RED GOLD BETTER NUTRITION MADE SIMPLE QUARTERLY NEWS & TRENDS REPORT: Q1 – 2021
Portion control has become critically important to healthcare foodservice during COVID.
Healthcare Foodservice Forecast Calls for Continued Emphasis on Portion Control
Healthcare foodservice has faced its own unique challenges in weathering the pandemic. The reduction in elective surgeries, overworked staff members, limited visitations and quarantined facilities have caused foodservice directors to pivot to meet three disruptive challenges.
Here’s how you can best address them in 2021:
Who Can Take A Break?
Staff feeding turned to quick Grab & Go Meals from normal cafeteria lines that typically provided both nutrition and a much needed break; both critical to maintain optimal functioning. Now, it’s back to workstations or food stations placed on floors. This way staff can limit exposure to the public and get back to caring for patients.
The shift caused Foodservice Directors to turn to Portion Control packaging for everything from desserts to sandwiches and condiments. Red Gold® pivoted too, increasing production for portion control condiments and popular dipping cup items like Salsa and Marinara. New condiment choices were added like a 1.5 oz. wide-mouth disposable ramekin of ketchup, perfect for dipping all things “dippable” (from fries and tots to chicken tenders and wraps).
Red Gold QA employee monitoring quality and inspecting tomato products through increased demand for portion control cups.
For operations desiring to fill their own reusable plastic ramekins, Red Gold innovated and offers pumps for #10 cans of ketchup that fit over the opened can. Additionally, Red Gold has a variety of 114 oz. jugs with a free pump included in each case. Varieties offered are Red Gold’s uniquely formulated Naturally Balanced™ Ketchup and BBQ Sauce (70% lower sodium, no HFCS, and Great Taste), Fancy Ketchup, and Mustard.
Recently, a new touchless dispenser for ketchup has been made available for larger group feedings or ramekin-filling environments that utilize the 1.5 gallon pouch packaging.
Adding Immunity-Boosting Functional Foods.
Consumers across America are turning to immunity-boosting functional foods to build their own healthy bodies for increased natural protection. Diets rich in fruits and veggies offer the easiest and most natural way to boost immunity. Healthcare operators have an important opportunity to both boost menu occasions of these items and to educate patients, staff, and visitors about the immunity-boosting benefits of foods they serve.
The inherent benefits of the lycopene found in both fresh and processed tomatoes are proven. Shelf stable tomato products actually offer exponentially more bioabsorption of lycopene due to the heating process during canning. Lycopene becomes 20 times more bioavailable when tomatoes are processed, meaning your body can actually utilize the lycopene in the tomato. From Marinara Sauce and Spaghetti Sauce to Tomato Juice and even Ketchup and BBQ Sauce, stealth nutrition is the name of the game with tomato paste and cooked tomatoes as key ingredients. Also, Red Gold upped the ante on nutrition when it launched its unique line of Better Nutrition Make Simple™ tomato and condiment products.
The line includes Naturally Balanced™ Condiments with up to 70% less sodium, sweetened with sugar (no HFCS) and Nutritionally Enhanced™ Sauces and Salsa which also have 70% less sodium AND added tomato paste versus their traditional counterparts. The nutrition packed powerhouse of tomato paste as an ingredient is key since a tomato is over 90% water. This line includes fully prepared sauces (Spaghetti, Marinara, Pizza, and Enchilada), along with a great tasting Mild Salsa, both in #10 cans and convenient portion control cups. The Naturally Balanced™ line of Ketchup and BBQ Sauce are available in portion control sizes for dipping, #10 Plastic jugs with free for dispensing condiments, and #10 cans. Offering a delicious and more nutritious alternative to conventional products, healthcare operators can share with the other segments who have already found the Better Nutrition Made Simple™ line by Red Gold.
Teaming Up: Red Gold Offers Touchless Condiment Dispensers through Real Rewards Cafe
Red Gold participates in a value-added program, with added benefits for Healthcare Operators: Real Rewards Café® and joining Real Rewards Café is free. Members receive “rewards points” for every case of qualifying Red Gold products purchased. Many other manufacturers products are also eligible whereby you can collect points on so many of your purchases.
The Rewards Points can be redeemed for a variety of items ranging from grab-and-go packaging to employee perks, and health and safety items, such as new Touchless Condiment Dispensers from Server. Your team can use the points to get new equipment to retrofit operational areas or for perks to give employees a much needed boost!
As you pivot in 2021 to address your own COVID challenges, Red Gold stands ready to help you get the most from the year, beginning by offering you some Free Samples to taste the Red Gold difference. Ask your local broker about the right Red Gold solution for you.
Healthcare Foodservice Directors can use Red Gold’s Real Rewards Café points to order new Touchless Condiment Dispensers and many other important items through the program.