Lettuce

Commodity Overview

Lettuce is a weekly purchase in many homes as it provides a base for salads, a topping for sandwiches and is an essential part of tacos and other entrees. Provide shoppers with plenty of lettuce options to create the most sales in the category.

PLUs

4631 bibb
4632 boston/butterhead
3098 red boston
4076 green leaf
4633 hydroponic
4634 iceberg, East
4061 iceberg, West
4075 red leaf

Varieties

Green Leaf Lettuce

Iceberg Lettuce

Red Leaf Lettuce

Boston/Butterhead Lettuce

Bibb Lettuce

Loose-leaf Lettuce

Living Lettuce

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

Lettuce, especially leaf lettuce contains a host of nutrients that can help keep you healthy. Eating leaf lettuce can help keep your eyes and skin healthy because it contains vitamin A. Leaf lettuce is a good source of folate, which can help prevent birth defects. Beta-carotene is found in many leafy greens. Beta-carotene helps prevent cancer, heart disease and cataracts. Lettuce also contains iron, which can help prevent anemia.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for iceberg lettuce: fat-free, saturated fat-free, very low sodium, cholesterol-free, and low in calories. The following have been approved for leaf lettuce: fat-free, saturated fat-free, low in sodium, cholesterol-free, low in calories, high in vitamin A and a good source of folate (add 15% folate to label.)

Sales Strategies

Cross-merchandise endive and escarole with salad dressing, croutons, salad toppings and other leafy greens.
Endive and escarole are available for most of the year. Include them in promotions in all seasons.
Fall: Include endive and escarole in fall soup and stew promotions. They add flavor and texture to soup.
Winter: Encourage consumers to try endive and escarole as a base for holiday salads. The greens create a new flavor and offer a touch of the gourmet.
Spring: Include endive and escarole in Easter promotions along with other leafy greens as a base for a springtime holiday salad.
Summer: Promote endive and escarole in summertime promotions for other greens like collard and mustard greens. Escarole can be boiled and served as a side dish like kale.
Create promotions that include the whole leafy green category, which will encourage consumers to add more than one green to their salad.

Dynamic Displays

Include plenty of variety in your display. Some good options include green leaf, red leaf, iceberg and butterhead. Make sure varieties are clearly labeled.
Unpackaged lettuce needs to be misted to keep it looking fresh. Remove any wilted product from your display immediately.
Make lettuce the centerpiece of your salad vegetable display. Create color contrast by placing carrots, tomatoes and lemons on the sides of your lettuce display.

Food Service

Lettuce is an obvious staple on the salad bar. Create visual interest on the salad bar by cutting lettuce into different shapes, such as chunks, rafts, wedges or shreds.
Add lettuce wraps to your menu to attract the carb-conscious consumer.
Mix several varieties of lettuce together in a salad. The different colors and flavors create visual as well as taste interest.
Garnish a plate with a large piece of leaf lettuce.
Use lettuce as a topping for sandwiches and burgers.

In the Backroom

Shipping
Endive/escarole 10- to 15-lb. cartons, 12 count 22- to 27-lb. cartons, 24 count RPC 6419, 6423, 6425, 6426, 6428

Grades
Endive U.S. No. 1 Escarole U.S. No. 1 Not all escarole is graded. Ungraded escarole is called “unclassified.”

Handling
Endive/escarole Temperature: 32 F, 0 C Relative humidity: 90-95% Mist: lightly Typical shelf life: 14 to 21 days Cracked ice in or around cases helps maintain freshness. To prevent wilting, keep endive/escarole at its proper temperature and away from drafts. Avoid storing near cooler fans.

Equivalents

One average head of lettuce will yield: shredded = 2½ quarts rafts = 3 to 4 rafts chunks = 21⁄3 to 3 quarts wedges = 4 to 6 wedges torn pieces = 2½ quarts