Illinois Department of Agriculture to Hold Illinois Food Expo

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois Department of Agriculture will hold a large food show in suburban Chicago Wednesday, Oct. 25, to promote the consumption of Illinois food products.

More than 3,000 buyers for restaurants, grocery stores, catering services, wholesale food suppliers and food distributors throughout the Midwest have been invited to the 3rd Illinois Food Expo at the Drury Lane Theatre Center in Oakbrook Terrace.  The show will allow the buyers to sample and order products from 55 Illinois food companies and five Illinois wineries. "Marketing Illinois food products is an important part of our mission, and this show will give Illinois food companies an excellent opportunity to meet new customers and increase sales of their products," Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke said.  "Every event we sponsor that creates demand for our agricultural production helps to preserve jobs in an industry that employs more than 85,000 Illinoisans."

Illinois ranks third nationally in food processing employment.  It has more than 1,500 processing plants, including at least one in 87 of the state's 102 counties.

The Illinois Food Expo is scheduled from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  It will include an elegant buffet table in the center of the theatre and company booths around its perimeter.  The event is for food buyers only and not open to the general public.

A list of the participating companies follows:
 
al Gelato Bornay, Inc., Franklin Park
Alpha Baking Company, Chicago
ADM, Decatur
August Hill Winery, Utica
Balducci's Chicago-Gourmet Sauces, Willowbrook
Beverly's Dressings, Roanoke
Birdie Pak Products, Chicago
Caputo Cheese, Melrose Park
Caribbean Specialty Products, Round Lake
Cipriani's Pasta & Sauce, Chicago Heights
Cloverhill Bakery, Chicago
Confection Diva, Inc., Chicago
Country Bob, Inc., Centralia
Coupla Guys Foods, Chicago
Crown Corned Beef & Foods, Chicago
Doreen's Gourmet Pizza, Calumet City
Dutch Valley Veal, South Holland
E. Formella & Sons, Inc., Woodridge
Enjoy Life Natural Brands, Schiller Park
Five Star Desserts, Chicago
Food Evolution, Schiller Park
Food Industry News, Des Plaines
Foulds, Inc., Libertyville
Fox Valley Winery, Oswego
Fulton Street Baking Company, Chicago
Futters Nut Butters, Lake Zurich
Gia Villa, Inc., Oak Brook
Ida's Gourmet Breads, Chicago
Illinois River Winery, Utica
Jemm Wholesale Meat Company, Chicago
Koch Foods, Chicago
Labriola Baking Company, Alsip
La Mexicana, Chicago
Lezza Spumoni & Desserts, Inc., Bellwood
Lynfred Winery, Roselle
M & G Foods (Grandpa G's Brand), Hamilton
Magnolia Spice Teas, Inc., Chicago
Meadowbrook Farms, Belleville
Mel-O-Cream Donuts International, Inc., Springfield
National Pasteurized Eggs, Lansing
Natural Juice Company, Wood Dale
Noon Hour Food Products, Inc., Chicago
Papy's Foods, Inc., McHenry
Pelago Valley Italian Seasonings, Deerfield
Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., Decatur
Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., Joliet
Pronto Foods Company, Chicago
Quattro Fratelli Foods, Inc., Hinsdale
Red Hot Chicago, Chicago
Dell'Alpe Foods - Rubinelli, Inc., Bolingbrook
Select Brands LLC, Chicago
Sokol & Company, Countryside
Susan's Croutons, Coal City
The Puckered Pickle Company, Chicago
Torkelson Cheese Company, Lena
Turtle Crossing Food Corporation, Bartlett
V. Formusa Company, Chicago
Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery, Chicago
Xcell International Corporation, Burr Ridge
Zafi Beverages, Inc., Bensenville
Zarlengo's Italian Ice, Chicago Heights
Zivney Cheese, Inc., Minonk, IL