Orlando, Fla – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is conducting an amendment referendum among eligible first handlers and importers of mangos in the U.S., to determine the inclusion of frozen mango in the National Mango Board (NMB) programs. First handlers and importers who handled 500,000 pounds or more of fresh whole mango during the 2017 calendar year are eligible to vote. Also eligible to vote, importers who handled 200,000 pounds or more of frozen mango during the 2017 calendar year. Everyone who is eligible to vote will receive a ballot and voting instructions directly from USDA. Voting will take place May 13 to June 3, 2019.
According to a recent study from Datassential [menu trends and food industry market research], mango menu penetration increased 92 percent since 2005, from 19.4 percent to 37.2 percent in 2018 – with projections showing continued growth reaching 40 percent by 2022. Projected mango growth in menus across all segments suggests this fruit’s adaptability and versatility across multiple menu types. Mango as an ingredient has one of the highest versatility scores in the fruit category with 77 points on a scale of 100 and is also complemented with a high menu versatility score of 65. In the fruits and desserts menu category, mango is in the proliferation stage; while in cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, mango has reached the ubiquity stage in the menu adoption cycle, which means mango commonly appears on menus. In addition, over the last four years mango has seen a 42 percent growth on breakfast menus, 32 percent growth in desserts, 32 percent in side dishes, and 25 percent growth in appetizers.
Although mango on menus skewed more towards ethnic cuisines and had a higher affinity with Asian and Hispanic consumers, the most recent data shows that mango menu penetration is highest on American food menus suggesting mango’s mainstream appeal. “We have been very successful in increasing mango awareness and consumption over the last ten years, but growth in the last three to four years has been even greater”, states Manuel Michel, Executive Director at the NMB. However, Michel is quick to emphasize that although mango has an extraordinary amount of potential, there is still a lot of marketing and education that needs to continue to maintain that growth – “we are seeing the tip of the mango iceberg, but we want to make sure mango reaches its full potential. The mango industry has the opportunity to decide whether to include frozen mango and increase its marketing efforts by expanding the mango message to additional channels that will reach even more consumers, chefs, and foodservice operators.”
“Nearly two-thirds of U.S consumers enjoy mango,” stated Jennifer Aranas, Senior Account Manager and Chef at Dattassential. “It’s not surprising that restaurants are keeping customer preferences top-of-mind and staying on trend by offering mango across their menus – from salads to tacos, ice cream to smoothies, wings to margaritas. A deeper understanding of mango formats, challenges, and benefits will likely broaden its use across both retail and foodservice.”
WHO: The National Mango Board
WHAT: Frozen Mango Amendment Referendum
WHEN: May 13 to June 3, 2019
If you have any questions about the Amendment Referendum, please contact Jeanette Palmer of USDA at (202) 720-9915 orJeanette.Palmer@ams.usda.gov. For more information about NMB please visit mango.org/vote.
About the National Mango Board
The National Mango Board is an agriculture promotion group supported by assessments from both domestic and imported mangos. The board’s vision, for mangos to move from being an exotic fruit to a daily necessity in every U.S. household, was designed to drive awareness and consumption of fresh mangos in the U.S. marketplace. One cup of the superfruit mango contains 100 calories, 100% of daily vitamin C, 35% of daily vitamin A, 12% of daily fiber, and an amazing source of tropical flavor. Learn more at mango.org.
