By: Joy Schrock, President of Berlin Natural Bakery

There is no doubt that being of Amish (German & Swiss) descent pretty much means the only food you love as much as bread is noodles. Any self respecting Amish cookbook is loaded with recipes for casseroles using noodles. Last year when attending a natural health trade show, I ventured into the isles where the latest foods from other countries were being presented. The Germany section has always been one of my favorites. Decadent chocolates, assorted kase (cheese), stollen, strudel, pretzels, beer and my favorite German food of all time Spaetzle. I could not wait to discover the newest German foods that were finally going to be available here in the U.S. There was one particular booth that I just had to stop at and investigate further. I noticed an entire line of spelt noodles and spelt pasta on the shelves in different shapes and sizes that I had not seen before. Upon further investigation, there it was in all its glory "Spelt Spaetzel". I could not believe my eyes. I was so excited you would have thought I won the lottery. Of course I had to stop and talk to these folks for a while. I love talking to German's about spelt or what they refer to as dinkel. They grow up understanding its superior nutritional value. It is part of their heritage and it is their grain of choice. It's never been crossbred with wheat varieties. It has been preserved in its original state because it migrated naturally to their region thousands of years ago. Spelt thrives there and is used to prepare all types of foods as well as treat all types of illnesses. After only a few minutes of talking to the gentlemen from Alb-Gold, I realized that I had in fact met another manufacturer as fanatical about their standards as we are. This meeting although coincidental, felt more like fate. As much as I believe in what we do, it is at times very discouraging to watch others take short cuts that we are unwilling to take. Short cuts that reduce costs, increase profits, but in time will cause harm to the people that buy them. After all, our products are sold in natural health stores and purchased by people who make a commitment to their health. We are being relied upon to do what is right...regardless if it's easy. Meeting the folks at Alb-Gold proved to me that a manufacturer could in fact reach exceptional success...without compromising the standards that made them successful in the first place.

They were kind enough to give me several bags of the spaetzel noodles to take home with me. The first thing I made was chicken & noodles and WOW...the only thing that exceeded their standards was the taste. Not only did they taste great, but they also held up well and reheated well. I was very impressed. After exchanging several emails with the founder and CEO Klaus Freidler we very soon came to an agreement to work together in the U.S. with their spelt noodle line. Our products truly are complimentary to each other. We both use the same variety of spelt grain, both companies have exceptionally high standards and our products both promote the same health benefits. We are so proud to be working with the fine folks of Alb-Gold. Below is an introduction and brief summary of what Alb-Gold represents, their standards, their products and their passions. Alb-Gold Premium Pasta...Quality in harmony with nature. Home of the Swabian Spaetzle and Pasta. Alb-Gold is a traditional family owned company located in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany. The company's head office is situated in South Germany on the Swabian Alb- between the Black Forest, the city of Stuttgart and Lake Constance. This area is the home of the Swabian Spaetzle and the cradle of pasta-making in Germany. Company Philosphy - Only the very best As a food manufacturer, we take responsibility for delivering healthy products - that our customers must be able to trust us. We use only the best organic or GMO-free raw materials, which are carefully processed and made into the best premium pasta on the market. Only very few manufacturers can compete with our variety and high standards. We are totally committed to ensuring that our customers enjoy healthy foods. We follow the principles of sustainable pasta production with goals like protecting the environment and the landscape, saving the pureness of our seeds and keeping the diversity for subsequent generations. Alb-Gold is one of Germany's organic pioneers when it comes to pasta. Over the past 20 years we have developed an extensive range of organic fresh and dried pasta/egg pasta (filled and unfilled). Optimizing the quality of our products to meet our customers demands is our daily challenge. Raw Materials Alb-Gold pasta is made by using high quality raw materials. The basis for our pasta are pure Durum Wheat and regionally grown German Spelt. The egg pasta is produced with free-range chicken eggs which are cracked open on a daily basis. Our raw material suppliers are important to us - for years we have worked closely with the farmers who deliver our eggs and grain. Therefore we can guarantee that the products we use are the best quality available on the market. We are GMO-free chain of producers!

Transparency in food production and in the supply chain are an important component of our philosophy. Our production centers in Trochtelfingen and Riesa are both glassed-in facilities. During daily tours, we show our customers exactly how we produce our goods. In making this contribution we establish a well founded trustfulness and proximity with our customers. These solid foundations define our daily business - to provide high quality organic food. The full line of Alb-Gold Spelt Egg Noodles will soon be available via Berlin Natural Bakery's on line store.