Organics is making its mark in pasta and pasta sauces. Simply Organics says growth of its fresh organic pasta sauces has been close to 200% in the last 12 months as retailers extend their ranges or start stocking these products for the first time. Joint md Belinda Mitchell says mainstream varieties are the most popular. "New converts try the most familiar or mainstream varieties first, with tomato & basil (Napoletana) outselling all other varieties by a considerable margin." She expects demand for less mainstream varieties to grow once mainstream varieties become more established in the multiples. "We won't see this start to kick in until mid to end 2001," she says. Simply Organics has introduced cheese and red pepper sauces, bringing its range up to seven, at rsps of £1.99 and £2.19. Listings include Tesco, Sainsbury and Safeway. Pasta Reale, brand leader in the fresh sector, has also branched into organics with two pastas ­ tortelloni cream cheese & basil, tagliatelle egg tomato & basil, and two complementary sauces ­ tomato & basil and Mediterranean vegetables. Product manager Jane Metcalfe says the organic products aren't duplicates, but bring new flavours to the range. "We've done this to appeal to both the fresh pasta user looking for different flavours, and to the destination organic shopper," says Metcalfe. Since its launch in 1999, Seeds of Change, part of Mars, has been broadening its dry/ambient organic range. Bolognese, a family product, and two stir-ins ­ sundried tomato & basil, and roasted pepper ­ for the premium sector, are its most recent introductions, bringing the sauce range up to seven. Its dry pastas have been increased to five with the introduction of fusilli and tagliatelle, both made with organic Italian durum wheat in the traditional way using a rough bronze mould. All products have Soil Association certification. A £6m national media campaign, including TV advertising, starts this month. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}