John Morrell Food Group Foodservice Introduces Armour® and John Morrell® 40% Lower Sodium Franks

LISLE, Ill., Dec. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As a leader in lower sodium meat products, the John Morrell Food Group, a Subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, announces the introduction of Armour and John Morrell 40% Lower Sodium Franks for Foodservice operators.  Utilizing a patented, all-natural sodium replacer, the new franks deliver the same great-tasting traditional flavor with 40% less sodium compared to regular franks.

With patron demand for lower-sodium menu items, and the advent of new menu-labeling regulations, John Morrell Food Group Foodservice understands the importance of providing foodservice operators lower-sodium solutions.

"With a rising awareness of sodium intake, we are interested in providing restaurant operators and patrons lower-sodium alternatives to some of the best-selling items on the menu," said Chuck Gitkin, John Morrell Food Group vice president of marketing, innovation, and R&D. "We are using a breakthrough all-natural sodium alternative that allows for a one-to-one replacement of salt.  The new franks do not compromise the taste and tradition that are hallmarks of the Armour and John Morrell brands."

This provides a solution for foodservice operators who wish to address their patrons' desire for healthful yet flavorful products – especially K-12 schools, healthcare facilities, and colleges and universities. The new Lower Sodium Armour and John Morrell franks are CN labeled for school lunch menus.  Each two-ounce frank provides a two-ounce equivalent meat for child nutrition meal pattern requirements¹. The line includes all-beef formulations and beef/pork blends to match the flavor profiles preferred by adults and kids respectively. 

The John Morrell Food Group offers lower-sodium items such as John Morrell 50% Reduced Sodium Bacon, Armour 50% Reduced Sodium Pepperoni, and Eckrich 33% Reduced Sodium Smoked Sausage.  These items are unique to their respective categories.

John Morrell Food Group Foodservice is a part of the John Morrell Food Group, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE: SFD).  For more information about John Morrell Food Group Foodservice please visit http://www.johnmorrellfoodgroup.com/foodservice.

¹Use of this statement authorized by the food and nutrition service, USDA

About John Morrell Food Group 
With over a century and a half of experience, John Morrell Food Group brands have become respected and well known for providing premium-quality meat products to families across the United States. With products ranging from lunchmeat and franks to smoked sausage, bacon and pepperoni, the John Morrell Food Group is an important part of consumers' mealtimes. The John Morrell Food Group offers several national and regional brands including Armour®, Eckrich®, John Morrell®, Curly's®, Patrick Cudahy®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Margherita®, Kretschmar® and LunchMakers®.

SOURCE John Morrell Food Group