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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ConAgra Mills® Expands Product Portfolio with Industry Leading New Products
ConAgra Mills Introduces Eagle Mills® Gluten-Free All-Purpose Multigrain Flour and
Mumbai Gold™ Fresh Chakki Atta at IFT
Anaheim, CA – June 8, 2009 – Nutrition/lifestyle issues and ethnic flavor trends continue to be primary drivers in new product introductions. In the health and wellness arena gluten-free has taken the spotlight. And the exotic cuisine of India is just hitting American restaurants and grocery shelves now. At the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo in Anaheim, ConAgra Mills is announcing two new all-natural flours designed to expand the market for products in these growing categories. ConAgra Mills new value-added flours support commercial bakeries, food manufacturers and foodservice chefs with products that meet consumer desires for diverse dining experiences and to help those leading a gluten-free lifestyle.
Eagle Mills® Gluten-Free All-Purpose Multigrain Flour
One of the most dramatic areas of growth in the food industry has been in the gluten-free segment. Gluten-free products have been gaining attention steadily for years and are now poised for exponential growth. In fact, the market for gluten-free food and beverage products grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28 percent from 2004 to 2008, to finish with almost $1.6 billion in retail sales last year,1 with nearly 1,200 new gluten-free foods and beverages launched by more than 225 marketers last year.2
Consumers dealing with celiac disease and other gluten-sensitivities are no longer the only consumers interested in gluten-free products. Interest is being fueled by web sites, books and DVDs on gluten-related illnesses and gluten-free diets have proliferated with celebrity endorsements. Interest surged further after Oprah Winfrey announced that she is on a gluten-free diet and Elisabeth Hasselback from “The View” released her book "The G-Free Diet: A Gluten Survival Guide," in May. There’s no doubt that gluten-free products are a growth opportunity.
Now, ConAgra Mills can help product developers deliver the quality, assurance and the scale to meet this growing demand with Eagle Mills Gluten-Free All-Purpose Multigrain Flour. This whole grain flour is optimized to work across a range of products including pan bread, tortillas, muffins, snacks, coatings and extruded cereals. The multigrain flour is a proprietary blend of ConAgra Mills Ancient Grains and tapioca flour formulated to achieve optimal functionality with the whole grain nutrition, fiber, appearance, texture and flavor customers crave. Focus groups conducted on June 2, 2009 tested the top two selling gluten-free breads against bread made with Eagle Mills Gluten-Free All-Purpose Multigrain Flour. The bread made with the Eagle Mills flour was the clear winner across the samples receiving praise from gluten-sensitive testers, “It’s fantastic” –It’s the best bread I’ve ever tasted, does not taste like cardboard. I’m just so happy”
Gluten-Free status is certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization. Other gluten-free flours also available:
- Amaranth flour
- Quinoa flour
- Sorghum flour
- Millet flour
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- Teff flour
- 5-grain multigrain blend with Amaranth, quinoa, sorghum, millet &! teff
- Customized multigrain blends and blends with chia
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Mumbai Gold™ Fresh Chakki Atta
From Bollywood to Hollywood, America’s hunger for flatbreads and Indian cuisine is helping bring Indian food trends to mainstream menus, bakeries and grocery products. Mintel International reports that the new retail product introductions for flatbread went from five in 2005 to 26 in 2008. And on the foodservice side, chains like Café Spice Express in the mid-Atlantic/Northeast; Gourmet India in the Boston area; and Chaat Café in Northern California are just a few of the restaurants showing that Americans are craving the on-trend cuisine.
ConAgra Mills Mumbai Gold Fresh Chakki Atta is milled from specially selected durum wheat to traditional Indian specifications for taste, texture and functionality. Mumbai Gold Fresh Chakki Atta is ideal for delivering authentic flatbreads on a national scale. Tradition Indian flatbreads made with Fresh Chakki Atta include:
- Chapatti/roti – Flatbreads made by rolling dough into discs, which are cooked on a griddle and then held over a flame where the steam causes them to puff.
- Paratha – Flakier than chapatti, paratha is made by folding and re-rolling dough for a pastry like flatbread
- Puri – Soft flatbreads that are finished in hot oil to make them puff for scooping curries and vegetables
With the introduction of these two consumer insights directed new products, ConAgra Mills continues to support industry growth by providing innovative, high-quality and trusted ingredients that will drive increased consumer demand for grain based foods. ConAgra Mills offers the broadest portfolio of whole grains in the industry, including proprietary value-added products designed to meet current and evolving consumer needs. For more information about products from ConAgra Mills, please call your sales representative, (800) 851-9618 or visit us at www.conagramills.com.
For more information, please contact:
About ConAgra Foods, Inc.
ConAgra Mills is a food ingredients brand of ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG). ConAgra Foods is one of North America's largest packaged food companies, serving grocery retailers, restaurants and other foodservice establishments, and also supplying a portfolio of ingredients to food manufacturers. Popular ConAgra Foods brands include: Angela Mia, Banquet, Chef Boyardee, ConAgra Mills, Egg Beaters, Gilroy Foods, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Lamb Weston, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, PAM, Spicetec and many others. For more information, please visit www.conagrafoods.com.
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