Fresh Express - FAQs
Q. Who is Fresh Express?
A. Fresh Express is the # 1 fresh salad maker in the world. Headquartered in Salinas, California, it is a member of the Chiquita Brands family of companies. We produce fresh, ready-to-eat salads, fruits and vegetables – all grown and harvested under the most exacting standards, thoroughly washed and specially packaged to maintain the utmost freshness. We pioneered the very first “Keep Crisp® Bag” that made it possible for people all across the country to buy packaged salads at their local grocery stores. And ever since that breakthrough, we’ve been creating other “firsts” along with a host of new great-tasting ready-to-eat selections for our consumers to enjoy.
Q. Why are Fresh Express salads so fresh?
A. Fresh Express salads start with premium seeds, selected from the best varieties in the world. With a "seed to salad" philosophy, the fresh produce teams at Fresh Express take great care in partnering only with select growers who care about freshness, quality, wholesomeness and food safety. To preserve freshness, lettuces and greens are rapidly cooled within hours of being harvested at the peak of freshness and then quickly begin their journey to become Fresh Express salads. Fresh Express ensures that the freshest salads arrive to consumers from coast to coast – usually within an amazing 24 to 72 hours after harvest.
Q. Why is Fresh Express the "number 1 salad maker"?
A. Commitment to our consumers and the ongoing desire to win their hearts and smiles is what propels our success. We are also committed to continuous innovation and improvement in produce technology throughout every aspect of our business. We value our consumers and our customers and focus our business on meeting their needs. We go to great lengths to ensure that the special journey taken by each salad during our 364 days of operation receives the state-of-the-art care and attention necessary for maximum freshness, flavor, safety and overall appeal. Over 20 million people each week eat a Fresh Express salad – that’s our continuing motivation and reward.
Q. Do I need to wash Fresh Express packaged salads?
A. All Fresh Express salads are already thoroughly washed, carefully prepared and ready to use. Re-washing fresh-cut salads will not harm the product quality. However, if consumers choose to re-wash the salads, it is important to use food-safe and sanitary washing and drying conditions in order to reduce the potential for cross-contamination.
Q. What does Fresh Express do to assure salads are safe?
A. At Fresh Express, food safety is our number one priority throughout our entire company. We believe strongly that you have the right to expect salads that are fresh and safe. Our food safety requirements begin right in the field with growing and harvesting practices and continue all the way through until our salads reach your grocer. We meet – and in numerous instances exceed – the food safety requirements established by government – and have for the past several years. Although we are recognized for our leadership in food safety, we would never rest on our past laurels or successes. We have a program in place to continuously evaluate all of our food safety practices to make sure they’re as strong as they can be and working effectively. For food safety and freshness, you can count on Fresh Express.
Q. Do Fresh Express salads contain preservatives?
A. Our fresh salad mixes and vegetables maintain their superior freshness without the use of additives or preservatives. Our “Keep Crisp® Bag” is custom-made to keep each individual salad blend fresh and flavorful without the use of preservatives.
Q. What’s the best way to store Fresh Express salads?
A. Our packaging is designed to maintain peak freshness but keeping them cool - just as in your grocer's produce - section is important. Take your salads home promptly and store them upright in your refrigerator for the best results.
Q. What makes Fresh Express packaging special?
A. Our “Keep Crisp® Bag" is based on advancements in modified atmosphere technology and utilizes a unique permeable plastic film that regulates the oxygen content within the bag to control the salad’s natural "breathing rate." This maintains freshness, quality and product integrity to ensure you receive salads of superior freshness and flavor.
Q. How long after opening can we continue to enjoy Fresh Express Salads?
A. Fresh Express salads are preservative free. For optimal freshness, a “best if used by” date is located in the upper right-hand corner of each bag. All Fresh Express salads are packaged in our special “Keep Crisp® Bag”,– the more oxygen the lettuce is exposed to, the more quickly it will lose its freshness. Therefore, once the “Keep Crisp® Bag” is opened, we recommend that you enjoy remaining portions within the next few days.
Q. Where can I buy Fresh Express salads?
A. In the produce departments of leading retail supermarkets, grocery stores and mass merchandisers nationwide.
Q. How many different kinds of salads do you make?
A. People love the convenience, simplicity, freshness and number of choices of fresh-cut salads offered by Fresh Express. We currently offer more than 50 different choices, ranging from crisp lettuces and baby greens to complete salads with dressing and condiments included. To see all of our salads, visit our Fresh Products. Today, there's no waste, mess or need to buy multiple heads of lettuce in order to serve and enjoy a wide range of flavorful salads and greens. Fresh and healthy are the hallmarks of Fresh Express. After all, “Fresh” is our first name.
Q. Does Fresh Express offer organic salad greens?
A. Yes. We offer 10 varieties of organic lettuces and greens, meeting all government standards necessary to be certified as organic.
Q. Can I buy salads complete with dressing?
A. Absolutely. Fresh Express pioneered the very first line of salad kits. Today, we offer a range of eight Complete Salad choices, including Asian Supreme™, Caesar Supreme® and more. They not only contain the dressing, but also savory and tasty flavor accents like premium croutons, cheeses, sun-dried tomatoes or nuts. See the full menu at Complete Salad Kits.
Q. Can I buy salads in family size packages?
A. Definitely. A pair of our Complete Salad Kits – Asian Supreme TM and Salsa! Ensalada Supreme TM - come in packages that serve four. Some others will serve three. See our full list of Complete Salad Kits. Also available in four-serving sizes are our Green & Crisp with Double Carrots®, Green & Crisp with Iceberg and Romaine and Original Iceberg Garden Salad® in a Zip Bag. And, our Original Iceberg Garden Salad® in our regular ‘Keep Crisp® bag” comes in 5, 11 and 16 oz.-serving sizes.
Q. Does Fresh Express make anything besides salads?
A. Fresh Express specializes in creating and providing exciting consumer choices in fresh-cut salads , fruits and vegetables – and we make over 50 different varieties to suit every consumer taste. – . For example, we are proud of our exciting new Chiquita®-branded fresh-cut fruit entries: Chiquita® Bites and Chiquita® Fresh-Cut Fruit as well as our latest entry: Chiquita Real Fruit Smoothies.. Consumers tell us they love our products not only because they are so convenient, but because they know they can rely on our freshness.
Q. How can I learn more about Fresh Express products?
A. We hope that you will visit our Fresh Products page and other areas of our site to learn more about the exciting salads and other fresh cut products we offer, and also to find creative new recipes and serving ideas.
Q. What is the history of Fresh Express?
A. Fresh Express began with the dream of early 20th century produce pioneer Bruce Church and those who followed in his footsteps. Church began to experiment with cooling methods and found that by packing lettuce just a certain way in ice he could keep it fresh and crisp. In 1926, Church sent his lettuce by rail from California as far away as the coast of Maine and, as the locomotive steamed its way to each new stop, the town folk would gather along the tracks calling out with anticipation: "The icebergs are coming, the icebergs are coming!" Hence, a popular lettuce name was born, and with it, the fledgling beginnings of the freshness technologies and company that would later change the face of the produce industry: Fresh Express.
Q. When did Fresh Express begin making ready-to-eat salads?
A. Founder Bruce Church began packing lettuce in ice to enable nationwide shipping by train back in 1926. His descendants developed the technology to package salads and keep them fresh in the 1980’s. We are proud to be the brand you can trust for freshness, great taste, safety, convenience and outstanding variety. We are in touch with consumers and work hard to ensure we win their hearts – and smiles – each and every day.
