WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA – Dole Food Company announced today that its Fresh Vegetables division, a North American leader in value-added salads and the market leader in Salad Kits1, has entered into a new partnership that will expand the company’s product line to include new ideas in fresh fruits and vegetables.
Partnering with Safeway Fresh Foods, Vineland, NJ, a leader in innovative fresh concepts, the two companies will co-develop new products for consumers looking for great tasting, healthy, fresh food options.
“Through our collaboration, Dole Fresh Vegetables will expand our portfolio of offerings to include items such as a full line of ready-to-eat salads, snacks, fresh-cut platters, value-added vegetables and many other possibilities,” stated Michael Solomon, President of Dole Fresh Vegetables. “Safeway brings a tremendous strength in production that greatly complements Dole’s innovation strategy and product sales and marketing. There is a great synergy between our companies which will ultimately benefit our customers and consumers with new products that are being developed to satisfy needs not being met by current products in the marketplace.”
That sentiment was echoed by Frank Tedesco, CEO of the Safeway Group, “Dole and Safeway Fresh Foods have a great history, working together for many years on one-off projects. This partnership allows us to consistently tap each other’s resources, and leverage each other’s strengths in the co-development of new product ideas.”
Dole plans to also work closely with customers in both produce and deli to develop and offer these new product lines to stores during 2019.
About Dole Food Company
Dole Food Company, Inc., is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education. For more information, please visit www.dole.com.
1 Nielsen, 52 weeks ending 9/15/18
Source: Dole Food Company