Red Gold Launches Better Nutrition Made Simple™ Tomato-based Products to Help FS Operators Meet Changing Federal Nutrition Requirements

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Gold, LLC used the backdrop of America's largest gathering of K-12 School Foodservice Directors today to announce the launch of eight new products. These products help them meet new, more stringent federal requirements for their school lunch menus. Under the umbrella phrase, Better Nutrition Made Simple™, these new products all offer much lower sodium and no high fructose corn syrup as healthier ingredients options.

"We have just made providing better nutrition much easier for schools," explained David Halt, Red Gold's Director of Foodservice Sales. "K-12 School Foodservice Directors are being directed by their federal, state, and local governments to serve foods to their students that contain significantly less sodium. Our new products help them meet these new requirements without sacrificing great tasting flavor. In addition, three of the most popular prepared tomato-based sauces are now Nutritionally Enhanced by providing Excellent Sources of essential Vitamins A, C and E."

The announcement came on the opening day of the 2011 American National Conference of the School Nutrition Association at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, TN.

Red Gold is a market leader in bringing new nutritionally enhanced tomato products to the K-12 School market. The company launched the first of the nutritionally beneficial products to the K-12 School market two years ago. Redpack^® Nutritionally Enhanced Spaghetti Sauce has already been embraced by major school districts based on superior nutritional benefits and great taste.

Today, Red Gold added new Nutritionally Enhanced Marinara Sauce and Nutritionally Enhanced Fully-Prepared Pizza Sauce under the Redpack label. All of the products meet new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed rule for lower sodium and have the added benefit of containing no high fructose corn syrup. The Marinara and Spaghetti Sauces contain 50 percent of the required Daily Value (DV) for Vitamins A, C and E per 1/4 cup serving, while the Fully Prepared Pizza Sauce contains 25 percent per 1/4 cup serving.

Also announced today is Red Gold^® Nutritionally Enhanced Salsa with half the sodium of their regular Salsa. In addition, the product contains 20 percent of the required Daily Value for Vitamins A, C, and E per 1/4 cup serving (Good Source). The Salsa is available in 6/#10 cans and two-ounce plastic dipping cups.

A new Red Gold^® 100% Natural Ketchup Made with Sugar tastes great and contains 68 percent less sodium than typical ketchup. It is available in 6/#10 Cans, 9 gram portion control Packets and 3 gallon Bag-in-Box.

"While the greatest interest today is in the K-12 School Foodservice segment due to new USDA requirements, I believe that these products will be of interest to other segments of the industry, such as healthcare, colleges and universities," said Halt. "I foresee demand will also emerge within the fast food and full-service commercial segments as governments and consumers demand better-for-you products."

Red Gold is one of America's leading tomato processors and is a key U.S. Department of Agriculture commodity processor for tomato paste-based products.

For more information on how these new products can help make better nutrition simple for your operation, contact Rich Meyers, Red Gold's National Sales Manager at (765) 754-7527, ext. 1630 or via e-mail at [email protected].

SOURCE Red Gold, LLC