News Feature | February 18, 2014

Gold' N Plump's New Packaging Offers Greater Convenience, Smaller Portions

Source: Food Online

By Alec Italiano, contributing writer

Minnesota-based poultry producer’s boneless, skinless chicken breasts will be packaged in smaller portions, providing easy accessibility and peace of mind for calorie-mindful consumers

The Gold’ N Plump (GNP) brand, one of the top 20 chicken producers in the United States, is trimming down its packaging size, and subsequently, reducing portion sizes for its retail products in the U.S. The new 16-ounce packages will contain trimmed-down, skinless and boneless chicken breasts that will be more recipe-ready for a time-orientated consumer.

The main theme behind this idea is to offer greater convenience to consumers who are looking to cut down on their prep time for meals that require chopping or dicing.  According to GNP, about 40 percent of all chicken recipes require some type of cutting in the preparation process. The new portions will ultimately save the chef some time and give it a more value-driven perception.  Another issue the Minnesota-based poultry producer is addressing is portion size. GNP is trying to appeal to calorie-conscious consumers by adhering to USDA recommendations. The recommended portion of protein-rich foods, according to the USDA, should be about 6.5 ounces for men and 5.5 ounces for women. However, un-proportioned chicken breasts in the grocery store often are found at 12 or more ounces.

Last November, The Maschhoffs, LLC — the United States’ largest family-owned pork producer —bought the GNP brand for an undisclosed amount. According to experts studying the deal, the move was to diversify the brand into other protein-rich meat products. GNP now serves a network of 350 family-owned farms throughout the Minnesota and Wisconsin area. The company markets an “all-natural” chicken breast that includes no hormones or preservatives in their food.  Although the term “natural” is an unregulated one, multiple labels on the package ensure that the food is “minimally processed” and includes no artificial ingredients.