News and Stories

Consumers seeking crave-worthy salads can now enjoy two new flavor options from Markon Cooperative: Ready-Set-Serve® (RSS) Aromatic Herbs & Tender Greens and RSS Organic Lemony Arugula.

These ready-to-use, nutrient-dense salad blends offer foodservice operators easy and creative ways to add variety and unique flavor combinations to their menus.

• Markon’s RSS Aromatic Herbs & Tender Greens was created by Markon’s member chefs during the 2016 Chef Summit and is available exclusively to foodservice operators through Markon member distributors (Ben E. Keith Foods, Gordon Food Service, Gordon Food Service Canada, Maines Paper & Food Service, Nicholas & Company, Reinhart Foodservice, and Shamrock Foods Company). This new offering is a blend of red chard, wild arugula, green oak, frisee, parsley, dill and cilantro that offers unique taste and texture. In addition to being used as a salad base, this fresh blend can be sautéed or stir-fried with ingredients like garlic, ginger, mushrooms and onions.

  

• Markon’s new RSS Organic Lemony Arugula combination joins tasty arugula with lemony sorrel leaves. This zesty, organic salad mix can be used on its own or as a fresh complement to burgers, pastas or omelets and is ready to serve right out of the bag.
  

“The demand for exciting ingredients with bright flavor, varied texture, vibrant color, and organic options is becoming a must, especially with the increasingly influential Millennial demographic,” said Chris Casson, Director of Produce and Specialty Foods for Shamrock Foods Company. “The new Ready-Set-Serve salad combinations save time without sacrificing quality or taste, and allow chefs to spend their time creating the delicious, healthy food options that today’s consumers want.”

A recent Technomic report found that the number of menu items classified as “healthy” has soared, growing 162.8 percent during the last five years. Consumers are also increasingly looking beyond the “healthy” label and seeking unique flavor combinations that satisfy cravings. In the report, 55 percent of consumers were driven to order a salad due to a craving, while 48 percent of consumers cited health as their reason for selecting a salad-based menu item.    

“Whether you’re using the RSS Aromatic Herbs & Tender Greens as a base for an entree grilled chicken salad with goat cheese, radishes and cherry tomatoes or simply topping eggs benedict with fresh RSS Organic Lemony Arugula, these ready-to-serve product offerings easily enhance taste and add flavor,” said Paul Young, Reinhart Foodservice Corporate Executive Chef.

The new RSS Aromatic Herbs & Tender Greens was created specifically for Markon by its foodservice member chefs at its second annual Chef Summit held in August 2016. Member chefs gathered to create healthy and ready-to-serve salad options that meet the increased demand for unique flavor choices in foodservice establishments.

Markon’s RSS Aromatic Herbs & Tender Greens and RSS Organic Lemony Arugula are backed by Markon’s unparalleled 5-Star Food Safety® program, which tracks products at five key points: fields, facilities, transportation, distributor warehouses and operators’ kitchen, along with providing full traceability back to the field. Both salad blends are available now. For more information, visit Markon.com.

About Markon
From its headquarters in Salinas, California, Markon Cooperative, Inc. provides fresh produce purchasing, logistics, information, and marketing services exclusively to its member distributors (Ben E. Keith Foods, Gordon Food Service, Maines Paper & Food Service, Nicholas & Company, Reinhart Foodservice, and Shamrock Foods Company) and their foodservice customers. A leader in food safety, quality control, and innovation, Markon is also mindful of the produce industry's impact on people – from field workers to consumers. Read more about Markon at Markon.com.