Tasteful Selections Announces Launch of New Sustainable Fiber Trays

RPEProduceAugust 28, 2023

Arvin, CA —Tasteful Selections®, a specialty potato brand from RPE LLC, remains at the forefront of innovation with their Organic Sea Salt & Herb bite-size potatoes in a new sustainable fiber tray. Later this year, the complete range of micro-trays will incorporate this eco-friendly fiber tray. With a diverse range of baby potato types and varieties, Tasteful Selections® has been a retail and customer favorite for over 12 years and strives to meet consumers’ culinary aspirations by offering innovative new products and flavors. Anchored by its sustainability pillars—Resource Conservation, Green-e® Certification, Sustainable Packaging, Organic Farming, and Clean Energy—Tasteful Selections® maintains its commitment to environmentally responsible practices, ensuring a greener future for all.

“Our packaging solution serves as a remarkable alternative to the current micro tray made from plastic. It is not only compostable and recyclable but also oven-safe and microwaveable, ensuring optimal convenience for consumers,” said Rachel Atkinson-Leach, Vice President of Brand & Category Excellence for RPE. “The inclusion of a removable liner enhances the structure of the packaging while making cleanup a breeze. To further emphasize our commitment to eco-friendliness, the fiber used in the packaging is recyclable alongside paper once the film is effortlessly peeled off using the eco-peel tab. It is a truly recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable material,” states Atkinson-Leach.

The tray itself is composed of a blend of bagasse fiber and bamboo fiber, both of which are PFAS-free, guaranteeing the absence of harmful substances. By adopting this sustainable packaging solution, we are proud to contribute to a substantial reduction of 209 tons of plastic waste per year. Our unwavering dedication to preserving the environment and delivering superior products drives us forward, and we are excited to bring this game-changing packaging to market.

RPE stands out as the sole fresh produce supplier that has undergone rigorous verification of its electricity utilization practices by Green-e®. The Green-e® certification is recognized as the industry’s gold standard for certifying power and renewable energy certificate programs. This independent and impartial validation highlights RPE’s dedication to sustainability. In recognition of their efforts to promote and advance the adoption of clean, renewable energy, RPE was honored with the prestigious 2022 Green Power Leadership Award. This accolade further solidifies RPE’s position as a leader in sustainable practices and underscores its commitment to creating a greener future.

About Tasteful Selections®:

Tasteful Selections® is a pioneering leader in the bite-size potato industry, dedicated to delivering premium-quality, innovative, and sustainable potato products. With a passion for culinary excellence, Tasteful Selections® continuously strives to surprise and delight food enthusiasts with its diverse potato varieties, exceptional flavor experiences and unmatched convenience.

About RPE:

RPE was established in 1971, earning over those five decades a reputation as a produce industry innovator. RPE provides value in new and exciting ways, most especially as a solutions provider helping retail customers grow their categories.

Delivering potato and onion category growth with best-in-class products and strategies, RPE collaborates with customers on rigorous product and culinary development as well as innovative brand and sustainable packaging solutions. Category and E-commerce insights allow RPE to align solutions with consumer shopping trends and customer assortment strategies to maximize sales at the retail level.

RPE is an industry leader with reliable year-round Idaho russet, red and yellow commodity, non-Idaho russet and bite-size potato supplies, packed and distributed for customers as part of their private label programs, as well as in proprietary Tasteful Selections® bite-size potato and Farmer’s Promise commodity brands.