Jazzing Up Lentils Growers Discuss Strategy To Boost Lentils Off Bottom Shelves At Grocery Stores

Tim McGreevy held up the nicely packaged and colorful box of lentils on market shelves in Italy.

Then he held a limp plastic bag of them sold on grocery shelves in this country.

“The Europeans have some terrific packaging,” McGreevy said, noting that the packages usually sit at eye level in stores.

He tossed the U.S. package behind him and it landed on the floor.

“Ours is down, down, down on the bottom shelf where the dust bunnies live. No one ever goes down there,” he said.

Faced with stiff competition from the Canadians, the U.S. pea and lentil market is losing markets abroad, McGreevy told the recent annual meeting of the growers division of the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council. One new strategy will be to go after an untapped domestic market, he said.

Per capita consumption of lentils in Spain last year was 4 pounds per person, McGreevy said. In Greece it was 3.3 pounds. Italians averaged just under 1 pound each. In this country, the consumption averaged 0.15 pounds.

“I think we have a golden opportunity in our own country that we’re not taking advantage of,” he said. “Spain is where the fish are … but our country is the untold story and we’re going to go after it.”

Randy Duckworth was recently hired for product marketing. Duckworth said the council will target one region, as yet unchosen, to conduct a retail store promotion in an effort to stimulate demand.

The council will promote the “tremendous nutritional and health benefits” of lentils, Duckworth said.

He said a recent report said some heart attacks in men are from a lack of folic acid. Lentils are one of the best sources of it, he said.

The council will trademark its new logo and wants packagers to use it in their labeling, Duckworth said. But packagers won’t change unless consumers demand it.

The council will try to create that demand by promoting the superior quality of U.S. lentils - and patriotism, Duckworth said.