Source: PR NewsWire

Bumble Bee Foods®, marketer of America’s leading premium seafood brand, has announced completion of significant sodium reductions across its line of canned albacore and light meat tuna products. Further sodium reducing initiatives are in the works for the remaining products in the company’s portfolio. Following an almost two-year process, supermarkets will begin receiving the Bumble Bee albacore and light meat tuna with reduced sodium levels beginning May 2010

Bumble Bee albacore products will now contain 140mg of sodium or less per serving—a reduction of 44 percent from average sodium levels of 250mg in 2008. Light meat tuna by the brand has been reduced to 180mg per serving. The company was able to reduce sodium while maintaining the great flavor profile that has enabled Bumble Bee to become America’s leading seafood brand, according to President and CEO Chris Lischewski.

Early this year, Bumble Bee released Prime Fillet® Very Low Sodium Solid White Albacore in Water. The new Prime Fillet product is designed for consumers on sodium-restricted diets and contains only 35mg of sodium per serving.

“The completion of the first stage of our commitment to reduce sodium levels across our entire Bumble Bee portfolio, in order to provide consumers with even healthier products, is an important milestone in the history of our brand,” said Lischewski. “We started this initiative almost two years ago, conducting extensive research and development, and are pleased to begin shipping significantly reduced sodium levels in all albacore—our core product line—and light meat tuna to supermarkets nationwide starting May 1. The terrific news is we successfully accomplished our reduction objectives and maintained the great taste consumers expect from Bumble Bee.”

Lischewski continued, “Recent studies are showing how important sodium reduction will be to the American diet, including the latest report released by the Institute of Medicine. As advocates for healthy living, we’re pleased to demonstrate that we put words into action and are responding with the completion of sodium reductions in our tuna franchise. We further pledge our continued commitment to work towards implementing sodium reduction across the remainder of our product portfolio.”

Low sodium changes are one of several company initiatives to advocate good eating and healthy living. Bumble Bee is also a founding member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation—a coalition of now over 80 retailers, non-profit organizations and food and beverage manufacturers committed to helping reduce obesity, particularly childhood obesity by 2015. The company’s efforts towards promoting good health also extend beyond products with consumer programs such as BeeWell for Life, now in its third year, designed to get people active and eating well. The dedicated resource website www.beewellforlife.com provides resources and tools to help consumers achieve a healthy lifestyle, while supporting the Breast Cancer Network of Strength®.