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Fresh-frozen herbs get a makeover with soft, scoopable format
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Wednesday, 10 June, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Bnei Darom, Israel
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Kad Bnei Darom, Ltd., with more than a half century in herb and vegetable processing, launches a leap forward in fresh-frozen herbs. Kad has crafted a new line of frozen herbs in 200 ml containers. The herbs scoop effortlessly straight from the freezer. Kad also introduces popular spreads, traditionally sold in the refrigerated aisle, into the same frozen format. The new collection will be unveiled at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York on June 28 to 30, 2026.
Marketed under the brand Cuca, this new line of scoopable freshly frozen herbs unites convenience with environmental consciousness while responding to the growing consumer demand for minimally processed, food solutions. The frozen herbs come in six varieties: cilantro, parsley, garlic, onion, white and red horseradish. The condiments line includes, sundried tomato spread and olive tapenade whose quality, freshness and soft texture is maintained through freezing as opposed to refrigeration without the need for preservatives. All are available under private label.
Fresh herbs are culinary kitchen essentials. They are commonly sold frozen and cubed into portions in plastic trays to overcome the myriads of challenges in handling fresh ingredients. Freezing eliminates the preparation time spent washing, drying, and chopping herbs. Freezing also addresses the highly perishable nature and short shelf life of fresh green herbs, which leads to waste and frequent shopping trips. A recent study in the British Food Journal revealed that households only discard 6% of frozen foods compared to much higher rates for fresh produce.
As frozen herbs transition from niche specialty status to one of mainstream convenience, major European retailers and US giants are increasingly launching their own private-label versions. Yet the traditional frozen formats that are popped out of molds come with setbacks: Users often struggle with the packaging to extract the product, the herbs require defrosting due to unworkable hard textures, and the flavor profiles are compromised. Dried herbs, commonplace in the US, lose their volatile oils, impacting flavor, aroma, color, and nutritional value.
Cuca frozen herbs and spreads were crafted by Kad in collaboration with Practical Innovation, Ltd., an innovation development firm dedicated to helping companies initiate next-generation solutions. The patent-protected technology involves the use of a plant-protein base combined with freezing-point lowering technology. This creates a soft, creamy texture that is sustained throughout freezing, without the addition of salt, sugar, or fat, and makes the herbs easy to work with even when completely frozen.
David Ben-Ze’ev, CEO of Kad Bnei Darom, said, “Our Cuca frozen herbs are designed to elevate the user experience for the home chef. The smooth, creamy herbs are ready to use straight from the freezer, delivering the precise desired portion with an effortless glide onto the spoon. The jar is then returned to the freezer where the herbs continue to preserve their freshness, flavor, and nutritional value as well as their creamy texture. No defrosting, chopping, or waste.”
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