Interested in learning what nutrition professionals do in the food business? What makes their role so unique?
We sat down with Alexandria Hast, Senior Nutrition Manager at Campbell, to learn more about how nutrition professionals work to offer people wholesome food options that provide positive nutrition, like vegetables and whole grains, at an affordable price.
I have been with the company for over 11 years! While working towards my PhD, a Campbell team member gave a talk at a seminar about her role, and it sounded fascinating. I was drawn to Campbell because my PhD research focused on vegetables and how to get people to eat more of them. Campbell has a strong vegetable heritage and I felt that connection. When there was an opportunity for me to join the team, I jumped!
Joseph Campbell, a wholesale fruit and vegetable vendor, and Abraham Anderson, a commercial canner and packer, form the firm of Anderson & Campbell in Camden, New Jersey. This would one day become Campbell Soup Company.
Dr. John T. Dorrance, Arthur’s nephew, invents the process of condensing soup, leading to smaller packaging: Cans! The invention makes soups more affordable for families while preserving the quality of the ingredients.
We acquire V8, founded in 1933 by W.G. Peacock in Evanston, Illinois. The acquisition includes a manufacturing location based in Napoleon, Ohio, opened in 1938. Today, V8 is the leading vegetable juice in the United States.
We introduce Prego pasta sauces, becoming the #1 new dry grocery product of the decade.
Our Nutrition team is involved in the entire process of bringing a product to store shelves. We help think of new, innovative product ideas that make it easy for consumers to get tasty and affordable food on their table and we collaborate with the product development team to ensure nutrition targets are met.
We continuously review products to identify areas for improvement. We look for where positive attributes, like nutrients or servings of fruits, vegetables, or whole grains can be added. We also work to see where reductions in sodium or added sugar can be made. These small changes add up over time. Then, we work with marketing to help communicate about our products to consumers.
We set the nutrition strategy for the entire company, with progress reported annually through the Corporate Responsibility Report. One goal is to continuously improve the nutrition of our products which is measured using Campbell’s Nutrition Focused Foods criteria. In fiscal 2022, more than 50% of Campbell products met the Nutrition Focused Foods criteria and we are working to add more.
We know that vegetables are such an important part of the diet, yet about 90% of people fall below the recommended amounts. One of the reasons I joined Campbell is because of its commitment to offer convenient, delicious solutions so people can enjoy more veggies, more often. We have so many different foods—soups, Italian sauces, vegetable juices and more—that help deliver vegetables to people… over 8.5 billion servings in fiscal 2022, in fact!
The people at Campbell are so wonderful to work with, and I think that speaks directly to the culture the company has worked hard to build. I am also very proud that Campbell has one of the most nutritious portfolios among peer companies.
I always have Prego pasta sauces in my pantry. My kids love Goldfish Baked with Whole Grain crackers and my husband has a constant supply of V8 +ENERGY. Some other favs are Pace Picante sauce, Campbell’s Tomato Soup (one of the best ways for me to get my picky 5-year-old to get veggies), and Well Yes! soups—particularly POWER Bowls—for those “me” times.
As you can see, Alex has a true passion for her work. Every day, she uses her nutrition expertise to help Campbell make food people love and then shares the food and beverages she helped make with her family and friends.
