Publisher/Editor
Randy Hartnell
Producer
Craig Weatherby
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VitalChoices
NEW Herbs & Spices
Certified Organic and Kosher
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Customers had often asked us to expand our seasoning offerings beyond our Organic Salmon Marinade blend. We thought they had a good idea, but it took time to secure superior sources.
Each fresh, flavorful seasoning in our new line of 10 Organic Herbs & Spices is certified Organic and Kosher (OU), and is naturally rich in beneficial “phytoceutical” compounds.
And if, like many, your pantry harbors some old, faded seasonings, our Herbs and Spices Medley package—which includes our Organic Salmon Marinade blend—will upgrade your seasonings scene in one fell swoop!
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Vital Choices!
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Like Your Lox Luscious?
Ours Makes Mouths Water
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Vital Choice smoked salmon is far superior to the preservative-laden farmed product found in most grocery stores.
After curing in natural alder wood smoke, our Smoked Sockeye Portions and silky, Cold-Smoked Sliced Nova Lox are immediately vacuum-packed and flash-frozen. Thawed and served, they taste as though they came fresh out of the smoker.
"I am in love with the hot-smoked salmon. It is fabulous flaked and scrambled with eggs and onions. They give the eggs a lovely zing." — Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook.
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The World's Finest Fish Oil
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We put only whole, unrefined oil from wild Alaskan sockeye salmon in our premium salmon oil supplements. Wild Alaskan sockeye salmon is one of the cleanest fish in the sea: a trait reflected in the purity of our unrefined sockeye oil, which is now certified by NSF: one of the best-respected independent labs in the U.S.
Because our naturally pure salmon oil does not need to be distilled, it provides the essential omega-3 fatty acids (EPA & DHA), plus 30 other natural fatty acids and astaxanthin: the potent antioxidant that gives sockeye its distinctive deep-red color.
Last, but not least, ours comes in pure fish-gelatin capsules and it is the only salmon oil supplement certified as sustainably sourced by the Marine Stewardship Council (www.msc.org).
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Why Our Albacore Tuna's A Cut Above
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Our young, low-weight Pacific Albacore Tuna—fresh or canned—is simply superior!
Smaller means safer: Vital Choice troll-caught tuna weigh just 12 lbs. or less, so they contain less mercury, and more omega-3s, than the larger troll-caught tuna touted by other “minimal mercury” vendors.
No loitering allowed: Our tuna are hauled in fast, bled, and flash-frozen within about two hours. (Standard long-line-caught albacore spend 12 hours in the water.)
Better, fresher flavor, even in the can: Unlike standard canned albacore—which is cooked twice at great cost to flavor and omega-3 content—Vital Choice tuna is cooked only once (in the can) to preserve its healthful oils and fresh flavor.
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The Vital Choice Advantage
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Click here to learn about the Vital Choice Advantage ... the many reasons why William Sears, M.D. — renowned as "America's Baby Doctor"— calls Vital Choice his favorite salmon source.
Vital Choice was founded by two longtime Alaska fishermen—Randy Hartnell and Dave Hamburg—who know where to get the highest quality fish. And they test it periodically to ensure your safety.
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Berries to Live For!
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Vital Choice fresh-frozen organic blueberries, strawberries and red raspberries are rich in anti-aging antioxidants, and draw customer comments like this:
“OH MY GOODNESS! I cannot believe the flavor ... the taste reminds me of something from my childhood. Thanks for a great product!
Berries are incredibly healthful foods, and it's smart to seek out organic berries, grown without synthetic pesticides.
Our organic berries come in convenient one pound bags, each yielding about 3-1/2 cups. They freeze well, so you can keep plenty on hand!
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Savor the "Chocolate of the Sea"
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Sablefish is rarely seen in standard fish markets, but is highly prized in Japan, which corners almost the entire North American catch.
This buttery, flaky, white fish boasts its own rich texture and mind-blowing flavor—and even more omega-3s than wild salmon!
We also offer irresistible smoked sablefish. Boasting a rich golden color, these scrumptious, oven-ready steaks are infused with delicate alder wood smoke flavor—and cook fully from frozen in mere minutes!
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Kosher Fish, Berries, Spices, Chocolate, and More
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Did you know that most of our key offerings are certified Kosher? The roster of Kosher-certified Vital Choice foods includes most of our premium canned seafood * (Tuna, Sardines, Wild Red Sockeye, and Foil-Pouch Sockeye) most of our fresh-frozen wild Alaskan Salmon* (Sockeye, Silver, King), all of our Organic Herbs & Spices and Organic Chocolates*, and all of our Organic Berries.
*EarthKosher, which certifies the asterisked products, strives to make more healthy foods available to Kosher consumers by providing certification to companies that meet its halakhic, health, environmental, and social standards. EarthKosher's Rabbinic Counsultant, Rabbi Zushe Yosef Blech, is considered one of the world’s leading experts. For more information on EarthKosher, click here.
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Our brand new holiday catalog, which features several exciting new offerings. To receive yours, click here.
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Price versus value: the cost of quality
A Vital Choice Customer Q&A
by Randy Hartnell
Why are our fish prices generally higher than those charged by most supermarkets? It’s a question I’m often asked, and one that is easy to answer.
There are several reasons for the price gap, which I’ve summarized below. But I’d like to start by quoting a letter we received from Lynn G. and David F. of Bethlehem, PA:
"After receiving our first Vital Choice purchase of canned salmon, salmon fillets, and blueberries, we were thrilled! The quality of the salmon and blueberries far exceeded our wildest expectations in every aspect. The blueberries are like candy. I don't even have to add any sugar to my blueberry pie recipe, and my husband said he has never before seen or tasted salmon with such color and flavor. In addition, the quality of the customer service and shipping paralleled that of the products. We're on a tight budget, but it's worth every penny!"
These kind comments provide a personal perspective on the true value of Vital Choice products, but there’s more to tell.
Free Shipping First of all, remember that shipping is free on orders exceeding $99. And, we spare you the time, trouble and anxiety of searching out high quality fish by delivering it to your door! Many online competitors' prices will appear lower until the order is completed, at which time significant shipping charges are added. We prefer to spare you the surprise and let you know up front the entire cost of your order. (For shipping charges on orders below $99 click here.)
Apples and Oranges It is important to compare "apples to apples." Is the salmon at your local supermarket wild or farmed? Is it skinless and boneless? Is it packaged in convenient freezer-ready meal-sized portions? Has the vendor selected only the purest, sustainably harvested fish? Most of the salmon sold in supermarkets is farmed fish that’s mass-produced in near-shore marine feed lots whose hidden societal costs include environmental degradation, lack of regulatory oversight, and low-cost labor. Wild salmon is different from farmed in many important ways: please visit our Links and Vital News pages for additional information.
Quality Costs More The old adage "You get what you pay for" is especially true when it comes to salmon. To get a wild fish from the remote corners of Alaska to your plate in prime condition requires a lot of special care. Along the way there are many obstacles to quality that can interfere to diminish it. Consequently, there are only so many prime fish available and the law of supply and demand dictates that they will cost more.
Unlike supermarkets, which increasingly compete over the limited supply of wild salmon—with price as the primary purchasing factor—Vital Choice quality standards are much higher. Our long history and close ties to the Alaskan commercial fishing industry give us a unique advantage in sourcing the best fish on your behalf, which will almost never be the cheapest.
We have visited stores all over the country and seldom seen frozen wild Alaskan salmon comparable to our products. We were recently in a large natural foods store in New England that was selling dark-skinned frozen Alaskan Coho steaks. Dark skin is synonymous with lower grade salmon. Supermarkets are able to get away with this because most of their customers lack the knowledge to distinguish between good and not-so-good fish.
Many mistakenly believe that "salmon is salmon" or "wild salmon is wild salmon." More so than with any other animal protein, salmon comes in a vast range of quality grades, all of which are eventually sold to someone. It is most unfortunate when consumers experience inferior quality salmon because many will consider the poor flavor indicative of salmon in general and cease eating one of the healthiest and potentially most delicious foods available.
Worry-Free Seafood To our knowledge we are the only seafood company that specifically targets the purest available fish and confirms their purity with routine testing by an independent lab. This is an expensive process that further contributes to our costs, but provides you with valuable purity assurances unavailable from other seafood vendors.
Your Health is Priceless
"Fish is health insurance and most of us lack enough coverage." — Jean Carper, author of Food: Your Miracle Medicine
"O health, health! The blessing of the rich! the riches of the poor! who can buy thee at too dear a rate, since there is no enjoying this world without thee? Be not then so sparing of your purses . . . as to abridge the natural course of life." — Ben Jonson: Volpone, II-1, 1605
It would be hard to think of another food with as many proven health benefits as wild salmon. When considering the cost of Vital Choice products keep in mind the true value of what you're buying. Given the skyrocketing cost of health care and pharmaceutical drugs, what is the value of optimum health? How much would you pay for improved heart, brain, eye and immune system health?
Your time is valuable Our ultra-convenient skinless/boneless products cost more to produce but save you time and trouble. With our ready-to-eat canned salmon and tuna, and quick-thawing frozen portions, a delicious healthful meal is always close at hand. And although packaging and express shipping perishable products add additional costs, please consider how much time you save by having Vital Choice "foods with integrity" delivered to your door.
Hire Your Own Fishermen My partner Dave Hamburg and I spent much of our lives as Alaskan salmon fishermen. We take seriously our commitment to protecting your best interests, and view ourselves as your guides to the world of wild salmon. Dave and I are devoted to seeing that you always receive good value and top quality fish, which doesn't often happen at the supermarket.
The Hidden Costs of Cheap Food Vital Choice is committed to the goal of restoring economic viability to the commercial salmon fishing business. Presently most other small-scale animal protein producers (i.e., cattle, hog, and poultry farmers) are on the verge of bankruptcy. Many have already been driven there by the mega-corporations that forsake food quality to drive every possible penny out of production.
Salmon farming is now exerting this same socioeconomic pressure upon those who risk their lives* to supply us with the healthiest protein on earth. It is vitally important that consumers begin to consider the hidden social, nutritional and environmental costs of cheap food.
*After logging, commercial fishing is the second most dangerous occupation in the U.S., with 71 fatalities per 100,000 workers, making it 16 times more dangerous than the average job. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2002.
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
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