Del Monte Foods debuts new fruit products
Del Monte Foods debuts new fruit products
ORLANDO, FL -- Del Monte Foods, based in San Francisco, is offering several new and convenient value-added fruit products. At the Del Monte Foods booth at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit, here, Xander Shapiro, produce business director of innovation, described these products.
In July, Del Monte introduced red grapefruit slices, sold in a 20.5-ounce bowl. Rolling out in January will be two new refrigerated bowls of citrus: grapefruit duo (with red and white grapefruit slices) and citrus salad (with red and white grapefruit, and orange slices).
The citrus bowls contain 4.5 servings that are peeled, sectioned and ready to eat in a table-ready bowl with a plastic resealable lid. All three SKUs are offered in slightly sweetened grapefruit or citrus juice.
Mr. Shapiro said that fresh-cut citrus fruit represents only 0.2 percent of produce department sales. "It is not easy," he said, because pre-cut citrus fruit "tends not to retain its structure." Del Monte Foods has answered that with a juice and packaging that keep the product "succulent."
Del Monte Foods addressed retailers' concern about fruit salad bowls cannibalizing fresh fruit sales through national research by A.C. Nielsen. Nielsen research found that only half the buyers of refrigerated, processed citrus fruit also purchase bulk citrus fruit.
In late September 2008, Del Monte introduced three new refrigerated packaged fruit products that are being sold under the "SuperFruit" label. These have no added sugar in the 100 percent juice blend surrounding the cut fruit. The rationale, Mr. Shapiro said, is that consumers always feel guilty about drinking the syrup with precut fruit, but they drink it anyway. Now consumers can enjoy the juice and not feel guilty about doing so. The three "SuperFruit" varieties are pear chunks with acai and blackberry juice; peach chunks with pomegranate and orange juice; and mixed fruit chunks with mango and passion fruit juice.
The Del Monte "SuperFruit" packages are eight-ounce cups that are "antioxidant rich, healthy and convenient," said Mr. Shapiro.
Held at temperatures of 34-38 degrees F, the SuperFruit products have a shelf life of 12 -15 months. "It is a good value for the consumer. The fruit is picked at peak ripeness" before the processing and packaging regimen, he said.
Mr. Shapiro has worked for Del Monte for three years. In that time, his category has increased from 18 to 34 SKUs.
In July, Del Monte introduced red grapefruit slices, sold in a 20.5-ounce bowl. Rolling out in January will be two new refrigerated bowls of citrus: grapefruit duo (with red and white grapefruit slices) and citrus salad (with red and white grapefruit, and orange slices).
The citrus bowls contain 4.5 servings that are peeled, sectioned and ready to eat in a table-ready bowl with a plastic resealable lid. All three SKUs are offered in slightly sweetened grapefruit or citrus juice.
Mr. Shapiro said that fresh-cut citrus fruit represents only 0.2 percent of produce department sales. "It is not easy," he said, because pre-cut citrus fruit "tends not to retain its structure." Del Monte Foods has answered that with a juice and packaging that keep the product "succulent."
Del Monte Foods addressed retailers' concern about fruit salad bowls cannibalizing fresh fruit sales through national research by A.C. Nielsen. Nielsen research found that only half the buyers of refrigerated, processed citrus fruit also purchase bulk citrus fruit.
In late September 2008, Del Monte introduced three new refrigerated packaged fruit products that are being sold under the "SuperFruit" label. These have no added sugar in the 100 percent juice blend surrounding the cut fruit. The rationale, Mr. Shapiro said, is that consumers always feel guilty about drinking the syrup with precut fruit, but they drink it anyway. Now consumers can enjoy the juice and not feel guilty about doing so. The three "SuperFruit" varieties are pear chunks with acai and blackberry juice; peach chunks with pomegranate and orange juice; and mixed fruit chunks with mango and passion fruit juice.
The Del Monte "SuperFruit" packages are eight-ounce cups that are "antioxidant rich, healthy and convenient," said Mr. Shapiro.
Held at temperatures of 34-38 degrees F, the SuperFruit products have a shelf life of 12 -15 months. "It is a good value for the consumer. The fruit is picked at peak ripeness" before the processing and packaging regimen, he said.
Mr. Shapiro has worked for Del Monte for three years. In that time, his category has increased from 18 to 34 SKUs.
