When it comes to convenience and health, few categories can claim to meet the needs of consumers quite so well as prepared produce. Bagged salads, cut fruit and prepared vegetables are a robust sector that has fared reasonably well considering the economic climate of the past few years.
In retail, prepared vegetables and leafy salads are growing – vegetables are up 5.3 per cent in value and 0.2 per cent in volume; salads are up 10.1 per cent in value and 4.2 per cent in volume. However, prepared fruit is declining at -2.4 per cent in value and -5.4 per cent in volume [Kantar, 52 w/e 7 July].
According to Simon Matthews, general manager of Agricoat Natureseal, which supplies prepared produce manufacturers with shelf-life extending washes, growth in this sector has slowed from the 10 per cent yearly rates that were seen in the middle of the last decade.
However, prepared produce has shown that it is a robust category that has survived the leaner economic conditions of recent years and is comfortably outpacing growth in fresh and processed foods. “Most forecasters anticipate growth rates in the region of four per cent in the coming years,”
he says.
Health is a key factor in this. “Fresh-cut products make it easier for the ‘grab-and-go generation’ of consumers to liven up their daily diet with colourful and tasty fruit and vegetables,” says Matthews.
Attractive, colourful, well-presented products are the main factors consumers want when selecting prepared produce, says Matthews. “Research both in North America and in Europe shows that consumers take product appearance into consideration and that colour is probably the main factor considered. Colour has a key role in food choice and research shows it can even influence perceptions of sweetness and ‘pleasantness’.”
The decline in prepared fruit sales reflects the fact whole fresh fruit is still very much the preferred option, accounting for 90 per cent of consumption by volume across the EU, with processed vegetables a far more accepted format. Ready-to-eat salads dominate the sector, accounting for around half of the fresh-cut volumes in Europe.
According to Matthews, the likes of McDonald’s have done a lot to increase the uptake of prepared fruit.
“I think we should not underestimate the contribution that has been made by the quick-service chains. Fresh salads and fruit bags may still be a relatively small part of the menu compared to burgers and sandwiches but their commitment to offering fresh produce and initiatives such as substituting apple slices for fries are important since this is helping to shape the eating habits of a new generation.”
Innovation in the salad category has led to strong growth this year. Florette has this year launched a new leaf called PepperCress included in a new bagged salad called Florette Peppery Crispy. “The new leaf is accompanied by can can, radicchio, baby leaf red romaine and wild rocket leaves,” and is aimed at consumers who like stronger flavoured salads, says Sandy Sewell, Florette’s commercial director.
The appeal of prepared produce is clear, says Sewell. “The convenience of being able to serve fresh and healthy ingredients straight from the fridge is the biggest appeal for prepared salad consumers and, in the summer, this becomes even more apparent.”
In vegetables, Scotty Brand this June launched two new summer prepared vegetable packs into Asda stores in Scotland – summer vegetables with mint butter, which combines cabbage, broccoli and peas; and mixed vegetables with seasoned butter, which contains carrot, broccoli and cauliflower.
Scotty Brand is also planning a new winter range of prepared vegetables for 2013 similar to its Casserole Prepared Vegetables, containing swede, carrot, potato, leek and onion; and its Scotch Broth Mix, containing vegetables and barley, both of which it supplied to retailers last year.
New prepared produce launched by retailers this year includes Morrisons’ tropical fruit shaker with coulis, and Waitrose’s launch of a salad with edible flowers, a samphire and spinach mix with lemon butter and its own prepared fruit shaker pots with fruit and coulis. While the prepared fruit market is in decline overall, Waitrose is bucking the trend, it claims.
The market can continue to expand if NPD keeps pace, says Sewell. “Breadth and depth of product is key here,” he says. “When it comes to prepared salad, the range of products is ever expanding, meaning people can select from different mixes and flavours when choosing this convenient meal option.
“The varied product mix on offer in the prepared salad category has resulted in a shift in consumer taste, and
this is particularly the case when it comes to premium salad products.
“More and more consumers are opting for this type of product as they become more adventurous, which is inevitably driving value increases in the category.”
Looking to the future, Matthews says prepared produce could even be the next frontier in functional foods, with research being carried out into the potential for delivering probiotics or added vitamins to fresh-cut produce. —
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