At the Southeast Produce Council (SEPC)’s Southern Exposure in Tampa, Fla., March 9, Idaho Falls, Idaho-based Potandon Produce featured its innovative Green Giant Fresh products for convenience.

Ivonne Alanis, Potandon’s regional sales manager, explained how the Green Giant Fresh Minute Mashers are prepared right in the bag. With easy-to-follow instructions on the package, consumers just heat the entire bag in the microwave for seven minutes, use oven mitts to press into the bag until the potatoes are smashed, and open the bag and serve.

The Minute Mashers come in the following three flavors:

  • Buttery Sea Salt & Pepper – Red Potatoes, Clarified Butter, Sea Salt, White Pepper
  • Buttery Roasted Garlic – Red Potatoes, Clarified Butter, Roasted Garlic, Seasoning, Sea Salt, White Pepper
  • Buttery Chive & Dill – Yellow Potatoes, Clarified Butter, Sea Salt, Chives, Dill, White Pepper

Potandon Produce also featured its line of One Step…Done! microwavable mini potatoes at the Southern Exposure show. The whole, mini potatoes are already seasoned in the bag and are fully cooked and ready to serve after six minutes in the microwave. With an innovative Flavor Release Chamber, the seasoning is released while the potatoes are steaming so no mixing is required, Alanis said.

The One Step…Done! Potatoes come in the following five varieties:

  • Petite Yellow Sesame Spice
  • Petite Yellow Toasted Onion
  • Petite Red Cajun
  • Petite Red Garlic Rosemary
  • Petite Yellow Roasted Pepper

“While most products would require adding ingredients or demand consumers poke holes, peel back corners or require constant attention, both of the ground-breaking, innovative Minute Mashers and One Step…Done! products are so convenient and easy to make, ready in minutes, and everything comes all in the bag,” said Mary Blackmon, founder and CEO of Blackmon Media Group.

Top 4 convenience-driven trends

Potandon Produce identified these main drivers of convenience demand.

1. Household changes

  • Increase in single households
  • Working women

2. Added time pressure

  • Skewed work/life balance
  • Increased desire to maximize leisure time
  • Rising stress levels

3. Lack of motivation

  • Lack of energy
  • Desire to cook from scratch

4. Lack of knowledge

  • Lack of culinary skills
  • Low confidence in cooking from scratch

This article is an excerpt from the May 2024 issue of Supermarket Perimeter. You can read the entire Potatoes feature and more in the digital edition here.