CHARLOTTE, NC - What is Easter if not colorful and fun? A popular tradition with consumers around this upcoming holiday is to dye Easter Eggs, and Dole Food Company has a couple of innovative ways to keep earth-friendly shoppers in the produce aisle. The fresh produce giant is encouraging families to forgo artificial egg-decorating kits this year and instead reuse every day produce scraps, skins, and leftovers to make naturally dyed Easter eggs. In doing so, Dole is putting a heightened focus on addressing food waste in an innovative way for both the buy-side and the consumer.
“Since fruits and vegetables cover the full rainbow of vibrant colors, you can pretty much use any produce to get a unique result—from cabbage, onion skins, and apple peels to carrots, beets, spinach, and all kinds of berries,” said Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole’s Nutrition and Health Communications Manager. “You can throw in turmeric, chili, and other spices; parsley, dill, and other herbs; and even ground coffee and tea leaves for a more personalized look.”
Dole is seeking to cut down on produce waste all while promoting fresh fruits and vegetables in an innovative and environmentally friendly way. As consumers become savvier and more creative in their kitchens, there is a renewed interest in seeking out sustainable ways of cooking.
By using leftover purple cabbage, red and yellow onion skins, uneaten beets, berries, spinach, and other brightly hued fruits and vegetables, Dole is encouraging its consumers to have a more natural, colorful, and less wasteful Easter. As noted in the release, Dole released an original DIY video showing how easy it is to repurpose produce leftovers to start a new family tradition.
“Of course, if the need for more colorful produce scraps encourages families to eat a broader range of fresh fruits and vegetables, that’s fine by us,” Marcus commented.
To further help drive fresh produce sales, Dole is supporting the initiative with a pre-holiday social media campaign along with its three-step natural egg-dying process on its healthy living blog to create a uniquely creative and earth-friendly holiday.
So, encourage your shoppers to save those scraps! Bring out the colorful showstoppers and put them out on full display as consumers seek a more colorful holiday, and keep checking back to AndNowUKnow as we bring more marketing and promotional strategies in the fresh produce industry.
