Birds Eye® Vegetables Teams Up with Disney to Promote Healthy Eating Directly to Kids

Birds Eye launches "Step Up To The Plate" movement to combat the nutrition gap in America.

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Mar 11, 2014, 02:27 ET

PARSIPPANY, N.J., March 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Birds Eye^®frozen vegetables, owned by Pinnacle Foods Inc. (NYSE: PF), today announced they will team up with Disney (NYSE: DIS) to work to increase the number of kids consuming the recommended amount of vegetables per day by directly engaging and educating them on the importance of vegetables in a well-balanced diet. Following the kick-off of Birds Eye's Step Up To The Plate program, Birds Eye and Disney will introduce a multi-platform sponsorship that promotes the great taste of vegetables and the benefits they provide. It is anticipated that the initiative will also include a Disney Consumer Products component that will showcase characters on Birds Eye packaging.

The collaboration between Disney and Birds Eye will be brought to life this summer through Disney's top-ranked kid and tween targeted media platforms, helping to give veggies an image makeover in the eyes of children. The Birds Eye Step Up To The Plate program aligns with Disney's Magic of Healthy Living initiative and integrates Birds Eye into program sponsorships and "Disney's Magic of Healthy Living TRYathlon Road Tour" scheduled for August and September 2014. It will also engage Disney Channel and Disney XD stars for a cross-platform sweepstakes. Together, Birds Eye and Disney will show kids that veggies can be both fun and delicious by encouraging them to explore new healthy foods.

"Moms know veggies are healthy and that her family needs to eat more of them," said Mark Schiller, EVP & President, Birds Eye Frozen Division at Pinnacle Foods Inc. "Our job is to help make it easy for her to do just that. Having Disney Step Up To The Plate with us furthers our ability to inspire children to like veggies for life."

Rita Ferro, Executive Vice President, Disney Media Sales and Marketing, said, "Disney has a time-honored commitment to entertaining kids and families, and that commitment extends to supporting parents in raising healthy, happy kids. This new initiative with Birds Eye proves that doing the right thing for kids is also a smart strategy for our business."

Disney, the first major media company to set standards for food advertising and marketing to kids, has a long-term commitment to helping to create healthier generations. Disney-branded television channels reach more than 100 million households in the U.S. and millions more through Disney online family destinations.

Today, only 10 percent of U.S. children are eating the proper amount of vegetables, as detailed in the USDA's MyPlate guidelines. Birds Eye's mission is to help kids eat more vegetables, and the brand is uniquely positioned to do so as the leader in the frozen vegetable category. Through Step Up To The Plate, Birds Eye is dedicated to achieving the long-term goal of increasing the number of children in America who meet the proper nutrition guidelines.

While recent reports show that the obesity rate in 2-5 year olds is declining, the number of elementary-age children who are overweight or obese remains unchanged at a staggering 17 percent. Step Up To The Plate is a long-term investment platform for Birds Eye dedicated to closing the nutrition gap in America by motivating kids to eat more veggies.

"Selling veggies is both our passion and our business," Schiller elaborated. "We want to make an impact on the health of our future generation. As pioneers in this industry, we feel it's our responsibility to do so."

Families are encouraged to join the movement by following Birds Eye on Twitter @BirdsEye where they can stay tuned in for news about the Disney stars who will be participating, exciting prizes and more. Parents can use #ILikeVeggies to share their ideas for getting kids to enjoy veggies.

About Birds Eye 
Birds Eye® unlocks the wonder of vegetables and makes them accessible and enjoyable to everyone, everyday. Using vegetables picked and frozen at their peak of freshness, Birds Eye® helps Americans make vegetables a meaningful part of everyday life. Providing a range of tasty and exciting solutions that make eating vegetables a memorable taste experience, Birds Eye® has something for everyone: with pure and simple vegetables under the Birds Eye®, C&W®, Freshlike® and McKenzie's® brand names; Birds Eye Steamfresh® vegetables and vegetable rich blends; and Birds Eye Voila!® complete frozen meals. For more information on Birds Eye® visit www.birdseye.com or www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeVegetables. Birds Eye® is a portfolio brand of Pinnacle Foods Inc.

About Pinnacle Foods
In more than 85% of American households, consumers reach for Pinnacle Foods brands. Pinnacle Foods is a Top 1000 Company ranked on Fortune Magazine's 2013 Top 1000 companies list. We are a leading producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products, which have been trusted household names for decades. Headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, our business employs an average of 4,400 employees. We are a leader in the shelf stable and frozen foods segments and our brands hold the #1 or #2 market position in 10 of the 13 major categories in which they compete. Our Duncan Hines Grocery Division manages brands such as Duncan Hines® baking mixes and frostings, Vlasic® shelf-stable pickles, Mrs. Butterworth's® and Log Cabin® table syrups, Wish-Bone® and Western® salad dressings, Armour® canned meats, Brooks® and Nalley® chili and chili ingredients, Duncan Hines® Comstock® and Wilderness® pie and pastry fruit fillings and Open Pit® barbecue sauces. Our Birds Eye Frozen Division manages brands such as Birds Eye®, Birds Eye Steamfresh®, C&W®, McKenzie's®, and Freshlike® frozen vegetables, Birds Eye Voila!® complete bagged frozen meals, Van de Kamp's® and Mrs. Paul's® frozen prepared seafood, Hungry-Man® frozen dinners and entrées, Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfasts, Lender's® frozen and refrigerated bagels, and Celeste® frozen pizza. Our Specialty Foods Division manages Tim's Cascade Snacks®, Hawaiian® kettle style potato chips, Erin's® popcorn, Snyder of Berlin® and Husman's® snacks in addition to our food service and private label businesses. Further information is available at http://www.pinnaclefoods.com.

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