An Innovative New Zealand-made Gourmet Bite-sized Savoury Wafer Awarded GFCP Trademark
Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) January 22, 2014 -- The Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) in partnership with the Canadian Celiac Association and the American National Foundation for Celiac Awareness are proud to announce that Rutherford & Meyer of New Zealand has been certified by the GFCP. The introduction of a line of gourmet gluten-free rice wafers (savoury crackers) is now available to the retail community bearing the GFCP trademark of assurance.
Jan Meyer, owner, Rutherford & Meyer stated, “I am extremely proud of our recent GFCP certification and our strong commitment to providing delicious and safe food for the gluten-free community. As the first New Zealand company and the second in Australasia to obtain the GFCP mark, Rutherford & Meyer continues to be innovative in its approach when addressing consumer needs, but never at the expense of taste and safety.” Jan also confirmed, “This announcement also comes on the heels of receiving nomination for the NZ Food Technology Outstanding Food Companies Award. This award acknowledges how hard we all worked to stay ahead of our competition whether it is through our exporting, our food safety programmes or the products themselves.”
The product line of rice wafers includes: cheese & chives, poppy seed and original rice wafers. Prepared with natural ingredients and no artificial colours or flavours the wafers have a crisp lightly baked texture that creates a fantastic taste experience. Great as a snack on their own or paired with cheese, dips and antipasto selections, the wafers allow consumers either electing or requiring a gluten-free diet to prepare their favorite appetizers with ease and visual appeal. The Rutherford & Meyer website has some wonderful gluten-free recipes that can be incorporated and adjusted for your family favorites: http://www.rutherfordandmeyer.co.nz. As well, the Rice Wafers, Rutherford & Meyer’s Fruit Pastes and Honey Plus are also gluten free.
“By displaying the GFCP trademark, the Rutherford & Meyer Gourmet Rice Wafers provides consumers with a trusted and easily identifiable source of gluten-free products. The recent interest and growing demand for gluten-free products across all snack food types and the desire to continuously innovate, has fueled Rutherford & Meyer’s desire to obtain this food safety certification,” says Paul Valder, president of the GFCP. “The GFCP program has been working with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, Assure Quality as the certification body and the New Zealand Celiac Society to help develop products unique to New Zealand that can also be part of a thriving gluten-free export business, not only in Canada and the United States but also throughout the world.” Rutherford and Meyer will be sampling these delicious gluten-free treats at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco this week.
About the Gluten-Free Certification Program
The Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) was developed so consumers can shop with confidence by selecting those safe, reliable and gluten-free products displaying the GFCP trademark and is endorsed by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness in the United States and the Canadian Celiac Association, within Canada.
The GFCP is a voluntary certification program is designed to help brand owners to differentiate their gluten-free products from the increasing clutter of gluten-free claims on retail packaging. The process is predicated on a robust third-party audit certification process at the manufacturing facility, which verifies their ability to regularly meet the stringent GFCP requirements, when managing gluten as part of their food safety programs.
This voluntary food safety program has been embraced by both manufacturers and retailers throughout North America, setting the standard for gluten-free product manufacturing. http://www.glutenfreecertification.ca
About the Canadian Celiac Association (CCA)
The Canadian Celiac Association is the national voice for people who are adversely affected by gluten, and is dedicated to improving diagnosis and quality of life. Based in Mississauga, Ontario with 28 Chapters across the country, its mission includes advocacy, education, research and community support.
About the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) is a US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that drives diagnoses of celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders and improves the quality of life for those on a lifelong gluten-free diet. For more information, visit http://www.CeliacCentral.org.
About Rutherford & Meyer
Owned by Jan Meyer and Russell Coventry, the Rutherford and Meyer organization has a small and dedicated team of foodies who are passionate about creating gourmet products that enhance the lives of their customers. The product range has grown considerably to include the Fruit Pastes, Gourmet Wafers, Waterbites, Rice Wafers and Honey Plus. A New Zealand treasure that began with old family recipes being used for preserving surplus ripe fruit from the summer harvest today has evolved into a thriving export business reaching the European and North American market. http://www.rutherfordandmeyer.co.nz
Tricia Ryan, The Gluten-Free Certification Program, http://www.glutenfreecertification.ca, +1 416-259-6611, [email protected]
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