SPRINGDALE, Ark. (June 2008)-Tyson Foods, Inc. is the official chicken, beef and pork sponsor of the 2008 and 2010 U.S. Olympic Teams and an official supplier to U.S. Olympic Committee Training Centers. The partnership not only supports the spirit of the U.S. Olympic Team, but Tyson’s products support the nutrition and training needs of the athletes.  As a proud sponsor Tyson Foods is playing an integral role in the U.S. Olympic Committee’s (USOC) Performance Nutrition program by helping provide the athletes with quality protein to fuel them for success every step of the way on the road to Beijing and Vancouver. 

What is Performance Nutrition?
Designed by the USOC’s leading nutritionists, the Performance Nutrition plan focuses on the quality of food, ensuring that all athletes – no matter their energy and nutritional needs – can achieve optimal performance. The USOC recommends that athletes consume a combination of lean proteins, heart-healthy fats, whole grains, and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Each item featured in the USOC’s Performance Nutrition menus is chosen for its role in promoting a healthy immune system and fueling for optimal performance and recovery. 

“You can build the greatest training center in the world, but without solid nutrition there will be no gold medals,” said Terri Moreman, FMP, associate director of food & nutrition services for the USOC. “When it comes to the U.S. Team’s success, we believe that nutrition can make the difference. The USOC is extremely grateful for Tyson’s support in supplying our athletes with quality protein that is essential to their performance.”

The USOC Performance Nutrition plan is based on the American Heart Association Eating Plan for Healthy Americans, the United States Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and sports nutrition research studies that correlate certain foods and energy sources with enhanced performance and recovery. 

Protein Plays Critical Role
“Protein plays a critical role in Performance Nutrition, as it helps with muscle growth and repair, supports a healthy immune system and aids in recovery,” said Adam Korzun, MS, RD, LDN, dietitian for the USOC. “It is important that every athlete has a range of quality protein choices to support optimal health and performance.”

“As the world’s largest producer of chicken, beef and pork, Tyson’s wide product portfolio, volume and distribution enable the company to play a unique role as a vital protein source for America’s Olympic hopefuls,” said Dave Hogberg, Senior Vice President, Consumer Products Marketing.  “Tyson is proud to support the U.S. Olympic Team throughout their Olympic journey by providing our athletes quality protein to equip them for success in the 2008 Olympic Games.”

The USOC foodservice team served more than 659,000 meals combined at the Olympic Training Centers and expects to serve an estimated 4,500 meals at the U.S. Olympic Team Processing Center located at San Jose State University; and between 30,000 and 40,000 meals in Beijing at the High Performance Training Center.  Athlete menu offerings include a salad bar, deli bar, cook-to-order grill station, and entrée station. The deli bar, grill station, and entrée station, all offer Tyson® chicken, beef and pork.

Because athletes do not always train and compete in the familiar setting of the U.S. Olympic Training Centers, Tyson also has worked with the USOC to make “Travel Nutrition Kits” available to more than 1,000 national team athletes. The kits were designed to help athletes take Performance Nutrition with them when they go on the road to compete in training camps, World Cups and U.S. Olympic Team qualifiers. Each kit includes a hot pot, power adaptor, Tyson pouch chicken and recipes to help athletes prepare quick and easy performance-based meals from anywhere in the world. Whether at the training centers or while traveling, Tyson products ensure the U.S. Olympic Team has familiar, performance-based foods with the comforts of home; no matter where they are.

About Tyson Foods, Inc.
Tyson Foods, Inc. [NYSE: TSN], founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500.  The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves.  Tyson provides products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The company has approximately 104,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.

About the U.S. Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the sole entity in the United States whose mission involves training, entering and underwriting the full expenses for the U.S. teams in the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games.  In addition to being the steward of the U.S. Olympic Movement, the USOC is the moving force for support of sports in the United States that are on the program of the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games.