Independent fresh food consulting firm Perishables Group has revealed that fruit and vegetable purchases are on the up in the US, with the first quarter seeing an increase in retail sales of 2.3 per cent while volumes climbed by 2.5 per cent year-on-year.
According to statistics reported by The Packer, citrus sales increased by 10.6 per cent through the first quarter when compared with 2009, with peppers, prepared foods and cooking greens also enjoying sales improvements in the country.
Similarly, there was growth in categories including avocados, pineapples, tomatoes, mushrooms, pears and celery, with smaller growth in apples, grapes, lettuce, blueberries and cucumbers.
Some categories slid, however, with lower year-on-year sales in strawberries, bananas, packaged salads, potatoes, carrots and melons.
'It feels like it is a lot different and a lot better than in 2009, when so much price deflation was occurring,' Perishables Group executive vice-president Steve Lutz told The Packer.
No comments yet