US Foods Helps Colleges Meet Increasing Student Demand for Healthy and Gluten Free Foods

ROSEMONT, IL--(Marketwire - Nov 25, 2011) - US Foods-Dallas hosted a special educational forum for colleges and universities from across the country to share challenges and best practices for meeting the dietary needs of students. Among the issues discussed was how on-campus cafeterias can create a healthy gluten-free menu, a dietary trend being adopted by a growing number of college students.

"Demand for gluten-free products rose 200 percent across our entire customer base since we began offering the products in 2009," said Mark Eggerding, senior vice president of category sales and training, US Foods. "One of the biggest issues for those who follow gluten-free diets is a lack of variety in products to choose from. That's why US Foods offers an extensive line of nearly 500 healthy, delicious, gluten-free food items for students."

Gluten is a protein found in grains including wheat, rye and barley -- all very common ingredients in food products. Gluten must be avoided by people with celiac disease and other digestive disorders. According to a study published by the Mayo Clinic, celiac disease is four times more common today than 60 years ago, affecting about one in 100 people.

Gluten-free products offered by US Foods include mixes, breads, pasta, crackers, pizzas, desserts, brownies, muffins, cookies, cereal and condiments. US Foods also hosts customer webinars on gluten-free cooking and menu development through its partner, Foodservice Express.

About US Foods
With nearly $19 billion in annual revenue, US Foods is the 10th largest private company in America, and a leading foodservice distributor. Many of the entities that make up US Foods were founded in the 19th century, including one that sold provisions to travelers heading west during the 1850s gold rush. US Foods offers more than 350,000 national brand products and its own high-quality "exclusive brand" items, ranging from fresh meats and produce to prepared and frozen foods. The company proudly employs approximately 25,000 people in more than 60 locations nationwide, and provides the finest quality food and related products to more than 250,000 customers, including independent and multi-unit restaurants, healthcare and hospitality entities, government and educational institutions. The company is headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., and jointly owned by funds managed by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Inc. and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Discover more at www.usfoods.com.