All Nielsen-Massey employees involved in the transport of vanilla from one place to another have now been re-certified in the handling of hazardous materials by an outside trainer.

It may seem strange that a product such as vanilla should be considered a hazardous material, but because of government regulation, that's exactly what it is. The FDA, in its standard of identity for vanilla, states that, among other things, pure vanilla extract must contain at least 35 percent alcohol. Because of this high alcohol content, the DOT (Department of Transportation) considers vanilla extract a flammable liquid. Flammable liquids are shipped as hazardous materials.

The transportation of hazardous

materials in the United States is regulated by the Hazardous Materials Regulations. Nielsen- Massey is responsible for classifying their shipments according to the applicable regulations whether by common carrier, sea, air, UPS, RPS or Federal Express.

All employees involved in the transportation or preparedness of a product for shipping must be trained in correct procedures by an accredited body outside of the company. In the case of Nielsen-Massey, this means all employees, from the president on down! In December, Nielsen-Massey brought in a consultant from J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc., Neenah, WI, to conduct an on-site all day training session for the entire staff. The day was spent becoming familiar about changes in the regulations, markings and labeling of packaging and classification of substances.

All employees took a written test at the end of the training session and passed with flying colors. Each is now certified to handle and ship hazardous materials. This certification will be renewed every two years.

This 4,900 gallon tank is housed in a room with blowout walls due to the explosive nature of alcohol used to make vanilla.

Cool, refreshing fruit smoothies made with Nielsen-Massey Vanilla provide a cool and healthy treat on a warm summer day. For a quick and easy smoothie see the recipe below.

As retail stores gear up for the

summer months, cool, fresh, and natural may be a few key words that come to mind when thinking of product promotion ideas. Low calorie, tasty and easy to prepare also may be on your mind. So, why not incorporate the best of both worlds and offer smoothies made with fresh fruit and of course, vanilla!

Smoothies are gaining popularity as refreshing and healthful drinks that cross the line between health food and fun food. By incorporating pure vanilla into the formulation, you can add dimension and interest to a basic recipe.

Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla is a wonderful accent to the fresh flavor of fruit smoothies. Flavorists at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas have found that the smooth mellow flavor of Madagascar Bourbon

Pure Vanilla is a good combination with the sweet-ness of strawberries and the mild taste of ba-nana. They have also found that pure vanilla is capable of taming the acidic character of citrus fruits and pineapple, making it a valuable addition to the beverage formulator.

Nielsen-Massey's all natural Mada-gascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract or its Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract are both good choices when an additional flavor topnote is needed without the addition of sweeteners or artificial flavors.

So try a fresh approach to a cool treat that will keep them coming back for more!

Behind the Bean

After the delicate flavor matter has been extracted from the vanilla beans, a batch of vanilla has been made and finished product is labeled and ready to ship, the job is not yet finished. The product still needs to get to the customer - without fail. To make sure that this happens is our featured Behind the Bean person for this Vanilla Vine - Julian Hanna.

As Head Shipping Clerk, Julian is responsible for organizing all product orders for shipment. He also maintains product inventory, and sees that all orders are shipped out at the proper time and by the appropriate carrier.

Julian has been working in the food industry for three years now,

Selling vanilla products made easier: New Point of Purchase brochure available

Hot off the press is a new brochure from Nielsen-Massey. It's small enough to nestle next to the vanilla display, but large enough to incorporate important details about using pure vanilla products. This convenient, quick read reference brochure is designed to help the consumer choose the proper vanilla for their desired application. It explains the differences between Madagascar Bourbon, Mexican, and Tahitian Vanillas. Also, uses for Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Powder, whole beans and its certified Organic Vanilla are highlighted. As a bonus, it includes four delicious recipes using Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla ideal for the home baker, the novice cook or the simply curious. Whether you are the one stocking your shelves with vanilla products or the one

Practically since the initial opening of the Nielsen-Massey Netherlands manufacturing facility, there has been an interest in the retail packaging of our products for European distribution. Since 1991, England has been supplied with retail vanilla product imported from the United States.

The European market for Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla has increased significantly in the past eight years, both in the size of orders and in the number of customers. Therefore, it was decided to begin bottling Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla at the Dutch facility.

This will accomplish three things. It will avoid the costly import duties placed on American-made vanilla due to its alcohol content, as well as the high cost of shipping from the United States. It will also reduce the time involved between the time an order is placed and when it is received by the customer.

One sticking point has been to find a bottle, manufactured in Europe, that duplicates the distinctive Nielsen-Massey brown Boston round bottle used for both four ounce and eight ounce packaging. After months of research,

a bottle that is almost an exact duplicate was found. Nielsen-Massey is now moving ahead to find carton and label suppliers. The new bottling facility will necessitate the purchase of a new labeling machine. The filling machine currently in use is adaptable to multiple sizes of containers and quantities, so that a new filler will not be required.

Before fall begins, we hope to be shipping pallets of retail bottles from the Netherlands into England, and throughout Europe. Soon, the continent will be covered in the sweet aromatics of the best vanilla in the world.