DUBLIN, OH - Wendy’s is turning to vine-ripened tomato varieties from greenhouses for its over 6,000 North American locations. This transition will boost efforts to keep up with the growing demand for fresh ingredients from fast-food chains.

These greenhouse-grown tomatoes are typically plucked from the vine when they are still a bit green, and transported under cool conditions to protect from spoiling and bruising, then—BOOM—ripe varieties make their way into Wendy’s locations at best ripeness.

“We've always been committed to providing customers with fresh, high-quality food. From our fresh never frozen beef, to creating the first salad bar in the QSR space, to hand-chopping produce in our restaurants daily, this newest initiative to source vine-ripened tomatoes from greenhouse farms is the latest way we're delivering on that commitment,” Wendy's Chief Communications Officer Liliana Esposito said, according to a press release.

This transition moves production from Mexico into U.S.-positioned greenhouses, with the restaurant chain hoping to provide fresher ingredients using controlled greenhouse settings, and the new tomatoes will be making their way into Wendy’s sandwiches and salads by early 2019.

There has been much competition between restaurant chains on how to bring fresh produce while sticking with low prices. According to a Wall Street Journal article, McDonald’s first quarter sales rose 2.9 percent, though they are lower than expected, while Burger King’s sales rose 4.2 percent during its first quarter.

With interest in consistent, protected supply, the restaurant chain has turned to 12 greenhouse growers to supply its locations with the tomatoes it needs. These greenhouses are spread throughout North America—including the West Coast, Pacific Northwest, Southeast and Great Lakes regions of the United States; Eastern and Western Canada; and Mexico. This shift will boost the agricultural industry in the greenhouses' regions and the economies that they impact, the press release shares.

"We're making this change for a variety of reasons that will benefit our customers, but taste and quality are the top factors and we are excited about the superior flavors we can achieve with this change," Wendy's Senior Vice President of Quality Assurance Dennis Hecker, expressed. "Additionally, greenhouse farms provide supply predictability and quality assurance benefits—including continuity of supply; protection of crops from harsh weather; safe, indoor growing conditions; and a significant reduction of chemical pesticides used on the plants.

This isn’t the first time that the company has been looking to fresh for creative ways to provide customers with incredible meals—it also launched summer salads featuring fresh berries.

How will Wendy’s latest step into greenhouse-grown produce encourage the rest of the industry? AndNowUKnow will keep you updated.

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