Supermarket Perimeter - January 2023 - 46

Produce: Greenhouse-grown
" What people can't get enough of
On the product side, NatureSweet has redesigned the packaging
these days is time, so we will continue
to make the daily grind a little easier for
consumers, offering more bite-sized
healthy snacking options, " Halpin said.
Themed packaging and merchandising
will continue to be a focus for NatureSweet
in 2023, given the huge positive reception
it received last year.
The company's " Snack Like a
Champ " sports-themed product,
for instance, pays homage to
professional sports teams in
certain areas. NatureSweet's " Día de
Muertos Medley " promotion has been
another retailer and consumer favorite,
Halpin said.
" Both are great examples of timely products that encourage
consumers to celebrate certain events or holidays and create somewhat
of a buzz around these occasions. One product allows consumers to
save time and the other encourages them to celebrate the time they
have. We're transforming boring vegetable packaging into something
vibrant and fun that helps mark the occasion. "
Also top of mind for NatureSweet going forward, Halpin said, is a
continued commitment to the environment.
NatureSweet greenhouses use 58% less water than open farms.
The company's drip irrigation systems help conserve water, and
NatureSweet utilizes integrated pest management (IPM), which drives
all pest management decisions and reduces the risk to people and the
environment.
Greenhouse isn't just
for tomatoes, peppers
and cukes anymore.
Pure Flavor is enjoying
huge demand for its
new greenhousegrown
melons.
of several of its products using highly recyclable PET plastics. Soon,
the company's snacking tomato packaging will be 100% recycled and
recyclable PET.
NatureSweet also has decreased the amount of cardboard in its
shipping trays by more than 10%, and its retail boxes have been
redesigned so that more product fits into each pallet, reducing transport
costs and emissions.
Expanded production
In early 2023, Leamington-based Pure Flavor is beginning full
production from the latest additions to its houses.
Pure Flavor now has 115 acres of lit production year-round, 40 of
which were added in 2022, said Chris Veillon, chief marketing officer.
" Consumers are looking for greater consistency in their vegetables, not
only in quality, but in year-round availability, " Veillon said. " Consistency
of supply is the driver, regardless of the season. Grown in controlled
environments, we are able in increased yields, improve flavor and grow
a more sustainable product with less of an environmental impact. "
A greater assortment of greenhouse-grown products is also creating
more opportunities for retailers, he added. For Pure Flavor, the biggest
new product news is in the melon category.
First came the Solara mini-Galia melon in Spring 2022 - the first
commercially grown greenhouse-grown melon crop in North America,
Veillon said. It was followed up by the Alonna canary melon, launched
at the inaugural IFPA show in Orlando in October.
" We've been working on melon R&D
trials for the last eight years to bring
the right types and exclusive varieties
to life, " he said.
46 - JANUARY 2023
supermarketperimeter.com
NatureSweet, Pure Flavor
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Supermarket Perimeter - January 2023

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