A look back at ... General Mills.

When NUTRACEUTICALS WORLD caught up with General Mills in 2000, the company had just launched "GoGurt" yogurt in tubes and was focused on developing more whole grain products as it made moves toward the emerging soy market. Since that time the food giant has been leading the charge to offer consumers more nutritious food choices.

In late 2004 General Mills converted all its cereals into whole grain products, including Trix, Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms. At that time, the switch was expected to increase the number of whole grain servings consumed by Americans by 1.5 billion per year.

Also recognizing the health benefits offered by soy, General Mills entered a 2000 joint venture with DuPont, creating 8th Continent, a soymilk company, which it sold in February 2008 to Stremicks Heritage Foods, a branded specialty foods company.

General Mills continues to capitalize on its yogurt brand Yoplait, introducing recent products such as Yo-Plus, which contains the patented Optibalatice blend of probiotics and prebiotics, as well as 3 grams of fiber. Its Fiber One yogurt also contains 20% of the Daily Value (DV) for fiber with 5 grams per serving. The Green Giant brand has also stayed strong with products such as Healthy Weight, Immunity Boost, and Healthy Vision vegetable medleys.

The company extended its continued focus on nutrition through its Guidelines for Responsible Advertising to Children, pledging in 2007 to no longer advertise foods containing more than 12 grams of sugar per serving to children under the age of 12. It also added "Nutrition Highlights" on the front panel of cereals in the U.S., which designate the percent of DVs for calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugar.

The General Mills Foundation also developed the Champions for Healthy Kids grant program in 2002, in partnership with the American Dietetic Association Foundation and the President's Council on Physical Fitness. Each year, the General Mills Foundation awards 50 grants of $10,000 each to community-based groups that develop creative ways to help young people adopt a balanced diet and physically active lifestyle.

In an attempt to accelerate innovation efforts, General Mills recently announced plans to team up with outside companies to create the General Mills Worldwide Innovation Network (G-WIN). Through this initiative, the company says it will actively seek partners who can help improve the taste, health and convenience of products.

As one of the largest food companies in the world, General Mills' efforts deserve recognition, as it continues to offer consumers healthy food options and renews its commitment to building stronger, healthier communities.

(General Mills was profiled in the very first edition of "Industry Innovators" in 2000; this feature became "Companies to Watch" in2005. General Mills was also a runner-up for this year's "Companies to Watch" edition.)

-- Sean Moloughney, Associate Editor