B ecommerce portal for NetSuite SuiteCommerce customers. The portal extends NetSuite’s capabilities into an intuitive user experience that helps sell more products, retain more B2B customers, and helps inside sales reps focus on high value activities rather than on manual processes.
Key Features include:
Branded User Experience
The B2B portal reflects your brand, with a user experience comparable to best-in-class consumer sites.The B2B portal allows you to market to your B2B customers, and gives them the opportunity to explore, browse, download files and research products. That ease of use translates to higher average order value.
Order Placement and Tracking
B2B customers can place and then track orders throughout the shipment process, taking the burden off your customer service reps. This streamlined sales support process allows you to deliver consistent levels of service at scale.
Invoice Payment and COA downloads
B2B customers can make payments using credit cards. And they can download certificate of analysis on placed and fulfilled orders. Once the account is set up, it’s completely self-service. Which means you can service any size account - from small, low volume accounts to large, high volume accounts.
Shopping Lists
The B2B ecommerce portal saves previously placed orders for simple checkout. Shopping lists make it easy to access frequently ordered sets of products and also help manage seasonal inventory needs. Sample and Quote request function also available
View Recent Order and Invoices
Customers/Partners can view and download orders as well as invoices, giving them full control over their entire business processes.
Please contact your OSI account executive for a live demo of OSI B2B Portal
Can salt ever be defined as organic? Yes, if the term is used loosely as a marketing tool, but technically, no, it cannot. Let’s begin by understanding the differences between organic and inorganic as they relate to matter.
An organism is a living thing and contains carbon atoms. Only organisms, whether living or dead, are defined as organic substances. Non-living things cannot be organic. They contain no carbon or hydrogen atoms unless left there by a living organism, and are considered to be inorganic substances or compounds.
The term certified organic is not associated with the nature of compounds. It refers to the strict guidelines that limit the use of pesticides and synthetic materials and do not damage the environment. It’s a regulatory system whose guidelines are set by the United States Department of Agriculture. Foods that do not comply with these standards are considered non-organic, not inorganic.
The requirement for certification is what sets organic and non-organic products apart. Independent organizations that act as advocates for the consumer oversea farm inputs and operation, and the growing and processing of agriculture that is to be certified. Without strict compliance, certification is denied.
There are many salts that are not processed and are free from pesticides or synthetic substances. They can be certified as organic in other countries by reputable organizations. But because salt is not an agricultural product, it cannot fall under the guidelines of the USDA Certified Organic program, and therefore we do not include salt in our blends. Doing so would compromise our products’ Certified Organic status.
We know our supply chain so we’re comfortable with the assurance that we’re selling products with integrity. All our blends are salt free and 100% organic, with the exception of sumac, which contains 3% salt.
![[MADE] Charcuterie With Organic Spices](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5282e5f8e4b05ddf097866b8/1395243391982-03PQAOZE19EET91S6GXL/OSI_blog.jpg)
