Mrs. Renfro's Ghost Pepper Salsa to Benefit NMSU's Chile Pepper Institute

Online, November 2, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Mrs. Renfro's Ghost Pepper Salsa is teaming up with New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute (CPI) in Las Cruces, N.M., and other chile pepper industry related businesses in support of creating a permanent research endowment for the Institute. The Chile Pepper Institute is the only international nonprofit organization devoted to education, research, and archiving information related to chile peppers.

A portion of sales from Mrs. Renfro's Ghost Pepper Salsa, Renfro Foods' newest, hottest and fastest-growing product in its 71-year history, will be earmarked for the Institute's endowed chair. The Institute's goal is to raise $1 million over a five-year period. It is currently in its second year.

To commemorate their participation, Mrs. Renfro's Ghost Pepper salsa has created a new lid that features ghost peppers emblazoned in fire, along with information about CPI on the Ghost Pepper Salsa label.

"We are grateful to CPI for furthering worldwide interest, knowledge and availability of chile peppers," says Doug Renfro, president of Renfro Foods. "We've seen a global trend towards hotter palettes and CPI has been a key part of this movement. Dr. Paul Bosland, in particular, has been a huge champion of new and exciting varieties."

"By helping to establish a chile pepper research endowment, Renfro Foods is building a legacy that will ensure chile pepper research continues in the United States forever," says Mark Gladden, director of Development, NMSU-ACES.

"With the vitality and leadership an endowed chair brings, the entire industry will reap the rewards of new pepper cultivar development, improved flavor and nutrition characteristics, and heightened public interest and awareness of chile peppers," adds Dr. Paul Bosland, professor of horticulture and director of the Chile Pepper Institute.

Renfro Foods is a third generation family business founded 71 years ago in Fort Worth, Texas, as a packaged spices and pepper sauce business. It later expanded to include syrup, jellies, preserves and chow chow, and then salsa. Today Renfro Foods is known for its innovative line of award-winning Mrs. Renfro's products, which come with a simple and tasty recipe right on the label. Renfro Foods manufactures a variety of salsas, sauces and relishes, including 30 Mrs. Renfro's products distributed through leading supermarkets, gourmet foods stores and gift shops in all 50 states, Canada , the Caribbean and the U.K. For more information, please visit www.renfrofoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook (Mrs. Renfro's Gourmet Salsas) and Twitter (@mrsrenfros).