Produce. (Markets).(consumption data and other information)

Food Institute Report, The, December, 2002

Pre-Packaged Salads Growing in Sales, Demand

Sales show an increasing demand. The industry predicts bagged lettuce sales will top $2 billion this year, an increase of over 900% from the $197 million in sales in 1993, according to Information Resources Inc. The reason behind the high popularity is convenience, as well as the variety that consumers seek. While demand for iceberg head lettuce is falling, a wide range of leaf lettuce such as Lollo Rosso and romaine varieties are becoming more popular, according to USDA.

While Americans consumed about 6.9 billion pounds of iceberg lettuce in 2000, that amount is expected to fall this year to roughly 6.7 billion pounds. Since 1989, iceberg lettuce consumption has dropped 13%. Sales of other varieties,...

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