Los Alamitos, CA (December 2021) – This new year will, without a doubt, open up more doors (quite literally) as the world adjusts to the reality of COVID being a long-term reality. That said, food trends are more important than ever, as food is truly being used for comfort and as a way to explore the world. The tastemakers at Frieda’s—known since 1962 for creating and spotting trends—offer some interesting predictions for the New Year.
“Whether it’s more time for a leisurely breakfast while working from home, or embracing Korean culture, we are seeing people crave sensorial explorations and the desire to make every moment and bite count,” said Cindy Sherman, director of marketing, innovation and insights for Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Consumers are seeking new experiences, starting with redefining their morning cup of joe, a rainbow of milk colors, and infusing health & wellness into every nook & cranny of their daily life.”
Frieda’s predicts these trends will make big waves this upcoming year:
Superhero Coffee
Move over coffee! Instead of “supersizing,” give yourself a “superpower”. Try infusing dried mushrooms and fresh turmeric into coffee to inject extra nutritional benefits and energy into your standard cup of joe.
Korea Worldwide
From K-Pop to K-dramas to fashion, beauty, and food, Korean culture and flavors remind us that our global world is united. Explore Korea from your kitchen by creating Musaengchae (spicy radish salad) with daikon radish.
Breakfast at Leisure
Working from home allows time to savor the first meal of the day. While your superhero coffee is brewing, cube Fire Dragons® dragon fruit into a smoothie bowl or put oomph into eggs with Stokes Purple sweet potatoes.
Bloom of the ‘Shroom
Mushrooms are starring in food, functional drinks, and fashion. Designers are even making fungi into fabric, and the culinary/beverage worlds are eating up the umami flavors and health benefits by adding dried shiitake or porcinis into sipping broths.
Milk Gets Tubular
Potatoes as milk? Yes! Low in sugar and saturated fat, this creamy liquid is ripe with possibilities. Make potato milk sweet by adding Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and enjoy creamy, lavender deliciousness.
About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.
Los Alamitos, CA(August 2021) – The new school year is here but with mask mandates, mask bans, and unpredictability around when vaccines will be available for kids under 12, the only thing certain about this school year is uncertainty. But no matter how the year evolves, one constant involves inspiring your shoppers to make healthy, fun and delicious lunches for their kids.
“With a kindergartner and third-grader at home, we know all about back-to-school. It’s the perfect time to press the reset button on healthy lunches and encourage even your pickiest eaters to try something new,” says Cindy Sherman, mother of two and Frieda’s director of marketing & innovation.
Merchandising new favorites next to old standbys is a great way to shake up the daily routine with fruits that have familiar flavor profiles. Try merchandising Rambas™ rambutans next to grapes, highlighting their grape-like interior. An added bonus? The fun, rambunctious exterior of Rambas™ rambutans will make kids the talk of the lunch table and might even make “playing with their food” acceptable. Remind parents that rambutan packs an abundant amount of Vitamin C, perfect for those looking to boost their immunity.
As another option, create displays with Honey Dragons® dragon fruit next to pineapple, making this yellow-skinned dragon fruit an instant fan favorite for shoppers who are looking for a hint of sweet, honey-like juiciness. Or, cross merchandise dragon fruit with other tropical staples like kiwi and jackfruit. Round out the display with Frieda’s handy recipe card for the lunchbox-worthy Jackfruit, Dragon fruit & Kiwi Salad.
Want to promote an easy way to add an extra serving of veggies? Watermelon radish can bring a pop of color and crunch to kid-friendly lunches. Or, “In our house, Stokes Purple® Sweet Potato Power Bites are an easy lunchbox recipe must-have,” Sherman says. “It’s so delicious, the kids don’t even realize we’ve snuck in another serving of vegetables!”
Looking for more ideas to make your produce department the ultimate lunch-making destination? Call your Frieda’s account manager today for more product ideas and in-store marketing support that will keep your shoppers inspired all school-year long.
About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families, and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit, to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.
Los Alamitos, CA (March 2021)– International Women’s Month, celebrated in March, is the perfect time to spotlight the incredible women who have paved the way for women all over the world. As a proud female and family founded, owned and led business, Frieda’s Specialty Produce wanted to do something innovative to recognize women pioneers.
A campaign unveiled across multiple social media platforms features our founder Frieda Rapoport Caplan, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and poet laureate Amanda Gorman. Their iconic styles and personalities were brought to life through produce like colored cauliflower, Stokes Purple® sweet potato, shishito peppers and Snow Dragon™ fruit.
“My mother would have gotten such a kick out of seeing her portrait recreated out of dragon fruit and colored cauliflower,” says Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “It brings such joy to honor her alongside the legendary RBG and the voice of the next generation, Amanda Gorman. We wanted to focus on women who have inspired us, but in true Frieda’s fashion do it in a way that makes people smile.”
This International Women’s month we salute all female trailblazers inside and outside the produce industry, from fearless frontline warriors to the female scientists working on the vaccines and all of the moms in between. To all the women in our lives, thank you for everything you do!
Los Alamitos, CA (February 2021)– Whole Foods Market is celebrating “Women Makers Raising the Bar,” highlighting some of the women makers, career changers and industry leaders who inspire and motivate others; and for the second year in a row, Frieda’s will be a focal point in the produce department as a proudly female-founded, female-owned and female-led company.
“We’re happy to spotlight Frieda’s Specialty Produce, a woman-owned and operated produce company,” said Erik Brown, executive leader, procurement at Whole Foods Market. “Frieda’s is a supplier that is all heart, caring deeply about the companies they supply and the shoppers they inspire.”
“We are thrilled to be included in this promotion for the second year in a row! In a male-driven industry, our female-first heritage is what lies at the very heart of our company and sets us apart,” says Megan Klemz, account manager at Frieda’s. “It is truly amazing to work with an organization like Whole Foods Market who has shared values and seeks to inspire their shoppers every day with new food experiences.”
