Sustainable Development Goals

Hormel Foods Brands Showcase Innovation and Sustainability Efforts at 2023 Natural Products Expo West

Mar 27, 2023 11:15 AM ET
Collage of three pictures two of groups of people posed for the camera, wearing matching t-shirts and lanyard badges in front of different Hormel displays. On the right The Hormel logo "inspired people. Inspired food."

AUSTIN, Minn., March 27, 2023 /3BL Media/ - Team members from Hormel Foods Corporation, (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company, attended the 2023 Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., to showcase the latest innovations and trends in natural and sustainable food within its broad product portfolio.

The Justin’s and Applegate brand teams highlighted the latest innovations and new products for attendees to enjoy.

The Applegate Naturals® Do Good Dog™, the first retail hot dog made with regenerative agriculture was featured along with Applegate®Organics Uncured Genoa Salami Bites. Justin’s® Super Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup and Super Dark Chocolate Espresso Almond Butter Cup delighted attendees with their amazing taste and quality.

“We were delighted to return to Expo West and the incredible response to our Super Dark Nut Butter Cups,” said Penny Andino, vice president of marketing at Justin’s. “It was clear that buyers and consumers are now seeking brands that can provide real, simple and clean ingredients more than ever. With 5 grams of real sugar per cup, Justin’s® Super Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup stood out for delivering on taste without compromising on quality and they are certificated USDA Organic, Rainforest Alliance Cocoa, and Non-GMO Project Verified.”

Hormel Foods global impact and innovation team members attended the conference’s climate day, where over 50 environmental and sustainability experts presented on topics such as regenerative agriculture, traceable supply chain and sustainable trends in the food industry, as well as the remainder of the event.

Expo West is an opportunity for the food and beverage industry to understand trends within the sustainable and natural space.

“Expo West is an incredibly rich opportunity for us to understand leading edge trends in product and packaging,” said Ashley Krautkramer-Gonya, senior innovation manager at Planters. “It’s also a great opportunity for us to connect with potential partners who can help us capitalize on trends in a way that enriches our business and product portfolio.”

Through its robust 20 By 30 Challenge goals, Hormel Foods and its brands have several initiatives in place to address sustainability and corporate citizenship in the food industry, including:

  • Investments and implementation in sustainable agricultural production, specifically within regenerative agriculture, soil health and farmer equity.
  • Continue our clean-label initiative and efforts to reduce added sugars and sodium in our products, and increase desirable ingredients to nourish a diverse population.
  • Match 100% of our energy with renewable sourcing.
  • Focus on packaging sustainability efforts through research, innovation, on-package communications and optimizing package weight and shipping efficiencies.