Multiple Organics Celebrates 10 Years of Safe & Sustainable Food; Gives Back by Creating Medical Program in Africa and Providing Solar Electricity to South American Farmers

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2001, Multiple Organics, an international wholesale provider of certified organic ingredients, was founded with the goal of creating a more sustainable and safer food system and building healthier communities. Ten years later, it now sources over 100 varieties of strictly-organic ingredients from 6 different continents working with tens of thousands of organic farmers—and has been recognized as one of the fastest growing private companies in America by Inc. Magazine and the San Francisco Business Times.

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Over the last 10 years, Multiple Organics has also helped lead the movement for safer food through the development of its multi-level Multiple Organics Safety and Testing (MOST) program. Additionally, as part of its "triple bottom line" philosophy, which takes into account not only sales and profits, but people and the planet as well, Multiple Organics has also sought out ways to support communities it works with around the world. This year, to give back for 10 years of successful organic growth, Multiple Organics is excited to announce that it has made the commitment to develop a medical program for over 2,000 farmers and their families in Africa and provide solar panels for the homes of organic farmers in South America.

"In the last decade, our team has built long-lasting relationships with the most dedicated organic supplier partners from around the world and helped them create healthier and more sustainable communities. We have created a food safety program that gives us and our customers piece of mind that we are all doing everything we can to provide food that is not only sustainable, but also as safe as possible. While sales are key to any business, for us, these things are the true measurements of success," says David Lanstein, founder and CEO of Multiple Organics.

Safe and Sustainable Food. From the beginning, Lanstein disagreed with the way that many importers traded food like futures commodities with little regard for safety. So he worked with some of the world's top food safety experts to create the Multiple Organics Safety and Testing (MOST) program. MOST ensures precautions are taken at every step of the supply chain including personally visiting suppliers with a food safety expert to complete rigorous safety audits. Prior to being released, each lot is also tested for harmful pathogens at a third-party microbiology lab and comes with a certificate of analysis from the lab to prove authenticity. Recently, Multiple Organics was featured in an article in Food CEO for this multi-level, stringent approach to food safety.

Supporting More Sustainable Communities. From building a kindergarten for tsunami victims in Sri Lanka, to teaching at-risk children in the San Francisco Bay Area about nutrition, to planting an organic garden at an orphanage in Columbia—Multiple Organics has shown its commitment to community in many ways over the past decade. The two new projects that are being launched this year will greatly expand this commitment and provide support that is direly needed in farming communities in Africa and Peru.

The development of the medical program in Africa will keep many minor health issues from turning into life threatening problems. Many African farmers and their families do not have access to medical care because it is too far away, requiring them to take days off of work which they cannot afford. With this new program, doctors will be flown in on an annual basis to provide care and needed medicine to thousands of farmers and their children. Meanwhile in Peru, Multiple Organics will be providing solar panels for the homes of 50 cacao farmers in Peru who currently have no access to electricity. These panels will provide over 6 hours of continuous, eco-friendly energy per day. The next step is to then outfit quinoa farmers in Peru with solar electricity as well.

Many Thanks. Multiple Organics would like to take this opportunity to thank all those it has worked with for the past 10 years. "Together we can create a better world through continuously working toward a safer, more sustainable food system that benefits everyone—from farmers to consumers, to the planet itself. We are all in this together," Lanstein says.

About Multiple Organics Inc.: Multiple Organics is a wholesale supplier of high-quality, certified organic ingredients—including everything from the superseed chia to dried mango filets and allergen-free chocolate products, as well as a long list of other cocoa products, dried fruits, edible seeds, beans, lentils, nuts, peas, specialty grains and sugar. By working together with the entire chain from farm to consumer, Multiple Organics believes that advances in sustainability and food safety can, and must, be accomplished. For more information about Multiple Organics and products offered, visit www.multipleorganics.com.

SOURCE Multiple Organics