It is all in the presentation.
Without thinking, we peruse the mini mountains of vegetables and fruits at our supermarkets and farmer’s markets, selecting the potatoes, oranges, carrots and cabbages that look most pleasing.
We are drawn to displays of shining colourful foods, gleaming under halogen mini spotlights, ignoring the produce languishing under dull fluorescent light.
The route to our stomachs is through our eyes.
That’s partly why we eat so many bagged carrots with that “baby fresh” look.
But they aren’t baby carrots. They are almost full grown carrots that have been machine cut, peeled, polished and ground into the shape so familiar in kids lunches and on dip platters.
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The move to eye-pleasing, convenient mini carrots revived what was a moribund industry.
The May issue of Fast Times magazine reports that between 1970 and 1986, consumption of fresh carrots in the U.S. was static at an average of six pounds per person. Starting in 1987, consumption started to rocket, reaching almost 11 lb. per person in 2002, mostly thanks to mini carrots.
More importantly, people were willing to pay about double for the processed carrot compared to the raw carrot beside it on the market shelf.
Food descriptions and names can also have a strong bearing on its consumer reception.
Alberta Pork’s July industry report says the provincial organization has been working with its sister provinces and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to change the name of certain pork cuts.
It notes that shoppers are more likely to buy pork shoulder blade than pork shoulder butt. Soon, blade will officially replace butt and pork loin tenderloin end will become pork loin sirloin.
These simple changes are expected to reduce confusion at the meat counter and make pork cuts more appealing.
Appearance is also important if you are selling directly to consumers.
Bill Morrison, an orchard owner in the Kelowna, B.C., area, wondered how to make his jam operation compete against all the fancy wineries in the area.
He decided to match the wineries in sophistication, calling his operation The Jammery.
There is a tearoom and gift shop selling the company’s high end jams, jellies, syrups and gift baskets. Visitors can see jam being made.
The look of the place has a lot to do with the business’s success.
