CravOn® Expands to Northern California Retailers in Time for Holiday Season

BOISE, Idaho, Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- J.R. Simplot Company today announced that CravOn^®, the Company's "never-fried" french fry, will now be available to consumers throughout Northern California, as well as in parts of Nevada.  Starting today, the CravOn brand will be sold directly through Save Mart, Lucky and FoodMaxx retail outlets.  CravOn's expanded availability coincides with the holiday season as families eat more potatoes and seek out healthier food alternatives.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131118/CL18862 )

The introduction of CravOn within Save Mart and its retail brand outlets pushes the total number of retailers carrying the CravOn fries to more than 700 stores.  CravOn is available in a number of familiar varieties, including Ripple Cut, Steak Cut, Diamond Cut and Anytime Diced Fries. CravOn is a healthier frozen french fry with real potato taste and up to 50% less fat than regular fries.

As an eight-month old brand, CravOn continues to gain customer support through its growing retail outlets, aggressive use of social media and onsite promotions.  CravOn has aggressive plans for the Northern California market, including in-store demonstrations, engaging with local nutritionists, co-marketing efforts and continuing to execute hyper-targeted paid media campaigns through various online mediums to promote growth and inspire trial.

"CravOn's healthy approach to preparing America's favorite side dish has been building momentum since it was launched in Southern California," said Rob Myers, CravOn brand manager.  "The expansion to Northern California is satisfying customer demand for a healthier alternative to today's standard fry that is currently flash fried before being packaged. We are thrilled to work with Save Mart and their respected brands to deliver innovation within the category."

CravOn's innovation rests in its elimination of the industry standard flash-frying prior to freezing and packaging.  The CravOn french fry is partially cooked in a blanching process and tossed with olive oil and sea salt before being frozen. With just five total natural ingredients, customers enjoy delicious crispy texture of CravOn that delivers the real, authentic potato taste consumers crave. 

Consumers can find which retailers are carrying the product through the CravOn store locator on the website. To learn more about CravOn, visit www.CravOn.com or connect via social media on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

About Simplot
The J.R. Simplot Company, a privately held agribusiness firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho, has an integrated portfolio that includes phosphate mining, fertilizer manufacturing, farming, ranching, cattle production, food processing, retail food brands, and other enterprises related to agriculture. Simplot's major operations are located in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and China, with products marketed in more than 40 countries worldwide. The company's mission statement is Bringing Earth's Resources to Life. For more information: http://www.simplot.com.

About Save Mart Supermarkets
Save Mart Supermarkets operates more than 225 stores throughout Northern California and Northern Nevada under the Save Mart, Lucky, FoodMaxx, Maxx Value Foods, and S-Mart Foods banners. The privately-held company was founded January 17, 1952 and has always been headquartered in Modesto, California. More information about the company and its banners is available at www.savemart.com, www.luckysupermarkets.com, and www.foodmaxx.com.

Note: CravOn® Fries, 2g of fat per 3 oz serving. Regular Fries, 4g of fat per 3 oz serving based on USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26, data for 11402, Potatoes, french fried, all types, salt added in processing, frozen, unprepared.Customer Contact: 1-800-572-7783

Customer Contact: 1-800-572-7783
Media Contact: Cari Steiner, Fahlgren Mortine, 216-298-4637, [email protected]

SOURCE J.R. Simplot Company