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THERE’S A HOLIDAY FOR EVERYTHING! NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED RAISIN DAY MARCH 24, 2012

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GLENDALE, Calif.

Nestlé Raisinets, #1 Selling Chocolate Covered Raisin in the US, Celebrating 85th Anniversary

There’s “Clean-Up Your Room Day” (May 10), “Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day” (April 18) and even “National Goof-Off Day” -- which if you missed it was March 22, but “National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day” (March 24)? Absolutely! While Nestlé did not establish this hallowed holiday, the company is leading a national celebration in the name of Nestlé Raisinets!

Raisinets History

Raisinets chocolate covered raisins were first introduced by a family-owned business in 1927, the Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Company of Philadelphia. The brand was sold over the years and in 1984, Nestlé acquired then owner Ward–Johnston, makers of Raisinets, Goobers, Chunky, Sno-Caps, Bit-O-Honey and Oh Henry! Raisinets are sun-ripened, plump, juicy California raisins drenched in pure, creamy Nestlé Milk Chocolate and dark chocolate. They are a natural source of fruit antioxidants, and contain 30% less fat than the leading chocolate brands.

Entertainment History

Raisinets are best known as the perfect movie treat, right up there with popcorn. In fact, movie goers have been known to mix the two for the best of that sweet and salty taste! Early in movie making history when a box of Raisinets was sold to theaters for 1.25 cents, fans could buy a box of Raisinets for a nickel. Today, retailers sell Raisinets in single bags, stand-up bags and theater concession boxes, but they were originally sold by weight from jars in candy stores!

Trivia

Raisinets are actually polished to make each one shine! In earlier years, Raisinets were made by hand in small mixing and polishing pans. A load of 350 pounds took approximately 90 minutes to coat and an additional 60 minutes to polish. Today, Raisinets are made by machine in nearly 2,500 pound batches! That equals almost one million Raisinets in a single batch or more than 21 million each day!

Raisinets are made with a special type of grape and proudly made in the USA! Only one kind is chosen to become a Raisinet, Thompson Seedless grapes! All are grown and harvested in California’s Central Valley.

If you lined-up the amount of Raisinets produced in one year end-to-end, the length would go around the earth 2.5 times!

Every man, woman and child in the United States would receive 17 Raisinets if the amount made in a year was shared with all. That’s a handful of delicious goodness!

Raisinets are gluten-free! Absolutely!

Raisinets are made in Burlington, WI. If we packed a year’s supply of Raisinets in theater concession boxes and lined them up end-to-end, they’d reach from Burlington, WI to Hollywood, CA two times over! They’d be the star of the show!

Remember… National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day is Saturday, March 24, 2012. Plan to celebrate with a theater concession box or a stand-up bag of Nestlé Raisinets and a blockbuster movie!

Nestlé Raisinets are available in single serve pouches for on-the-go snacking, and in theater concession boxes and stand-up bags ideal for sharing. This perfectly balanced treat is available at retailers nationwide in milk chocolate and dark chocolate.

About Nestlé USA

Named one of “The World’s Most Admired Food Companies” in Fortune magazine for fifteen consecutive years, Nestlé provides quality brands and products that bring flavor to life every day. From nutritious meals with Lean Cuisine® to baking traditions with Nestlé® Toll House®, Nestlé USA makes delicious, convenient, and nutritious food and beverage products that make good living possible. That’s what “Nestlé. Good Food, Good Life” is all about. Nestlé USA, with 2011 sales of $10 billion, is part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland — the world’s largest food company with a commitment to Nutrition, Health & Wellness — with 2011 sales of $94 billion. For product news and information, visit Nestleusa.com or NestleNewsroom.com.

 

Media Contact:
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Tricia Bowles
Nestlé Confections & Snacks
818-549-5817
[email protected]</b<>