Salads/Salad Mixes

Commodity Overview

Salad mixes are a category unto themselves, appealing to a different type of customer than those who purchase salad ingredients. Salad mix shoppers are looking for a time-saving option that helps them create a healthy meal. Keep this demographic in mind when promoting them and improve your bottom line.

Varieties

Arugula

Mesclun/Spring Mix

Coleslaw

Iceberg-based Mix

European Blend

Chopped Romaine

Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

Salad mixes offer up the health benefits of their ingredients, which vary from mix to mix. Romaine or leaf-lettuce-based salad mixes offer a denser mix of nutrients than iceberg-based salad mixes.
Mesclun greens and romaine have a low energy density. They have a low calorie count compared to their serving size. Mesclun greens contain 5% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Mesclun greens and romaine both contain iron and calcium.

Sales Strategies

Salad mixes offer up some obvious cross-merchandising choices, including salad dressing, croutons, cheese, berries and other salad vegetables.
Salad mixes are available year-round. Include them in promotions throughout the year.
Fall: Include salad mixes in back-to-school promotions as an option for school and work lunch boxes.
Winter: Promote salad mixes as a base for salads to grace the holiday table, saving consumers time during the busy season.
Spring: Include salad mixes in Mother’s Day and Easter promotions as an easy starting point for salads.
Summer: Add salad mixes to summertime grilling promotions as a quick way to round out a grilled meal.
Offer samples of different types of salad mixes to promote not just the salad mixes but different types of salad dressings as well.

Dynamic Displays

Lots of options are important to keep salad mixes moving. Offer mixes from spring mix to Caesar salad.
Bagged salads are most popular, but some consumers prefer to purchase their salad mix in a clamshell.
Offer single-serve bowls complete with salad dressing and cheese to consumers looking for healthy lunch options.
Keep displays well-stocked and keep an eye on the use-by dates of product.
Give salad mixes their own display case with other convenience foods, such as coleslaw, shredded lettuce and broccoli florets.
Keep salad mix displays close to other salad vegetables to encourage consumers to add their own favorites to the mix.

Food Service

Salad mixes can cut preparation time in a big way. Start with a prepared salad mix and add other ingredients to create a signature salad all your own.
Use bagged salads to provide a base for your salad bar. Consider mixing together several types of salad mixes to create a heartier and more interesting option.
Consider adding a from-scratch dressing to your dressed-up salad mix.

In the Backroom

Shipping
20-lb. cartons, 4 5-lb. bags 20-lb. cartons, 2 10-lb. bags 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 18- and 24-count cartons (total) 3-lb. bulk carton, mesclun RPC – 6411, 6416, 6419, 6428 Consumer packs Salads are offered in many lettuce and vegetable combinations. Packaging varies from 3.5-oz. bags to 5-lb. bags.

Grades
See grades for individual products.

Handling
Temperature: 33 F, 0.6 C Relative humidity: 90-95% Mist: mesclun, lightly; do not mist wrapped product Typical shelf life: 10 to 19 days

Larocque & Fils Inc

Overview (1) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Drummondville, Quebec

Berries:

Blackberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Grapes

J B Laverdure Inc

Overview (5) (0) (2)

Business Type:

Exporter, Importer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Montreal, H2P 1C7 Quebec

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Grapes

M & M Prepack Sales Ltd

Overview (1) (0) (3)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

St John's, A1B 4A5 Newfoundland

Berries:

Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Grapes, Pears

Melons:

Cantaloupe

Fresh Forward Inc

Overview (5) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Shipper, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Edmonton, T6E 6G1 Alberta

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Sonnys Produce

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Greenwich, 06830 Connecticut

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

L Pizzini & Son Inc

Overview (3) (0) (2)

Business Type:

Broker, Grower, Shipper, Importer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Landenberg, 19350 Pennsylvania

Cooking Vegetables:

Cabbage, Garlic, Herbs, Mushrooms, Onions, Bulb

Salad Vegetables:

Spinach, Endive/Escarole, Lettuce, Sprouts

Specialties:

Ginger Root

River Terrace Gardens

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower

Location HQ:

Ankeny, 50021 Iowa

Salad Vegetables:

Tomatoes, Mesclun/Spring Mix

Produce Connection-Alabama, The

Overview (2) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Broker, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Birmingham, 35242 Alabama

Cooking Vegetables:

Garlic, Herbs, Mushrooms, Potatoes

Salad Vegetables:

Spinach, Carrots, Celery, Salads/Salad Mixes

Specialties:

Dates, Tofu

Charlie Sciara & Son Produce Co Inc

Overview (3) (0) (2)

Business Type:

Retailer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Memphis, 38118 Tennessee

Tropical Fruit:

Pineapple

Cooking Vegetables:

Cabbage, Mushrooms, Onions, Bulb, Potatoes

Salad Vegetables:

Lettuce, Salads/Salad Mixes, Tomatoes

Swartz Family Farm

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Amherst, 01002 Massachusetts

Cooking Vegetables:

Kale, Collard Greens, Cilantro, Basil, Mint

Salad Vegetables:

Lettuce, Arugula

Specialties:

Bok Choy

Salads/Salad Mixes