Recent sweet potato trends are going the route of steam bags as growers continue to innovate the category. Cook time goes from an hour or more to just ten minutes, without any compromise to the finished product.
Sweet potatoes are becoming more popular in the normal weekly diets of tuber lovers. “The steamer bag option taps into the sweet potato consumer who may not want to purchase bulk product,” George Wooten, President and Owner of Wayne E. Bailey, tells AndNowUKnow. “About 3 years ago we launched our steamer bags, but only recently have they begun to frequent the mainstream as time becomes increasingly more valuable to the consumer. We are seeing both single and multi-unit shoppers looking to steamer bags as their sweet potato option.”
President Michael Valpredo, Country Sweet Produce, tells AndNowUKnow, “Steam bags should be an effective and marketable new spin for us. Since the boom of sweet potato fries we’ve heard the message from consumers, wanting more options and needing help with convenience. With this bag you achieve all the same health benefits and taste with much less effort.”
“Convenience is paramount these days and microwaveable steamer bags are ideal for creating a family side dish that is ready in minutes,” Wooten continues.
After a few months of R&D, Country Sweet Produce is launching the Bako Sweet steam bag 2.0. The company improved elements of the bag by opening up space to see the potatoes on the front while improving the cooking directions on the back. When merchandised properly, retailers can capitalize on the added value and quality in this new sweet potato offering. Pictured below is the company's current steamer bag offering. Check it out!
“Now is certainly not a bad time to try and gauge any level of interest, since it is the off-season. If people will incorporate them during the warm weather months just think how much potential this item has during the fall and holidays, when most promotions happen,” Valpredo notes.
Wayne E. Bailey offers its Petite Steamable sweet potatoes under the George Foods and Green Giant Fresh brands. The item offers 24 ounces of sweet potatoes with about five servings per bag. Country Sweet Produce offers its Petite Sweet Potatoes under its Bako Sweets label and includes a 1.5 lb ventilated plastic bag that cooks sweet potatoes perfectly in 10 minutes.
By dramatically cutting cooking time, this innovative steam bag packaging will make delicious sweet potatoes more convenient and accessible for consumers, driving up sales volumes for retailers. I can't wait to see how steamer bags will continue to evolve!
Country Sweet Produce
Wayne E. Bailey
Companies in this Story
Country Sweet Produce
Country Sweet Produce and the Bako Sweet® brand represent the best of what a California fresh produce operation has to…
Wayne E. Bailey
Providing delicious and nutritious sweet potatoes to grocery store shelves near you! Innovators of the sweet potato…
