Use Your Noodle

Want to grow sales of your own-brand pasta and rice products? Consider introducing better-for-you pasta and convenience-minded rice.

During rough economic times, few foods satisfy Americans more than pasta and rice. Versatile, comforting and relatively inexpensive, pasta and rice fill the belly and satisfy the soul.

Pasta and rice also play a critical role in eating right. According to the Washington, D.C.-based National Pasta Association, enriched varieties of pasta are a good source of several essential nutrients, including iron and several B vitamins. And the November/December 2010 issue of Nutrition Today reported that one serving of rice per day improves a person's overall diet quality and reduces the risk of many chronic conditions.

Better-for-you is big

But pasta manufacturers are finding ways to develop even healthier products. Brian Fox, vice president of customer marketing for American Italian Pasta Co. (AIPC), Kansas City, Mo., notes that over the past decade, sales of better-for-you pasta products have grown to claim approximately a 19 percent share of total category dollars.

►Do communicate the health benefits of your store brand pasta and rice products on packaging.

"The category has seen numerous introductions designed to meet consumer needs in a multitude of areas — like whole grains, omega 3 products, calcium-added, organic and even 'super pastas' designed to combine multiple attributes in one product," he says.

To satisfy the demand for more healthful products, AIPC recently introduced pasta made from 100 percent whole grain. Available for retailers' store brand programs, the product boasts the taste and texture of traditional pasta," Fox notes.

Another noteworthy introduction is Fiber Gourmet pasta from Passport Food Group, the parent company of Chino, Calif.-based Royal Angelus Macaroni Co. The item — which also is available for private labeling — contains 40 percent fewer calories than traditional pasta and 18 grams of fiber per serving, says Dave Abrams, Passport's president and CEO.

Don't forget to cross-merchandise your own-brand pasta products with pasta sauces, breads and salad dressings.

Perhaps the most interesting better-for-you pasta already offered under a store brand is Food You Feel Good About Super Pasta from Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans Food Markets. Introduced in September 2010, the product line is said to look and taste like traditional pasta. However, it also contains an entire serving of whole grains, extra protein and fiber, calcium, vitamin D and ALA omega-3.

Artisan-cut appeals

Retailers also are going artisan-cut with their store brand pasta, Abrams says. This type of pasta is cut with bronze dies, which create a porous texture that promotes better sauce adhesion.

Minneapolis-based Supervalu and ShopRite, Keasbey, N.J., are two retailers offering bronze-die-cut pasta products under their own brands.

Abrams also notes that several retailers are tapping into the "buy local" mantra with their store brand pasta products.

"Local sourcing is one big way manufacturers and retailers can differentiate their brands and promote sustainability," he says. "We source all of our semolina from California. … California 'localvores' would be all over a pasta if it was labeled as 'Made in California' — and I know this is a nationwide trend."

►Do consider offering store brand rice products in microwavable pouches to appeal to time-starved consumers.

Ethnic flavors meet the pouch

Another nationwide trend is consumers' growing interest in ethnic rice products. According to the Global New Products Database from global market research firm Mintel International, consumers are seeking out rice products with "bold and ethnic" flavors.

Two retailers that have jumped on the ethnic bandwagon during the last year are Monrovia, Calif.-based Trader Joe's and Target Corp., Minneapolis. Trader Joe's introduced Trader Joe's Confetti Rice, which contains lemongrass, baby corn and ginger. And Target rolled out Archer Farms White Basmati Rice. Both products retail in microwavable pouches, making them convenient and easy to prepare.

Don't be bland&emdash; consumers are seeking bold and ethnic flavors in their rice.

Speaking of microwavable pouches, they are all the rage with rice, according to data from Chicago-based SymphonylRI Group. During the 52 weeks ending Aug. 7, dollar and unit sales of store brand ready-to-serve rice jumped a whopping 100.9 percent and 108.5 percent, respectively. (The total category saw dollar and unit sales gains of 6.5 percent and 9.3 percent, respectively, during the same period.)

Communicate, communicate

Whether it's a pouch, a box or another format, packaging gives retailers an opportunity to better market their pasta and rice. Abrams notes today's packaging should better communicate a pasta or rice product's benefits.

"Pasta is inherently 'all-natural' — why not advertise that on the package?" he says.

Cross-merchandising programs also are critical communication vehicles. Fox says retailers should partner with their suppliers to develop effective cross-merchandising programs centered around meal solutions.

"The top three things that sell with pasta are [pasta] sauce, bread and salad dressing," he explains, "so figuring out ways to put these elements together is the start of giving the consumer a meal idea and a solution."

Retailers also could appeal to the health-conscious consumer by merchandising pasta products within departments consumers generally view as fresh and healthful, adds Michael Cunningham, director of private label sales for Dakota Growers Pasta Co. (a subsidiary of Viterra Inc. of Calgary, Alberta).

"For example," he says, "pasta displays in the produce section are an excellent way to sell more products and deliver that healthy message to consumers." PGSB

Look What's New

Casa Mamita Fiesta Taco Rice, Pasta & Sauce from Batavia, Ill.-based ALDI Inc. is said to be a blend of rice and vermicelli in a cheese-and-taco-flavored sauce. Made with real cheese, the "mild" product retails in a 5.4-oz. stand-up pouch.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Sam's Club introduced Artisan Fresh Chicken & Four-Cheese Ravioli, which contains no preservatives or artificial ingredients. The refrigerated product is described as fresh semolina pasta filled with grilled white-meat chicken; real mozzarella, Swiss, ricotta and parmesan cheeses; and a hint of garlic. Ready to serve in five minutes, it retails in a 32-oz. pack that serves eight.

Source: Mintel's Global New Products Database

The Commodity Crisis

Rising commodity prices are making things difficult for everyone. But before retailers start downsizing their store brand pasta and rice products' packaging to cut costs, one industry expert suggests a couple other methods to combat inflation.

One way is to align purchasing decisions with crop cycle schedules. The retailer then could commit to a supplier for that entire crop year, says Dave Abrams, president and CEO of Passport Food Group Inc., Chino, Calif.

"That allows the pasta manufacturer to lock in supplies, and thus, prices," he explains.

Another cost-saving method is to source pasta made from blends mixing durum semolina with other hard-wheat varieties, Abrams notes.

"Durum is a very small crop and is not openly traded, which creates periods of high volatility in costs as we are seeing now," he says. "Blending durum with smaller quantities of other hard wheat varieties helps reduce the overall product cost without sacrificing taste or product performance."