Coming home after a hard day at the office, the last thing on the mind of a 1990s-style consumer is cooking a big meal. Yet, the family has to be fed.
What will it be tonight? The cinnamon glaze mix for pork chops with raisin? Or, perhaps, smokehouse barbecue steak?
These meals might have taken the better portion of a day to prepare years ago, but hardly anyone has that kind of time today.
So in order to balance the never-ending quest to save time and the need for a tasty dinner, F.W. Witt & Co. has developed value- added entrees that let retailers do the cooking and consumers enjoy the meal.
Nearly 40 beef, pork and poultry entrees are available through the program with a variety of seasonings and marinades. Product is sold in case and bulk.
The idea behind the Value-Added Entree Program is simple, according to Florence Adduci, deli director for Yorkville, Ill.-based Witt. Pork chops, for example, are sprinkled with one-half ounce of a particular seasoning, placed in a microwave tray and overwrapped. For products such as fajitas, the meat is cut into strips, marinated, placed in a microwave tray and garnished.
The result is a cut of meat that is "much more profitable," Adduci notes.
"Convenience" is the reason given by Doug Krusa, director of retail operations for Champaign, Ill.-based J.M. Jones Grocery Co., for why the program is attractive to consumers.
"When both parents work, one can just stop at the supermarket, pick up an entree, put it in the microwave and dinner is served," he notes.
The Value-Added Entree Program allows retailers, and small- and mid-sized processors to take a less-expensive cut of meat, season it with Witt ingredients and place it in the meat or deli case complete with microwave and oven instructions on a generic label.
"It's great for the meat department because it takes only a few minutes to prepare," Adduci points out. "It's great for the consumer because it takes only three to five minutes to cook in the microwave. [A consumer] takes it home-it's ready to go."
J.M. Jones advocates that the Witt value-added products be placed separately in the deli case from other beef, pork and poultry products. Krusa says retailers allow 4 to 12 feet of space.
Products sell well in medium to upscale metropolitan areas, as well as college campuses where students with microwave ovens find it convenient.
Witt provides workshops for processors and retailers, and travels on-site to establish the program.
Krusa says that when J.M. Jones became heavily involved in the program about nine months ago, Witt representatives made a presentation and met personally with Jones representatives.
With more "superstores," such as Kmart and Wal-Mart opening, Krusa notes foodservice is an area supermarkets can exploit.
"The perishable side is our growth area, our niche," he says. "Not everyone is able to sell value-added entrees."
Krusa points out that the Witt program is well-suited for any deli case.
"[The Witt product] is prepared in a raw state and is microwaveable-ready," he says. "When people cook it, they are experiencing the product at its peak of perfection."