Gold Kist Launches New Nature Select Line of Chicken Products

18/09/06 Gold Kist Inc. announced the introduction of its new Nature Select line of chicken products. This new premium product line has been developed by Gold Kist in response to the rapid growth of natural food sales in retail supermarkets.

The chickens produced for the Nature Select line are antibiotic free and are raised on an all-vegetable diet. In addition, the chickens for the new line are processed using state-of-the-art air chilling technology that cools the chickens using fresh, filtered cold air rather than by water immersion. This clean and efficient air chilling process significantly reduces the water absorption that occurs during the traditional water cooling process, while retaining the natural flavor, texture and tenderness of the chicken.

"Gold Kist is proud to be the first major chicken processor in the United States to offer this antibiotic free, air-chilled product to the health- conscious consumer market segment, which has been growing at about 20 percent a year. We have made a $70 million investment in our Live Oak, Fla., facility to double our capacity to produce value added products for retail supermarkets, including the Nature Select product line. In addition, the expanded facility uses state-of-the-art technology for food safety and product logistics," said Gold Kist President and CEO John Bekkers. "We also plan to introduce a similar product line for national restaurant chains and other foodservice customers."

Gold Kist has selected a group of experienced local Gold Kist farmers, who receive special training and follow specific protocols to raise our Nature Select chickens. The Gold Kist feed mill that serves these farmers has been expanded to handle the special ingredients for the all-vegetable diet. This diet includes a blend of corn, bran and soybean meal with the proper mix of vitamins and minerals for healthy growth.