Fit produce wash expands to U.K. marketplace
Fit produce wash expands to U.K. marketplace
HealthPro Brands Inc. has started selling Fit, its fruit and vegetable wash, in the United Kingdom, where the company hopes its launch of sales of natural products to health-conscious consumers pays off.
In May, England became the first country to begin selling Fit at Whole Foods Market, the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods.
"We see it as a $100 million market in Europe," said HealthPro Brands President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Wichmann. "We think the latest launch will kick start the business there."
The company has been selling its produce wash for over a year in Wal-Mart locations and other retail stores in Mexico, and it is eyeing the Asian market as part of its global expansion plans.
But it's the European market that has the company's top official excited. Selling in Whole Foods validates the product overseas, he said.
"Consumers are more heightened to the issue of pesticides and chemicals in their foods [than Americans]," said Mr. Wichmann. "A lot of people are moving away from chlorine -- a trend we will see here, too."
Mr. Wichmann said that Europeans often dictate food trends worldwide. Organics exploded in Europe years before U.S. consumers demanded similar products, he added.
The company is partnering with two United Kingdom-based companies: Solutions Limited to sell Fit to the consumer and foodservice markets, and Hygiene Solutions to sell it to commercial processors.
The product, which is made up of citric acid, sodium lauryl sulfate, grapefruit oil extract and sodium carbonate, is the only produce wash considered certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union -- another factor that can offer opportunities in the global market, he said.
The product also saves precious water and energy costs because processors do not need to run two flumes to clean fresh produce. The job can be done with Fit using one flume.
Mr. Wichmann said that U.S. and European processors of salad greens are using a two-step processing technique that is not cleaning the products thoroughly. Under the current method, freshly harvested salad greens are placed in the first flume, which knocks the dirt off without any sanitizer, and this can spread E. coli, he said.
The second flume contains low levels of chlorine and is unable to adequately sanitize the products, he added. "By that time, low levels of chlorine can't do anything to get rid of the bacteria on the surface of the lettuce."
The company said that its Fit Antibacterial Fruit & Vegetable Wash kills 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria, like E. coli, and is recommended for use on cut, chopped, sliced and other processed produce.
In May, England became the first country to begin selling Fit at Whole Foods Market, the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods.
"We see it as a $100 million market in Europe," said HealthPro Brands President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Wichmann. "We think the latest launch will kick start the business there."
The company has been selling its produce wash for over a year in Wal-Mart locations and other retail stores in Mexico, and it is eyeing the Asian market as part of its global expansion plans.
But it's the European market that has the company's top official excited. Selling in Whole Foods validates the product overseas, he said.
"Consumers are more heightened to the issue of pesticides and chemicals in their foods [than Americans]," said Mr. Wichmann. "A lot of people are moving away from chlorine -- a trend we will see here, too."
Mr. Wichmann said that Europeans often dictate food trends worldwide. Organics exploded in Europe years before U.S. consumers demanded similar products, he added.
The company is partnering with two United Kingdom-based companies: Solutions Limited to sell Fit to the consumer and foodservice markets, and Hygiene Solutions to sell it to commercial processors.
The product, which is made up of citric acid, sodium lauryl sulfate, grapefruit oil extract and sodium carbonate, is the only produce wash considered certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union -- another factor that can offer opportunities in the global market, he said.
The product also saves precious water and energy costs because processors do not need to run two flumes to clean fresh produce. The job can be done with Fit using one flume.
Mr. Wichmann said that U.S. and European processors of salad greens are using a two-step processing technique that is not cleaning the products thoroughly. Under the current method, freshly harvested salad greens are placed in the first flume, which knocks the dirt off without any sanitizer, and this can spread E. coli, he said.
The second flume contains low levels of chlorine and is unable to adequately sanitize the products, he added. "By that time, low levels of chlorine can't do anything to get rid of the bacteria on the surface of the lettuce."
The company said that its Fit Antibacterial Fruit & Vegetable Wash kills 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria, like E. coli, and is recommended for use on cut, chopped, sliced and other processed produce.
