Apr 02, 2015
ARLINGTON, VA -- For March National Nutrition Month, USA Rice partnered with the registered dietitians at ShopRite to tell shoppers about the gluten-free and nutritional benefits of U.S.-grown rice. ShopRite, a chain of more than 250 stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, distributes its monthly Gluten-Free newsletter to more than 30,000 shoppers, and U.S.-grown rice took center stage in the March edition.
The newsletter displayed the Grown in the USA logo and included a feature titled, "10 Reasons to Think Rice for Gluten-Free Diets," which emphasized the many health benefits U.S. rice. To inspire home cooks, USA Rice's Chunky Vegetarian Chili and Greek Rice Stuffed Tomatoes were called-out as gluten-free recipes to try. Rice was also featured in other sections of the newsletter including: "Tips on Packing a Gluten-Free Lunch," which encouraged shoppers to prepare a whole grain salad with rice and; "Gluten-Free Doesn't Mean Grain Free," which highlighted rice and wild rice as healthy gluten-free grains and suggested mixing brown and wild rice together for added whole grain variety.
"An estimated 21 million Americans have celiac disease or some form of gluten-sensitivity," said Katie Maher, USA Rice's manager of domestic promotion programs. "It's important to bring awareness around this serious genetic autoimmune condition and inform people that U.S.-grown rice is a safe, sustainable, and nutritious solution for a gluten-free lifestyle."
USA Rice finds ways to work with retail dietitians throughout the year to increase visibility of U.S.-grown rice and boost consumer awareness of the many benefits of U.S. rice.
Contact: Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444