Americans concerned about great taste and health are turning from refrigerated hummus dips to an authentic Mediterranean alternative available on grocery store shelves that is shelf-stable and includes no man-made preservatives.

First launched in 2003, Wild Garden Hummus Dip is available in most grocery and retail food stores but is expanding into schools and airlines as “Wild Garden Hummus To Go single serve.”

“Consumers recognize Wild Garden Hummus Dip offers great taste and health benefits. We are witnessing a market change similar to what other ethnic dips like Mexican salsas saw decades ago,” explained Mark Smith, Wild Garden's Vice President for Sales.

“There was a time when you could only get salsa from the deli section limiting availability. Once it moved to the refrigerated sections of stores, mainstream salsa purchases soared. Today, Wild Garden Hummus Dip is available with bean dips, salsas and other shelf-stable condiments.”

Shelf-stable means it does not need to be refrigerated until opened, Smith explained. Wild Garden pasteurizes and vacuum-seals the hummus dip, using only natural preservatives such as citric acid, “a fancy word for lemon juice which acts as a natural stabilizer that keeps the product fresh,” Smith said.

“This offers huge benefits to retailers who can enjoy bulk purchase savings. Consumers can also now find healthy, great tasting and authentic hummus dip in far more circumstances,” Smith said.

“Cost-conscious school districts are recognizing the benefits of providing healthy alternatives in student lunchrooms. Airlines find they can serve hummus in its natural authentic state without the huge cost overhead of requiring refrigeration before serving.”

“Wild Garden Hummus Dip to Go” single serve is served to students in 20 school districts and is offered to airline passengers by United, Delta and Alaska Airlines.

“The airlines are excited about this product because of the great taste and the health aspects. United Airlines has Wild Garden Hummus Dip in the RiteBite Snack Box, which is popular among passengers concerned about great taste and health. It was named as one of the best airline food snack boxes in the industry,” Smith said.

“Wild Garden Hummus to Go” single Serve is available in Delta's Crown Room lounges at airports and available to First Class passengers on Alaska Airlines.

Wild Garden Hummus Dip comes in eight flavors, Traditional, Sun Dried Tomato, Roasted Garlic, Jalepeno, Fire Roasted Red Pepper, Black Olive, and Sweet Pepper. It is sold in several sizes from a popular 13.4 ounce jar, to the 2.4 ounce “Single Serve” jars and tetra deli packs.

“The traditional way is to eat it is as a dip with either bread or pita chips. We are finding consumers are using it in many other ways including as a sandwich spread, as a butter, and as a mix with salads,” Smith said.

Retailers offering Wild Garden Hummus Dip include Cost Plus/World Market, Walgreen's, Albertsons, Safeway, Publix, Jewel and Dominicks, and in regional supermarkets like Strack & Van Til, Treasure Island, and Butera. It is also available at mass merchandisers like Wal-Mart, Costco and Sam's Club.

EDITORS NOTE: Wild Garden would like to ship a Sample Product Box to any interested reporters or editors. Email: rhanania@ziyad.com.