Ready Pac Foods Launches New Fresh Prep'd Brand

Ready Pac Foods, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bonduelle, has expanded into the growing fresh meal category with the introduction of its new Fresh Prep'd brand of fresh meals. Beginning in September, the brand will deliver fresh, healthy and convenient meal options with the launch of two product lines: Fresh Prep'd Soup Kits and Fresh Prep'd Wrap Kits.

Over the last year, the fresh prepared meal category has grown 8.9 percent, making it an $8.3 billion category and growing more than two times the total of the food and beverage category in the U.S., according to IRI.

"We saw a great opportunity to diversify the company's offerings and provide consumers with the convenient meal options they are looking for, especially as sales of products in the perimeter of the grocery store continue to grow," says Tony Sarsam, CEO, Ready Pac Foods. "The new Fresh Prep'd brand falls in line with our overall business strategy to gain market share in the growing fresh prepared foods category beyond salads."

Consumers struggle to find solutions that meet all of their needs for convenient, fresh, healthy and tasty meals, according to custom research conducted by Ready Pac Foods. Consumers told the company that options available today throughout the grocery store often force them to compromise on one or more of these important needs, foregoing great taste for convenience or healthy options for flavor. Fresh Prep'd branded products offer consumers will tasty and satisfying options that are convenient and healthy.

"In developing the Fresh Prep'd brand, we wanted to create an easy alternative to lackluster desk lunches and unhealthy fast food," says Galit Feinreich, CMO, Ready Pac Foods. "With more than 75 percent of households in the U.S. purchasing fresh prepared foods, our Fresh Prep'd options enable  consumers to have a delicious, healthy and convenient meal at a great value."

Fresh Prep'd Soup Kits are the first of their kind in the fresh soup category. Created with flavorful broths, on-trend ingredient combinations and fresh vegetables that maintain great flavor and crisp texture, it is the only fresh soup prepared by the consumer right before enjoying. The Fresh Prep'd Wrap Kits feature high-quality ingredients, bold sauces and vegetables, many inspired by the company's most popular Bistro Bowl varieties. Consumers assemble their wrap right before mealtime allowing for a fully customizable experience with a fresh, never soggy, tortilla and crisp, crunchy vegetables.

During its nearly 50 years, Ready Pac Foods has introduced fresh-cut bagged salads in grocery stores, European salad blends, the triple wash process for greens and the first organic chopped salad kits on the market. Ready Pac Foods also created the single-serve salad category in the U.S. more than 17 years ago with the Bistro Bowl brand.