Progresso® to launch new high fiber soup line in fall 2009
Product innovation designed to meet growing consumer demand for fiber-rich foods
06/25/2009
A new line of High Fiber soups from Progresso®, available in grocery stores this fall, is set to raise the bar for taste, nutritional value and variety among ready-to-serve soups.
While consumers regard fiber as the No. 1 ingredient to positively impact health, 9 in 10 Americans are not getting the recommended Daily Value. In fact, nearly 80 million baby boomers say they are seeking more fiber in their diets
“Increasingly, consumers are looking for foods with health-enhancing benefits that don’t sacrifice taste or convenience,” said Chad Johnson, marketing manager for Progresso soup. “As the category leader, Progresso is in a position to respond quickly to consumer feedback by introducing healthy innovations that taste great. We’re proud to say we’ve done just that with the new High Fiber line.”
Progresso soup’s new High Fiber line includes four varieties: Chicken Tuscany; Creamy Tomato Basil; Hearty Vegetable and Noodles; and Homestyle Minestrone – all with no added MSG, no artificial flavors and seven grams of fiber per serving.
“It’s important for consumers to eat high-fiber foods, as they’ve been shown to support digestive health,” said Michelle Tucker, senior nutrition scientist, General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition. “With 28 percent of the recommended Daily Value of fiber per serving, Progresso High Fiber soups will make it convenient for consumers to get more fiber in their diets while enjoying a wholesome, satisfying meal.”
This latest offering is part of the Progresso brand’s ongoing focus on healthy innovations, which includes its popular Progresso Light soup line, the first consumer packaged product in any grocery category to carry the Weight Watchers® endorsement with a POINTS® value of 0 per serving.
More information may be found at www.progressosoup.com beginning this fall.
About Progresso
The Progresso tradition began in 1905 when a young Sicilian, Vincent Taormina, began a small importing business to bring authentic Italian foods to Italian-American families. Driven by the wartime shortage of imported products, Progresso opened its original manufacturing plant in Vineland, N.J., where the company created the first Progresso premium soup in 1949, a minestrone based on an old family recipe. It was the first canned, ready-to-serve soup in America. Today, Progresso continues that tradition with more than 80 premium, ready-to-eat soups and broths including the newest line of light soups.
Progresso has grown to become the No. 1 ready-to-eat soup brand in America by using quality ingredients and adding new products like Rich & Hearty, microwaveable bowls and reduced sodium. It established a new health segment with the Progresso Light line for those concerned with weight management. Progresso continues to build on its rich history of flavorful products that delight the consumer.
Progresso® is a reg. T.M. of Pet Incorporated.
WEIGHT WATCHERS for services and POINTS are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license.
For More Information, Contact:
Pam Becker
Progresso
763-764-2470
pam.becker@genmills.com
Tina Valek
Padilla Speer Beardsley
612-455-1723
tvalek@psbpr.com
