Cargill Helps Customers Deliver Healthier Products That Kids Like to America's School Lunchrooms

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The new standards for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program – recently announced by First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack – will bring changes to the meals served in lunchrooms across America. As school communities prepare to implement the new standards, they must rely upon trusted industry partners to supply nutritious foods and ingredients. Cargill's extensive food and ingredient portfolio can help create cost-effective menu items that support good health and meet children's demands for great taste.

Specifically, Cargill solutions enable school nutrition professionals to prepare meals with more servings of whole grains, less sodium, and fats and oils with no or low saturated fat and zero grams trans fat per serving. 

Cargill partnered with Minnesota's Osseo School District in 2011 to develop whole grain-rich rolls with 51 percent whole wheat in the grain ingredients – and 50 percent less fat and 10 percent less sodium than the district's traditional rolls.

"The true test with these rolls was the kids – would they notice the change?" said Jessica Wellnitz, bakery applications product development leader, Cargill. "And they certainly did notice – in a good way. Today, the kids are consuming 22 percent more of these healthier, whole grain-rich rolls, which include WheatSelect® white spring whole wheat flour from Horizon Milling," she said. Horizon Milling is a Cargill joint venture.

To meet the USDA's requirement that all grains be whole-grain rich, Cargill offers both wheat- and corn-based whole grain solutions. Horizon Milling has been working with schools to develop great-tasting 100 percent whole wheat tortillas, and Cargill's MaizeWise® whole grain corn products offer cost-effective options for incorporating whole grains into a variety of foods, such as cereals, pizza crusts and rolls. Cargill's expertise in sodium optimization can help achieve a food's desired flavor profile with less salt. Tools like Cargill's SaltWise® sodium reduction system can successfully reduce sodium by 25 to 50 percent. Cargill's Clear Valley® canola oils can replace trans and saturated fats in recipes while delivering omega-3 health benefits.  

Cargill Kitchen Solutions makes more than 20 varieties of healthful and convenient egg-based breakfasts developed specifically for the school market. Sold under the Sunny Fresh™ brand, Cargill's offerings are popular among children and deliver quality protein and other nutrients that lay the foundation for a day of learning and growth. The Sunny Fresh™ brand offers schools a variety of products that are low in fat, saturated fat and sodium, and have zero grams of trans fat per serving. A growing number of items deliver a full serving of whole grains.

"Cargill aspires to be the global leader in nourishing people, and we take seriously our role in helping the world meet its nutritional needs," said Pat Bowe, corporate vice president, Cargill. "Child nutrition programs, like the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, deliver essential nutrition to millions of kids each day. We offer health solutions ranging from removing trans and saturated fats to reducing sodium and calories, to incorporating fiber, whole grains and protein into kids' diets."

For more information about the many Cargill ingredients and application capabilities that can help address the new school lunch requirements, visit www.cargill.com/food.

About Cargill
Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 142,000 people in 66 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit Cargill.com and its news center.

About Horizon Milling, LLC
A leading U.S. flour miller, Horizon Milling, LLC is a joint venture between CHS Inc. (www.chsinc.com) and Cargill, Incorporated. Horizon Milling combines the expertise of a global food ingredients manufacturer with the supply assurance capabilities of a national, farmer-owned cooperative to provide customers with innovative, flour-related product and service solutions. For more information, visit http://www.horizonmilling.com.

SOURCE Cargill