GUADALUPE, CA - With the summer months bringing on warmer temps in California, one of my favorite places to hang out in the supermarket is the produce department with its inviting range of fresh-cut and value-added options. Apio is continuing to gain ground in this sector, with the upcoming debut of two new Superfood Salads kits, Strawberry Harvest and Sunflower Kale Vegetable Salad Kits, to address the demand for convenience, flavor, and innovation.
With growth and differentiation in mind, Jenny Stornetta, Sr. Marketing Communications Manager, joined me to discuss the company’s innovative Superfood Salad kits and what goes into their decision making process.
“We conduct a host of research and consumer taste-testing to help us decide what are some of the flavors missing in our portfolio and what can help us diversify our line within the retail space versus the competition,” Jenny tells me as we talk about the process and where inspiration turns into execution. “After we have worked to define and optimize what those flavor palates are, we conduct even more consumer testing for taste and eating experiences to find out what that right balance is between vegetables and toppings.”
For these new offerings, Sunflower Kale contains six superfoods and includes broccoli, cabbage, kale, and chicory. To enhance the dish, this blend brings together dried cranberries, roasted sunflower seeds, and a honey dijon dressing as well. Offering a gluten-free option, this vegetable salad kit will appeal to customers who are looking for a tasty, year-round option for convenience and healthy eating.
The Strawberry Harvest contains seven superfoods, highlighting kale, beet greens, broccoli stalk, carrots, and red cabbage and is enhanced by crispy quinoa, almonds, feta cheese, and a strawberry vinaigrette. This offering is also a gluten-free option, and brings year-round convenience to the produce-forward palate.
“It is an exciting time for Apio. A lot of our growth has been in the salad business in recent years, and our hard work continues to pay off,” Jenny says. “We started with one salad and we are now at nine. In addition, we have expanded our Hanover, Pennsylvania, packing operations to increase production lines from two to ten, and the investment more than quadruples the size of the facility, coming in at 64,000 square feet.”
With the drive to meet, and answer, retail and consumer demand across its value-added program, Apio has no signs of stopping its category growth.
