Dietary Benefits in the Bag for Popcorn Consumers

MINNEAPOLIS, May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Popcorn consumers have about a 250 percent higher intake of whole grains and a 22 percent higher intake of fiber than people who do not eat popcorn, according to an article in the 2008 May issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (JADA). The research, funded by ConAgra Foods, Inc., and led by The Center for Human Nutrition, comes as the low-carb diet fad fades and consumers look for foods high in whole grains and fiber, which are important components of the government's most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

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Popcorn eaters averaged 2.5 servings of whole grains and 18.1 grams of dietary fiber a day (which cannot be attributed entirely to popcorn) while non-eaters consume 0.7 servings of whole grains and 14.9 grams of fiber. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage the daily consumption of three or more one-ounce servings of whole-grain foods and 28 grams of fiber as part of a 2,000 calorie diet.

Popcorn consumers ate an average of 38.8 grams (about six to seven cups of popped popcorn, which is equal to a little more than one labeled serving) of popcorn a day, according to the study. The analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1999-2002 indicated that approximately six percent of the survey participants (910 out of 15,506 individuals aged four years and older) were popcorn consumers (survey participants who reported eating popcorn on the single 24-hour dietary recall used for NHANES). Popcorn consumption was reported by more females than males; more white individuals than those from other ethnic groups; and more 12- to 19-year-olds than other age groups.

As part of an overall healthful diet, whole-grain foods have been associated with improved weight management and reduced risk of several chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Yet, most Americans don't get enough. Fewer than 10 percent of Americans consume the recommended three servings per day(i).

In fact, a Whole Grain Awareness(ii) survey conducted on behalf of Orville Redenbacher's revealed that only 12 percent of Americans are aware that popcorn is a whole grain. "Popcorn is a great way for adults and children to get the whole grains they need on a daily basis. One serving of SmartPop! popcorn (six cups) actually equals two full servings of whole grains," explained Kristin J. Reimers, Ph.D., manager of nutrition for ConAgra Foods, Inc., and an author of the study.

"Snacks account for one-third of whole grain consumption, and popcorn is the most popular whole grain snack food. That's why dietitians can feel good about recommending snacks such as low fat Orville Redenbacher's SmartPop! popcorn to their clients," said Reimers. "It contains more fiber per gram than many other whole grain foods, including oatmeal, whole wheat bread and brown rice. The Orville Redenbacher's SmartPop! line offers a number of varieties."

This is the first study to investigate popcorn consumption among American consumers and to examine pertinent associations between the consumption of popcorn, food group intakes, nutrient intakes, and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease using the NHANES 1999-2002 database. NHANES is an ongoing data collection initiative conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NHANES is designed to collect information about the health and diet of a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of the noninstitutionalized civilian population in the United States.

Orville Redenbacher's(R) Gourmet Popping Corn is the leader in microwave popcorn. It's the perfect snack for the entire family -- popping up hot, fresh and delicious every time. Orville is available in a wide variety of products and flavors, including SmartPop! 94% fat free, NATURAL and Organic. It took Orville Redenbacher more than 40 years to develop a corn hybrid unlike any other, and continues to lead product innovation. In 2006, ConAgra Foods reformulated its microwaveable popcorn brands to be free of trans fat and in 2007, to help consumers decrease the amount of sodium in their diets, introduced SmartPop! 30% Less Sodium offering consumers a great healthy snack that is now even better for them. Orville Redenbacher's SmartPop! line continues to garner more consumer interest in the healthy snack segment by appealing to consumers on the basis of its whole-grain content(iii).

For more information on Orville Redenbacher's SmartPop! popcorn, consumers can visit http://www.orville.com. Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn is a brand of ConAgra Brands, Inc. For more information, please visit us at http://www.conagrafoods.com.

About ConAgra Foods

ConAgra Foods, Inc. , is one of North America's leading packaged food companies, serving grocery retailers, as well as restaurants and other foodservice establishments. Popular ConAgra Foods consumer brands include: Banquet, Chef Boyardee, DAVID, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, Reddi-wip, PAM and many others.

(i) United States. Department of Agriculture. Human Nutrition Information Service. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, United States. Agricultural Research Service. Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the dietary guidelines for Americans, 2005: to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture. Washington, DC: The Committee; 2004. (ii) Fielded by Opinion Research Corp.'s CARAVAN service from Sept. 21-24, 2006. Survey conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1,023 Americans. The margin of error of the findings is +/- 3 percentage points. (iii) Salty Snacks-U.S., March 2007, a report from Mintel, a leading market research company

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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com ConAgra Foods, Inc.

CONTACT: Lauren Sugarman, +1-312-228-6967, lauren.sugarman@ketchum.com ,
for ConAgra Foods, Inc.; or Regina DeMars of ConAgra Foods, Inc.,
+1-402-595-6727, regina.demars@conagrafoods.com

Web site: http://www.conagrafoods.com/
http://www.orville.com/