LAUREL, Miss., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With football season kicking off and delicious tailgating treats top of mind, Sanderson Farms launches SACK THE SODIUM, a program aimed at helping sports fans create healthier tailgating menus with lower sodium recipes. One key to healthier tailgating dishes is starting with ingredients lower in sodium, such as Sanderson Farms 100 percent natural chicken.

Sanderson Farms has developed lower sodium recipes and useful tips to help fans successfully tailgate this fall. From chicken sliders and buffalo tenders to cheesy chicken spread and chicken kabobs, Sanderson Farms has created healthier versions of some classic tailgate dishes.

Consumers will buy nearly $20 billion of fresh chicken this tailgate season with the belief that it's healthy and natural. However, some companies pump their chicken with saltwater and other additives, even though they are allowed to label it "All Natural." Directly out of the package, a single serving (4 oz.) of pumped chicken may contain more than 440 mg of sodium, while a serving of truly natural chicken contains only about 70 mg of sodium (naturally occurring). This means pumped chicken has more sodium than a large order of fast food french fries (350 mg). For the millions of Americans on a sodium-restricted diet, a serving of saltwater-enhanced chicken can unknowingly be over half of their daily allowance before it's even seasoned or prepared for cooking.

It is important for consumers to read the fine print of poultry labels and look for hidden additives in other brands. The words enhanced, marinated and injected are often used to identify products that have saltwater solutions, broth or carrageenan (a seaweed extract) added to them. Ultimately, consumers pay more than $2 billion a year for saltwater at chicken prices.

While some other companies are injecting their chicken with additives, Sanderson Farms offers, and always has, truly 100 percent natural chicken. To try Sanderson Farms' Sack the Sodium tailgating treats and discover more time and budget saving tailgating tips, please visit www.sackthesodium.com.

Based in Laurel, Mississippi, Sanderson Farms, Inc. is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken and other prepared food items. Its shares trade on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol SAFM.

SOURCE Sanderson Farms