Cook Natural Products, makers of Mara's Pasta, won a prestigious 2012 Food and Beverage Product Innovations Award from the National Restaurant Association.

Mara’s Pasta (www.maraspasta.com) is the only 100% whole wheat pasta made from Maragrain. The product is grown by US family farmers and designed to please the palate of the most finicky child. Each 2-oz serving contains 7 g of dietary fiber and 8 g of protein.

Mara’s Pasta is billed as The Artisan Pasta because Cook Natural Products believes it captures the essence of the artisan spirit. The identity preserved wheat is wholly traceable to a family farmer. The conversion from wheat to finished pasta is performed by a family that has been in the pasta business for over 100 years. The total effort is reflected in the quality of the finished pasta.

Creating products that customers crave is the key to profitability for restaurant and foodservice operators. That’s why the National Restaurant Association recognizes the contributions of food and beverage manufacturers with the prestigious Food and Beverage Product Innovations Awards.

The 2012 awardees were selected by a panel of independent experts representing all major commercial and non-commercial segments of the foodservice industry.