Earthbound Farm Launches Organic Zen Blend & Washed Whole Butter Lettuce Leaves

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, Calif. —  As the produce industry congregated in Anaheim, Calif. last week for its annual PMA Fresh Summit tradeshow, Earthbound Farm, one of the country’s leading organic food brands, launched two new items sure to drive excitement and growth in the salad set. Zen Blend is a new addition to the company’s award-winning[i] Power Greens lineup (Baby Kales and Power Greens). Butter Lettuce Leaves rounds out the brand’s popular Washed Leaves family. These ready-to-use products, with no additional washing required, make it easy for consumers to eat healthier at home.

With the $70 million greens segment seeing explosive, trend-driven growth (32.5% vs. YA[ii]), Earthbound Farm Organic Zen Blend is destined to become a strong performer. Capitalizing on soaring consumer interest in Asian food and flavors, Zen Blend is, like the other greens in the Power Greens line, not just for salads. This delicious combination of nutritionally dense greens including Asian greens like pak choi, komatsuna, and red mustard blended with baby spinach and baby kale is tender enough to use in salads and smoothies, but robust enough to stir fry or sauté.  These superfood greens are an excellent source of vitamins A and C and a good source of calcium. The 5 oz Zen Blend is line-priced with the rest of the line with an SRP of $3.49 to $3.99. 

While chopped romaine salads are a declining segment, washed romaine leaves are seeing dynamic growth – a trend that demonstrates that consumers are gravitating to higher quality choices (Earthbound Farm Organic Washed Romaine Leaves are now the company’s third biggest selling item). Capitalizing on that trend, Earthbound Farm Organic Butter Lettuce Leaves, made with red and green butter lettuce leaves, completes the company’s Easy Leaves line (Washed Romaine Heart Leaves and Washed Heirloom Lettuce Leaves) and all are now packaged with modified atmosphere packaging to deliver the highest possible product quality, preventing pinking and reducing shrink. This is the only 5-oz pack of pre-washed, organic whole leaf butter lettuces and its SRP is $4.49 to $4.99.

Both new products are being supported with couponing and promotion through Earthbound Farm’s own Take an Organic Step Forward social community, as well as Facebook and Twitter. As with all Earthbound Farm greens, organic Zen Blend and Butter Lettuce Leaves are pre-washed and subject to the industry’s most rigorous food safety program (including two rounds of pathogen testing) before being packed in 100 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) clamshells.

About Earthbound Farm

Founded in 1984 on a 2½-acre backyard garden, Earthbound Farm is one of the nation’s leading organic food brands. Earthbound Farm’s nationally-lauded food safety program is unparalleled in the produce industry.  The company offers more than 100 varieties of certified organic salads, fruits, and vegetables grown on over 40,000 acres by more than 200 independent farmers. Taken together, those organic farming methods will keep more than 14 million pounds of conventional chemicals out of the soil, water, and air during 2012 alone. In addition to organic farming, Earthbound Farm brings a sustainability ethic to its packaging, and was the first salad producer to convert all its rigid plastic packaging to 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) PETE plastic. The company also uses 99% PCR paperboard for its shipping cartons and 100% PCR paper in its business machines. For more information, visit Earthbound Farm’s website at www.ebfarm.com.

Source: Earthbound Farm