ASSOCIATED, PBH AIM AT 5 A DAY SOLUTIONS

RALPH RAIOLA

SALT LAKE CITY -- Cooperative wholesaler Associated Food Stores here has teamed with the Produce for Better Health Foundation, Newark, Del., to create a new promotion linking 5 a Day with meal solutions.

The new program, being called Healthy Meal Solutions, will start next year. It represents a total store effort that should lead to increased sales for all departments, including produce, said its designers.

"I believe there will be tremendous residual effect in the produce department," said Clark Wood, corporate produce specialist for Associated. "We certainly hope there are some bottom-line benefits for the grower-shipper, as well as the retailer."

During the six-week campaign, scheduled to begin Jan. 1, 1997, Associated will feature 5 a Day recipes for complete meals in most of its stores, in an attempt to include other departments in the 5 a Day campaign.

Before now, Associated's participation in the 5 a Day campaign, which encourages consumers to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, has been limited to the fresh produce department.

Some other grocery retailer and wholesaler participants in the PBH program have also been trying to leverage the campaign to benefit other parts of the store, such as the frozen foods department or the juice category. Associated's plans are apparently among the most comprehensive to date.

"Our whole store is going to have the 5 a Day theme, not just the produce department," Wood said. "This is going to be a total store 5 a Day program."

He said Associated developed the program to offer consumers a healthy alternative in the meal solutions world and, at the same time, give more of its retailer members an incentive to support the 5 a Day program.

"Everybody is getting quick fixings, meal solutions, those kinds of things," he said. "We're trying to take the perspective of healthy meal solutions."

Menus and recipes, compiled by several industry nutritionists, will feature items from the frozen, fresh, dry, canned and juice categories, and will encourage cross promotion of products.

"Every single week there'll be a different menu," said Joe Prickitt, Western regional marketing director for PBH.

The promotion will not address packaged or prepared meals. However, there will be "end-aisle signage" and shelf talkers provided by PBH denoting what items make up the suggested meal of the week.