What started as a trial earlier this year, has resulted in two awards in just a matter of weeks. At last week’s United Fresh show, Mucci Farms’ CuteCumber™ Poppers won the Innovation Award for Best New Packaging. Launch of the Poppers is driven by a rise in the snacking and convenience category. “We are always on the lookout for new ideas to accommodate this growing segment,” says Emily Murracas, Director of Marketing at Mucci Farms. “With our CuteCumbersTM brand getting lots of traction, we thought Poppers would be a perfect complimentary offering that would allow us to further our commitment to getting kids excited about fruits and veggies,” she added. CuteCumber™ Poppers are a convenient one-bite snack that are crunchy and refreshing. These ‘mini’ cocktail cucumbers come with a tasty veggie dip and are great for snacking or parties. “Geared towards any age, this versatile product is ideal for kids’ lunches or desk snacks,” added Murracas.
Proudly showing the new product and the Innovation Award are Ajit Saxena, Jenna Peters, Emily Murracas, Jessica Fraumeni and Fernanda Albuquerque.
Three packaging options
The initial offering of the product will be available in three pack styles to accommodate club stores, retailers and food service. “With this product, we decided to create a lineup of new packages to give our partners multiple options based on their demographics and value proposition,” explained Fernanda Albuquerque, New Product Development Manager. The 1.5 lbs package and the 5-ounce package are custom thermoformed trays that securely hold the dip container in place. The 9-ounce package offers EZ Snap convenience allowing customers to tear off each compartment into 3 x 3-ounce packs. All of the packages are made with recyclable top seal material that uses 25-30 percent less plastic than traditional clamshells. Packages are made of PET Recyclable #1 plastic.
“We are delighted to win this award for CuteCumber™ Poppers as it confirms that our work is resonating with the industry with new products and efficient packaging in today’s competitive environment,” Murracas said.
Earlier in June, the product won the People’s Choice Award in the Cucumber category at the Greenhouse Competition held at the Leamington Fair, so the response from the public has been fantastic. “We’ve received lots of positive feedback related to the convenience factor along with kid-friendly graphics,” Murracas mentioned.
With two awards already in the pocket, the product is still in its soft launch phase and is currently being trialed with a handful of retailers.
United Fresh breakfast
In addition to exhibiting a booth at the United FreshMKT Expo, Mucci Farms was also a co-sponsor of the breakfast session that announced the recipients of 2018 Retail Produce Manager Awards, which included honourees from the produce and food service industry across the continent. “Sponsoring this event is important to us as it recognizes the front-line staff that bring our products to life through merchandising and recipes,” remarked Joe Spano, Vice President of Mucci International Marketing. “We’d like to congratulate all the award recipients and thank them for all they do to raise the profile of healthy eating.”
Contact:
Ajit Saxena
Mucci International Marketing Inc.
Tel: 519-326-8881