From Our Print Edition

Sales are up 17.7% over last year as a young demographic goes green.

[hr]

Cauliflower and broccoli, once pushed to the edge of the plate by young eaters, are driving what one manufacturer called a “renaissance” for frozen vegetables as younger customers opt for healthy easy-to- prepare food.

“We’re seeing frozen vegetable usage increasing in all forms – as sides, as entrees, and as recipe inclusions,” says Melissa Mecca, VP of retail sales for Lakeside Foods (lakesidefoods.com), a private label manufacturer based in Manitowoc, Wis.

Cauliflower takes yet another new form in Green Giant’s new Veggie Fries and Veggie Rings.

During the 12 weeks ended Aug. 9, sales of plain frozen vegetables were up 17.7% to $620.35 million (versus the same period a year ago), reports market research firm IRI (iriworldwide.com), Chicago. Even prepared vegetables, which have been losing ground as consumers opt for lighter, unsauced dishes, saw their sales edge up 2.4% in sales to $43.64 million.

Although gains weren’t quite as high as they were during the 12 weeks ended July 12, suggesting sales are returning to more normal levels, manufacturers detect a long-term shift in buying habits that’s likely to persist long after the pandemic ends. “Typically, frozen vegetable sales drop in the summer when fresh produce is available, so we wouldn’t expect consumers to buy at the pace they did at the outset of the pandemic,” says Mecca. “However, we’ve seen sales remain strong as consumers prepare more meals at home and make fewer shopping trips.”

VEGGIE VALUES

“In speaking with customers, we have heard two things loud and clear,” says Wesley Eubanks, president and CEO of The Pictsweet Co. (pictsweetfarms.com), Bells, Tenn. “First, consumers want the peace of mind of knowing where their vegetables come from. Second, and more importantly, 87% told us they prefer vegetables grown on American soil. We heard them, and we have eliminated the guesswork of examining the front and back of a package trying to figure out where the vegetables were grown: Pictsweet Farms is now ‘100% Grown on American Soil.'”

“The biggest trend we see is consumers demanding a ‘why’ behind brands they purchase,” says Mazen Rabah, vp of sales at Durham, N.C.-based Seal the Seasons (sealtheseasons.com), which sells regionally grown frozen veggies. “These high-value householders want more than just consistent quality. They want to know where their food comes from, how it got to their freezer, and what impact it has on their planet,” he explains.

Millennials and Gen Zers now account for a third of the population, and they’re values-oriented buyers, agrees Doug Carlson, CEO of Tommy’s Superfoods (tommyssuperfoods.com), Corte Madera, Calif. “Morals, ethics, and the environment are really at the top for them,” he says. Frozen veggies promise less waste and spoilage, and flash freezing locks in nutrients, says Carlson. And with a plant-based protein add-in – a popular category trend – consumers have “a very nutrient-dense, calorie-light way to eat,” he adds.

Tommy’s recently added an Asia Fusion variety featuring mukimame (shelled edamame), which quickly rose from No. 9 to No. 2 or 3 among the company’s top sellers, says Carlson. A new entry in its plant protein-vegetable array is Cauliflower & Purple Sweet Potatoes with green chickpeas.

At Naperville, Ill.-based Path of Life (pathoflifebrand.com), protein is also seen as “a key consideration for consumers,” says brand manager Ashley Collins. The brand’s vegetable-grain blends all include quinoa, which contains all nine essential amino acids and 4 grams to 6 grams of protein per serving.

Plant-based protein is a big trend at Birds Eye (birdseye.com), too, but the company is also seeing more “main dishes where vegetables are incorporated into the product,” says Ashley Lind, director of consumer insights at Chicago-based parent company Conagra. “We are also seeing more veggie-forward snacks and apps coming into the space offering the same restaurant quality consumers get when dining out,” she reports.

Cauliflower in particular is “exploding as a side, appetizer/ snack and center of plate dish,” says Lind, citing new Birds Eye Cauliflower Wings as an example. The appearance of cauliflower-based products on U.S. menus jumped 111% between fourth quarter 2016 and fourth quarter 2019, she adds.

Green Giant (greengiant.com) is also betting on cauliflower in many forms, rolling out 11 new cauliflower- based products in the past year. “Consumers want to eat vegetables in as many different formats as possible,” says Jordan Greenberg, executive vp and chief commercial officer for parent company B&G Foods, Parsippany, N.J. New this fall are Green Giant Veggie Fries in Cauliflower Ranch & Bacon and Veggie Rings in Cauliflower French Onion and Cauliflower Three Cheese & Bacon. The company also plans new veggies seasoned with Dash, a salt-free seasoning.

CONVENIENCE IS KING

“Ultimately, consumers are looking for easy ways to elevate at-home eating,” says Sam Rockwell, CEO and co-founder of Happi Foodi (happifoodi.com), Nutley, N.J. “Now, with more people at home coupled with the upcoming holiday season, consumers are looking for quick and delicious options,” he says. Happi Foodi launched new veggie sides at Walmart last month, including Glazed Brussels Sprouts & Bacon and Mexican Style Street Corn.

“Our latest introduction, Vegetables for Grilling, is truly innovative for the category,” says Eubanks of The Pictsweet Co. “Consumers seek the variety of a restaurant, but they want to replicate the experience as much as possible from the comfort and safety of home,” he explains. “Our Vegetables for Grilling items, which like the rest of our products are 100% grown on American soil, help consumers achieve this, adding an exciting new twist to vegetables that combine great taste and convenience.”

Seal the Seasons is introducing four new steamable, regionally grown veggies to the mid-Atlantic this fall and eight new items to the Pacific Northwest, among them Broccoli-Cauliflower Blend, Butternut Squash, Cut Green Beans, Green Peas, Yellow Corn, Vegetable Blend and Brussels Sprouts. Rabah says partnerships with retailers are important to getting visibility for new products, and content advertising is “crucial to win high income households.”

Social media is also a key component to educating consumers about new products. Path of Life customizes visibility programs for each of its key retail partners, using “dry demos” (coupons and education) and TPR with shelf tags, says brand manager Collins. It also promotes through Zoom cooking demonstrations and digital ads and coupons.

Birds Eye expects to execute digital events in October/ November to drive consumers to its innovations. “When we launch innovation, we like to partner with our customers/retailers to build in additional merchandising events around the time new products are hitting shelves,” says brand director Melissa Walters. “This way it helps to guide consumers down the aisle to look for something new.”

Kroger’s “Opt Up” app, which zeroes in on nutritional value, and its in-aisle “Live Naturally” banners also help call attention to healthy frozen veggies, says Tommy’s Carlson.

FROZEN VEGETABLES

Sales in supermarkets, drugstores, mass merchants, military commissaries and select club and dollar stores combined for the 12 weeks ended Aug. 9, according to Chicago-based market research firm IRI (iriworldwide.com). Percent change is versus the same period a year ago.

[hr]

[hr]