Hummus was the prom queen of the dip category for some time, doing a pretty nice job at penetrating the market and opened a big gateway for guacamole. The demand for processed avocado keeps on climbing in foodservice and in retail.
“The category is on fire,” says Dennis Lancaster of Hormel Foods Corporation. Since consumers seem to love all things avocado – the Hass are pulled from Mexico and hand scooped and processed at their facility within the country to produce its Wholly Guacamole line. Lancaster says there’s no issues, though costs are coming in a little higher than he anticipated but “the supply is there."
Sales spikes continue to be driven by gatherings like Super Bowl, and Cinco de Mayo is just on the horizon. The company's new Simply Avocado was released about two months ago, which Lancaster says segments itself away from traditional guacamole. Simply Avocado Sea Salt, Roasted Pepper, Garlic & Herb, Jalapeno & Lime and Chunky Avocado are the new additions to the Wholly line, packaged in an 8oz. tray with a lid. Shipping started a couple of months ago.
All product is high pressure processed (HPP). They’re also in the process of rolling out three new 2.8oz. Wholly Guacamole snack cups, geared for those who want their guacamole on the go. “The avocado category is eager to take on innovation and that’s how we’re driving our business,” says Lancaster. “There’s definitely a lot of innovation going on.”
For more information:
Dennis Lancaster
Hormel Foods Corporation
Ph: 608-879-0066