Fresh Trends 2023: Specialty pepper consumption steady

Editor's Note: The following report is from The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2023, which provides insight based on survey responses from consumers. Since 1983, The Packer has sponsored 40 major consumer studies to track trends in the purchases and consumption of fresh produce, documenting the fluctuation in purchases of specific fruits and vegetables as well as changing attitudes toward industry issues.

Nearly 1 in 5 consumers said they purchased specialty peppers in the past year, according to Fresh Trends 2023.

Seventeen percent of all consumers reported specialty pepper purchases in the survey, down from 19% in Fresh Trends 2022 but the same as 17% in Fresh Trends 2021.

Specialty peppers are a group that includes cayenne, poblano, jalapeno, Anaheim and habanero peppers.

Higher income is not strongly correlated with higher purchases of specialty peppers, according to Fresh Trends data. For example, just 17% of consumers making more than $100,000 per year said they purchased specialty peppers, compared with 21% of consumers earning $50,000 to $100,000 annually.

Consumers with no kids at home (18%) were slightly more frequent buyers of specialty peppers compared with consumers with kids at home (15%).

Fresh Trends 2023 data reveals that Northeast consumers were least frequent purchasers of specialty peppers (9%), while consumers in the Midwest (21%) and West (20%) were the most frequent.

Consumers in the 40-49 and 50-59 age groups were the most frequent buyers of specialty peppers (both at 19%) while consumers 18-29 were the least frequent purchasers (14%).

Fresh Trends 2023 found that Hispanic shoppers (19%) were the most frequent purchasers of specialty peppers, followed by Asian consumers (16%), white/Caucasian buyers (16%) and Black/African American consumers (14%).