NORMAN PARK, GA - Move over starches, there’s a new noodle in town, and it’s got a consumer-craved taste to back it up; Zucchini Noodles. Southern Valley is looking to ramp up consumers’ new love of pasta-alternatives with its uniquely positioned offering.

Hitting the markets now, Southern Valley Zucchini Noodles are the perfect shelf-ready offering for tapping in on consumers who are looking for a convenient, carb-conscious, nutritious, and gluten-free meal option. Even better? They put produce right smack dab in the center of the plate.

“We’ve done the math,” says Director of Business Development, Dug Schwalls, “and we’re currently unable to use right at 30% of our zucchini product simply because retailers and foodservice don’t like how it looks. Taking that same product and turning it into a value-added product that lines up with consumer trends just seems like common sense to us.”

These Zucchini Noodles stick out on the shelf with their robust vegetable noodle appearance; ideal for cooking perfectly with other fruits, veg, or meat. The noodles contain 94% less carbs than a traditional wheat-based pasta, Southern Valley assures, making it a prime opportunity for healthy-eating consumers.

Coming in several pack sizes, Southern Valley has pre-packaged answers to retailers’ every need; in addition to offering custom tailoring for specific weights and sizes. Zucchini Noodles are currently available in 1 lb and 2 lb bags, and 1 lb clamshells.

“Our produce packs a double whammy,” Director of Marketing Katie Murray tells me. “We hit crop utilization and decrease food waste, as well as meeting a food industry health trend for low-carb noodles. Zucchini is a crop we already grow in all three of our locations, allowing us to capitalize on product that we were loosing before.”

These Southern Valley innovations were born of a dual approach between Director of Operations Jon Schwalls and his wife, Amber. When watching Amber prepare zucchini noodles as a healthy experiment for the family, a lightbulb went off for Jon.

“What if Southern Valley were able to utilize zucchini that would otherwise be going to waste because of quality, not condition, and make a product that health conscious eaters across America would want to buy,” Jon says of his revelation. “This would save consumers the time and frustration of standing over a veggie noodler.”

As the industry continues to push for increased consumption and lessened food waste, you can expect future innovations like Zucchini Noodles to come from the minds at Southern Valley.

Southern Valley