Frequently Asked Questions

General

Q. Which condiments and sauces are gluten free?

A. Vita Food Products is pleased to offer a variety of condiments and sauces for our customers who practice a gluten free lifestyle. The following products are gluten free. Enjoy!

• 7-Up Marinade
• A&W Barbecue Sauce
• A&W Dessert Topper
• Biltmore Apple Rosemary Marinade
• Biltmore Caesar Salad Dressing
• Biltmore Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
• Biltmore Italian Herb Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
• Biltmore Orange Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
• Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce
• Dr Pepper Marinade
• Dr Pepper Dessert Topper
• Jelly Belly French Vanilla Breakfast Syrup
• Jelly Belly Tuitti-Fruitti Breakfast Syrup
• Jelly Belly Toasted Marshmallow Dessert Topper
• Jelly Belly Very Cherry Dessert Topper
• Jelly Belly Very Cherry Breakfast Syrup
• Jim Beam Hot Sauce
• Jim Beam Original Barbecue Sauce
• Jim Beam Original Hot Sauce
• Jim Beam Original Ketchup
• Jim Beam Original Mustard
• Jim Beam Original Steak Sauce
• Jim Beam Original Wing Sauce
• Jim Beam Pancake Syrup
• Jim Beam Spicy Barbecue Sauce
• Jim Beam Wing Sauce
• Oak Hill Farms Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette
• Orange Crush Dessert Topper
• Sauza Agave Nectar
• Sauza Chili Lime Marinade
• Sauza Hot Sauce
• Sauza Traditional Salsa
• Scorned Woman Chipotle & Garlic Pepper Sauce
• Scorned Woman Cocktail Majic
• Scorned Woman Hot Sauce
• Scorned Woman Sweet Majic Hot Sauce
• Stuckey's Chocolate Pecan Dessert Topper
• Stuckey's Pecan Log Roll Dessert Topper
• Virginia Brand Pure Honey
• Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Creamy Italian
• Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion French Royale
• Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Frontier Ranch
• Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Honey Mustard
• Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Raspberry Vinegarette
• Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Vinegarette

Q. Which condiments and sauces contain milk, eggs, fish, soy and/or wheat?

A. The following products contain some or all of the allergens listed above. The specific allergen(s) is listed next to the product.

Q. Which condiments and sauces are certified kosher?

A. Vita is pleased to offer the following condiments and sauces to our customers who follow a kosher diet:

Salmon

Q. Is Vita salmon farm raised?

A. Vita Foods is pleased to offer both wild caught and farm raised salmon to meet the needs of our varying consumers. We currently offer farm raised Atlantic, wild Keta, wild Coho and wild Sockeye salmon.

Q. Does Vita carry Preservative free items?

A. Yes, we offer preservative free items under the Vita Gold, Grand Isle and Perfect Catch lines.

Q. What is Gravlax?

A. Gravlax is a salmon cure made up of sugar, salt, dill, and pepper.

Q. What is the difference between Nova and Lox?

A. Nova salmon has a lower salt content than lox.

Q. Does Vita refrigerated hot and cold smoked salmon need to be cooked?

A. No, our refrigerated hot and cold smoked salmon is cured, smoked and ready to serve.

Q. What is the difference between hot smoked and cold smoked?

A. Hot smoked salmon is cooked to a higher internal temperature than cold smoked salmon resulting in a different texture. Both hot and cold smoked salmon is cured, smoked and ready to eat.

Q. How long is salmon good for after opening?

A. Salmon can last up to 7 days when double wrapped. To achieve optimal taste, use up to 4 days after opening.

Q. Is Vita salmon gluten free?

A. All salmon is gluten free except Vita Salmon Burger.

Q. How long are Grand Isle items good for after opening?

A. Once opened make sure fish is double wrapped and used within 4 days.

Q. Can I freeze my smoked salmon after I have bought it?

A. Yes, smoked salmon can be frozen but we do not recommend it as it becomes susceptible to freezer burn which damages the quality. We do not recommend freezing the salmon for over two months.

Q. Why does salmon lose its color after frozen for a couple of days?

A. Oxygen and crystallization from freezer may cause discoloration.

Q. How long are salmon burgers good for after they thaw?

A. We do not recommend thawing the salmon burgers as they are designed to be cooked from frozen.

Q. Is Vita salmon high in Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB’s)?

A. FDA has action and guidance levels for PCBs in fish. Wild caught salmon does not contain chemical hazard. Farm raised salmon may contain PCBs but within FDA guidance level.

Q. Why is dye added to some salmon?

A. Red and yellow dyes are mainly used to enhance the color of the product. This process is under strict Quality Control guidelines from the FDA and does not in any way harm the consumer.

Herring

Q. Is Vita herring Gluten free?

A. Vita Herring in Wine Sauce is gluten free.

Q. What is the optimal temperature for storing herring?

A. 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit.

Q. Do Vita products contain Omega 3’s?

A. Yes, herring and salmon items do contain Omega 3’s.

Q. Why are your shipping prices on seafood products so high?

A. In order to ensure you receive the highest quality of our seafood product, we must to ship next day or 2nd day air.

Q. Can Vita herring be cooked?

A. We do not recommend cooking herring because the herring can become extremely salty.

Q. How is the herring prepared?

A. Pieces of herring are pickled by soaking in a brine.

Specialty

Q. Why does your honey crystallize?

A. The type of pollen, glucose content and moisture level in honey causes crystallization. Virginia Brand Honey is pure and does not contain additives. For more information, please visit www.honey.com.

Q. Is the crystallized honey harmful to me?

A. No

Q. Is there anything I can do to keep the honey from crystallizing?

A. Prevent honey from crystallizing by storing at room temperature.

Q. Are there any BPAs (bisphenol-A) in our containers?

A. No. We use PET (polyethylene terephthalate) which is the type of plastic used to package food, water, soda, vinegar and medicine.

Q. Does the facility that makes the specialty sauces have any type of nuts or nut products on site?

A. No, our line is nut free

Q. Does the Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette contain MSG or wheat?

A. No. Our salad dressing is gluten free

Q. Is your salad dressing kosher certified?

A. Yes

Q. Does the Jim Beam hot sauce contain cayenne pepper?

A. No