State of the Industry: The Shapeshifters

Frozen food processors alter the way consumers eat their fruits and vegetables.

Grimmway Farms frozen carrots — Grimmway Farms launched *Simply Delicious Carrot Creations*, an easy-to-prepare side dish made with fresh nutrient-packed petite carrots.

Lisas Organics frozen veggies — Lisa’s Organics combined the highest-quality veggies with chef-inspired sauces for frozen vegetables that are ideal as a stand-alone veggie for a healthy mini-meal or as a complement to a nutritious lunch or dinner.

Dole banana dippers — Dole Packaged Foods created a way for consumers to curb their sweet side with Banana Dippers, made with fresh, frozen *Dole* banana slices and covered in dark chocolate.

Dole frozen fruit — Dole also created single-serve frozen fruit cups, available in Strawberry, Blueberry and Pineapple.

Ready Pac Disney Cool Cuts — Ready Pac Foods is shaping up the way kids eat their fruits and vegetables with a new line of Disney-themed *Ready Pac Cool Cuts* salads and mini-meals.

Growing up, we were all told to eat our fruits and vegetables. “Carrots improve eyesight and spinach makes you big and strong.” But, there are easier—and tastier—ways to meet your daily recommended requirements of fruits and vegetables, and today’s frozen food processors have the solution.

Vegetable medleys. Lisa’s Organics, the Carmelian Bay, Calif., maker of certified-organic vegetable frozen side dishes, combined the highest-quality veggies with chef-inspired sauces that go from freezer to dinner plate in just five minutes. Ideal as a stand-alone veggie for a healthy mini-meal or as a complement to a nutritious lunch or dinner, the line comes in five varieties—California Vegetables in Balsamic Glaze, Sweet Peas in Parmesan Herb Sauce, Whole Green Beans in Garlic Olive Oil Sauce, Broccoli Florets in Gorgonzola Bleu Cheese Sauce and Southwest Vegetables in Ranchero Sauce.

Grimmway Farms, Bakersfield, Calif., launched Simply Delicious Carrot Creations, an easy-to-prepare side dish made with fresh nutrient-packed petite carrots. Available in Roasted Garlic & Savory Herb and Honey, Brown Sugar & Cinnamon varieties, both options contain a flavored buttery dollop that once heated becomes a perfectly prepared sauce that marinates.

Vegetables shaped as popsicles. Ruby’s Rockets debuted what is said to be the first-to-market frozen fruit and veggie pops with probiotics. These all-natural, dairy-free, low-calorie pops contain all of the essential vitamins and minerals and come in Galaxy Green (kiwi, avocado and spinach), Orbit Orange (carrots, strawberries and yams) and Rocket Red (strawberries, beets and lemon juice).

‘Appeeling’ to the average consumer. Dole Packaged Foods, LLC, Westlake Village, Calif., created a way for consumers to satisfy their sweet tooth with Banana Dippers. Made with fresh, frozen Dole banana slices and covered in dark chocolate, these treats boast just 120 calories or less per serving and come in Dark Chocolate and Dark Chocolate with Almonds varieties.

Dole also created single-serve frozen fruit cups, available in Strawberry, Blueberry and Pineapple.

Shaping the way kids eat. Ready Pac Foods, Irwindale, Calif., is shaping up the way kids eat their fruits and vegetables with a new line of Disney-themed Ready Pac Cool Cuts salads and mini-meals. Geared specifically for elementary and middle school-age children, this salad line includes fruit and/or vegetables in every pack, along with four salad items—Pizzeria salad, Taco salad, Harvest salad and Caesar salad—featuring kid-friendly iceberg and romaine lettuces, proteins such as chicken, turkey, pepperoni and cheese, grains and dressing. Each salad also includes a temporary tattoo that matches the Disney character on the label.

Meanwhile, the mini-meals include at least one kid-sized serving of fruit or vegetables, along with snack combinations, such as Veggies, Chicken and Pretzels; Turkey, Carrots and Cheese; Pizza Bites and Apples and Ham and Yogurt, along with a Disney-themed sticker in each tray.

Whether they’re eaten as a snack or as a side dish, today’s frozen fruit and vegetables come in a variety of shapes that make even the most average human become superhuman.

To learn more about these and other new fruits and vegetables, go to http://bit.ly/19VCNBi.

Marina Mayer was formerly Editor-in-Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods. Previously, she spent four years as managing editor and executive editor of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery and Dairy Foods, both sister publications. In this role, Mayer was responsible for reporting on market trends, ingredient R&D, production technology and new products within the dairy, snack food and wholesale bakery markets. Prior to joining BNP Media, she served a five-year tenure as editor of quality control for Manufacturers' News, Inc., where she was named “Manager of the Year” in 2006. Previously, she worked as an editorial assistant for Insider Magazine and worked as a contributing features writer for her college newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student. Mayer was a recipient of a Young Leader Scholar award, presented from American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), which is given annually to only five U.S. journalists, 30 years of age and under. She is a graduate of Indiana University with a bachelor’s in journalism.