Suppliers succeeded in a major coup when the Department of Health gave frozen fruit and vegetables the green light for inclusion in the government's Five-a-Day campaign. Frozen vegetables is a burgeoning sector and, including potato products, is worth a healthy £806m. Vegetable protein products are valued at £547m [TNS]. Companies are now busy developing new ways of presentation, merchandising and marketing to raise their profile even higher. Dalepak aims to take full advantage of National Vegetarian Week, which runs from July 8 to July 14, with a raft of activities to woo consumers to its broad spectrum of vegetable-based products. Marketing director Richard Holt says: "You don't have to be vegetarian to enjoy vegetable products. "With 40% of UK households choosing meat-free as a versatile meal option, there is a real demand for development in this category." Marlow Foods' efforts to increase awareness of its Quorn brand includes TV and press ads, plus advertising on beer mats and on the Tube. New ways of intercepting the shopper in store is also on the agenda and Quorn is being promoted in new areas and new pack designs have been introduced at the fixture. Goodlife Foods has revitalised its vegetarian products and packaging and is planning to launch a range of frozen ready meals later this year. Sales director Nick Bianchi says: "We've seen a 25% increase in sales compared with last year and, with our planned new launches, we are hoping for further growth in 2002." Listings with the largest independent frozen food discounter Farm Foods has helped its success. Christian Salvesen Foods has invested heavily in the Tendafrost brand for microwaveable lines to add value to the frozen vegetable sector. The latest, Just Steam, is a range of frozen vegetables targeted at single households, which uses Just Steam's VACSYS packaging. The company has also developed lines with multiples, such as Sainsbury's mulled fruit. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}

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