The News EMC, Health & Fitness - Thursday, July 13, 2006

"Nutty" idea turns health food dream into reality

by Victoria Carnaghan
victoria@thenewsemc.ca

Nut 'N Budder, a new type of peanut butter, was created by local resident, Howard Goldenberg as an alternative to the commercial peanut butter

Howard Goldenberg says he has been thinking up hair-brained schemes all his life.  But once his family and friends got a taste of his newest invention, they convinced him this was one project he couldn't let fall by the wayside.

So, from the kitchen of his [east end] home, the computer systems specialist began experimenting with different ingredients and recipes, seeking to create the perfect peanut butter blend.

The idea was first hatched when Mr. Goldenberg was talking to a hockey player who trained at his brother's Baxter road athletic training gym, Athletic Conditioning Centre.

This professional athlete told Mr. Goldenberg that he eats peanut butter as a protein source.  But the commercial stuff is full of oils, and the natural stuff tastes too bland.  the player said.   And, in a manner well known to his friends and family, Mr. Goldenberg had a stroke of genius, and thought to himself: "I could make peanut butter!"

And so the idea for "Nut 'N Budder" was born.

Now two Ottawa health food stores sell his product: Pantry Plus in Orleans and west Ottawa's Rainbow Natural Foods.

Long-time Rainbow Natural Foods' owner, Janet Kaplan says Mr. Goldenberg approached her with his concoction and she was immediately sold.

"I always like to carry Canadian products, especially local - I love to do that." she said.  Plus, she said this product is quite different from the other half-dozen similar spreads they sell.  Ms. Kaplan's store recently hosted a food fair, where Mr. Goldenberg and his wife gave free samples to customers.  Ms. Kaplan says the feedback was positive.

"We've sold a few cases already." she says.

Additionally, Mr. Goldenberg found out last week, after meeting with Loblaws' managers at its corporate headquarters in Toronto, that the chain would pick-up the product at [220] of its stores.

"They loved the blend." he says.

The taste, coupled with the healthy composition of the product and its originality prompted Loblaws to agree to sell Nut 'N Budder across Ontario and Quebec, and into the Atlantic Provinces.

The mixture is totally original in North America, says Mr. Goldenberg.  It combines peanuts, almonds, flax seeds and flax seed oil and it's sweetened with honey.

There are no hydrogenated oils in the spread, and it's salt-free, says the entrepreneur.

The flax ingredients infuse it with Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, which are good for hair, nails and heart health, among other benefits, he says.

The inventor says he managed an Ottawa bar and restaurant for ten years previous to his current job.

"I have an eye for cooking and do have a background in food" he says.

But this background didn't prepare him for the intensive work required to get the product off the ground.

"Sometimes I'd work 'till two in the morning, doing Internet research, creating recipes and blends." he said.  He estimates he put an extra 40 hours of work every week, on top of his regular employment, to prepare for the launch.

"There were times when it felt like it was taking so long." he says.

In order to get the product approved, there were myriad regulations Mr. Goldenberg had to meet.  He says his applications kept coming back with details that needed to be fixed, from proper labelling to the ins-and-outs of commercializing the recipe.

He says the spread may not have made it without the help of food commercialization specialists at Guelph Food and Technology Centre.  Staff here give advice to individuals and companies on how to get their products up to industry standards.

The Centre offers information on everything from product development to nutrition labelling, packaging and food safety.

Originally, the inventor said, he was planning to pitch his product specifically to athletes, planning to call it "Pro-Butter". But once he struck on the right recipe, he realized it would be palatable to any peanut-butter lover.

"It actually tastes better than any product out there." he says.

It is now manufactured in a Montreal-based facility, although, in the long-term, Mr. Goldenberg says he homes to bring the operation back to Ottawa.