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CUTTING THROUGH THE FOG OF PRODUCE MISTING
Ongoing system tweaks are important, note industry experts. FBY MATT OGG
BY MATT OGG
or retailers who prefer a flood of foot traffic to a drizzle, misting systems in produce sections have the poten- tial to nourish consumer experience through a touch of theatrical flair
combined with fresher, longer-lasting fruits and vegetables.
How they can be applied varies from store to store, but leaders in the ever-changing misting technology space estimate at least 70 percent of chains are using these systems to some degree.
“Produce that gets misted and is sold by weight has an average of about 5% greater weight retention,” says Oleg Kuts, marketing team manager at Miatech, based
52 / JUNE 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS
TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF ARECO; LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF CORRIGAN
in Clackamas, OR. “The result is fresher and better-appearing produce for your customers, about a one-third greater retention of produce vitamin content and an increase in sales of the produce sold by weight.”
He also points to surveys that show a quality produce department is the second- most important criterion for shoppers when choosing stores, so there is an even greater “soft and immeasurable return on investment” from misting.
The next step for these technologists is to persuade retailers of the merits of their ongoing system tweaks, a task that requires proven results and trust.
“Nationally, grocery stores are paying about $450 million annually for slip-and-fall accidents,” says Kuts. “Many of these are asso- ciated with directional misters in which the head has been misdirected toward the floor.”
Miatech overcomes this issue with its nozzle-free mist bars that Kuts claims ends the concerns over these types of accidents.