PENNSAUKEN, NJ -- (Marketwire) -- 03/15/13 -- Today, National Soft Pretzel Day, America celebrates its favorite twisted food, the pretzel. This day-long tribute allows foodies to celebrate the doughy snack. In 610 AD an Italian monk formed leftover dough to represent a child's arms folded in prayer. It was called the 'pretiola,' Latin for 'little reward.' Over time, the idea evolved into the 'pretzel,' which today satisfies the kid in everyone with endless sweet and savory varieties.

J&J Snack Foods is honored to twist more than 500 million soft pretzels each year -- almost 1.5 million soft pretzels a day.

"SUPERPRETZEL® is an iconic brand that is synonymous with snacking," according to Gerry Shreiber, CEO & President of J & J Snack Foods. "We pride ourselves on baking a delicious, nutritious and fun-to-eat treat that the whole family can enjoy."

SUPERPRETZEL® Soft Pretzel products are available for both foodservice and retail outlets in a variety of flavors, shapes and sizes. J & J Snack Foods has been the soft pretzel category leader and a major contributor in growing and expanding the soft pretzel business for more than 41 years.

J&J Snack Foods products, specifically SUPERPRETZEL® Soft Pretzels, have been the Home Run of Snacking and served at baseball stadiums nationwide since the 1970s. Recently, J&J Snack Foods teamed up with Mike Trout, outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, to represent SUPERPRETZEL® Soft Pretzels. The South Jersey native was awarded Sporting News' 2012 American Legion Rookie of the year and 2012 MLB Rookie of the Year.

For more SUPERPRETZEL® recipes, please visit http://www.superpretzel.com/tasty-tips.php.

PRETZEL FUN FACTS

• April is National Soft Pretzel Month
• Pretzels without salt are called baldies
• Historically, pretzels have been known for good fortune
• Helen Hoff, the world champion pretzel twister, puts any pretzel baker, human or not, to the test, twisting 57 pretzels per minute
• Reading, PA is the self proclaimed pretzel capitol of the world; Reading, PA is located only 65 miles from the SUPERPRETZEL®World Headquarters and our largest manufacturing facility.
• The largest pretzel in the world was 842 lbs, 26 ft, 10 in long, and 10 ft, 2 in wide
• In the early 1800s, German children tied pretzels on a string around their necks at the beginning of a new year for prosperity, health and good fortune.
• In the 17th century, pretzels were known as a marriage knot. During the wedding ceremony, the couple getting married would wish upon a pretzel and break it just as we do the turkey wishbone, and then they ate it to signify their oneness. There are also accounts of the parents of the bride and groom twisting a pretzel knot as a symbol of the joining of the two families.

J&J Snack Foods Corp.'s principal products include SUPERPRETZEL, PRETZEL FILLERS and other soft pretzels, ICEE, SLUSH PUPPIE and ARCTIC BLAST frozen beverages, LUIGI'S, MINUTE MAID* frozen juice bars and ices, WHOLE FRUIT sorbet, FRUIT-A-FREEZE frozen fruit bars, MARY B'S biscuits and dumplings, DADDY RAY'S fig and fruit bars, TIO PEPE'S and CALIFORNIA CHURROS churros, THE FUNNEL CAKE FACTORY funnel cakes, and several cookie brands within COUNTRY HOME BAKERS. J&J has manufacturing facilities in Pennsauken, Bridgeport and Bellmawr, New Jersey; Scranton, Hatfield and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; Carrollton, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Moscow Mills, Missouri; Pensacola, Florida; Ontario, Vernon, Colton, and Norwalk, California; Holly Ridge, North Carolina; Weston, Oregon.

*MINUTE MAID is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company.

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