Fresh isnt always best
American consumers tend to have a \"fresh is best\" mentality, particularly when it comes to their fruit and vegetables. So frozen and canned items may be perceived as being inferior to fresh, but that doesnt change the fact that they have a number of advantages over fresh produce – and retailers need to play those advantages up.
One advantage centers on nutrition. Recent studies show that consumers get just as many nutrients – not to mention more value – when they go the canned or frozen route. Unlike fresh vegetables – which, in reality, could spend weeks in storage before making it to a dinner table, losing nutrients all the way – frozen and canned produce is chilled or packed within hours of picking, locking the nutrients inside.
And when it comes to antioxidants – nutrients such as vitamin C, lutein and beta-carotene that help ward off conditions such as cancer and heart disease – two 2013 British studies conducted by Leatherhead Food Research and the University of Chester found that frozen actually trumps fresh. Antioxidant blends, increasing in presence within the freezer case, are an easy way for retailers to highlight that science for health-focused consumers via store brand products.
What foods are high in antioxidants? According to the USDA, small red beans rank at number one, but they are closely followed by several berries, including blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and cherries, making it easy for retailers to develop their own frozen berry mixes.
Consumers want to eat better, and another easy way for retailers to let them know that yes, even the canned pears or frozen broccoli count toward the recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables is to include the Produce for Better Health Foundations Fruits & Veggies-More Matters logo on store brand items that qualify, depending on the ingredients.
\"Our research indicates that when we show people the logo, it gives them a better feel for the food,\" says Elizabeth Pivonka, CEO and president of the Hockessin, Del.-based foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.
Do
communicate frozen and canned produces convenience and nutrition advantages to shoppers.
Dont
ignore consumers concerns over sodium and BPA when it comes to canned produce.
Oh, so convenient
Science aside, the bigger advantage might be the convenience factor.
\"Convenience is a real key point for retailers to hang their hats on,\" says Patty Johnson, a global food analyst for global market research firm Mintel. After all, frozen and canned fruit and vegetables are already easy. No washing or prepping is required.
\"While the cost of all forms may be comparable, what you arent factoring in is the cost of time. With canned and frozen, all of the work has been done for you,\" Pivonka points out.
So retailers would be wise to include messaging on the packaging that lets busy consumers know the product goes from the package to the table in minutes, or even seconds. To ramp up the convenience factor even more, Johnson says retailers might want to consider a store brand line of blends that specifically targets meal preparation, similar to Birds Eye Recipe Ready vegetables.
\"Those types of blends really help the consumer a lot in terms of time saving,\" she says.
Another key advantage that frozen and canned fruit and vegetables have over their fresh counterparts is the ability for consumers to add seasonings or create medleys that combine different flavors.
Address the negatives
Retailers also should make sure they have plenty of frozen and canned fruit and vegetables with no added ingredients, since one of the biggest concerns consumers have when it comes to buying these products is the addition of unwanted ingredients such as sodium. That concern particularly extends to canned produce, which does have a bit of an image problem.
According to a 2012 research study performed for the Produce for Better Health Foundation, canned produce ranked at the very bottom in terms of consumer perception compared to other forms of produce, with even dried fruit and juice being perceived more positively. To counteract those negative feelings about canned produce, Johnson says, retailers need to have labeling that conveys the freshness of the food inside. Garden-like imagery on the label, as well as the messaging, could evoke a sense of where the food came from. Westbrae Natural has \"Right from the Field\" plastered on its cans, for example. \"Crisp,\" \"fresh\" and \"picked at the peak\" are all claims that potentially could entice customers to choose the store brand can.
In addition to being concerned about sodium and added preservatives in canned produce, consumers are apprehensive over the potential presence of Bisphenol A (BPA), the same chemical that has been an issue in plastic containers in recent years due to concerns that it could leak into the food the container is holding. From a scientific standpoint, the verdict is still out on whether the low amount of BPA in can linings is actually enough to cause any harm, but the bottom line for retailers is that many customers want cans without it. So despite the added cost, having cans on the shelf that are clearly labeled as \"BPA-free\" could be a real win for retailers trying to increase sales of their store brand canned fruits and vegetables, Pivonka suggests.
Do
consider investing in innovative packaging formats such as aseptic cartons and pouches.
Dont
miss an opportunity to innovate on the vegetarian side via the small but mighty soybean.
\"Its been used safely for 40 years, but consumer perception is huge, and perception is reality,\" she notes.
Think outside the can
Alternatively, retailers might look into other shelf-stable types of packaging such as aseptic cartons for some of their store brand canned produce.
When it comes to innovation, fruit and vegetables arent necessarily foods that lend themselves to a lot of change, but retailers still have opportunities to think outside of the box in what they offer consumers. One of those is the fruit purees in pouches, which have been around a few years now, but usually in the baby food aisle or next to the applesauce and definitely aimed at a younger audience. Johnson says she is seeing more grains and superfoods being added to those formats, and the potential exists to create purees that can be marketed toward the adult consumer, something PowerBar is already doing with its Performance Energy Blends to attract the endurance sports enthusiasts.
\"They are really good for lunchboxes and on the go,\" Johnson points out.
One particular vegetable that is ripe for private label innovation is the small but mighty soybean. Soy, a plant-based protein, has revolutionized the range of easy food options for vegetarians and vegans. But soys success in meat-free alternatives has largely been capitalized on by brands such as Boca and MorningStar Farms with products, found mostly in the freezer section, that are high in flavor but also high in price. And cheaper alternatives have faced the challenge of limited distribution, notes Steve Morris, vice president of sales and marketing for Nashville, N.C.-based Atlantic Natural Foods.
\"We believe there is a huge opportunity to bring meatless alternatives to dry grocery at an affordable price. This would allow mainstream retailers to attract shoppers that would otherwise be shopping at Whole Foods,\" he says, adding that the natural or organic section of the store is a great area for product placement.
Whatever new frozen or canned produce items hit the shelves in 2014 and beyond, Johnson says that according to the numbers, the outlook is good for private label. In 2013, private label accounted for 56 percent of all the new shelf-stable produce items, and 47 percent of new frozen produce items.
\"Private label has really stepped up to the plate,\" she says.
|
| Look whats new |
| New from Walmart Canada, Mississauga, Ontario, are Great Value Sliced Apples. The frozen product retails in a resealable 600g flexible stand-up pouch that features a recipe. |
| Kirkland Signature Mandarin Orange Segments from Costco Wholesale Corp., Issaquah, Wash., are said to be harvested from Satsuma orchards and ideal for salads or snacking. The natural product is kosher certified and retails in a 1-lb.-8-oz. recyclable glass jar. |
| Kroger Cut Green Beans and Shellie Beans from Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. feature an updated package design. The beans retail in a 14.5-oz. can that contains 3.5 servings. |
| New from Topco Associates LLC, Elk Grove Village, Ill., are Full Circle Organic Mixed Vegetables. The microwavable USDA certified organic product includes carrots, corn, peas and green beans. It is said to steam perfectly in its own bag and retails in a 12-oz. flexible pouch. |
| Source: Mintels Global New Products Database |