Profiting from tailor-made salad packs

In this article, we looked at how pillow pack marketing of vegetable greens and salads came as close as possible to the ultimate in farming for some.

- 

Iceberg lettuce may still be king of the marketplace, but new leaf lettuce varieties, tailored to the needs of the customer, are after its crown. They come in all shapes and colours and are packed in convenient portions to suit customers.

“It's all about choice for the consumer,” says Bruce Glazer, a director of Dew Crisp, a company which produces and packs all sorts of salad on Akkerana farm near Paarl.

“With both husband and wife working, the emphasis is on meals that are quick and convenient. The new plastic bowl and pillow pack variety of salads offer just that. And they are healthy and hygienic, too.”

“What goes into a salad at home goes into these pillow and other similar packs,” says Glazer, whose clients include big names such as Woolworths and McDonald's. He also supplies restaurants and caterers.

The various products are put in a bag by means of a form fill and seal machine.

All handling is done under stringent hygienic conditions in a reduced temperature area. From the moment the leaves are harvested and brought to the packaging store, their field temperature is lowered to between 2°C and 4°C.