From The April/May 2003 Issue of Natural Grocery Buyer

Spice It Up

Herbs, hot peppers and techno packaging top product trends

Dan Luzadder

Organics and Asian imports are making inroads into the North American produce markets and are getting a lot of attention in the wake of new organic standards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But the hottest trends in fresh produce are the herbs, peppers and other vegetables used in preparation of ethnic foods, and the high-tech packaging of fresh-cut produce to let prepared veggies "breathe."

In recent polling of producers, buyers, brokers, shippers and marketers, the Newark, Del.-based Produce Marketing Association determined interest in organics and fresh-cut products is rising.

PMA spokeswoman Kathy Means says ethnic demographic changes nationwide—and a greater consumption of ethnic foods in restaurants—have boosted grocery shoppers' interest in the types of products that set those foods apart, such as the hot peppers that give Mexican meals and some Asian cuisine their zing.

"Americans' demands for year-round availability of produce also boosts imports, with more melons and varieties of mushrooms, and of course bananas, being popular in the winter months in produce sections," she says.

Prior to the start of the USDA's National Organic Program in October 2002, the word organic meant different things to different producers. Now, all growers wishing to label their products organic must follow the same rules.

Means says the new rule has sparked interest in produce that is grown without pesticides or genetic alteration, and major retailers are responding by devoting more space to organic products. "The standards have certainly reduced a lot of confusion for produce marketers," she says. "Now, either you are organic or you are not. So consumer confidence is bringing more sales."

Consumers are also demanding more convenience in produce items, which has led to recent technological developments affecting those products and greater consumer acceptance of pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, says Ken Hodge, the International Fresh-Cut Produce Association's communications director.

"The fresh-cut industry is growing at double-digit rates," Hodge says. "Grocers are putting more of the product on the shelves, and so we are seeing more locally produced fresh cuts, new refrigeration techniques and new packaging."

Salads and fresh fruits can be cut and packaged to last longer without preservatives, industry officials note. New plastic packaging now restricts the amount of oxygen that gets to lettuce and other air-sensitive vegetables. That packaging helps retain carbon dioxide, which prevents the produce from turning brown.

"This packaging creates a modified atmosphere, and some packagers will even inject nitrogen into the bags so that, as lettuce respires, it sort of goes to sleep. That helps keep it fresh longer," he says.

Hodge says because the fruits and vegetables are prepared and eaten without being cooked, safety is a major concern for those who sell fresh-cut produce. Steps are taken throughout the preparation process to ensure that contamination does not occur.

"Most processors triple-wash packaged fresh-cut food, they package in refrigerated and sanitized facilities and they keep the product cold to extend shelf life. It's become a very technical area," he says.

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Dan Luzadder is an Evergreen, Colo.-based freelance writer.