Recipe for Success

It’s an exciting time for the fresh-cut industry. And it’s not just an excitement that analysts see as they look at the growth of the fresh-cut category, which is expected to reach $15 billion in sales this year alone. It’s not just something you hear from retailers and marketers trying to sell their products. It’s something that you can see – something that I saw.

I attended my first-ever Fresh-Cut Expo in April and my first United/FMI show in May, and it was obvious by looking at everyone’s faces and listening to their stories that they are pumped about being members of the fresh-cut industry.

Being a new face in the sea of industry veterans, I can get away with introducing myself to random people and asking what some may think are stupid questions. And that is just how I spent my time at these two trade shows.

And the most common responses and greetings I got went something like this: “This is a great time to be coming into this industry. It’s growing so fast, and there’s more room for growth.”

This is something I don’t hear often. When I attend shows for our other agricultural publications – The Fruit Growers News, The Vegetable Growers News and Spudman – there isn’t nearly this level of positive response. Unfortunately, this is a difficult time for the produce industry in the United States as cheap imports, government regulations and declining consumption – especially in the potato industry – continue to drive prices down and force growers out of business.

According to Produce for Better Health’s new National Action Plan, the average American eats only 3.6 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and the average consumption has been basically flat for more than 10 years.

But there is an answer.

In a country with people constantly on the go and families busier than ever, there’s a natural place for fresh-cut produce to step up and get into the homes – and stomachs – of the American consumer. The PBH Action Plan states that 47 percent of consumers said convenience is the most important factor in the foods they eat.

And, surprisingly, teen boys, men ages 45 and up and women ages 55 and up consume the most fruits and vegetables. Knowing this, the fresh-cut industry can tailor its products to these people: teens rushing from one place to the next and baby boomers heading to and from work – and getting ready to retire. Singles and Gen Xers, and the disposable income that comes with them, are becoming big players in the retail scene. All these people who are busier than ever are looking for foods that are more convenient than the past. Add to that the increasing concerns about healthy eating and the state of the American diet, and it’s a fresh-cut recipe for success.

Apple slices. Ready-to-eat, single-serve salads. Fruit mixes. Heat-and-eat vegetables. All these products, and the hundreds more like them, are exciting places to look to increase fruit and vegetable consumption for an on-the-go America. All it takes are industry innovators to continue to embrace the opportunities of fresh cut and bring consumers what they want – and need.