My Plate-Mate Announced as MBA, “2009 Mom’s Best Award Winner”

Danville, CA, August 29, 2009 --(PR.com)-- HATCH announced today that their product, My Plate-Mate, has been honored as a recipient of the MBA Mom’s Best Award for Spring 2009. This distinguished award is recognized as one of the larger evaluation systems of children’s and parenting products in the United States. Childcare experts and parents reviewed a variety of products and submitted a thorough evaluation of each item. Results confirmed the overwhelmingly positive experiences that many parents have already shared. My Plate-Mate is excited to join the list of honored award winners that includes products from recognized product leaders of children’s products, including Crayola LLC, Organic Kidz, Boogie Wipes, Bornfree Holdings, and Kaboost Corp.

Michele Wong and Paige Akabane are the women behind My Plate-Mate, a first of kind product to the toddler market geared to make life and meal times easier for families. The two entrepreneurs created this innovative spill guard that can attach to the rim of any 8” – 9 ½” round plate. My Plate-Mate is interchangeable for use with plates at home, restaurants or when out visiting friends and family. My Plate-Mate was created to benefit families in many ways. As a spill guard, it prevents food from falling off the plate while a child eats. Parents love that there is less of a mess to clean up from the table and floor after meals. Plus there is less food wasted. Also, My Plate-Mate’s innovative design provides a curved wall that helps children scoop food onto their utensil with ease. This promotes independence and minimizes frustrations for a youngster trying to master self-feeding. My Plate-Mate can be used by toddlers and continue to help the messiest of eaters through the age of 6.

My Plate-Mate is made in the U.S.A. using only FDA approved plastic. “We are proud to provide a product that is lead-free and does not contain phthalates, bisphenol-a, polycarbonates, or PVC,” says Co-Founder Akabane. “As parents ourselves, we are very conscientious of having safe products available to children.” My Plate-Mate is dishwasher-safe and is conveniently portable, so that children and families can enjoy their meals anywhere.

HATCH is a product development company whose goal is to create quality goods with an emphasis on independence and assisted learning. My Plate-Mate is the first product released to the retail market designed to promote independent self feeding at meal time while minimizing the mess that comes with it. Wong and Akabane successfully launched the children’s line to the retailmarket in 2008. It was well received by parents of toddlers here in the US. More recently MyPlate-Mate for Kids has expanded distribution to locations in Canada, UK and Australia.

HATCH also has a second line of My Plate-Mate to help elders and those with special needs.

This line fits larger sized plates and comes in neutral colors to preserve the dignity of the user.

Interest has come from a diverse customer base, which includes nursing homes, associations for the blind, adult disabled, and parents of children with special needs.

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