Onions, Sweet

Onions, Sweet

Onions, Sweet

Commodity Overview

Sweet onions are a popular item with consumers when they are in season. Make the most of them during spring and summer when they are available in good quantity. They are a fantastic addition to grilled items so make them a centerpiece of grilling displays.

PLUs

4159 Vidalia
4161 Texas 1015s
4163 Walla Walla
4164 Maui
4165 California sweet
4166 other sweet
Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.
USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

  • Onions offer up a multitude of health benefits. They contain an anti-oxidant called quercetin, which research has shown can help protect people from cataracts, heart disease and cancer. Eating onions may help prevent bone-density loss and prevent osteoporosis. Onions contain vitamin C, which has been shown to boost the immune system and prevent cancer. Sweet onions may provide some protection against developing stomach cancer.
  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for bulb onions: fat-free, saturated fat-free, sodium-free (must state that bulb onions contain less than 5 mg sodium per 85 g bulb onion), cholesterol-free, low in calories, and a good source of vitamin C.

Sales Strategies

  • Cross-merchandise sweet onions with breading, dips, meat, salad dressing and bagged salad.
  • Sweet onions are available year-round, but are available in the largest quantity during the summer months. Promote them year-round to keep them moving out of your store.
  • Fall: Promote sweet onions as part of tailgate promotions as a great topping for sandwiches and burgers.
  • Winter: Include sweet onions in winter soup displays and in holiday promotions as a great addition to stuffing.
  • Spring: Add sweet onions to salad promotions as their sweet flavor can give salads a new flavor.
  • Summer: Sweet onions are available in larger quantities during the summer, so promote them heavily to summertime grillers.

Dynamic Displays

  • Limit sweet onion displays to one level. Onions will split or bruise from too much weight.
  • Labeling is important as sweet onions look the same as their bolder counterparts. Be sure to clearly label sweet onions and keep them separate from regular yellow onions.
  • Offer both bagged and bulk product to appeal to all types of consumers.
  • Offer a secondary display in the meat department during the summer months when grilling is at its peak.

Food Service

  • Use sweet onions as the base for onion rings and blooming onions.
  • Add sweet onions to salad bars and salads.
  • Include sweet onions in salsa to create a new flavor.
  • Sweet onions are the perfect topping for burgers and sandwiches. They can be grilled or raw.
  • Include sweet onions in soups and stews.

In the Backroom

Shipping
Sweet onions are shipped in a variety of sizes and weights. Most shippers will pack to request. Boxes and mesh bags are available in 10-, 25- and 40-pound increments. Consumer packs are available in 2-, 3- and 5-pound bags. RPC – 6411, 6416

Grades
Bermuda-granex-grano types U.S. No. 1 U.S. Combination U.S. No 2

Handling
Temperature: 45 to 55 F (7.2 to 12.7 C) Relative humidity: 70-75% Mist: no Typical shelf life: 30 to 180 days Odor producer (Do not store or transport odor-sensitive items with commodities that produce odors. Onions produce odors that will be absorbed by apples, celery and pears.) Odor-sensitive (Onions will absorb odors produced by apples and pears.) Moderately sensitive to freezing injury (Able to recover from one or two light freezes.) For the short time onions are held at retail, they are usually not refrigerated. They need a dry atmosphere and too much humidity induces decay. Onions draw moisture from vegetables they are stored with, which may also cause decay. Stack onions to provide good air circulation. If in bags, stack in a crisscross manner leaving air space across the middle. Cartons should be stacked.

generation_farms

Generation Farms HQ

Overview (11)   (0)   (1)  
Business Type:
Grower, Shipper
Location HQ:
Vidalia, 30474-8760 Georgia
Melons:
Watermelon, Seedless Red Watermelon, Seeded Red Watermelon
Cooking Vegetables:
Onions, Bulb, Onions, Sweet, Squash, Winter, Red Cabbage, Green Cabbage, Yellow Sweet Corn
Organic Produce:
Organic Onions, Bulb
logo-williamgeorge

William George Produce Co Inc HQ

Overview (4)   (0)   (8)  
Business Type:
Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Lufkin, 75904 Texas
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries
Citrus:
Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges
Deciduous Fruit:
Pears
Melons:
Cantaloupe
kunkelco_logo

The Kunkel Co Inc

Overview (5)   (0)   (5)  
Business Type:
Broker, Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Eden Prairie, 55344 Minnesota
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries
Citrus:
Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges
4C.sun_.city_.CMYK_

Sun City Produce Co

Overview (10)   (0)   (11)  
Business Type:
Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Pompano Beach, 33069 Florida
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries
Citrus:
Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges
MarketFreshProduceLogo

Market Fresh Produce LLC

Overview (4)   (2)   (1)  
Business Type:
Broker, Shipper, Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Springfield, 65809 Missouri
Melons:
Watermelon
Tropical Fruit:
Avocados, Kiwifruit, Hass Avocados
Cooking Vegetables:
Onions, Bulb, Onions, Sweet, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes
Salad Vegetables:
Peppers, Bell, Tomatoes
burnac

Burnac Produce Ltd

Overview (4)   (0)   (0)  
Business Type:
Importer, Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Woodbridge, L4H 3H1
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries
Citrus:
Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges
CBI LOGO SQ709x197

Cheney Brothers, Inc.

Overview (5)   (0)   (1)  
Business Type:
Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Riviera Beach, 33404 Florida
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries
Citrus:
Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges
AF Logo

A and F Distributing Corporation

Overview (7)   (0)   (0)  
Business Type:
Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Los Angeles, 90021 California
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries
Citrus:
Grapefruit, Lemons, Oranges
Deciduous Fruit:
Apples, Asian Pears
Melons:
Cantaloupe
cooks-logo-vertical-color

Cooks Company Produce Inc

Overview (3)   (0)   (1)  
Business Type:
Wholesaler
Location HQ:
San Francisco, 94124 California
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries
Citrus:
Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges
south_tex_1

South Tex Organics LLC

Overview (4)   (0)   (0)  
Business Type:
Grower, Shipper, Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Mission, 78574 Texas
Organic Produce:
Organic Grapefruit, Organic Onions, Bulb, Organic Oranges
Cooking Vegetables:
Texas Sweet Onions








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