Salsa for All Dietary Specifications

John Paino knows the good life.  Founder of Nasoya Foods in the 1970's and one of the most recognized Tofu product companies in the American marketplace, Paino capitalized on Americans' changing food palette to include plant and soy-based products such as tofu back when the natural food movement was in its inception.
The time to create and capitalize is here again. 

"I was missing something.  I had a desire to create and build something and see it grow," says Paino of his company, Paino Organics. 

He joined up with a former co-worker from Nasoya, Cedric Smith, and started Paino Organics.

Paino Organics manufactures No. 9 Salsa under the "organic umbrella that is a portfolio of brands which offer better flavor and health benefits."  The other products include NatureNais, which is a healthy mayonnaise alternative and Primacotta, a soymilk ricotta product.

Following his father's advice to "never buck the tide, but ride the wave," Paino recently introduced the No. 9 Salsa brand that is named for the 9 vegetables in it.  The wave of health conscious eaters has grown and, despite the recession, No. 9 Salsa products are selling throughout New England at the rate of 5,000 – 10,000 bottles a week.  

The taste testing for Paino Organics takes place in the basement of Paino's Concord home and the testers include his family and friends.

Salsa is the number one selling condiment in the country surpassing even ketchup.  With a short lifecycle, unlike mayonnaise or mustard, salsa is consumed within a week of so of being opened.  This is good for product turnover and market competition is fierce.

Paino Organic's mission is to "create foods that are as nourishing to the body as to the senses."  No. 9 Salsa is wheat and gluten free that appeals to a large and growing sector of the population suffering from food allergies as well as Celiac disease, when the body can't process gluten-based products.

No. 9 Salsa, in 4 different varieties of mild, medium, hot and black bean and corn stands out with a fresh and appealing taste.  Using lime juice instead of vinegar and a different cooling method than commercial salsas with an instant "quick chilling and vacuum process" that stops the salsa from cooking and preserves the vegetables flavor, No. 9 Salsa distinguishes itself from its competitors.

With an organically based marketing effort in the New England region, No. 9 Salsa is sold in many stores throughout Concord including Idylwilde Farms, Verrill Farm, Concord Provisions, Donelan's Supermarket, Debra's Natural Gourmet, Crosby's Marketplace and The Cheese Shop.  Promoting local businesses with free samples of their products, Paino believes in, "letting the product grow organically with strong roots in the community."  Other vendors include Whole Foods and food stores in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. 

A major sponsor of the Against The Tide, part of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, Paino Organic's products contain phytonutrients and lycopene, both cancer-fighting compounds.

New products are in the pipeline and two will be ready by Labor Day.

Paino Organics will introduce No. 9 fresh salsa and tortilla strips of three different varieties including stone ground corn, 9-veggie and ancient grain.

Paino Organics is currently seeking local investors interested in a small private offering with the slow-money movement.  The slow-money movement has been identified by BusinessWeek as "one of the big ideas of 2010." 

Slow Money's mission is to, "build local and national networks dedicated to investing in small food enterprises and local food systems and connecting investors to their local economies."