BEECH-NUT® NUTRITION CORP. – An Industry Innovator for Over 75 Years

Headquartered in Albany, New York, Beech-Nut Nutrition Corp. has a rich history of industry innovation and a heritage of dedication to infant nutrition. Beech-Nut was the first company to put baby food in glass jars and the first to produce a complete line of baby food with no unnecessary additives such as sugar, starch or harsh spices.

"We are working constantly to develop innovative new products packed full of the healthiest, leading-edge nutrition,” says Christoph Rudolf, President and CEO of the Hero Group. "We make products we are proud to put on the market, so you can be proud to put them on your table.”

Most recently, Beech-Nut introduced their Good Morning and Good Evening line of products. Good Morning provides babies with nutrition to start the day that lasts all morning long, and Good Evening is a healthy balance of nutrition for a calm and relaxing evening. The products are Beech-Nut’s latest innovation in infant nutrition and utilize prebiotics and whey protein.

In 2002, Beech-Nut became the first baby food manufacturer to develop and market a line of baby food with DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Now there’s Beech-Nut Stage 2^® DHA plus⁺_™. DHA, found naturally in breast milk, is recognized by pediatric and nutrition experts worldwide as an important building block of the central nervous system. Research has shown that DHA supports a baby's mental and visual development.

While focusing on infant nutrition since 1931, Beech-Nut originated in the scenic upstate New York Mohawk Valley town of Canajoharie in 1891, where the company's plant still employs over 350 nearby residents in the production and distribution of its products. Raymond P. Lipe, childhood friend John D. Zieley, their brothers David Zieley and Walter H. Lipe and Bartlett Arkell launched The Imperial Packing Co. with the production of Beech-Nut ham. The product reproduced the superior flavor of the smoked hams of Raymond and Walter's father, Mohawk Valley farmer Ephraim Lipe. Ham and bacon were the company's principal products for the first seven years, before the company officially was incorporated as the Beech-Nut Packing Company in 1899.

Central to the company's success has been its equal dedication to industrial and product innovation. The company scientists strived to create packaging that would keep products fresh for longer periods of time, allowing them to be transported to greater distances and expanding company distribution. That achievement was accomplished in October of 1931, when Beech-Nut scientists patented the first vacuum jar. A unique combination of jar formation and a revolutionary gasket and top produced a commercially perfect vacuum jar that could withstand the rigors of transportation. The clear, colorless flint glass jar replaced earlier, unappealing green glass jars and became a universal standard for the industry.

The company continued to evolve its food product lines with a constant series of new products, including the first peanut butter introduced to the American public, but truly found its niche with its foray in baby food. Thirteen varieties of strained baby foods in glass jars marked the company's entry in to the baby food industry.

Through the decades, Beech-Nut continued to push the envelope, looking for ways to improve their baby food. A historic first occurred in 1977 when Beech-Nut Food Corporation became the first baby food company to remove added salt from their entire product line. Chemically modified starch was removed in 1985 and by 1997, all Beech-Nut products were also free of added refined sugar. Beech-Nut remains today the only major baby food line free of added sugar.

A major development occurred in 1984 when the company, now known as Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation to better reflect their dedication to the development of nutritious and delicious baby food, re-launched their product line as Beech-Nut Stages® baby food. The revolutionary product line was the first to offer age-specific varieties and ingredients and was designed to help parents follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) feeding guidelines.

Beech-Nut's commitment to research and development holds the promise of additional advances in infant nutrition and manufacturing that contribute to a better quality of life. A proven management team, innovative products such as Beech-Nut Stage 2 DHA plus⁺ and an unwavering dedication to the best for babies ensures that Beech-Nut will stay true to the founders' vision of superior and quality products.

For more information, call 1-800-BEECH-NUT (1-800-233-2468).