Ed Bedington
A campaign to encourage consumers to Eat a Salad a Day' is being launched.
The concept by The Greenery kicks off with the publication on Thursday of the first-ever report into the UK salad market.
The report looks at the past, present and future of seven core products ­ tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, salad leaves, spring onions, celery and radishes ­ which it describes as the heart of the salad.
It concludes that there is "enormous potential for even further growth" in the market.
Margreet van Harn, marketing director with the Dutch grower-owned fresh produce supplier, said the report had been designed to stimulate all involved in the food sector to think more about salads.
The objective is to generate attention and publicity, create opportunities for salad and position The Greenery as a salad expert. She said the government's 5-a-Day campaign was biased towards fruit consumption, which was increasing anyway.
"It's the consumption of fresh veg that has declined. We think salads offer the most marketable solution to reverse that trend."
The 48-page report contains a wide range of information, from market data to consumer insight and from seasonal opportunities to how the category might look in the future.
Van Harn said The Greenery was talking to retailers and growers about the report and the next stage would be involving the media and key groups through the UK with a tailored mail-out. "We're looking to influence the influencers so they pass on the message and get things moving."
She said the publication was just the first step. "We want to get people thinking and talking about salad."

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