2026 Category Catalysts: Pizza Dough and Frozen Fruit

2026 Category Catalysts: Pizza Dough 

Jim Viti, VP of Sales and Marketing for DeIorio’s, outlined how the company is uniquely positioned to partner with retailers.

“Our product portfolio includes dough balls, pre-sheeted dough, par-baked and self-rising crusts, flatbreads, and breadsticks in a variety of sizes and formats,” Viti said. “We collaborate with our customers to develop solutions around their equipment, handling requirements, menu objectives, and desired consumer experience—from branded products to fully customized private-label programs.”

Viti expects continued growth in fresh foodservice to drive the pizza dough category next year. “Especially as retailers compete for more meal and snacking occasions,” he said. “Consumers increasingly expect restaurant-quality food combined with the speed, accessibility, and value of the convenience channel.”

He continued, “Portable and snackable items, premium pizza offerings, bold flavors, and products that perform across multiple dayparts will continue to gain attention. At the same time, retailers will seek labor-saving formats that simplify store-level preparation and improve consistency. Better-for-you choices and products accommodating dietary preferences will also create opportunities, but taste, value, convenience, and craveability will remain the strongest drivers of repeat purchases. Product examples include sweet dough, Grandma-style pizza, and jalapeño breadsticks, to name a few.”

DeIorio’s remains focused on navigating obstacles and uncovering possibilities. “One of the biggest challenges across the industry continues to be balancing value with quality,” Viti said. “We see consumers willing to trade down on daily essentials in order to afford premium items for special occasions.”

 He continued, “The opportunity we’re most excited about is the continued growth in meal occasions at home, such as our retail dough ball to make various items they might have previously purchased at a pizzeria. Consumers are looking for convenient, versatile products that help them create restaurant-quality meals with less effort. The dough ball is a perfect medium rather than making from scratch but offering restaurant-quality results.”

One of the major messages that DeIorio’s would like to share with retailers is that dough is anything but flat. “With consumers, the conversation centers around inspiration—showing them that frozen dough products are incredibly versatile and can simplify meal preparation while creating memorable experiences at home,” Viti said. “We see cross-merchandising as a powerful strategy. Ultimately, we want consumers to see frozen dough as more than a single product—it serves as a versatile foundation for countless meal occasions.”

DeIorio’s is showing consumers that even those who once thought they had to avoid dough because of low-carb diets or GLP-1 medications can still enjoy it. “While dough products,[by and large] remain comfort foods, we believe they also play an important role in balanced meals,” Viti said. “We encourage merchandising that highlights complete meal solutions—pairing dough products with lean proteins, vegetables, and fresh ingredients—to reinforce versatility and meal planning.”

2026 Category Catalysts: Frozen Fruit

Géraldine Pra, Director of Marketing & Insights at Nature’s Touch, outlined the key factors driving the company’s growth this year. Its successes have further cemented Nature’s Touch’s leadership in frozen fruit.

“Shoppers are being careful with their money, but they haven’t given up on eating well,” said Pra. “Frozen fruit fits both needs. It’s picked ripe, flash-frozen, and costs 30 to 50% less than fresh, with far less waste. In the US, frozen fruit and smoothies grew 4.5% to $1.95B this year*. Private label now holds more than 70% of the category, and its share keeps growing.”

“For us, this year proved what we’ve always believed: retailers’ own brands can lead the category,” Pra continued. “As one of the world’s largest frozen fruit suppliers, we’ve helped our private-label partners turn that shift into growth. That has meant bringing category insight to the table, launching new items quickly, and delivering consistently, season after season.”

Nature’s Touch’s latest innovation has resonated with consumers looking to pair nutrient-rich fruit with indulgent toppings. “Coated fruit is our biggest story,” Pra said. “It’s the fastest-growing segment in the category, and shoppers keep coming back to it. Our chocolate-coated and lightly coated lines showed what people will reach for: real fruit, bold flavor, and a treat they can feel good about. We’re investing $14 million to expand our Virginia and Kansas facilities so we can bring that innovation to more US retailers.”

“Just as important is how we grow with our partners,” she said. “We don’t just supply fruit; we bring category insight, shopper data, and fresh ideas to every conversation. When a retailer’s own brand wins, the whole category grows, and that’s the kind of growth we want to build together.”

Pra discussed priorities for frozen fruit and the conversations the company hopes to have. “With retailers, we want to talk about growth that lasts,” she said. “That means keeping innovation moving, making every promotional dollar work harder, and building assortments around how shoppers really use frozen fruit: to snack, sip, bake, and blend. The retailers who grow fastest treat their own brand as a destination, and we want to help them get there.”

“With consumers, we want to talk about what frozen can do for every kind of shopper,” she continued. “For families watching their budget, frozen fruit delivers real nutrition at a price that works, with no rush to use it before it spoils.”

For snackers, coated fruit turns a craving into something they can feel good about: a little indulgent, still real fruit. For busy households, it’s already washed, cut, and ready to toss into a smoothie, a bowl, or a recipe in seconds. And for the more than one in five US households that now include a GLP-1 user**, it’s an easy way to add fiber, protein-friendly pairings, and portion-right treats. Our message is simple: frozen fruit is always ripe and ready, easy on the budget, and almost nothing goes to waste.”

* NielsenIQ Byzzer, Total US FMCG – Category Frozen Fruit + Frozen Smoothies and Pulp, 52 weeks ending June 27, 2026.

** Numerator, GLP-1 consumer tracking, 2026.