Horizon Milling partners with Sara Lee to develop a new, environmentally-friendly wheat bread

Horizon Milling has partnered with Sara Lee to develop EarthGrains® bread with Eco-Grain™ wheat, a new product that launched on Feb. 2, 2010. EarthGrains is the first brand to offer Eco-Grain wheat, which is grown via Horizon Milling’s relationships with farmers and uses innovative farming practices that benefit the environment.

The EarthGrains brand’s value proposition centers on empowering individual consumers to make a positive difference in the environment with every loaf of EarthGrains bread they purchase. Horizon Milling helped Sara Lee bring this concept to life.

Horizon Milling worked closely with a small group of family farmers in Idaho to help them grow Eco-Grain wheat using an innovative technology called variable rate application – also known as “precision agriculture.” This technology uses a combination of satellite imagery and soil samples to identify the best use of fertilizer on the farmer’s field. Using this data, the farmer can apply nutrients to the crop with great precision and only where it’s needed. Studies show the farmer needs less fertilizer, uses less energy and reduces emissions – while increasing the amount of wheat grown on the land.

“Horizon Milling’s role is about linking the supply chain from the farmer to the bakery all the way to the end consumer,” said Dan Dye, president, Horizon Milling. “We partner with farmers to help them grow Eco-Grain wheat using innovative technology, we mill the wheat they grow into flour, and we deliver the finished ingredient to EarthGrains’ bakeries. Throughout the entire process, we preserve the wheat’s identity so the consumer can have a direct impact on how the wheat is grown. We’re proud to collaborate with the EarthGrains brand to help them deliver a wholesome, environmentally-conscious product to the marketplace.”

“EarthGrains bread made with Eco-Grain wheat gives consumers the added knowledge that they are helping the environment with every loaf they purchase, in addition to the great taste and nutrition they expect,” said Tim Zimmer, vice president, Sara Lee North American Fresh Bakery. “As part of our movement to help the environment, we’re educating consumers about how to take other small steps to make a positive impact, including supporting the use of innovative agricultural practices.”

For more information, visit www.earthgrains.com.