Ocean Spray and HelloFresh team up in exclusive dried cranberry deal

12 Nov 2019 --- Ocean Spray has partnered with HelloFresh, a global meal kit company, as the exclusive provider of dried cranberries to HelloFresh in 2020. The partnership will begin in January and serve as a launchpad for future tech-focused retail partnerships for Ocean Spray. As part of the collaboration, home cooks will have the option to select recipes featuring dried cranberries and learn how to cook using the superfood in new ways.

The news comes as meal kits are becoming increasingly popular with today's consumers. In the past, meal kits have also earned a bad environmental status due to their perceived packaging waste. Contrarily, in April, a study from the University of Michigan revealed that meal kits do have a “much lower overall carbon footprint” than ingredients for the same meals purchased at a grocery store, despite using more packaging material.

In June, Tetra Pak announced that HelloFresh selected the Tetra Recart carton package for use in European markets for its environmentally-friendly offering. “We see huge growth in the meal kit category as consumers demand easier shopping experiences and services offering less planning, shorter cooking time, all while maintaining the quality of the ingredients,” noted Peter Arvidsson, Managing Director, Tetra Recart at Tetra Pak.

Ocean Spray Vice President of Marketing Chris O'Connor, left, and Farmer-Owner Sue Gilmore, welcome HelloFresh Head Chef and Head of Recipe Development Claudia Sidoti, center, to their family farm to announce the Farmer-Owned Cooperative Ocean Spray as the exclusive cranberry provider for the home meal preparation company.Ocean Spray and HelloFresh kicked off their partnership with a cranberry harvest event, where HelloFresh team members learned about cranberry farming, the health benefits of the cranberry and the history of the superfruit directly from sixth and seventh-generation farmers in Massachusetts, US.

“As we look to highlight the versatility of the cranberry year-round across different occasions, a partnership with HelloFresh was a perfect fit,” says Chris O’Connor, Vice President of Marketing at Ocean Spray. “With our dried cranberries being gluten-free and packed with antioxidants, we are proud to be partnering with a meal kit company that supports a well-balanced lifestyle.”

Looking ahead, Ocean Spray hopes to publicize the versatility and attributes of the cranberry, advocating year-round health benefits of the superfood.

“At HelloFresh, we give home cooks a rewarding cooking experience by offering recipes that use only the highest quality ingredients,” explains Jens Reich, Senior Vice President of Marketing at HelloFresh. “We’re excited to partner with Ocean Spray, an iconic brand comprised of family-owned farmers who share the same passion for sustainability, flavor and quality as we do.”

Research has shown that cranberries hold several beneficial health properties, from supporting urinary tract health to promoting a healthy gut microbiome. Recently, a study published in the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Journal of Natural Products found that cranberry oligosaccharides can keep the bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs) from adhering to the cells lining the urinary tract.

Moreover, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison evaluated whether a straightforward addition to the diet – one handful a day of sweetened dried cranberries – could positively influence the gut microbiome. According to the researchers, they are moving in the right direction, pointing to a role for cranberries in improving gut health.

Edited by Elizabeth Green