Spinach

Commodity Overview

Spinach is gaining popularity as a more nutrient-dense option for salads, sandwiches and other dishes. Offer both regular and baby spinach. Include bagged and bulk options to appeal to a variety of consumers.

PLUs

4090 regular/bunched
3332 baby

Varieties

Flat-Leaf Spinach

Savoy Spinach

Baby Spinach

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

One of spinach’s major selling points is its dense nutrient content and the health benefits it offers. Spinach has been shown to help fight cancer. It is high in folate, which helps protect against neural tube birth defects. Studies show spinach promotes heart health and protects the brain from some of the symptoms of aging. Vitamin A is found in spinach, which is essential for keeping eyes and skin healthy.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for spinach: fat-free, saturated fat-free, cholesterol-free, low in calories, a good source of fiber, high in vitamin A, high in vitamin C, high in iron, high in folate and a good source of magnesium.

Sales Strategies

Spinach is eaten both raw and cooked so it has plenty of cross-merchandising partners, including salad dressing, croutons, quiche ingredients and pizza ingredients.
Spinach is available year-round, so draw consumers’ attention to it frequently.
Fall: Promote spinach as a healthy sandwich topping for back-to-school lunch boxes.
Winter: Promote cooked spinach as a hearty side dish for cold winter nights. Include spinach in holiday promotions as it is a popular addition to many dips. Add spinach to wintertime soup promotions.
Spring: Include spinach in Easter and Mother’s Day brunch promotions as it is a favorite addition to omelets and quiches.
Summer: Promote spinach as a great topping for grilled sandwiches. Encourage consumers to use spinach as a base for summertime salads.
Promote spinach to health-conscious consumers as a high-nutrient substitute for lettuce.

Dynamic Displays

Offer both regular and baby spinach. Include bagged and bulk options to appeal to a variety of consumers.
Bagged spinach needs air so leave some space around the bags and don’t stack them. Offer bagged spinach in the same place as salad mixes to encourage consumers to use it as a base for salads.
Place spinach near other salad vegetables. Consider placing it next to red or yellow bell peppers or tomatoes to create an eye-catching color contrast.
Educate consumers about spinach’s many health benefits by displaying signs touting them.

Food Service

Include spinach in omelets and quiches on breakfast and brunch menus.
Spinach is an excellent way to boost the nutrient content of vegetarian dishes.
Add spinach to soups to add flavor and texture.
Spinach dip is always a popular appetizer.
Add spinach to pizza for a healthy topping.
Include spinach in salads and on your salad bar.

In the Backroom

Shipping
32-lb. 12⁄5-bushel cartons/crates 25-lb. bushel containers 22-lb. cartons, 24-count (bunched) 20-lb. cartons, 24-count (bunched) 20-lb. cartons, 12-count (bunched) 10-lb. 24-quart baskets 8-lb. cartons, 12 10-oz. bags 2 1⁄2-lb. bags, 8- and 4- count 4 or 6 21⁄2-lb. bags RPC – 6425, 6426, 6428, 6432 Consumer packs Some product is packaged at shipping point. After harvesting, the spinach is washed three times, dried and long stems are removed. The spinach is then packaged in 6- and 10-ounce bags, which are packed either 18 bags or 12 bags per carton. Foodservice packs 4 2½-lb. bags 6 2½-lb. cello

Grades
Spinach plants U.S. No. 1 U.S. commercial Spinach leaves U.S. extra No. 1 U.S. No. 1 U.S. commercial

Handling
Temperature: 32 F (0 C) Relative humidity: 95-100% Mist: lightly Typical shelf life: 10 to 14 days Ethylene-sensitive (Do not store or transport ethylene-sensitive items with commodities that produce ethylene.) Moderately sensitive to freezing injury (Able to recover from one or two light freezings.)

Equivalents

Allow ¼ to ½ pound per person for cooked spinach and about ¼ pound per person raw.

Starkey Farms Co Inc

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper

Location HQ:

Galena, 21635 Maryland

Melons:

Cantaloupe

Cooking Vegetables:

Corn, Kale, Collard Greens

Salad Vegetables:

Spinach, Broccoli

Bellue Marketing Co

Overview (2) (0) (8)

Business Type:

Broker, Shipper, Other

Location HQ:

Bakersfield, 93301 California

Berries:

Strawberries

Citrus:

Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Grapes, Pears

Melons:

Cantaloupe, Honeydew

Stone Fruit:

Nectarines, Plums

Tropical Fruit:

Kiwifruit

Scarborough Farms Inc

Overview (2) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper

Location HQ:

Oxnard, 93030 California

Cooking Vegetables:

Herbs

Salad Vegetables:

Spinach, Salads/Salad Mixes

Larroc Ltd

Overview (5) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Exporter, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

El Paso, 79925 Texas

Berries:

Strawberries

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Pears

Tropical Fruit:

Mangoes

Cooking Vegetables:

Cabbage, Cauliflower

Salad Vegetables:

Spinach, Broccoli, Carrots, Lettuce

Gamez Produce Wholesale Dist.

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Laredo, 78040 Texas

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Gold Raspberries, Red Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries, Red Currants, Kiwiberries

Del Valle Distributing

Overview (3) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

El Paso, 79901 Texas

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Gold Raspberries, Red Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries, Red Currants, Kiwiberries

Hunter Brothers Inc

Overview (2) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Broker, Exporter, Shipper, Importer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Philadelphia, 19153 Pennsylvania

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Asian Pears, Figs

Laguna Produce

Overview (6) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Grower, Shipper

Location HQ:

Santa Maria, 93456 California

Cooking Vegetables:

Cauliflower, Peas, Cilantro, Snow Peas

Salad Vegetables:

Spinach, Broccoli, Celery, Lettuce, Romaine

Specialties:

Bok Choy

Pan-Hellenic Food of NY Corp

Overview (2) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Bronx, 10474 New York

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples

Melons:

Watermelon

Tropical Fruit:

Avocados, Bananas, Kiwifruit, Mangoes

Western Harvest Gardens Inc

Overview (8) (11) (1)

Business Type:

Broker, Shipper

Location HQ:

Ste Clotilde De Chateauguay, J0L 1W0 Quebec

Berries:

Raspberries

Cooking Vegetables:

Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Corn, Eggplant, Herbs, Leeks, Onions, Bulb

Spinach

Spinach

Commodity Overview

PLUs

Varieties

Facts

Sales Strategies

Dynamic Displays

Food Service

In the Backroom

Equivalents

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