BRIDGEWATER, N.J., April 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Applegate®, the nation's leading natural and organic meat brand, announced that John Ghingo will assume the position of president, and the company's Senior Director of Mission, Gina Asoudegan, will be elevated to vice president of mission and innovation strategy. Applegate Farms, LLC (Applegate) is a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL).

Most recently Ghingo was the president of plant-based foods and beverages at The WhiteWave Company. Asoudegan has been with Applegate since 2006 and will report to Ghingo.

"I'm confident that John's understanding of the complexities of the natural and organic food space, combined with his passion for brand building, will inspire the Applegate team to reach new heights," said Jim Snee, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Hormel Foods. "In order for Applegate to succeed, mission and innovation must be inextricably tied, and that's why Gina's new role at Applegate will ensure that the Applegate mission- Changing The Meat We Eat®- will continue to thrive."

Ghingo
Prior to WhiteWave, where he led the Silk and So-Delicious brands, Ghingo spent 16 years at Mondelez. At Mondelez (formerly Nabisco and Kraft), Ghingo worked in various marketing leadership positions across several brands and divisions, including Belvita, Chips Ahoy, Oreo and Ritz. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and earned his MBA at New York University Stern School of Business. Ghingo is a member of the national board of directors for After-School All-Stars. He resides in Verona, New Jersey with his wife and four children.

Asoudegan
When she joined Applegate in 2006 as director of communications, Asoudegan worked closely with NGOs to raise awareness of food-system issues, including antibiotic resistance and GMOs. In her expanded role, she will oversee product innovations that are designed to create a consciously scaled supply chain. Asoudegan is on the leadership team of the Non-GMO Supply Working Group (an initiative of the Center for Sustainable Solutions), an advisory board member at the Sustainable Food Lab, on the advisory council for The National Young Farmers Coalition and was instrumental in securing Applegate as a founding partner for the Savory Institute's Land to Market™ Program, the world's first regenerative sourcing solution for livestock-derived meat, dairy, wool and leather. She resides in Lambertville, New Jersey with her husband.

About Applegate 
Founded in 1987, Applegate produces high-quality natural and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, cheese and frozen products. Our products are made without GMO ingredients, and we source from farms where animals are treated with care and respect and are allowed to grow at their natural rate, all part of our mission - Changing The Meat We Eat®. Natural can mean many things, but to Applegate natural means our food is: 

• From animals raised humanely without antibiotics, hormones or growth promotants  
• From animals fed a vegetarian or pasture-centered diet (our beef is 100 percent grass-fed)   
• Free of added chemical nitrites, nitrates or phosphates  
• Free of artificial ingredients or preservatives  

Applegate became a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods in July 2015. For more information about our products, visit www.applegate.com or talk with us on www.facebook.com/applegate or twitter.com/Applegate.

About Hormel Foods – Inspired People. Inspired Food.™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across 75 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin's®, Columbus®, Wholly Guacamole®, Hormel® Black Label^® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the ninth year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future – Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ – focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and https://csr.hormelfoods.com/.

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SOURCE Applegate