Tesco has launched frozen pomegranate, beetroot, watermelon and coconut in the United Kingdom. Noting that they’re currently among the trendiest but also trickiest foods to prepare without fuss, the supermarket chain believes that its frozen prepared versions will appeal to customers who want to save time in the kitchen and in the bargain serve up fruit and vegetables that have the same vitamin and mineral content as fresh equivalents.
The new products will also help consumers cut down on food waste in the home by allowing them to use only what they need and keep the rest in the freezer. All four of offerings have become popular recently in recipes and health drinks:
- Pomegranate seeds in salads and tagines
- Coconut in Asian cooking and desserts as a substitute for sugar
- Beetroot in salads, smoothies and even cakes and brownies
- Watermelon in smoothies and salads
“Anyone who’s ever tried getting the seeds out of a pomegranate to add outstanding flavor to a salad or tried breaking open a coconut will know how fiddly it can be,” said Tesco frozen food buyer Marianne Aitken. “Our new frozen range is a delicious and offers a hassle-free way to help assemble that eye-catching dish.
“Frozen fruit options are becoming increasingly popular with shoppers, who are looking for simple ways to eat a wide range of fruits, without the preparation time associated with fresh varieties.”
In the last year demand for bags of ready-prepared frozen fruit slices at Tesco has soared by 35 per cent. And the supermarket’s frozen smoothie range, which now includes vegetable and fruit mixes, has seen a near 100 per cent sales increase in the last 12 months.
Tesco’s new frozen Pomegranate Seeds offering comes in 300-gram re-sealable package that sells for £2.The arrival of these new frozen fruit and vegetable lines follows the grocery retailer’s launch 18 months ago of the UK’s first peeled and halved frozen avocados.
Tesco works in partnership with suppliers to help reduce waste, as it is committed to help halve all food waste in Britain by 2025. The UK’s Waste and Resources Reduction Action Programme (WRAP) has welcomed the launch of the new frozen lines.
“This could really help consumers reduce edible household food waste as they can simply defrost and be used as and when required,” said Dr. Richard Swannell, the director of WRAP.
All of the new frozen products come in easy to use re-sealable packs. The beetroot and coconut are already diced, while the watermelon is in chunks and the pomegranate is seeded.
