Increasingly, consumers are shopping the perimeter of the grocery stores, as they seek foods they believe are healthier and fresher with minimal additives and packaging. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the produce sections. However, with produce supply chains extending around the world in order to meet the demand for fresh vegetables and fruit year-round, greater use of packaging has become inevitable to extend shelf life and protect the produce in transit. Plus, with food safety becoming a growing concern, consumers are interested to know where their produce is coming from. They want to know it can quickly be traced back to the source.
At the same time, growers don’t want their product to be viewed as just a commodity. With extensive investments in technology for harvesting, processing and packaging, the produce companies want consumers to recognize their brands based on the quality and consistency of their products.