The Aztecs are thought to have been the first people to turn the cacao beans into a more edible form. They roasted the beans, ground them into a paste and dissolved the paste in water with a few spices and chillies. It might not sound particularly yummy, but there it was, the very first drinking chocolate. They called it chocolate, which means bitter drink, and it was lapped up in sacred rituals and quaffed by elite tribesmen for the next few hundred years. Today, chocolate has become one of the most versatile and beloved foods in the world. And yet it’s become so much more – we have an emotional, sensual connection with chocolate that we have with few other foods. It comforts us, delights us, draws us in and gives us a taste experience unlike any other. Simply put, we love it. And the humble beans it comes from have had a heck of a journey over the past 4,000 years.

For 55 years, Rudolph Foods’ commitment to excellence has been passed from generation to generation, just like their love for flavorful, traditional pork rinds snacks. In 1955, John Rudolph learned of an untapped market for pork rinds and the Ohio entrepreneur quickly launched his own company producing pork rinds from smoked bacon rinds. Two years later the company would face its first big challenge, the meat industry no longer smoked the rind on the bacon. Under pressure to save their fledgling business, John’s wife, Mary, put her home economics background to work and invented a revolutionary process the company still uses today.With Mary’s surefire recipe and John’s leadership, Rudolph Foods became a snack industry success story. Since then, John and his sons have continued to dramatically expand their business and the family tradition. Today, the company has six facilities in the United States and three International ventures. With over 350 employees, Rudolph Foods has launched into new areas of the snack food industry while maintaining its presence as the nation’s leading producer of pork rinds and cracklin snacks.

Denali Flavors -- maker of more than more than 40 flavors for the dairy industry under the Alaskan Classics brand name, including its trademark Moose Tracks vanilla flavor. Denali Flavors company's other Alaskan-themed flavors include Bear Foot Browner, Caramel Caribou, Mother Lode, and Otter Paws. Ice creams using Denali flavors are produced by 85 regional and local dairies throughout the US and are sold at major US food retailers, including Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Aldi, Sav-A-Lot, Food 4 Less, Giant, Hannaford, Meijer, Safeway, and Winn Dixie.

Unilever products are sold in more than 170 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and Western Europe. The company's offerings span several categories, including savory, dressings, and spreads; ice cream and beverages; personal care; and home care. Unilever's vast portfolio includes 11 brands that ring up more than $1 billion each annually. The best sellers include Hellmann's (mayonnaise), Knorr (soups), Lipton (tea), Dove and Lux (soaps), and Sure and Degree (antiperspirants). Unilever is the operating arm of Netherlands-based Unilever N.V. and UK-based Unilever PLC.

ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. ARAMARK Corporation offers corporate dining services and operates concessions at many sports arenas and other entertainment venues, while its ARAMARK Refreshment Services unit is a leading provider of vending and beverage services. ARAMARK Corporation also provides facilities management services. Through ARAMARK Uniform and Career Apparel, the company supplies uniforms for healthcare, public safety, and technology workers. Founded in 1959, ARAMARK is owned by an investment group led by chairman and CEO Joseph Neubauer.

Charlie's Enterprises was started by Charles Matoian in 1950, and today it is led by the family's third generation. Charlie's Enterprises aims to be A-OK with its wholesale produce customers. Charlie's Enterprises does business as OK Produce, a family-run fresh fruit and vegetable supplier to retail stores and foodservice companies. The company operates a fleet of about 30 tractor-trailers delivering a variety of fresh produce to customers in California, Arizona, and Nevada. OK Produce also offers ripening services and runs merchandising programs for retailers.

Fiorucci Foods brings traditional Italian deli meats to a US audience. The company produces and sells Italian specialty meats -- including salami, prosciutto, pepperoni, and pancetta -- along with its very own aged-in-Oak-barrels balsamic vinegar to retail food customers and restaurants throughout the US. Its products are sold in supermarkets or delivered to foodservice operators. Fiorucci Foods is the US subsidiary of Italian deli meat company, Cesare Fiorucci, which was founded in 1850 and expanded into the US market in 1985. Cesare Fiorucci, formerly a family-owned firm, is 65% owned by investment firm, Vestar Capital Partners.

Ben & Jerry's is still Ben & Jerry's Homemade: a top maker of super premium ice cream (along with rival Nestl�'s H�agen-Dazs). The quirky company was bought by consumer products giant Unilever in 2000, but it still marches to the beat of its own ice cream scoops on its drums of ice cream. The company sells its colorfully named ice cream, ice-cream novelties, and frozen yogurt ("FroYo") under such monikers as Chunky Monkey, Phish Food, and Cherry Garcia. It also franchises some 750 Ben & Jerry's SCOOP SHOPS worldwide. Ben & Jerry's donates a minimum of $1.1 million of pretax profits to philanthropic causes yearly.

Netafim knows how to rein in water and then disperse it ...slowly. Serving agricultural and landscaping companies around the globe, the company designs drip irrigation systems (enabling the slow-release of water) for farming and landscaping, as well as specialized systems for greenhouses and bio-energy crops. It also manufactures products such as dripperlines, sprinklers, mist emitters, valves, and water meters, as well as various farming machinery used to maximize irrigation efficiency. The company, which operates in about 110 countries, manufactures its products at more than a dozen factories located around the world. Netafim was founded in 1965.

COFCO Limited was founded in 1949. COFCO Limited engages in the import and export of grains, oils, and foodstuffs in China. The company provides agricultural products, such as rice, wheat, corn, sugar, meat, fruits, starch, and vegetables; and food products, including wheat flour, candies, chocolates, canned goods, condiments, and baked goods. It manufactures energy and biochemical products, wine and beverages, and soft drinks, as well as offers metal and plastic packaging for various products. The company also engages in real estate development and property management, and operates retail chain stores, as well as manages hotels. In addition, it engages in futures brokerage, and life insurance and reinsurance business.

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