New Lettuce Variety On The Horizon

Misionero Vegetables and Seminis Vegetable Seeds are teaming up to bring consumers Frescada, a new U.S.-grown lettuce that is a cross between iceberg and Romaine lettuce. Frescada lettuce will be available in select Sam’s Club stores in six states. The lettuce is said to offer consumers the sweet taste and crispy texture of iceberg lettuce with improved flavor, nutritional content, and a deeper green color of Romaine lettuce.

“We are pleased to offer consumers a new lettuce choice that has the sweetness, crunchiness and juiciness of iceberg with the added nutrition equal to 246% of the folate and 174% of the vitamin C in iceberg,” said Dan Canales, Misionero Vegetables’ vice president of sales and marketing.

“Co-branded under Misionero’s Garden Life brand, Frescada is cored, trimmed, and ready to use without any waste,” added Canales. “Consumers simply open the bag, use what they need, and store the remaining product in the re-sealable container.”

Frescada can be prepared the same way as other lettuce. According to Tanya Alfonso, Seminis’ Consumer Traits business development manager, the company’s Vegetable Seed business developed Frescada using traditional plant breeding.

“Seminis is focused on bringing innovations to vegetable growers and the consumer,” said Alfonso. “Frescada brings consumers a great-tasting, versatile lettuce for their favorite dishes and we are pleased to be working with Misionero Vegetables for our Frescada launch.”

Frescada lettuce was on display at the United Fresh Produce Show in Dallas, TX May 1-3.

Source: April 30, 2012 Monsanto/Seminis press release