Lower Sodium, Healthful Snacks Help Busy Mom and Actress Jennie Garth Keep Her Family Happy

EDINA, Minn.-- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- More than 90 percent of Americans surveyed are quick to identify high blood pressure as one of their biggest health concerns related to sodium intake. However, according to a recent survey conducted by Orville Redenbacher’s^? Gourmet^? Popping Corn¹, only a quarter are concerned about the level of sodium in their diets. This, despite the fact that the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage consumers to choose foods with less salt—one of the potential risk factors associated with heart disease-relating to high blood pressure.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Americans consume 3,375 milligrams of sodium daily, which is about 40 percent more than the 2,300 milligrams recommended by the Dietary Guidelines.

To help consumers decrease the amount of sodium in their diets, America’s No. 1 popcorn brand, Orville Redenbacher’s, is introducing SmartPop! 30% Less Sodium. All of the brand’s SmartPop! flavors now contain 30 percent less sodium and are 94 percent fat free, and with flavors such as Butter, Kettle Korn, Movie Theater Butter and Organic Butter, popcorn lovers now have an alternative to the bland tastes often associated with other reduced-sodium snacks. In fact, Orville Redenbacher’s guarantees that its new SmartPop! 30% Less Sodium tastes just as good as original SmartPop!, or consumers can receive a full refund on their purchase if not satisfied.

The new SmartPop! 30% Less Sodium is a perfect snack for people who want to feel good about what they are eating without losing the taste benefits. As a busy mother of three and working actress, Jennie Garth, of Dancing with the Stars, knows that popcorn is a versatile and healthful snack option that she enjoys eating, as well as sharing with her family.

“In my line of work I am often in the spotlight, and as an active mother I need to stay in great shape and watch what I eat,” says celebrity mom Jennie Garth, of Dancing with the Stars. “But there are some things I just can’t give up, such as salty snacks, so I was so excited to find out that Orville Redenbacher’s came out with a popcorn that has less sodium but tastes great. I don’t feel any guilt when I eat it, and I am able to share it with my family because I know it is a healthful snack. I can’t taste the difference between this new SmartPop! and original Orville Redenbacher’s, and neither can my family!”

According to a recent survey conducted by Orville Redenbacher’s^? Gourmet Popping Corn^?, three out of four consumers who currently don’t buy lower-sodium items said they would purchase a reduced sodium product if it had the same taste as snacks that were higher in sodium.² With this in mind, SmartPop! 30% Less Sodium uses new advancements in flavor technology to reduce sodium by 30 percent, while maintaining its delicious gourmet taste.

“The most common problem I hear about many lower-sodium snacks is they simply do not taste as great as their full-sodium counterparts, but, sometimes, due to health concerns, people might not have another option,” said Carolyn O’Neil, Registered Dietitian. “What makes the introduction of SmartPop! 30% Less Sodium so great is that Orville Redenbacher’s found a way to provide a lower-sodium, healthful snack people will want because the product tastes the same as the original – if not better.”

“With the new advancements in flavor technology, even we were amazed by how great the new SmartPop! tasted,” said Stan Jacot, vice president of Marketing for ConAgra Foods’ popcorn business. “By significantly reducing the level of sodium, the improved SmartPop 30% Less Sodium still offers consumers a great healthful snack that is now even better for them.”

In addition to Jennie Garth’s involvement with the brand she will team up with Orville Redenbacher’s and America’s Second Harvest to appear at a local Los Angeles Kids Café to discuss how physical activity can be fun and how healthy snack options can taste great. California has been recognized as one of 12 states where more than 20 percent of all children live in food insecure households.³ The Kids Café provides a safe environment where kids can do homework, engage in physical exercise as well as other educational activities, and receive a balanced snack or meal before they go home.

SmartPop! 30% Less Sodium is an example of Orville Redenbacher’s quest to develop the perfect popcorn and features the same healthy attributes of the original SmartPop! varieties with 100 percent whole grains and 0 grams of Trans Fat, making the improved popcorn a perfect snack for any lifestyle. The new SmartPop! 30% Less Sodium variety is now available in stores in regular-sized bags for sharing, and 100 calorie mini-bags for portion-controlled snacking. Suggested retail price is $2.69.

ABOUT ORVILLE REDENBACHER’S GOURMET POPPING CORN

For more than 40 years, the Orville Redenbacher’s name has been a valued and iconic household name that offers premium taste with quality ingredients. In 2007 Orville Redenbacher was inducted into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame as the Icon of the Year, and Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popping Corn Light Butter Microwave Popcorn was ranked No 1 by a leading consumer publication. As the No. 1-selling popcorn brand in the U.S., Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popping Corn is available in more than 70 varieties to complement any lifestyle, taste or occasion. For more information on the brand and products, visit Orville Redenbacher’s Web site at www.orville.com.

ABOUT CONAGRA FOODS

ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE:CAG) 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, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, Reddi-wip, PAM and many others.

¹ The Orville Redenbacher’s sodium survey was conducted between Aug. 31- Sept. 3, 2007 by the Ketchum Global Research Network and ORC’s Caravan Services and polled 1,000 Americans. Margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent with a 95 percent confidence level. A copy of the full survey and results is available upon request.

² The Orville Redenbacher’s sodium survey.

³ Nation’s Food Bank Network 2007 U.S. Child Hunger Analysis.

ConAgra Foods, Inc.

Regina DeMars, 402-595-6727

e-mail: regina.demars@conagrafoods.com

or

for ConAgra Foods, Inc.

Mike Shriner, 312-228-6933

e-mail: michael.shriner@ketchum.com

www.orville.com

www.conagrafoods.com