Australian-imported simmer sauces invade U.S. condiment aisles

COLLINSVILLE, Conn. The popular Australian brand, Passage to India, is bringing its simmer sauces to U.S. retailers.

The all-natural sauces are available in five flavors: butter chicken, korma, rogan josh, tikka masala and vindaloo. Passage to India said the spices used in its sauces come from India and Southeast Asia, and each sauce is free of corn flour, gluten, MSG, preservatives and genetically-modified vegetables.

A representative from Passage Foods USA , the company marketing Passage to India simmer sauces in the U.S., said that they’ve expanded to the U.S. market because of a growing demand for Indian and Asian spices.

“The ethnic food market is a $75 billion industry in the U.S. and while Hispanic foods remain the category leader, the Asian retail segment is valued at near $3.5 billion,” Passage Foods USA founder, Jennifer MacKenzie, said. “The Asian restaurant segment grew over 13 percent in 2007 and the number of retail grocery offerings is only now developing as more people try cooking Indian, Thai and Asian foods at home.”