PuraVida Foods has expanded its Cryo Crafted vegetable blends into the Kroger family of stores and Target, pushing the frozen food company past 5,000 retail doors in what it called one of the largest retail expansions in its history.
The rollout includes four fire roasted vegetable blend SKUs now available at nine Kroger banners – Kroger, Dillons, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Ralphs and Roundy’s – as well as approximately 1,800 Target stores.
The Toronto-based company said the move follows strong consumer demand and sustained sales growth at Sprouts Farmers Market, Costco and Publix, where it established itself in the premium frozen vegetable category. Rather than pursuing rapid distribution, PuraVida said it focused on generating sales growth with existing retail partners, allowing those results to open conversations with new retailers.
“Our growth has always been driven by consumers,” said David Paul Miller, chief sales officer. “We didn’t win shelf space by asking for it. We earned it by building products consumers love. Strong sales performance opened the door to Kroger and Target.”
Proprietary process
PuraVida’s vegetable blends are made using the company’s proprietary Cryo Crafted process, in which vegetables are harvested overnight, fire roasted at temperatures exceeding 1,200 degrees and cryogenically frozen within 45 seconds. The four varieties, Vegetable Mélange, Primavera Mistura, Fajitas Rajas and Adobo Street Corn, are packaged in MicroSteam pouches for steam-in-bag preparation.
“We built PuraVida on the belief that food tech and great taste can work hand in hand,” said Michael Cihra, CEO of PuraVida Foods, which was founded in 2020. “Our Cryo Crafted process allows us to deliver chef-crafted vegetables with exceptional flavor and convenience. This expansion into Kroger and Target means millions more families will now have access to food made with real craft and real care.”
Related: Report: Frozen Food Becoming Meal-Planning Essential For U.S. Consumers