The Scoop on Fresh-Cut Salads

Salad kits are now one of the top 10 sellers in the produce department.

Just when you thought the fresh-cut salad category had reached its peak in permeations of forms and flavors, there’s something fresh for the customer craving what’s new.

It’s the perfect example of crafting a product that didn’t exist until the late 1980s and building it into one of the top 10 sellers in produce. Salad kits alone, only one segment of the category, ranked ninth in the top 20 of vegetables, with over half (52%) of U.S. households purchasing these products in 2023, according to household panel data by Circana, a Chicago, IL-headquartered market research and technology company.

Sunset Foods, a five-store chain based in Highland Park, IL, sees two separate distinctions in the products it carries. “One is blends, like spring mix or a mix of spinach, arugula and baby lettuces. We’re seeing more interest in baby lettuce blends on the organic side,” says Vince Mastromauro, director of produce operations. “Secondly are the kits, including the heartier chopped kits. These offer convenience, something shoppers grab to add to their dinner.

“The next product in this category we look to add is the blends and kits made with hydroponic lettuce with freshness and 365 availability.”

The fresh-cut salad category is rapidly evolving, driven by several key consumer trends, says Lindsay Gammon, brand manager for Mastronardi Produce Ltd., in Kingsville, Ontario. “Consumers are increasingly prioritizing health, seeking fresh, nutrient-rich options, and busy lifestyles are pushing demand for convenient, ready-to-eat options. These trends influence manufacturer innovation in the salad category.”

Here are the newest fresh-cut salad products and ways to sell more in this crowded category.

SINGLE GREENS & BLENDS

Value-added lettuce can be broken up into different areas, says Anne-Marie Roerink, principal of 210 Analytics LLC, a food retail market research firm based in San Antonio, TX. “Thinking about meal-ready romaine, shredded lettuce or pre-washed lettuce leaves, sales total a little over $1 billion in Circana’s MULO+ universe.”

Both dollars and units of these products are virtually unchanged compared to year-ago levels, adds Roerink.

“Hand-cut leaf options are emerging in popularity, as they provide a convenient ready-to-eat option when making fresh salads, but also offer versatile options in the way of lettuce wrapping a burger or crafting low-carb tacos in the romaine leaf.”
— Anne-Marie Roerink, 210 Analytics LLC, San Antonio, TX

“Hand-cut leaf options are emerging in popularity, as they provide a convenient ready-to-eat option when making fresh salads, but also offer versatile options in the way of lettuce wrapping a burger or crafting low-carb tacos in the romaine leaf,” says Mastronardi’s Gammon.

Earlier this year, the company introduced a 10-ounce pack of Hand-Cut Romaine and 4-ounce Hand-Cut Butter Leaf under its Backyard Farms-branded lettuce line.

Misionero has expanded its Garden Life brand of washed, trimmed, ready-to-use single greens and includes 7-ounce Lettuce Boats and 5-ounce Deli Leaf packs. Under the Monterey, CA-headquartered company’s Earth Greens label, there are 7-ounce packs of organic romaine and organic green leaf.

“Organic options remain in demand, particularly among health-conscious consumers,” says Nicole Minnich-Zapata, marketing director.

Most fresh-cut lettuce tends to be nonorganic, which is typical of the entire value-added category, says Roerink. “Yet, if we look at it demographically, we see a big overlap between organic shoppers and value-added consumers, both skewing to higher-income households. This is something the meat department is responding to with a lot of innovation in organic, value-added products. I think this is still a gap in the market for produce.”

Growth in this segment is driven by new products that deliver on taste and smaller portion size, i.e., 4 ounces rather than 5 ounces, as well as organically grown, according to Bryan Jaynes, vice president of product development and marketing at Taylor Farms, in Salinas, CA. Under its Earthbound Farm label, the company has introduced a 4-ounce Limited Harvest Wild Red Arugula, with an exclusive variety of the green.

Boskovich Farms’ fresh-cut processing company, Fresh Prep, expanded its product line with the introduction of its Green Fork and Fair Earth packaged salad lines, according to Robert Spence, executive vice president of sales and marketing for the Oxnard, CA-headquartered grower/marketer.

Green Fork is a conventional line of blends and kits with new recipes inspired by high-end restaurants, while Fair Earth line is an organic line of blends and kits in the only BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) certified home compostable packaging.

SALAD KITS

“The advantage of salad kits is that they provide a dinner solution in a bag. We’ve seen a ton of innovation in this category,” says Jason Kazmirski, retail specialist for Charlie’s Produce, in Seattle, WA, which supplies several independent retailers in the Pacific Northwest as Metropolitan Market, as well as larger chains such as Fred Meyer and Sprouts.

Salad kits are an above-average performer in dollar growth, according to data shared by 210 Analytics. Salad kits are now a $2.2 billion category, up 3.6% year-over-year, according to Circana in the MULO+ universe. Grocery stores sell more than 170 million salad kits per year, which is up 2.2% versus last year.

“Both salad kits and straight value-added organic salad greens remain popular with consumers, each appealing to different needs,” says Kori Tuggle, vice president of marketing and product development for Braga Fresh Family Farms, in Soledad, CA, which markets its organic salads under the Josie’s Organic brand.

“Salad kits continue to see strong demand due to their convenience,” Tuggle adds. “They provide a quick, all-in-one meal solution, especially for those seeking easy, flavorful options.”

Salad kits with protein, such as chicken pieces, generate a little more than $650 million annually. While unit sales are up 3.1% year-on-year, deflation is pulling down dollars below year-ago levels, according to Circana data shared by 210 Analytics.

Additionally, according to the Southeast Produce Council’s What’s New 2024 study, released in September, 21% of households in the U.S. struggle with fresh fruit and vegetables sold in quantities that are too much, thus leading to waste.

These protein and packaging trends combine in FiveStar Gourmet Foods’ new single- and two-serve salad line called Simply Fresh Shakers, packaged in a patented “salad shaker” bowl system that makes mixing easy. Three flavors in the eight-item line include chicken: Chicken Caesar, Southwestern Style and Crunchy Asian Style.

“Our newest is the Caprese Pasta Salad Shaker,” says Tal Shoshan, chief executive officer of the Ontario, CA-based company.

CHOPPED SALAD KITS

Consumers want great-tasting, fresh-cut salad products that deliver convenience, health, and value. Increasingly, they also want meal solutions in the form of chopped salad kits, according to Taylor Farms’ Jaynes. The value-added salad category is up +3.3%, driven by the chopped kits segment, which is up +13% (Circana, 26 weeks ending 9-8-24).

New sizes and new flavors are driving growth in the chopped kits segment, too, Jaynes adds.

Taylor Farms has added to its mini (single-serve) chopped salad kit line with the introduction of Sweet Kale, which comes with pepitas, cranberries and a creamy poppyseed dressing, and Maple Bourbon, with a vinaigrette of its namesake flavor with chopped vegetables and diced almonds.

The growth of chopped salad kits mirrors broader food trends, offering a balance of traditional, cultural, and crave-able choices to provide unique flavor experiences, according to Bil Goldfield, director of corporate communications for the Dole Food Company Inc., in Charlotte, NC. “Our three new chopped salad kit flavors were developed through extensive research processes to deliver the popular flavors to consumers.”

One is Spicy Cashew Salad, with greens, veggies, cashews, honey sesame sticks, and a creamy cashew dressing, based on research showing interest in cashews as an ingredient is up 72% in dips and dressings.

The second is Baja Ranch Salad, a Mexican-inspired twist on a classic ranch, combining chopped greens with thick-cut cheddar, roasted corn, crispy jalapenos and a tangy sweet lime seasoning. Third is Hummus Crunch, which ties into the Mediterranean diet and “Blue Zones” trend for longevity, with a hummus-style dressing with chopped greens, red bell peppers, feta cheese, pita chips, and savory tomato-basil seasoning. Each comes in an 8.2-ounce bag.

“We recommend creating a brand block with optimal shelf placement to create a visual cue for shoppers,” says Goldfield.

While traditional flavors continue to dominate salad kit sales, Braga Fresh is actively tapping into the rising interest in global flavors, says Tuggle. “We’ve recently introduced new flavors to our chop salad kit line, such as Josie’s Organic Basil Crunch (kale, red cabbage, carrots, radicchio, a basil and garlic vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese and crispy quinoa), and Jalapeno Ranch (green cabbage, romaine, carrots, cilantro and green onions paired with tortilla strips, pepitas and a jalapeno ranch dressing).”

GREENHOUSE-GROWN BLENDS & KITS

According to Mastronardi’s Gammon, greenhouse-grown lettuce continues to grow +38% in the lettuce category, which is overall flat year-over-year in retail sales. “Spinach still accounts for about 30% of leaf lettuce sales, but volume is down year over year. We are still seeing growth in kale and arugula. One of our new products is a washed and ready Kale Spring Mix.”

State Garden, in Chelsea, MA, has introduced its greenhouse-grown lettuce blends called Locally Known. Two SKUs are greenhouse-based varieties, and the other three are a blend of greenhouse-grown and field varieties.

“We found consumers are really interested in their salad’s ‘crunch’ factor, but are still seeking the varieties they love. We validated this theory in quantitative and qualitative research and invested in a greenhouse farm, North Country Growers, based in Berlin, NH, to help us make Locally Known a reality,” says Tom Thompson, chief revenue officer.

Gotham Greens, a hydroponic lettuce grower in Brooklyn, NY, recently introduced a Baby Spinach Mix, says Viraj Puri, co-founder and chief executive officer. “This is a blend of baby spinach paired with other favorites we grow, like butterhead and green leaf, which is exclusively available at select retailers in the Midwest at this time.”

The company has also launched a new line of salad kits featuring green leaf, which come in three flavors: Green Goddess, Southwest Ranch and Caesar.

The latest innovations for BrightFarms, an indoor farming company headquartered in Irvington, NY, are two new flavors to its Crunch Kit salads: Southwest Chipotle Crunch Kit and Mediterranean Crunch Kit. Both use the company’s signature Sunny Crunch lettuce as the base.

“Indoor grown is exploding in popularity. All the growth in the salad category is coming from the indoor segment, while organic continues to decline and conventional, field-grown lettuce has remained stagnant,” says Jess Soare, senior director of marketing.

“According to a recent study we commissioned with GutCheck on salad consumers’ attitudes and usages, 67% of consumers say the No. 1 factor in choosing which premium leafy green they would purchase is ‘freshness of leaves.’ We locate our greenhouses close to where our consumers live. In fact, our greens arrive at grocery stores in as little as 24 hours after harvest.”

Consumer education of the indoor, greenhouse-grown salad segment is essential, Soare adds. “We’ve had lots of success utilizing point-of-sale to draw consumers’ eyes to our products, as well as using digital media to educate consumers further about the brand.”

HOT-COLD SALAD MEAL KITS

Fresh Express is creating a new category with its Hot or Cold Salad and Noodle Meal Kits, which leverages global culinary cuisines with convenient meal solutions. The first three flavors, which became available nationwide in late September, are Teriyaki, Sweet Asian Ginger and Korean Sesame.

“The kits bring the familiarity of a salad kit to a new format,” says Fabian Pereira, vice president of marketing, innovation, and international for the Salinas, CA-based company. “The kit features a blend of chilled, freshly chopped vegetables, ready-to-eat pre-cooked noodles, gourmet dressing sauce, and crispy toppings that can be eaten hot or cold for two meal options in every bag.”

Fresh Express is supporting the launch of its new Hot or Cold products with an IRC coupon on each bag, which will be supported by digital media, PR, in-store POS and advertising.

“What we heard from retailers is that the new kits provide better-for-you, relevant meal options for their shoppers, especially when compared to takeout restaurant meals,” says Pereira. “Additionally, the product packaging includes tips and tricks for enhancing the meal, such as adding your favorite protein for a complete meal, thereby promoting products in other store departments and helping to increase the overall basket size and ring at the cash register.”