Fruits that can be eaten out of hand continue to reign in the realm of produce snacking, according to the newest FreshFacts on Retail report from the United Fresh Produce Association.
Produce snacking accounted for $23.4 billion in 2019, and 90% of that amount came from “handheld” fruits, per the report. Apples (18%), grapes (16%) and bananas (15%) account for nearly half of the dollars sales in the handheld fruit group.
Strawberries (13%), blueberries (8%) and mandarins (8%) make up another roughly one-quarter of the total, with the remaining 22% described as “other,” according to the report.
Apples, bananas and strawberries were relatively steady in snacking dollar sales compared to the previous year, while grapes, mandarins and “other” handheld fruits saw decreases.
Blueberries, on the other hand, grew 8.3%, per the report.
Beyond handheld produce snacking, fruit and veggie cups and packs make up 4% of produce snacking, and baby carrots account for 3%. Other contributors including smoothies and juice, snacking vegetables, and deli-prepared vegetable sides.
Snacking vegetables is the produce snack category that has seen the most gains in recent years, growing 5.7% in 2018 and 11.8% in 2019, according to the report.
