A salad for every palate

JAN GREYLING

Co-worker

An amazing world of innovation and convenience is getting unwrapped within the world of salad combinations and presentations. Amidst fierce competition and daily adaption to fast changing consumer preferences, the virtual 2020 Fresh Summit learned much about the creative and imaginative salad revolution.

ON AN ON-GOING rotation of the wheel of improvement new consumer friendly varieties of traditional salad favourites are cultivated and fine-tuned to be tastier, healthier, more shelf life friendly, easier to use, more nutritional and – wait for it, more eye-catching and lifestyle friendly. Be it aimed at individual office dweller lunches, home alone singles, small or larger families or the catering industry the competition is open, it is intense, and to the benefit of the end consumer, growers, processors and the packing materials industry.

A cornerstone of the industry

With their recent salad launches, Taylor Farms in California is taking the salad consumables sector up a notch, to tease the palates of consumers. According to Quincie Gourley, Marketing Coordinator, the packaged salads category is regarded as a cornerstone of the fresh produce industry. She said the salad department is “a source of inspiring flavour, recipes, and innovation throughout any retailer’s fresh space.” Gourley said their motivation is the increasing consumer need for convenience and more unique and trending salad flavours. By researching consumer needs and launching demand driven products Taylor Farms is truly laying the groundwork for addressing what the consumer wants and desires in their daily diets and convenience preferences. These innovative salads are making their way to retail shelves as shoppers look for more convenient and flavourful ways to shop. “We continue to innovate and provide products and services that fit our customers and consumer needs.”

Clean plant-based preferences

In New York, Ark Foods introduced a new line of packaged salads at the PMA virtual show, during the summit. The Clean Label Salad line-up “is sure to bring in the consumer crowd who are adjusting to the new normal swiftly, some tasty and healthy new clean and plant-based salad offerings,” said CEO, Noah Robbins. Robbins said these new salads are prepared from “ingredients your great-grandma would recognise. These prepared salad meals serve as easier, healthier, affordable lunch options, amidst a 40 percent rise in home cooking seen from the COVID-19 pandemic, as stated by The Food Industry Association.” The interesting new kids on the Ark Food salad block feature updated nods to classic salads, with vegetables “rarely seen in ready-to-eat salads, including watermelon radish and golden beets”. These salad innovations range from 330 -410 calories and deliver between 13 - 18 grams of protein for consumers focused on getting energised while achieving health goals. South African produce growers and ready-to-eat salad suppliers should also note the inclusion of pepitas, cashews, red carrots, red cabbage, sundried tomatoes and brussels sprouts, combined with dressings including vegan pesto, plant based ceasar, ginger sesame and chickpea croutons. These new options are wellness based and will be on shelves in the United States in January 2021.