Top Poultry Producer Takes Aim at Childhood Obesity With Chicken Nuggets and Popcorn Chicken in EatWellStayHealthy Kids(TM) Program; Baked Items From Pilgrim's Pride Earn American Heart Association's 'Heart-Check Mark' Seal of Approval
PITTSBURG, Texas, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- A top poultry producer is helping lead the fight against childhood obesity with a new line of baked chicken products that kids and parents will love.
(PHOTO : http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060913/NYFNSQ02 )
EatWellStayHealthy Kids Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets and Breaded Popcorn Chicken from Pilgrim's Pride Corp., one of the nation's largest poultry producers, will be available in stores this fall. The baked nuggets are the first to feature the USDA-regulated word "healthy" on the packaging. Both products are also certified by the American Heart Association (AHA) with its "heart-check mark" seal of approval. (See http://www.pilgrimspride.com ).
"Our new breast nuggets and popcorn chicken are a convenient and healthy food choice for families with kids," said Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim, chairman of Pilgrim's Pride. "Our Company has always been interested in promoting healthy lifestyles and diet, and we're excited to offer healthy new choices for families."
All products in the line are made from whole-muscle chicken breast meat and contain zero trans fats. These products have less than half the calories, half the carbohydrates and 80% less fat per serving than the leading national brand (see attached health comparison). These products also are approved for Child Nutrition Labeling, a voluntary federal labeling program for the USDA's Child Nutrition Programs.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the number of overweight or obese children has more than doubled in the past 30 years, and 17 percent of children ages two to 19 are overweight.
"We believe it's important to offer convenient, great-tasting foods that kids like to eat, and that are also good for them," said Bob Wright, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Pilgrim's Pride.
Dr. Kenneth Cooper of The Cooper Institute in Dallas, a recognized leader in physical fitness and disease prevention, agrees.
"It's encouraging to see a heart-healthy product in the marketplace that appeals directly to children. Childhood obesity is a serious health issue with many long-term implications. It's more important than ever for parents to be able to choose healthy foods that are low in fat, calories and carbohydrates for their children," he said.
Pilgrim's Pride issued this health comparison for the EatWellStayHealthy
baked nuggets:
Pilgrim's Pride Other Leading
EatWellStayHealthy(TM) Fully Brand Fully
Cooked Chicken Cooked Chicken
Breast Nuggets Nuggets
Serving size 4 pieces (84g) 5 pieces (91g)
Calories 120 280
Calories from fat 20 160
Total fat 2 g 18 g
Saturated Fat 0 g 4 g
Trans fat 0 g 0 g
Cholesterol 35 mg 40 mg
Sodium 350 mg 480 mg
About Pilgrim's Pride
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (NYSE: PPC) is the second-largest chicken producer in the United States and Mexico and the largest chicken producer in Puerto Rico. Pilgrim's Pride employs approximately 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, Florida, Iowa, Mississippi, and Utah.
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 .
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