FRESH & EASY EXPANDS LOCAL PRODUCE
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has announced an expansion of its “Farm to Store in 24” program, in which the retailer works with local California growers to bring fruits and vegetables from their farms to Fresh & Easy retail locations in less than 24 hours. “Getting produce from the farm to the store in 24 hours or less is an incredibly tricky task, which makes it important to partner with strong local growers who share our commitment to quality produce,” Justin Hill, Fresh & Easy's produce manager, said in a release. “We are working closely with these growers here to put in the extra care required to expand our ‘Farm to Store in 24’ offerings whenever we can.” This summer, the company has been offering strawberries and table grapes through the program, and is working to bring additional fruit such as peaches and nectarines, as well as vegetables into the program as summer turns to fall.
RESTAURANT ‘HEALTHY’ CLAIMS UP 65%
CHICAGO — Between the second quarter of 2009 and the second quarter of 2010, menu items labeled as “healthy” grew 65%, according to a recent release from Mintel Menu Insights. There has also been a 10% increase in menu items that contain fruits and/or vegetables since the second quarter of 2007, and a 12% increase in menu items labeled as vegetarian. “Healthy menu development opportunity exists in providing vegetable and seafood-based appetizers, soups, salads and entrees,” Eric Giandelone, director of foodservice research for Mintel, said in the release. “An added bonus in offering these ingredients is if prepared thoughtfully, they will naturally cut down on the fat and calories of a menu item, making it a more favorable choice for their patrons.” Researchers also found that among restaurant goers who say they are eating more healthfully when dining out, more than half are doing so by ordering more dishes with fruits and vegetables. Giandelone also suggested that restaurants should “start considering how they're going to make kids' menus healthier. It's important to get feedback from both parents and kids to provide a healthy balance on the menu that kids will want to eat, and parents will approve of.”
RETAIL PREPARED FOODS GAIN ON QSRS
CHICAGO — Restaurants are still the primary provider of U.S. takeout meals, but supermarkets and other retail outlets are catching up, according to a recent food market research from The NPD Group. According to a recent NPD survey, 43% of consumers say they chose supermarket prepared foods because they were convenient, compared to 40% who said the same of quick-service restaurants. Similarly, 27% said their supermarket prepared-food department offered a good price, compared with 24% for QSRs. Eighteen percent said that supermarkets offered a good variety of foods to choose from, compared with 10% for QSRs. And, 10% of respondents said they chose to get takeout from their supermarket because it offered healthy choices, compared to 5% who said the same about QSRs. Supermarkets did, however, lose out in several other key categories. Respondents favored QSRs when they had a special craving, wanted a specific menu item, needed to use a drive through or delivery service, or wanted a place that their kids liked. “There was a strong demand for convenient, takeout meals in the late '80s and '90s, especially with the large influx of women entering the workforce then. Restaurants met that demand,” Ann Hanson, executive director of product development for NPD's food and beverage unit, said in a release. But, visits to restaurants for dinner have been flat for a decade, she added. “We're also seeing stronger demand for prepared foods from retail outlets.”