“We offer a 7.5-ounce as well as a four-count two-ounce mini size of our guacamole,” said Monahan. “This makes it very easy for consumers to use fresh avocados without the need to open a new piece of fruit and wonder if it will be ripe enough or have good flavor.”

He said that consumers seek indulgence without compromising health benefits, and WHOLLY is committed to providing options to meet their needs. As such, Monahan said the company holds true to its brand promise, which is to share the joy of avocados every day in delicious dips and spreads without added preservatives.

“All of our items produced in our facilities in Mexico go through high-pressure pasteurization (HPP) and that allows us to not add any preservatives and gives us the extended shelf life once these products reach the marketplace,” he said.

NEW FLAVORS
At the 2024 IFPA Global Produce Show in Atlanta, WHOLLY debuted three new avocado-based spreads that add flair compared to standard guacamole.

“We launched three new flavors at IFPA last year – Spinach & Artichoke, Tomato & Basil and Roasted Red Bell Pepper,” said Monahan. “The nice thing about these is that they all use an avocado base instead of a more traditional dairy base such as sour cream. So, our dips provide dairy-free indulgence that is packed with all the goodness of avocados and still provides a traditional dip experience.”

In developing these new offerings, Monahan said WHOLLY relied on some key statistics regarding avocado consumption and snacking.

“Avocado consumption continues to grow in the United States, and average per-capita consumption is around eight pounds per year,” he said. “We also know that avocados have grown across the retail landscape from category to category. And consumers are reading labels more than ever before. In fact, more than 60 percent of consumers indicate that they want to see some kind of added benefit from the ingredients they are consuming, and more than two-thirds of consumers are looking for those clean labels when making their purchasing decisions.”

Monahan added that snacking has evolved and people are no longer looking for a quick, salty snack. Rather, snacks now often serve as a meal replacement and are considered fuel on-the-go for active consumers.

“While consumers still look at snacks as an indulgence, more than 60 percent are looking for a nourishment quality in their snacking,” he said.

Monahan also noted that nearly two-thirds of consumers report some degree of difficulty in digesting lactose.

“We explored both a dairy and non-dairy base as an option, and we landed on non-dairy because it really allowed us to stand out from the competition,” he said. “Actually, everything we offer in our portfolio is dairy-free. But we are now being more descriptive about our avocado line because we know what else is out there. A lot of other dips in this space use a dairy base, and we want to drive consumer awareness that we are dairy-free.”