Currently, nearly a quarter of Schwan’s Food Service school pizza products contain whole grains and one-third of these products have more than 51% whole grains. By the fall of 2011, the number of school pizza offerings with more than 51% whole grains will double, Schwan said.
Since 2007, Schwan and its subsidiaries have approved internal standards specific to sodium and fat, and with its latest announcement plans they call for reducing the sodium content of school pizza products by an additional 10% over the next 18 months in support of the recent Institute of Medicine School Meals Report.
In 2001, Schwan developed Tony’s Smartpizza products for mainline school lunches. The products use protein in the crust, enabling the reduction of total fat and sodium while meeting Child Nutrition requirements. The company said it is in the process of further enhancing the product line, which is expected to establish new industry standards with its launch in the 2011-12 school year.
“Our goal is to make foods that kids love with the nutrition that they need,” said Mark Jansen, president of Schwan’s Food Service. “And for several years we’ve been a leader in responding to and anticipating nutritional concerns through our product innovation.
“We applaud all efforts to improve the health of our children, and we’re proud of the work that we are doing at Schwan’s Food Service in this area.”
