Made from chicken raised humanely with No Antibiotics–Ever, the new fully cooked, frozen products are now available at select Minnesota and Wisconsin grocery stores.

SAINT CLOUD, Minn. (November 10, 2016) — GoldnPlump.com — Gold’n Plump^®, the flagship brand of the Midwest’s leading chicken producer GNP Company^®, is rolling out chicken meatballs and sliced sausages made with 100 percent boneless skinless chicken thigh meat. Featuring homestyle and artisanal flavors, the new products are ideal for almost any meal or entertaining need in as little as 20 minutes flat. According to Tracy Miller, GNP Company’s Director of Product Innovation and Management, the two new lines also boast clean ingredients—feeding consumers’ growing appetites for health and better nutrition.

“For a more homemade-like experience, there are no fillers, preservatives, added hormones, MSG, nitrites, nitrates, artificial flavors or colors in Gold’n Plump chicken meatballs or sliced sausages,” explains Miller. “Also, we are one of the few brands to enter the frozen category with a ‘chicken raised with No Antibiotics–Ever’ attribute, and the only frozen chicken product in the category to feature the American Humane Certified™ farm program seal. In addition, the nutritional values of our products are on par or better than similar competitive poultry products with less fat than beef and pork varieties, while providing 20 grams of lean protein per serving.”

Gold’n Plump Chicken Meatballs have a handmade appearance and are oven-roasted rather than oil-fried. Flavors include:

• Homestyle made of American breadcrumbs, rosemary and low-sodium chicken broth; and
• Pesto Italian made of Romano, Parmesan and aged Asiago cheeses and roasted garlic.

Gold’n Plump Sliced Chicken Sausages are chef-inspired with coarse ground chicken and visible herbs and spices, have natural pork casing for a traditional sausage bite; and offer 60 percent less fat than pork sausages. Flavors include:

• Italian Cheese & Peppers made of aged Parmesan and Asiago cheeses, red and green peppers and paprika; and
• Hickory Smoked made with brown sugar, rosemary and hickory smoke flavor.

The new products are fully cooked and sold frozen in resealable, zip-top, gusseted bags. The packages boast full-color, appetizing photography, serving ideas and easy-to-follow cooking instructions for the microwave, stovetop, oven, slow cooker or skillet. With a suggested retail price of $6.99 per 18-ounce package, the new products are now available at select supermarkets throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin—just in time for the busy holiday and entertaining season. All products are gluten-free with exception of Homestyle meatballs.

“Research shows that 28 percent of consumers are preparing more meals in less than 20 minutes than five years ago,” explains Miller.¹ “Meatballs are universally loved and a staple for nearly every culture, while sausages are being considered the new bacon.² Both products offer what today’s consumers, Millennials especially, are looking for: better, healthier ingredients, bold not boring flavor, leaner protein, and convenient preparation with the taste and texture of handmade.”³ In sensory home tests, the meatballs outperformed competitors on taste, texture and appearance.

Gold’n Plump will offer quick and easy recipes using chicken meatballs and sliced sausages at GoldnPlump.com, including Swedish Meatballs and Pasta Fresco with Sliced Sausage, and is working with popular food bloggers to develop creative recipes featuring the products. Gold’n Plump chicken meatballs and sausages slices will appear in print, radio, outdoor, digital and social media advertising, as well as in-store sampling and coupons.

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¹ Power of Meat Report, Food Marketing Institute and North American Meat Institute, 2015

²Sausage is the New Bacon, East Bay Express, September 25, 2013

³ The 2015 Sausage Report, National Provisioner, February 2015

About Gold'n Plump® Chicken | Good Chicken is Our Mission®

Gold'n Plump® is distributed nationally by St. Cloud, Minn.-based GNP Company, a provider of premium branded and custom chicken products to retail, deli and foodservice customers. The brand's good chicken mission centers on being truly all natural, highly trimmed and free of unwanted solution, skin and parts. The Gold'n Plump All Natural line also boasts attributes of No Antibiotics–Ever and American Humane Certified farm program seal. To learn more about the Gold'n Plump brand and its products as well as find great recipes, general cooking and safe handling tips and nutrition information, visit GoldnPlump.com. Find Gold’n Plump on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.

About GNP Company® | Dedicated to Healthy Food, Families & Farms.

Based in St. Cloud, MN, GNP Company is a provider of premium branded and custom chicken products to retail, deli and foodservice customers nationally. Founded by E.M. Helgeson in 1926 and purchased in 2013 by Maschhoff Family Foods, GNP Company remains family-owned. It distributes products under the Just BARE® and Gold’n Plump® brand names. Together, the company’s more than 1,700 team members and 360 family farm partners in Minnesota and Wisconsin provide enough chicken for about 5 million consumers annually. For more information about the company and its mission of “dedicated to healthy food, families and farms,” visit GNPCompany.com.