Frozen Fruit: The Complete Guide to Frozen Fruit

There are many facets to consider when selling wholesale produce. From understanding the health benefits of frozen fruit to familiarizing yourself with various types of food packaging, there’s much to learn. So, without further ado, continue reading our complete guide to selling frozen fruit to empower your wholesale business!

How to Become a Frozen Fruit Supplier

Launching a frozen fruit supply company can be a pretty time-consuming venture. However, it’s not only possible to do so, but operate a successful one at that. This section will cover everything you need to know about successful wholesale frozen fruit distributors. In fact, many of the leading brands in the food and beverage industry followed the same path. Now, let’s dive in!

How Businesses Can Launch Successful Frozen Fruit Brands

Operating a successful frozen fruit business isn’t as daunting as it might sound. Learn how to do so in the following eleven steps:

Conduct Market Research: Understand the landscape so that you can identify your ideal customer profile.
Determine Sourcing Methods: How will you source various types of products? From where will you get them? How often? You must determine this information before launching a business entity. .
Learn About Cold Chain Logistics: In short, these shipping protocols are what’s needed for refrigerated and frozen perishable goods.
Gain Legal Assistance: There will be numerous compliance standards and regulations you’ll have to follow. So, become familiar with them sooner than later.
Acquire Sturdy and Insulated Wholesale Packaging: Frozen goods are packaged differently for safety reasons. Purchase bulk quantities of freezer bags for your products. Other types of packaging can lead to food spoilage.
Select Preservation Methods: Will you be preserving the fruit in addition to freezing it? How will the fruit be washed and processed beforehand? Determine these steps as early as possible.
Add Your Product Catalog to a Wholesale Directory: By adding your products to a directory, your brand’s exposure can skyrocket exponentially.
Conduct Product Marketing Efforts: There are numerous strategies you can leverage, from social media marketing to percent discounts.
Price Each Product: Once you design a catalog, it’s time to come up with a pricing strategy. Offer customers a great value and watch profits soar.
Choose an Operational Structure: Employ labor as well as tech solutions to run your business as efficiently as possible.
Conduct Projections for the Upcoming Years: It’s vital that you plan for the future. So, forecast data metrics for the next three years.

Become One of the Industry’s Best Frozen Fruit Wholesalers

Now that you know the initial steps it takes to become a frozen fruit supplier, it’s time to go over some tips that will streamline daily operations. Check out the next section for the details!

Tips for Running a Successful Wholesale Frozen Fruit Business

Okay, so you’re aware of how you can go about launching a wholesale frozen fruit business. But what happens when you run into roadblocks during the process? As a business owner or upper-level executive, this is inevitable. So, we gathered a list of tips that should help you out when distributing frozen fruit to manufacturers, restaurants, and grocery stores.

9 Tips for Running a Successful Wholesale Frozen Fruit Business

Ready to learn how you can empower your wholesale frozen fruit business? Utilize the following tips and be on the road to success:

Leverage the efficiency that coincides with an order fulfillment system.
Only partner with reputable suppliers that suit your business’ budget.
Only sell organic products to accommodate all consumers and sustainable restaurants.
Implement product differentiation by offering a wide range of products.
In addition to fruit, sell wholesale frozen vegetables as well.
Use the strongest packaging and shipping materials you can find.
Use sufficient and eco-friendly distribution channels.
Determine product prices based on the market value of each fruit.
Stay in the know about changes in laws and regulations.

Improving Your Wholesale Frozen Fruit Company Is Easy!

While these tips should help you optimize your wholesale frozen fruit business, it can still be a competitive market. In the next section, you’ll find a list of the nation’s leading frozen fruit brands. So, consider taking inspiration from them if needed!

The Best Frozen Fruit Brands In the U.S. As of 2024

The best frozen fruit brands in the United States earned their recognition for good reasons! From organic produce to ethical farming practices, there are many reasons that set them apart from lesser-known brands. Ready to get an idea as to how your business could end up on a “best of” list in the future? Read on to find out!

6 Best Frozen Fruit Brands In the United States

Chances are, you’ll be familiar with several, if not all of the following brands. After all, they sell some of the most nutritious items in the frozen food aisle. Have a look:

Dole: The most notable frozen fruit brand, mainly known for their smoothie-ready blends.
Great Value: As one of the leading private label brands, Walmart offers a massive selection of frozen fruit through Great Value.
Earthbound Farm: What’s better than 100% organic frozen fruit? A brand that always promises that their products are free of toxic chemicals and synthetic fertilizers!
Wyman’s: By specializing in berries, Wyman’s produces some of the best blueberries on the market. Plus, they’re grown across their own field and barrons.
Private Selection: Instead of just the basics, those shopping at Kroger can purchase gourmet fruit blends and exotic tropical combos thanks to Private Selection.
Cascadian Farm: No matter what, Cascadian Farm’s products are always 100% organic. Plus, they nurture sustainable sourcing methods, making them ideal for eco-friendly restaurants and grocery stores.

Ready to Buy and Sell the Best Frozen Fruit Brands?

Once you have all your ducks in a row, it’ll be time to determine if you’ll sell private or white label products. Continue onto the next section to learn all about the key distinctions when it comes to wholesale frozen fruit.

The Differences Between Private Label Frozen Fruit vs. White Label Frozen Fruit

When you’re ready to sell wholesale frozen fruit to the masses, you’ll likely sell white label products. Luckily, those are pretty generic and easy to understand. However, it’s important to be familiar with the intricacies of private label products, too. Read on to learn all about the distinctions between both types of wholesale products.

All About Private Label Frozen Fruit

Every private label brand has an exclusive licensing deal with a particular enterprise. More often than not, that enterprise will likely be a grocery outlet as opposed to a restaurant business. However, it’s not impossible for a multi unit restaurant to use a private label brand.

Distributing Private Label Frozen Fruit

Once there’s a signed agreement between a business and a private label brand, shipments can begin. That’s after all customizations are finalized for the packaging, of course!

Pricing Private Label Frozen Fruit

Due to all of the customizations that private label brands handle for the business, prices can be a bit higher than others. This is just a prime example of a premium pricing strategy.

Packaging for Private Label Frozen Fruit

Since private label brands only work with one retailer or food service provider, they design the packaging themselves. Due to the exclusivity of private label brands, they’re able to invest more of their funds into packaging and branding services. This is one of the many perks associated with selling a private label brand, too, since the retailer won’t have to outsource related services from a third-party packing company.

Customer Perception of Private Label Frozen Fruit

The way in which customers perceive private label frozen fruit brands is solely dependent on packaging and design elements. The brand name can play a major role in how customers perceive the brand, too. For example, Walmart’s Great Value brand has a minimal design and is known for being a no-frills, inexpensive brand. All those characteristics go together.

Meanwhile, a brand like Frederick’s which is sold only at Meijer stores has a sleek and upscale presentation. With black packaging accompanied by product names in vibrant colors, the brand boasts a premium and classy appearance. As you can probably tell just from your favorite brands, the impact of private label branding on consumers is entirely up to the retailer.

All About White Label Frozen Fruit

Every now and then, you’ll stumble across a product that’s strikingly similar to something else on the market. However, that’s no coincidence. These commonalities are likely because they are the same product! Many brands source white label products for the sake of simplicity. However, that doesn’t change the fact that there are many factors attributed to a white label brand.

Distributing White Label Frozen Fruit

Retailers can purchase white label brands from multiple channels. While some might buy them through wholesale outlets, others may obtain them directly from the manufacturer. After the sale takes place, the white label frozen fruit will be distributed to numerous entities that will package and brand it.

Pricing White Label Frozen Fruit

One of the best features of white label frozen fruit is that you can acquire it for a reasonable price. Since these brands sell their products in generic packaging, they don’t have to compensate for various expenses. Therefore, frozen food brands can purchase goods at the lowest price possible. Then, their markup can be that much more profitable (see: markup vs margin).

Packaging for White Label Frozen Fruit

White label manufacturers keep their packaging to a bare minimum. The only statements that consumer goods brands will find on the packaging are the product’s name, weight, and nutritional information. It’s the responsibility of each brand to repackage the product to suit their aesthetic.

Customer Perception of White Label Frozen Fruit

The funny thing about white label brands is that it’s not evident to the general public when they’re sold. Sure, many brands source their products from a manufacturing company. However, it’s also common for brands to produce their own products. Take Wyman’s frozen fruit as an example. The brand produces all their own products. Meanwhile, other competing brands may not. As you can imagine, the perception of white label brands isn’t set in stone by any means.

Now You Can Compete With Private or White Label Frozen Fruit Brands

Now that you know the key distinctions between private and white label brands, you can decide how you’ll acquire products. It’s worth nothing that there are numerous growth opportunities associated with both product types. So, you must weigh your options before making a decision–especially if you should opt for a contractual agreement with a private label brand.

All About Frozen Fruit vs Fresh Fruit

There is a time and place for frozen and fresh fruit varieties. After all, frozen and fresh produce make up booming sectors of the food industry. But is one better than the other? Read on to learn all about the key characteristics of the two product types.

Frozen Fruit vs. Fresh Fruit: Scent and Flavors

Our taste buds are made up of molecules that allow us to decipher flavors. It just so happens that they respond more effectively to warmer food and drink products. That’s why fruit at room temperature bursts with flavor, while frozen fruit tastes more subdued. If you’re a pastry chef or simply have a sweet tooth, you know that heating fruit for toppings and glazes is when the flavor profile really starts to emerge.

A similar concept also exists for the scent profile of food and beverages. The molecules that make up the aroma of an ingredient use energy to travel. Just like the taste bud molecules, the aromatic ones in food and drinks travel faster in warmer environments. Therefore, there’s a much more potent fragrance that stems from fresh fruit as opposed to frozen alternatives.

Frozen Fruit vs. Fresh Fruit: Packaging and Storage

Your options for packaging and storing frozen fruit are super limited. For one, you must use sturdy plastic bags that are designed for frozen goods. Then, to nobody’s surprise, the products must be kept in freezers. If they spend too much time in a place where they can defrost, food spoilage and waste becomes a massive risk.

As for fresh fruit, packaging and storage is much more flexible. From cardboard boxes and plastic crates to ventilated bags, there are many ways to keep fresh fruit secure. However, it’s vital that you allow airflow. Whether you use plastic bags with holes or crates with numerous openings, this step is crucial. The moisture content in fresh fruit is high to begin with. But as it degrades, this moisture will build up with no place to go. Consequently, the decomposition process will move at a very rapid pace.

Frozen Fruit vs. Fresh Fruit: The Choice Is Yours

Clearly, there are pros and cons to both frozen and fresh fruit. However, the uses of each one can vary. So, the one that’s best for your brand or eatery will depend on your specific needs. But regardless of which one you choose, at least you know they’re both nutritious! We’ll talk more on that in the final section below.

Is Frozen Fruit As Healthy As Fresh Fruit?

Now that you’re familiar with several distinctions of frozen and fresh fruit products, it’s time to zero in on which one is healthier. Well, that’s if one is healthier than the other! Many nutritionists and types of chefs will argue about the nutritional benefits of frozen vs. fresh fruit. So, let’s take a look at the differences.

The Nutritional Differences Between Frozen and Fresh Fruit

Many consumers and brands alike ponder whether frozen or fresh fruit is healthier. But here’s the thing–they both offer the same nutritional value during each stage of ripeness. The main difference is that by freezing fruit, you’re locking in all the nutrients and preserving it simultaneously. On the other hand, fresh fruit is much more susceptible to spoiling. Fungal spores and bacteria are able to flourish when exposed to above-freezing temperatures. So, it’s just a matter of time before fresh fruit loses its nutritional value. But before this point, they’re arguably just as good as frozen alternatives.

5 Key Differences Between Frozen and Fresh Fruit

Whether you operate within the restaurant industry or the wholesale distribution sector, you likely hear about the distinctions between frozen and fresh fruit quite often. In fact, you might even observe this debate in regard to seafood and meat products. So, let’s take a closer look at five of the most stark differences between the two products.

Product Demand: Depending on the business type, there will be a different demand for frozen or fresh fruit. For instance, supermarkets might find that fresh fruit sells more often. Meanwhile, a smoothie shop will have to regularly stock up on frozen fruit. That’s why it’s so important to conduct demand planning efforts.
Shelf Life: Depending on how you store fresh fruit, it can have a shelf life of anywhere between a few days to a couple of weeks. On the flipside, you can store bags of frozen fruit in the freezer for several months at a time. If you’re fearful of incurring a lot of food waste, frozen might be the way to go!
Temperature Requirements: To keep fresh fruit edible for as long as possible, you should store them in cool to room temperature environments. For frozen fruit, the products must be kept at freezing temperatures, which is 32°F or lower.
Texture: The consistency of frozen and fresh fruit may not differ too severely depending on the classification. However, it’s safe to say that frozen fruit definitely has a much firmer feel to it, whereas fresh fruit is significantly softer.
Recipe Uses: When making frozen treats, frozen fruit is ideal. For one, it’ll add to the frosty texture. But more importantly, it won’t dilute the final result the way ice can water something down. But if you’re preparing recipes that require fruit to be at room temperature or warmer, fresh fruit will be able to mix, melt, and liquify much more easily.

**Why Choose One? Buy and Sell All Types of Fruit With BlueCart**!

Are you ready to empower your wholesale frozen fruit business? Why not add fresh fruit to the mix, too? With an app like BlueCart, you’ll be able to streamline all your order management operations anyway! Schedule a demo with us today to learn all about the platform and how it benefits microgreens and produce distributors!