ConAgra Foods’ Healthy Choice Brand Reduces Sodium in Top-Selling Soups; Launches Three Varieties of All Natural Soups with Less Sodium

Consumers cite sodium as most important health-related factor when selecting soup

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) one of North America’s leading food makers, today announced a 15 percent sodium reduction, from 460 milligrams to 390 milligrams per one-cup serving, for its top two varieties of Healthy Choice^® soup – Chicken Noodle and Chicken with Rice. Additionally, Healthy Choice is introducing three varieties of All Natural soups with 390 milligrams of sodium per one-cup serving, including Cheese Tortellini, Red Beans & Rice, and a reformulated Tomato Basil.

“This reflects ConAgra Foods’ ongoing commitment to sodium reduction and builds upon the tremendous success of the Healthy Choice All Natural Entrées line introduced last year.”

“The entire line of Healthy Choice soup has always met the government guideline for ‘healthy’ sodium levels, which is a maximum of 480 milligrams per serving, and the five new soups contain about 20 percent less than this amount,” said Jane Anders, vice president, Research, Quality & Innovation, ConAgra Foods.

In a recent independent study from market research firm Mintel, nearly 70 percent of consumers rated sodium as the most important health-related factor when selecting soup and 42 percent indicated that all natural ingredients are important⁽¹⁾. The market for natural and organic food and beverages remains strong with the category growing 11 percent in 2008 to $34 billion⁽²⁾.

“Healthy Choice is all about making great food with healthy ingredients. Now, we’re making our soup line even more healthful by reducing sodium in two varieties and introducing three new All Natural soups that are also lower in sodium,” said Laura Flanagan, president, Consumer Foods, ConAgra Foods. “This reflects ConAgra Foods’ ongoing commitment to sodium reduction and builds upon the tremendous success of the Healthy Choice All Natural Entrées line introduced last year.”

The suggested retail price for a 15-ounce can of Healthy Choice soup is $2.19 and a 14-ounce microwaveable bowl is $2.49. Both contain two servings.

In October 2009, ConAgra Foods pledged to reduce sodium across its portfolio of food products by 20 percent by 2015. In total, as many as 20 brands and 160 product varieties will be impacted by the sodium reduction initiative. The company will ultimately eliminate approximately 10 million pounds of salt each year from the American diet.

The company’s commitment builds on its legacy as a leader in helping consumers reduce and control sodium intake. More than 20 years ago, ConAgra Foods introduced Healthy Choice meals to the marketplace—the first, and still the only, line of meals in the grocery store to earn the “healthy” label, in part, for meeting the U.S. government’s recommendations for healthy sodium levels.

Healthy Choice is a brand of ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG), one of North America’s leading food companies, with brands in 97 percent of America’s households. Consumers find Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Hebrew National, Hunt’s, Marie Callender’s, Orville Redenbacher’s, PAM, Peter Pan, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim, Snack Pack and many other ConAgra Foods brands in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise and club stores. ConAgra Foods also has a strong business-to-business presence, supplying frozen potato and sweet potato products as well as other vegetable, spice and grain products to a variety of well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial customers. For more information, please visit us at www.conagrafoods.com.

(1) Mintel Soup International Study, January 2010
(2) Nutrition Business Journal, June 1, 2009

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