Pilgrim's Pride Introduces EatWellStayHealthy(TM) Product Line; Ideal for the Fast-Paced, Healthy Lifestyles of Today's Consumers
PITTSBURG, Texas, April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (NYSE: PPC), the nation's second-largest poultry company, is introducing a new product line that makes it easier for consumers to find and enjoy healthy poultry products.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050426/DATU020 )
Every day, scores of articles are published about the need for a more healthy diet. It is said that nearly 65 percent of adults and 15 percent of children, aged 6 to 19, are overweight, and nearly a third (31 percent) of adults are classified as obese.
"As a country, we are exercising more and becoming more aware of what we eat. There is, in fact, a growing body of medical evidence in support of healthy eating's impact on wellness," said Bo Pilgrim, chairman and founder of Pilgrim's Pride. "In short, consumers want healthy foods but are unwilling to trade off convenience or taste to get it.
"We know that consumers are bombarded with an estimated 4,000 advertising messages every day and have a limited amount of time to spend evaluating products in the supermarket," Pilgrim said. "That's why we are being clear about the benefit of this product line. The name, EatWellStayHealthy, tells consumers clearly and instantly what they get when they make a purchase. With our EatWellStayHealthy line, consumers can be assured they are getting healthy and delicious products.
"This product line also may well be establishing a higher standard for the poultry industry," Pilgrim said. "Other poultry companies currently carry the American Heart Association seal of approval on their packages, but we have not seen any who claim the USDA-regulated word, 'healthy,' on its package. The nutritional requirements -- specifically in the areas of fat, cholesterol and sodium -- for the USDA-regulated word, 'healthy,' exceed those used by the American Heart Association*, and this line of products has been formulated to reach this higher bar."
All eight different EatWellStayHealthy choices prominently display the American Heart Association's mark of approval on the package:
- Fresh, uncooked Whole Chicken Breasts, specially trimmed to be 99 percent fat-free;
- Fresh, uncooked Split Chicken Breasts, specially trimmed to be 99 percent fat-free;
- Fresh, uncooked Breast Tenderloins
- Frozen Fully Cooked Grilled Chicken Breast Strips
- Frozen Fully Cooked Grilled Chicken Breast Fillets
- Frozen Fully Cooked Szechwan Chicken Breast Tenderloins
- Frozen Fully Cooked Italian Style Grilled Chicken Breast Fillets
- Frozen Fully Cooked Key Lime Flavor Chicken Breast Fillets
Pilgrim concluded, "The fact is, a significant number of us have made a decision to live a healthier lifestyle and want to stay healthy ... but, as has always been the case, we don't want to give up anything ... we want to eat well. The Pilgrim's Pride EatWellStayHealthy line gives consumers exactly what they want for today's healthy lifestyles."
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation is the second-largest poultry producer in the United States and Mexico and the largest chicken producer in Puerto Rico. Pilgrim's Pride employs more than 40,000 people and has major operations in Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Mexico and Puerto Rico, with other facilities in Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Utah and Wisconsin.
Pilgrim's Pride products are sold to foodservice, retail and frozen entree customers. The Company's primary distribution is through retailers, foodservice distributors and restaurants throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and in the Northern and Central regions of Mexico.
For more information, please visit http://www.pilgrimspride.com and http://www.eatwellstayhealthy.com
*Note to editors:
To be certified by the American Heart Association, a product must meet all of the following nutritional levels, which are based on a standard serving size as specified by the FDA for an individual food. A serving of the food product must:
- Be low in fat (less than or equal to 5 grams).
- Be low in saturated fat (less than or equal to 2 grams).
- Be low in cholesterol (less than or equal to 95 milligrams).
- Have a sodium value of less than or equal to 480 milligrams for individual foods.
- Contain at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of one or more of these naturally occurring nutrients: protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber.
To use the USDA-regulated word, 'healthy,' a product must meet all of the following nutritional levels, which are based on a standard serving size as specified for an individual food. A serving of the food product must:
- Be low in fat (less than or equal to 3 grams).
- Be low in saturated fat (less than or equal to 1 gram).
- Be low in cholesterol (less than or equal to 60 milligrams).
- Have a sodium value of less than or equal to 360 milligrams for individual foods.
- Contain at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of one or more of these naturally occurring nutrients: protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber.
Forward-Looking Statements:
Statements contained in this press release that state the intentions, hopes, beliefs, anticipations, expectations or predictions of the future of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation and its management are forward-looking statements. It is important to note that the actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in such forward- looking statements include: matters affecting the poultry industry generally, including fluctuations in the commodity prices of feed ingredients, chicken and turkey; additional outbreaks of avian influenza or other diseases affecting the production performance and/or marketability of the company's poultry products; contamination of our products, which has recently and can in the future lead to product liability claims and product recalls; exposure to risks related to product liability, product recalls, property damage and injuries to persons, for which insurance coverage is expensive, limited and potentially inadequate; management of our cash resources, particularly in light of our leverage; restrictions imposed by and as a result of, our leverage; currency exchange rate fluctuations, trade barriers, exchange controls, expropriation and other risks associated with foreign operations; changes in laws or regulations affecting our operations or the application thereof as well as competitive factors and pricing pressures; risks associated with the acquisition of ConAgra Foods' chicken division including possible unknown liabilities assumed in connection with the acquisition and loss of customers of the acquired business; inability to recognize the anticipated cost savings and anticipated benefits in connection with our turkey division restructuring; and the impact of uncertainties of litigation as well as other risks described under "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Pilgrim's Pride Corporation undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE Pilgrim's Pride Corporation
Media Contact
Cameron Bruett
Communications
Phone: +1 970.506.7801 | Email: cameron.bruett@jbssa.com