GARNER, N.C. — On Feb. 6, Butterball LLC announced a new national initiative to see that its foodservice products meet K-12 specifications. The company also hired Jennifer Armstrong as the national program director to oversee the development and rollout of products and recipes that meet school standards.

“K-12 foodservice directors are passionate about making sure that children are happy and well fed, and supporting that mission is why education has been such a big part of my professional path,” Armstrong said. “I see a lot of growth potential for Butterball’s K-12 program – turkey is currently underused on school breakfast and lunch menus, and we want to help change that by supplying nutritious, high-quality products and innovative recipe ideas that showcase turkey’s versatility.”

Armstrong has worked in the food industry for more than 30 years and is an active member of the School Nutrition Association and the American Commodity Distribution Association.

The K-12 portfolio from Butterball will include different turkey options like cooked, seasoned thigh roast and roasted sliced tenderloin medallions, as well as traditional favorites. Many of these offerings are formulated to have lower sodium, Child Nutrition labeling and other ingredient attributes suited to K-12.

“Butterball has been a well-respected supplier in foodservice for decades, and it’s important for professionals in K-12 institutions to have access to healthy, great-tasting choices for turkey made by a preferred and trusted brand,” said Jay Jandrain, Butterball president and CEO. “Families have made us America’s favorite turkey, and now we’re making sure that kids have the opportunity to choose Butterball at school.”

Jandrain was recently promoted to president and CEO in December 2018.

Butterball said its turkeys are raised in the US and have achieved independent verification from the American Humane Association as the first American Humane Certified US turkey brand.

Headquartered in Garner, North Carolina, Butterball is the largest producer of turkey products in the United States, producing more than 1 billion lbs. of turkey each year. Butterball products are distributed throughout the United States and in more than 45 countries. Butterball operates six processing plants located in North Carolina, Arkansas and Missouri.