Jennie-O Introduces All Natural Turkey Sausage With Simple, Familiar Ingredients, No Preservatives

New sausage recipe meets growing demand for "clean label" foods.

Mnet 153146 Jennie O Product Listing Image
Mnet 153147 Jennie O Product Listing Image

WILLMAR, Minn., Jan. 9, 2017 (PRNewswire) — A versatile ingredient in many favorite recipes, sausage has long been a staple of American meals. Now, as more of today's consumers seek out all natural foods with simple ingredients Jennie-O — a company that believes eating well shouldn't come at the cost of taste — is serving up a lean and delicious solution perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner: new JENNIE-O All-Natural Turkey Sausage.

Available in original and hot varieties, new JENNIE-O All Natural Turkey Sausage offers home cooks a great-tasting lean alternative to traditional pork sausage with lower fat content and a simple, clean ingredients list: just delicious turkey, salt, sugar, a blend of spices and rosemary extract.

In addition to its familiar ingredients, the newly formulated product delivers both improved flavor and nutritional benefits, with reduced sodium content and only 110 calories and 6 g of fat per serving. It is also minimally processed and free of BHT, BHA and other common preservatives.

"As more of our customers begin to look toward foods with simple ingredients, we are thrilled to offer a delicious turkey sausage, free of preservatives," says Mary Wieland, brand manager at Jennie-O Turkey Store. "Home cooks will love how easily the product can be added to their go-to recipes — from a lean protein added to classic breakfast dishes to a quick and tasty homemade pizza topping — it's sure to become a favorite."

The brand's latest offering comes as interest in natural and clean label foods has grown over the last several years into a major food trend. As of December 2015, more than 30 percent of consumers were cautious about serving foods with preservatives compared to 24 percent 10 years prior, according to NPD Group.1 The research group's 2016 "Report on Eating Patterns in America" indicates consumers' focus on "purity" in food will continue. The annual study shows people are seeking out minimally processed items and expectations are growing for food labels to highlight natural, recognizable ingredients.2 Today, the "Clean Supreme" trend for clean-and-clear labels is No. 1 on the Innova Market Insights list of Top 10 Trends for 2017.3

1 NPD Group, "Consumer Concerns About Food Ingredients Changes Their View On How Natural Should Be Defined on Food Labels, Reports NPD Group," December 2015
https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/2015/consumer-concern-about-food-ingredients-changes-their-view-on-how-natural-should-be-defined-on-food-labels-reports-npd-group/

2 NPD Group, "2016 Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America," December 2016.
https://www.npd.com/lps/pdf/EPA-Infographics-12-12.pdf

3 Innova Market Insights, "Clean Supreme" Leads Top Trends for 2017," November 2016
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/clean-supreme-leads-top-trends-for-2017-601079836.html

About Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc.

Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc., based in Willmar, Minn., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hormel Foods Corporation and one of the largest turkey processors and marketers in the world. It offers an array of more than 1,500 high quality fresh, frozen, refrigerated and deli turkey products that are distributed throughout the United States and 27 countries worldwide.

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