Salads/Salad Mixes

Commodity Overview

Salad mixes are a category unto themselves, appealing to a different type of customer than those who purchase salad ingredients. Salad mix shoppers are looking for a time-saving option that helps them create a healthy meal. Keep this demographic in mind when promoting them and improve your bottom line.

Varieties

Arugula

Mesclun/Spring Mix

Coleslaw

Iceberg-based Mix

European Blend

Chopped Romaine

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

Salad mixes offer up the health benefits of their ingredients, which vary from mix to mix. Romaine or leaf-lettuce-based salad mixes offer a denser mix of nutrients than iceberg-based salad mixes.
Mesclun greens and romaine have a low energy density. They have a low calorie count compared to their serving size. Mesclun greens contain 5% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Mesclun greens and romaine both contain iron and calcium.

Sales Strategies

Salad mixes offer up some obvious cross-merchandising choices, including salad dressing, croutons, cheese, berries and other salad vegetables.
Salad mixes are available year-round. Include them in promotions throughout the year.
Fall: Include salad mixes in back-to-school promotions as an option for school and work lunch boxes.
Winter: Promote salad mixes as a base for salads to grace the holiday table, saving consumers time during the busy season.
Spring: Include salad mixes in Mother’s Day and Easter promotions as an easy starting point for salads.
Summer: Add salad mixes to summertime grilling promotions as a quick way to round out a grilled meal.
Offer samples of different types of salad mixes to promote not just the salad mixes but different types of salad dressings as well.

Dynamic Displays

Lots of options are important to keep salad mixes moving. Offer mixes from spring mix to Caesar salad.
Bagged salads are most popular, but some consumers prefer to purchase their salad mix in a clamshell.
Offer single-serve bowls complete with salad dressing and cheese to consumers looking for healthy lunch options.
Keep displays well-stocked and keep an eye on the use-by dates of product.
Give salad mixes their own display case with other convenience foods, such as coleslaw, shredded lettuce and broccoli florets.
Keep salad mix displays close to other salad vegetables to encourage consumers to add their own favorites to the mix.

Food Service

Salad mixes can cut preparation time in a big way. Start with a prepared salad mix and add other ingredients to create a signature salad all your own.
Use bagged salads to provide a base for your salad bar. Consider mixing together several types of salad mixes to create a heartier and more interesting option.
Consider adding a from-scratch dressing to your dressed-up salad mix.

In the Backroom

Shipping
20-lb. cartons, 4 5-lb. bags 20-lb. cartons, 2 10-lb. bags 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 18- and 24-count cartons (total) 3-lb. bulk carton, mesclun RPC – 6411, 6416, 6419, 6428 Consumer packs Salads are offered in many lettuce and vegetable combinations. Packaging varies from 3.5-oz. bags to 5-lb. bags.

Grades
See grades for individual products.

Handling
Temperature: 33 F, 0.6 C Relative humidity: 90-95% Mist: mesclun, lightly; do not mist wrapped product Typical shelf life: 10 to 19 days

Ryan Hershey Enterprises Inc (DBA Penny's Salsa)

Overview (5) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Shipper, Retailer, Wholesaler, Packaging, Processor

Location HQ:

Sumner, 98390 Washington

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples

Simplified Software

Overview (2) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Software & Systems

Location HQ:

Santa Cruz, 95063 California

Berries:

Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Grapes, Pears

Ready Pac Foods Inc

Overview (35) (0) (2)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper, Retailer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Irwindale, 91706 California

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples

Tropical Fruit:

Mangoes, Pineapple

Cooking Vegetables:

Cabbage, Onions, Bulb, Potatoes

Salad Vegetables:

Peppers, Bell, Spinach, Carrots, Celery

Lakeville Specialty Produce Co Inc

Overview (2) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper, Retailer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Washingtonville, 17884 Missouri

Cooking Vegetables:

Greens

Specialties:

Mache, Watercress, Baby Lettuce

Salad Vegetables:

Arugula

Maglio Companies

Overview (19) (0) (10)

Business Type:

Broker, Shipper, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Glendale, 53212 Wisconsin

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Ready Pac Produce Jackson

Overview (2) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Shipper, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Jackson, 30233 Georgia

Cooking Vegetables:

Cabbage, Onions, Bulb, Potatoes, Squash, Summer, Squash, Winter

Salad Vegetables:

Peppers, Bell, Carrots, Celery, Cucumbers, Lettuce

Keddy Brothers Ltd, H & E

Overview (2) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Shipper, Importer, Retailer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Kentville, B4N 3V7 Nova Scotia

Berries:

Blackberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples

Gourmet's Finest

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper

Location HQ:

Saint Petersburg, 33704 Florida

Cooking Vegetables:

Garlic, Mushrooms, Green Beans

Salad Vegetables:

Spinach, Mesclun/Spring Mix, Arugula

Specialties:

Cipollini Onion, Pearl Onion, Shallots, Red Pearl Onion

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc.

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper, Importer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Whitsett, 27377 North Carolina

Deciduous Fruit:

Grapes

Melons:

Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon

Tropical Fruit:

Kiwifruit, Mangoes, Pineapple

Salad Vegetables:

Broccoli, Carrots, Celery

Ben E Keith Mid-South Division

Overview (5) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

North Little Rock, 72117 Arkansas

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Salads/Salad Mixes