America's Favorite Sandwich Cracker Celebrates 100 Years

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lance^® has been satisfying America's snacking appetite for 100 years — and this is just the beginning. The brand is celebrating its 100^th anniversary in 2013 with product launches and improvements, social media giveaways and a promise to continue giving consumers "more of what they love."

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"Turning 100 years old is a big moment for any brand, but when you're the nation's favorite snack cracker, it's a really big opportunity to do something special," said Tom Ingram, Senior Brand Director, Bakery at Snyder's-Lance, Inc. "To celebrate a century of Lance, we will show appreciation to our loyal fans by giving them 'more of what they love.'"

100 Years of Innovation

Born out of innovation, the story of the Lance^® brand begins one hundred years ago, when Philip L. Lance, a Charlotte, N.C. food broker, turned 500 pounds of unwanted peanuts into an entrepreneurial endeavor. Philip Lance began selling the peanuts on the street for a nickel a bag. He soon expanded his peanut business to include peanut butter, and shortly after, the first peanut butter sandwich cracker was born.

The Lance^® product line expanded again when an American soldier gave the company his mother's recipe for peanut brittle. The peanut brittle, now known as Peanut Bar, remains an important part of Lance's^® product line. The brand has since added nuts, seeds, cookies and popcorn varieties to its product offerings.

From the streets of Charlotte to the homes of families across America, Lance continues to innovate. Lance was the first company to make significant nutritional changes as part of its Snack Right campaign in 1988. More recent product innovation milestones include:

• 2004 – Lance eliminates trans fats from its products.
• 2008 – Lance eliminates high-fructose corn syrup from all sandwich cracker products.
• 2009 – Lance adds Whole Grain sandwich crackers and 100 Calorie pouches to its product line.
• 2011 – Lance launches Cracker Creations^®, a line of premium, all-natural sandwich crackers.

As part of its ongoing celebrations in 2013, Lance is introducing Xtra Fulls™ Toastchee^® and Xtra Fulls™ Toasty™. The new products, the lead items to celebrate Lance's 100^th Anniversary, offer more peanut butter filling for an extra satisfying snacking experience. Over the years, more peanut butter has been a top consumer request and Lance is responding by giving consumers "more of what they love" — real peanut butter, freshly-ground in Georgia. Xtra Fulls™ offer up to 6 grams of protein per serving and, like all Lance^® sandwich crackers, contain no preservatives. In mid-April, Lance will also unveil product extensions for its Cracker Creations^®, Captain's Wafers^® sandwich crackers and Nekot^® cookies.

In addition to the new products being introduced, Lance will complete several product improvements this year, including using a creamier peanut butter filling and increasing the number of whole grains in its Whole Grain sandwich crackers.

100 Days of Celebrations

As a thank you to consumers, Lance will host the "100 Days to Win Snack Challenge" from March through June. The sweepstakes will launch March 11 on the Lance Snacks Facebook page and at Happy100Lance.com. Consumers can take daily "Snacking Challenges" for a chance to win instant and weekly prizes, in addition to the $100,000 grand prize to fulfill their ultimate birthday wish.

For more information about the history of Lance^® sandwich crackers and the 100^th anniversary celebrations, visit the Lance Snacks Facebook page, www.lance.com or Happy100Lance.com (after March 11).

100 Years of Giving Back

Lance has a long history of supporting a variety of causes and organizations. In 2012 the Lance Foundation announced that in recognition of the upcoming 100-year anniversary of the Lance^® brand, it would make one-time grants totaling $1.5 million to 13 Charlotte-area nonprofit organizations. These grants benefit programs that are closely aligned with the Foundation's focus areas of supporting education, championing healthy living, fighting hunger and assisting military causes.

The Lance Foundation is managed by the parent company, Snyder's-Lance, Inc. Snyder's-Lance has a long history of supporting a variety of causes and organizations in both the Charlotte community and those communities where the company has operations. For more information on Snyder's-Lance's commitment to corporate responsibility, please visit www.snyderslance.com/community.

About Lance® Sandwich Crackers

Lance^® sandwich crackers and Lance ^®Cracker Creations^® are available in more than two dozen varieties, including Toastchee^®, Whole Grain and the new Cracker Creations^® Granola and 5 Grain varieties. Each product is made with freshly-baked, crispy crackers or granola wafers and real peanut butter, cheese, cream cheese or chocolate filling. Lance^® sandwich crackers and Lance^® Cracker Creations^® have 0 grams trans fat, no preservatives and no high fructose corn syrup. For more information about Lance^® sandwich crackers, visit www.lance.com or the Lance Snacks Facebook page.

About Snyder's-Lance, Inc.

Snyder's-Lance, Inc., headquartered in Charlotte, NC, manufactures and markets snack foods throughout the United States and internationally. The Company's products include pretzels, sandwich crackers, pretzel crackers, potato chips, cookies, tortilla chips, restaurant style crackers, nuts and other snacks. Snyder's-Lance has manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Indiana, Georgia, Arizona, Massachusetts, Florida, Ohio and Ontario, Canada. Products are sold under the Snyder's of Hanover^®, Lance^®, Cape Cod^®, Pretzel Crisps^®, Krunchers!^®, Tom's^®, Archway^®, Jays^®, Stella D'oro^®, Eatsmart^®, O-Ke-Doke^®, Grande^® and Padrinos^® brand names along with a number of private label and third party brands. Products are distributed nationally through grocery and mass merchandisers, convenience stores, club stores, food service outlets and other channels.  LNCE-G

SOURCE Lance® Sandwich Crackers