LAUREL, MISS. – Sanderson Farms has launched its new Sack the Sodium program, which is designed to help sports fans create healthier tailgating menus with lower sodium recipes. Sanderson Farms 100% natural chicken contains ingredients lower in sodium, the company relays.

Lower-sodium recipes and cooking tips have been developed by the company and range from chicken sliders and buffalo tenders to cheesy chicken spread and chicken kabobs.

In explaining the launch, the company said consumers will buy nearly $20 billion of fresh chicken this tailgate season believing they’re healthier and natural. However, Sanderson Farms charges some companies pump their chicken with saltwater and other additives, even though they are allowed to label it "All Natural." Directly out of the package, a single serving (4 oz.) of pumped chicken may contain more than 440 mg of sodium, while a serving of truly natural chicken contains only about 70 mg of sodium (naturally occurring).

"This means pumped chicken has more sodium than a large order of fast-food french fries [350 mg]," according to a company news release. "For the millions of Americans on a sodium-restricted diet, a serving of saltwater-enhanced chicken can unknowingly be over half of their daily allowance before it's even seasoned or prepared for cooking."

Sanderson Farms said it’s important for consumers to read the fine print of poultry labels and look for hidden additives in other brands. The words "enhanced", "marinated" and "injected" are often used to identify products that have saltwater solutions, broth or carrageenan added to them.

Ultimately, consumers pay more than $2 billion a year for saltwater at chicken prices, the company concluded.