Given the degree of change in produce departments today, vendors are confronted with cyclical opportunities to introduce innovative new products that focus on emerging trends.
Welch's, for one, has partnered with FreshXtend to debut a new line of single-serve seedless grapes on the stem. Packaged in a clear plastic 5-ounce cup, the product line includes red and green varieties at a price point between $1.69 and $1.79.
Convenience-oriented, the package fits in most car cup holders. Modified-atmosphere technology provides an extended shelf life up to 17 days for red grapes and up to 12 days for green grapes.
"It's perfect for people who want more fresh fruit in their diet and are looking for an easy and convenient solution," said Paul Klutes, product manager of new ventures for Welch's.
Of course, a lot has been said about children's wellness and to address that issue Nickelodeon has licensed several of its most popular TV characters, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, to fresh produce distributors who are rolling out a wide range of fruits and vegetable packages featuring the Nickelodeon characters in supermarkets next month.
Grimmway Farms is producing 1.6-ounce single serving to 5-pound bags of baby cut and peeled carrots in packages featuring SpongeBob SquarePants among others. Additionally, Boskovich Farms will distribute SpongeBob on its bags of spinach and LGS Specialty Sales will feature SpongeBob, Dora, Blue's Clues and The Backyardigans characters on its bags of oranges, tangerines and clementines.
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