AUSTIN, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) today announced promising results
of the nutrition research portion of Project SPAMMY®.
SPAMMY®, a fortified poultry product designed by Hormel
Foods and named after the company’s iconic SPAM®
family of products, was created to help address malnutrition in children.
SPAMMY is used as an ingredient and blends easily into customary
diets. The productwas tailored to meet the specific
micronutrient needs of children in Guatemala based on findings from
earlier research conducted by Hormel Foods.In a public/private
partnership jointly funded by Hormel Foods and theMicronutrient-Fortified
Food Aid Products Pilot (MFFAPP), administered by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service under the
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition
(McGovern-Dole) Program, this latest research demonstrated the benefits
of supplementing traditional diets with high-quality protein and
micronutrients. During the trial, more than 160 preschool-age children
in Guatemala ate either a fortified or unfortified version of SPAMMY on
school days over a 20-week period. The fortified version contained the
addition of several micronutrients, such as vitamins D and B12,
which are important nutrients for children, but are deficient in this
area of the world. Both versions were identical in protein, calories and
fat.
The study revealed:
-
All participants showed greater-than-expected improvement in cognitive
scores
-
There was a 44 percent reduction in the number of school days missed
due to illness
-
Children receiving fortified SPAMMY showed statistical
improvements in vitamin D and B12 levels
-
A positive correlation was found between increase in cognitive gain
scores and vitamin D concentrations in the treatment group
“It is encouraging to see these results and the success that SPAMMY is
having in improving the lives of so many children in need,” said Kevin
L. Myers, Ph. D., vice president of research and development of Hormel
Foods. “Our company and our employees are enthusiastic about this
program, and we plan to continue our efforts in Guatemala.”
Dr. Noel W. Solomons, scientific director for CeSSIAM, a partner in the
project stated, “The findings revealed the magnitude of deficiencies of
two vitamins – D and B12 – in young Guatemalans, and fortified
SPAMMY has outstanding potential to address this situation when it
is incorporated into meals fed to children.”
Hormel Foods has been working with partners in Guatemala since 2008 to
provide SPAMMY fortified poultry productto malnourished
children and donated 2.4 million cans of the protein-based item in 2013.
“Every time I return to Guatemala it is amazing to see the growth of
Project SPAMMY and the positive contribution the SPAMMY product
is making in the lives of so many,” said Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chairman
of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods. “We
are encouraged by the success thus far and are excited about the
potential of this product to help improve the lives of children and
families.”
Hormel Foods and its partners, Caritas and Food For The Poor, are also
building opportunities for thousands of families by providing SPAMMY
to 8,300 families, representing more than 30,000 children in Guatemala.
Additionally, Project SPAMMY provides scholarships to eight high
school-age students to attend the Villa de los Niños boarding school in
Guatemala City.
*For further details of the study, please see the appendix materials
About Hormel Foods
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in
Austin, Minn., is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of
consumer-branded food and meat products, many of which are among the
best known and trusted in the food industry. The company leverages its
extensive expertise, innovation and high competencies in pork and turkey
processing and marketing to bring branded, value-added products to the
global marketplace. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor's
(S&P) 500 Index, S&P Dividend Aristocrats for 2013, was named the 2013
Sustainable Supply Chain of the Year by Refrigerated & Frozen Foods
magazine, and was again named one of “The 100 Best Corporate Citizens”
by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the fifth year in a row. Hormel
Foods was recognized on the G.I. Jobs magazine list of America’s Top 100
Military Friendly Employers in 2012 and 2013, and named one of the 2014
40 Best Companies for Leaders by Chief Executive magazine. The company
enjoys a strong reputation among consumers, retail grocers, foodservice
and industrial customers for products highly regarded for quality,
taste, nutrition, convenience and value. For more information, visit http://www.hormelfoods.com.
APPENDIX
Research Study Details:
Millions of children throughout the world suffer from chronic
malnutrition. Our company’s collaborative effort was built on the
premise that changing lives occurs only through building sustainable
solutions. The project focused on delivering proper nutrition through
our expertise in protein and through partnerships. Together with the
USDA, Food for The Poor and in-country partners Center for Study of
Sensory Impairment, Aging and Metabolism (CeSSIAM) and Caritas, we
implemented a feeding program to evaluate the benefits of SPAMMY, a fortified
poultry protein for preschool-age children living in a low income area
in Guatemala.
A total of 167 children at a daycare center located in Ciudad Peronia, a
semi-rural city approximately eight miles outside of Guatemala City,
Guatemala, completed the randomized, double blind trial. The control
group received a daily meal containing unfortified SPAMMY, and a
treatment group received a fortified version. The fortified product
contained a vitamin and mineral blend that included, among other
micronutrients, vitamin D, several B vitamins including vitamin B12,
iron, zinc and iodine. Anthropometric measurements and blood
draws were completed at both baseline and endline; a subset of 60
children completed cognitive tests before and after the 20-week trial.
Meals containing SPAMMY were prepared on-site and were served at
the beginning of the school day. A 2-week rotating menu was created that
incorporated SPAMMY into traditional foods such as doblada,
tostada, chuchito, rice and black beans.Four women were hired
from the community to monitor and record consumption and liking. The
meals werewell accepted among the children throughout the 20
week intervention.
Vitamins D and B12 were low in many of the children at the
beginning of the project. Overall 59 percent of the children had vitamin
D values below 30 ng/ mL and 19 percent had vitamin B12
levels below 300 pg/mL.
Over the course of the program, school days missed due to illness
decreased and teachers reported that children were better able to pay
attention after eating the meal. Hemoglobin levels increased in both
treatment and control groups. Vitamin D levels increased in the
treatment group and decreased in the control group while levels of
vitamin B12 increased in the treatment group and remained
steady in the control group.
The Bracken Basic Concept Scale - Receptive was administered to assess
intellectual function at baseline and endline for a subset of children.
Both groups had higher scores on the cognitive test at study completion
and a positive relationship was found between vitamin D and cognitive
gain among the treatment group.
Educational workshops were provided throughout the intervention. These
included informational sessions for day care staff, parents and
caregivers to increase community knowledge of nutrition and food safety.
Workshops covered the importance of micronutrients by life stage and
food related hygiene. Local experts helped develop and present
information in a culturally relevant format.
This latest research builds on previous work conducted by Hormel Foods
showing vitamins D and B12 are of public health concern in
this population. A 2011 survey of preschool-age children living in urban
and rural locations in Guatemala illustrated that 36 percent and 77
percent had low vitamin B12 and vitamin D values,
respectively. In response to these results, SPAMMY was
reformulated to address the documented nutritional needs of the region.
Hormel Foods Corporation
Julie H. Craven, 507-437-5345
media@hormel.com
Source: Hormel Foods Corporation