Landec Corp. is changing the name of its food business from Apio Inc. to Curation Foods Inc. to signify the completion of its strategic transition from a fresh packaged vegetable company to a branded, natural foods company. Curation Foods will serve as the corporate umbrella for a portfolio of five natural food brands, including its flagship brand — Eat Smart packaged fresh vegetables and salad kits — as well as four emerging natural food brands, consisting of O Olive Oil & Vinegar premium artisan products, Now Planting pure-plant meal solutions and Yucatan and Cabo Fresh authentic guacamole and avocado products.
Expanding from one brand to five brands over the past two years, the company has moved quickly to enhance its food offering with on-trend, plant-based products that contain 100 percent clean ingredients, deliver higher gross margins, and exhibit less sourcing volatility than its historical bagged produce products. As they scale over time, the emerging brands will contribute incremental profits and operating cash, some of which can be re-invested into future innovations for the plant-based consumer.
“The mission of Curation Foods is to provide access to fresh, delicious, plant-based foods made from 100 percent clean ingredients to as many people as possible in a way that preserves and protects our planet,” said Molly Hemmeter, chief executive officer and president of Landec. “The Curation Foods name represents a vision and a set of values that are shared across all of our brands and throughout our entire company. Our employees have worked diligently over the last several years to expand our portfolio of natural products and build an efficient, fresh food supply chain that all of the brands can leverage to ensure high quality, 100 percent clean products reach the consumer in their freshest state possible.”
The Curation Foods name was chosen to reflect the thoughtful culture of the company that is focused on carefully selecting only all-natural, premium ingredients in order to create a collection of on-trend products that make it easy for consumers to eat healthy, delicious plant-based foods. Research shows that 17 percent of the U.S. population and 23 percent of the Canadian population are plant-forward consumers — not necessarily vegan or vegetarian — preferring approximately 70 percent of their meals to include only plant-based ingredients. With a greater portfolio of fresh, plant-based products, Curation Foods can partner with retail and club customers to offer more solutions and drive in-store traffic. Today, the Curation Foods portfolio of 100 percent clean ingredient, plant-based foods are sold throughout North America, including in all club stores, 73 percent of all retail stores and a variety of foodservice operators.
"We are reimagining the way fresh, plant-based foods are grown, prepared, delivered and ultimately brought to the table,” said Hemmeter. “Curation Foods is uniquely qualified to deliver innovative, plant-based products for consumers throughout North America with a unified team of talented and passionate employees and a unique set of capabilities that has been cultivated over an extended period of time.”
Curation Foods also champions sustainable growing, production and distribution practices in the natural foods category. Ninety percent of packaging is curbside recyclable and 80 percent of packaging is made from renewable sources across all brands. Landec recently invested in a $6.2 million water recycling facility that is designed to purify water to specifications exceeding those of drinking water. The company set a goal of recycling 50 percent of its water within the next few years.
“We are very excited about our new Curation Foods name and completing the transition of our food business from a produce business to a natural foods business. Curation Foods will continue to evolve and grow, focusing on and investing in developing profitable brands that meet the needs of consumers,” said Hemmeter.
