INGLES ENCOURAGES CUSTOMERS TO GET 5 A DAY FROM FROZENS

JULIE C. BOEHNING

BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. -- Ingles Markets here is encouraging shoppers to get their five daily servings of fruits or vegetables from the frozen food department.

"At the [American Frozen Food Institute's Western] frozen food convention in early spring they talked about the 5 a Day program," said Tom Outlaw Jr., Ingles' vice president and director of frozen food. "It just got the wheels turning that we should do something to tell our customers about the values of frozen fruits and vegetables."

The wheels are definitely in motion, as evidenced by a recent Ingles ad with the heading "Eat Frozen Fruits and Vegetables." The ad featured the 5 a Day logo and the quotation: "Frozen vegetables are quickly frozen to seal in vitamins. Frozen vegetables are fresher than fresh and good for you."

The 5 a Day program, started in 1991 by the Produce for Better Health Foundation, Newark, Del., along with the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute's Department of Human Services, encourages consumers to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

The Ingles 5 a Day ad trumpeted several frozen vegetable specials, including Birds Eye Farm Fresh Mixtures, three for $4; Green Giant American Mixtures, $1.39 each; Laura Lynn green peas, cut corn, or mixed vegetables, $1.49 each; and Green Giant Create-A-Meal, two for $5. At the bottom of the

ad, two quotations from the National Cancer Institute tout the benefits of eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

According to Outlaw, the ad items were strongly supported at store level.

"We use the point of purchase material and the 5 a Day logo in the stores. For the endcaps, we got extra cases and signage for them." Outlaw added that Ingles directs attention to the products merchandised in doors with 5 a Day signs.

Though this was the first Ingles ad featuring the 5 a Day program, Outlaw told SN he has others in the works.

"I will run periodic ads, once a quarter, not necessarily full pages," he said.

Similar 5 a Day ads have been planned for Ingles' in-store circular, he added. "We have a four-page circular, so we have enough space to do something like that."

Steven C. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of McLean, Va.-based AFFI, said he was "very pleased" Outlaw heard about the program through AFFI. "We promote this [program] every opportunity we get at workshops and various programs," he said. AFFI has its own 5 a Day committee and has had a seat on the 5 a Day board of directors since shortly after the group's formation.