From Just Food:

Tessemae's All Natural, the US dressings and condiments maker, has said its decision to make its products organic was due to a desire to meet growing demand and keep ahead of its competition.

The family-owned company, set up in 2009, has secured certification from the US Department of Agriculture, making 14 dressings and five condiments lines organic.

Asked by just-food if the switch was due to sales coming under pressure, the company said: "Actually sales were [and] are great. This was more of a decision made based on our desire to stay on trend and ahead of the competition. Organic is quickly becoming the new benchmark for quality and consumer trust. We wanted to be part of the movement driving this trend. There are 50% more organic products on shelves today than there were last year. Latest research predicts triple digit growth until 2019. Condiments are certainly part of this growth. As more people go to free range chicken, grass fed beef and organic produce... it's only logical that they would want their toppings of the same quality."

The move has meant Tessemae's has "moved from being entirely olive oil-based" to using an organic extra virgin olive oil and sunflower oil blend. "The reason for the switch involved solving for our core goals of maintain flavor profile, improving our pourability (olive oil congeals when chilled), and not compromising on ingredient quality," the company added.

Tessemae's was set up by brothers Greg, Brian and Matt Vetter in 2009. Last year, Kevin Plank, the founder of US apparel company Under Armour, invested US$5m in the business through his Sagamore Venture fund. His brother, Scott Plank, also put money into the company.

Demian Costa, managing partner at Sagamore Ventures, said at the time: "Consumers today are increasingly educated about the products they consume and demand absolute transparency in these products and their ingredients. Tessemae's uncompromising position on all-natural ingredients gives them a perfect opportunity to capture this growing market."