Ready Pac discusses efforts to keep up with consumer label perceptions
As a packaged salad and fresh produce producer, Ready Pac Foods, Inc. deals in healthy meal options and has paid close attention to this shift in consumer awareness in order to differentiate themselves from the growing number of brands promoting suspicious or misleading product claims. “It’s definitely a double-edged sword” explained Tristan Simpson, Senior Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Ready Pac. “In some cases, you have consumers who simply don’t have the knowledge base and are confused by the misdirection of all of these claims, so we want to be careful not to overwhelm them. On the other end of the spectrum, you see consumers who believe themselves to be nutritional gurus and have quickly become skeptical,critical even, of any new ‘superfood’ or improved recipe claims. But rather than throwing their hands up in defeat, Ready Pac believes it’s all about consistency and providing natural, healthy options in the most straight-forward way possible.”
A growing demand for easy-to-understand health and nutrition information is leading the trend. According to Mintel’s survey, Food Packaging Trends, a full 85% of primary and shared shoppers think it’s important for food packaging to communicate product traceability and nutrition information. However, 64% are confused by claims and only 38% trust what brands say on food labels. Although results have been mixed, the tendency has been to suggest that too little information is worse than too much, thus paralleling the public policy of greater disclosure. In terms of the most necessary and straight-forward product claims that factor into consumers’ purchase decisions, analyses through Symphony IRI found that sales of products with “better for you” and “dietary restriction” claims led among five macro health claim categories, accounting for 36% and 33% of total health claim sales, respectively.
Ready Pac Bistro® Bowl Salads are Ready Pac's response to clean health and product transparency. These on-the-go, chef-inspired bowl salads have fewer than 300 calories and include fresh, nutritious ingredients in every recipe. Ready Pac Bistro® Bowls are produced in facilities that are USDA certified with daily USDA oversight and quality assurance checks present from inception all the way to the produce aisles, and all finished products are identified by product expiration date and a designated lot number for complete traceability. “Knowledge is power”, Simpson explains. “We are committed to providing all the clarity we can so our consumers know that every Ready Pac product they buy provides them with the clean, straight-forward nutrition they have come to expect from us. It’s as simple as that.”
For more information:
Tristan Simpson / Sr. Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications
Ready Pac Foods, Inc.
Tel: 626 678 2055
Mobile: 310 293 2184
Email: [email protected]
www.readypac.com
