GILROY, CA, November 2, 2006—No daypart is exempt from the nationwide passion for peppers. Morning brings chile-flecked home fries and breakfast burritos; pepper-packed spreads enliven sandwiches at lunch; and even chile-flavor-infused snacks and desserts are getting into the act—chocolate no exception.

A love that began as a fringe pursuit among culinary daredevils has matured into a broad-based consumer appreciation for nuanced chile character. Americans’ use of chiles has catapulted to an impressive 37% in just 10 years¹. And peppers aren’t just popping up in Latin and Asian cuisines, where most Americans first encountered them. Chiles are appearing at non-ethnic restaurants at double the rate of just three years ago².

With an expansive offering of chile flavors and forms, Gilroy Foods is making it easier for food manufacturers and foodservice operators to make good on chile appeal.

Putting Flavor Before the Flames
The pepper’s popularity isn’t a function of fire alone. Flavor factors just as much, if not more. As any chile fan can vouch, a Scotch bonnet is as different from a Serrano—or a pasilla from a poblano—as a Red Delicious is from a Granny Smith. And the more that Americans explore chiles, the more they’ll expect distinctive, varietal chile character in all their favorite foods.

New Tools in the Kit
Inconsistent supplies, lack of authentically differentiated flavors, and general lack of clarity about fresh chiles—from naming to sourcing—have previously hampered R&D development with chile flavors.

Gilroy Foods expansive chile portfolio is changing the flavor landscape for R&D. With an unrivaled selection of chile flavors in so many functional forms, Gilroy Foods' strength in chiles brings sought-after bold, authentic flavors to new products and menu items.

A selection of chile varietals Gilroy Foods offers:

Cutting-edge product platforms now comprise a whole field of exciting chiles:

• Controlled Moisture™ Chiles – Eye-catching color and snappy texture are easy to achieve with Controlled Moisture peppers. And because proprietary Controlled Moisture technology removes up to 50% of the water, less moisture in the peppers means less weeping into your applications.
• GardenFrost® Purées – Conveying clear chile character is now as easy as adding a Softfrozen purée to your formulation. Scoopable when frozen and designed for a two-year frozen shelf life, GardenFrost Purées promise just-picked vegetable flavor.
• Seasoning Blends – From topical blends to meat rubs, Gilroy Foods creates application-appropriate seasoning systems that build multifaceted chile flavor, layer upon layer.
• Chile Flavors – Gilroy’s food technologists unleash chile flavors by identifying the precise chemical “fingerprint” that makes each pepper unique. Armed with that knowledge, they can custom-design a chile flavor, in any form you choose, that hits all the right notes, all the time

Putting Peppers to Work for You
With a workforce of professionals known for their cross-disciplinary expertise and the deep resources of ConAgra Foods®, Gilroy Foods, as a leading supplier of capsicums, vegetables, garlic and onions, stands ready to collaborate with customers on finding the right chile fit for their formulations. For more information about Gilroy Foods’chile products or capabilities, visit www.gilroyfoods.com.

¹ USDA
² July/August Food Beat

About ConAgra Food Ingredients
ConAgra Food Ingredients, a business segment of ConAgra Foods, Inc., is a leading source for both food ingredients and services. The extensive portfolio of ingredients includes vegetables, garlic, onions, capsicums, natural spices, seasoning blends, savory flavors, and premium whole wheat and multi-use flours. Services to the food industry include distribution, risk management and global ingredient sourcing. To learn more about ConAgra Food Ingredients and its three brands--ConAgra Mills, Gilroy Foods and Spicetec--and to find out how cutting-edge products and unparalleled service can help manufacturers and foodservice operators excel in product development, visit www.conagrafoodingredients.com.

ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America's largest packaged food companies, serving restaurants and other foodservice establishments, and also consumer retailers, with popular brands that include: Armour, Angela Mia, Butterball, ConAgra Mills, Egg Beaters, El eXtremo, Fernando's, Gilroy Foods, Gulden's, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, La Choy, Lamb Weston, Orville Redenbacher's, Reddi-wip, Singleton, Slim Jim, Spicetec, Swiss Miss, The Max, Ultragrain and others. For more information, visit www.conagrafoods.com.