Birds Eye, the leading frozen vegetable retail brand in the United States owned by Parsippany, New Jersey-headquartered Pinnacle Foods Inc., is targeting the kids market with vegetable-rich side dishes that feature Disney characters they know and love.
The parade of new products from Birds Eye features pastas in the shape of popular stars of fantasy animation including Anna, Elsa, and Olaf from Disney’s Frozen; Lightning McQueen and Mater from Disney-Pixar’s Cars; and classic Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. Varieties offered, distributed in 283-gram Steamfresh bags bearing likenesses of the cartoon characters, include: whole grain pasta and corn with a butter sauce; pasta and broccoli with a cheese sauce; pasta and peas with a parmesan cheese sauce; and pasta and carrots with a tomato sauce.
“Encouraging children to eat vegetables every day is central to our mission at Birds Eye,” said Mike Barkley, senior vice president and general manager for meals and side dishes at Pinnacle Foods. “Through our collaboration with Disney, we are helping parents put quick, nutritious, flavorful meals on the table that their children will love.”
According to the “State of the Plate” report, nine out of ten people in the United States do not eat enough vegetables on a regular basis. Birds Eye is striving to move the needle on vegetable consumption among families by offering convenient and flavorful vegetable-filled options for every age group.
“This collaboration with Birds Eye furthers our Magic of Disney’s Healthy Living Commitment,” said John T. King, vice president for licensing consumables at Disney Consumer Products. “Our hope is that with the help of their favorite Disney characters, families can enjoy nutritious and convenient meal options together.”
In addition to the Birds Eye label, the Birds Eye division of Pinnacle Foods markets frozen vegetable products under the C&W, Freshlike and McKenzie’s brand names. Among other frozen lines in Pinnacle’s portfolio are Gardein plant-based protein products, Van de Kamp’s and Mrs. Paul’s prepared seafood, Hungry-Man frozen dinners and entrees, Aunt Jemima breakfasts, Lender’s bagels, and Celeste pizza.
