I had the opportunity to learn more about the family legacy of Perdue Farms while at the 2015 Chicken Media Summit. Not only was Perdue’s head cheerleader and his wife present for the entire event, but we were able to tour the company’s innovation center. When I say head cheerleader I actually mean CEO of Perdue Farms, Jim Perdue.

“We have 35-40 food scientist that work closely with our marketing team. They work through the process of coming up with new products by doing in-home use testing to find the issues families have today when preparing meals.”

New products run through the test ovens at the Perdue Innovation Center daily, but few actually end up on your plate. Our group got to taste one of the lucky products you will soon see on grocery store shelves. I believe it will soon be a favorite of kids across the country because how can you go wrong when you combine chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.

“We have to be proactive in on those fronts. The way we raise the animals. How we take care of our people, the community. What’s in the product? What are the ingredients? How did you make it? What is it made from? Those are all important aspects today.”

Learn more about the Perdue family story and the latest in chicken innovation in my complete interview with Jim. Interview with Jim Perdue, Perdue Farms

Find photos from the event here: 2015 Chicken Media Summit Photo Album