United Kingdom
November 13, 2013
A Syngenta survey of consumers’ salad buying habits has revealed 70% of shoppers ate lettuce at least twice a week over the summer this year, with a third eating some form of lettuce leaf every day.
The study, undertaken with shoppers at a supermarket megastore in the north of England, looked at their buying habits and salad crop demands. It included a taste test and consumer reaction to the new Syngenta frilly baby green lettuce variety, Crispita.
Whilst Iceberg remained the most widely named favoured lettuce type, a third of the shoppers named other leaf lettuce among their favourites, and over 15% selecting for mixed bags. Romaine and Gem lettuce types were also named as favourites, by 12% and 6% respectively.
Rebecca Stilton, Syngenta Campaign Manager for salads, reports the survey confirmed there was now a clear desire for small-leaved lettuce; with just 25% stating a preference for large leaved lettuce types. Favourable comments included small-leaved lettuce proving easier to prepare.
“The main comments associated with Crispita were: nice; tasty crunchy; fresh and sweet. It was also commended for its shape and good colour,” she added. It marks an important development in salad crop sales, with 72% of shoppers questioned now buying bagged lettuce; including over a third that buy exclusively bagged product.
“The consumers’ responses pinpointed the paramount importance of flavour as the key buying decision for purchasing salad, closely followed by appearance and texture,” she advised. “That has significant implications for growers’ variety selection to meet consumers’ preferences, its shelf life attributes and retailer supply chain management.”
Syngenta Salad Crop Specialist, George Hallam, added: “Unlike the majority of baby green lettuce varieties, Crispita is perfectly suited to processing as a result of the strong leaf structure, whilst still maintaining sufficient flexibility to minimise cracking during the washing and drying process.
“The sweet taste of the Crispita leaf makes it particularly attractive to the UK consumer and sets it apart from other green baby leaf lettuce.”
Mr Hallam also pointed out that Crispita has proven to be exceptionally high yielding due to the robust properties of the leaf. Other agronomic attributes that will make it especially favoured by growers include full mildew resistant to Downy Mildew (Bremia Bl strains 1 - 31), along with good field holding for when variable consumer demand dictates harvest over a prolonged period. Crispita is suitable for both outdoor and glasshouse production.
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