As consumer demand for convenience foods and healthy meals on-the-go continues to rise, brand owners are increasing the ready-to-eat choice beyond the fresh and chilled food aisle.
Simplot's Edgell Bean Salad range, including four variants, is the first product of its kind to be launched in the shelf stable category.
The company said the new range aims to reposition the shelf vegetable category as a go-to for nutrition-savvy consumers looking for a tasty, on-the-go lunch option.
“The nutritional benefits of salads make them a common lunch choice, but they often leave diners feeling unsatisfied. We wanted to create an on-the-go food option that has the nutritional benefits of a salad but also promises satisfaction, from a variety of great tasting ingredients,” Ben Dixon, senior brand manager – Shelf Vegetables, Simplot Australia said.
“We’re excited to be offering consumers an innovative range of delicious products they can enjoy without hassle,” Dixon added.
But behind every new product there's always a packaging story to tell.
In this case, as Jason Goode, packaging development manager at Simplot tells PKN, the packaging had to meet a few requirements.
To start with, the packaging format had to be different from the standard Edgell offerings (in cans). It also had to be transparent to give the consumer sight of the product.
For the primary pack, a transparent barrier polypropylene bowl was selected. The bowl, together with the easy-open (peel-seal) foil lidding, provides extended shelf life of between 15-18 months.
The foil lidding created the most reliable seal in this case for the retort-processed product, Goode said.
The bowl is textured and its semi-conical shape makes it easy to eat directly from the pack, while it also stands easily on a flat surface.
“Allowance also had to be made in the size of the bowl for extra headspace in case the consumer wants to add more ingredients, like a can of tuna or fresh salad,” Goode said.
“And then of course, to catch the consumer's eye in the first place, the shelf ready packaging has to display well, which required a well designed outer carton and sleeve to present the packs on their edge in the shipper,” Goode added.
The Bean Salad range is on shelf now and retails for $3.49 each (RRP) and includes the following flavours:
- Lentil Salad Brown Rice & Chick Pea in a Mild Curry Spiced Dressing
- Red Kidney Bean Salad Quinoa & Black Bean in a Smoked Paprika Dressing
- Cannellini Bean Salad Risoni & Red Kidney Bean in a Balsamic Dressing
- Chick Pea Salad Buckwheat in a Lightly Spiced Honey & Lemon Infused Dressing
