SANTA CLARA, CALIF. — Landec Corp. health and wellness company is giving its food business a moniker makeover. Signifying the completion of its transition from a fresh packaged vegetable company to a branded natural foods company, Landec’s Apio, Inc. business will now operate as Curation Foods, Inc.

“The Curation Foods name was chosen to reflect the thoughtful culture of the company that is focused on carefully selecting only all-natural, premium ingredients in order to create a collection of on-trend products that make it easy for consumers to eat healthy, delicious plant-based foods,” Landec said.

Curation Foods will serve as the corporate umbrella for a portfolio of five natural food brands: Eat Smart packaged fresh vegetables and salad kits, O Olive Oil & Vinegar premium artisan products, Now Planting plant-based meal solutions, Yucatan avocado products and Cabo Fresh guacamole and avocado products.

“The mission of Curation Foods is to provide access to fresh, delicious, plant-based foods made from 100% clean ingredients to as many people as possible in a way that preserves and protects our planet,” said Molly Hemmeter, president and chief executive officer of Landec. “The Curation Foods name represents a vision and a set of values that are shared across all of our brands and throughout our entire company. Our employees have worked diligently over the last several years to expand our portfolio of natural products and build an efficient, fresh food supply chain that all of the brands can leverage to ensure high quality, 100% clean products reach the consumer in their freshest state possible.”

Since announcing its plan to turn Apio into a branded natural foods company two years ago, Landec has invested in a number of initiatives to achieve that objective. In 2017, the company committed to reformulating all products in its flagship Eat Smart brand to contain only 100% clean ingredients, which included salad toppings, dressings, sauces and dips. In 2018, Landec met that goal.

Also in 2017, Landec acquired O Olive Oil & Vinegar. Soon after, the company built an in-house vinegar facility and completed a brand refresh, resulting in more than a 200% increase in the number of distribution points for O vinegar products, Landec said.

 In October 2018, Landec introduced the internally developed Now Planting brand to target the plant-based consumer. The brand offers fresh, pure-plant soups sold in the refrigerated perimeter of the store.

Most recently, in December 2018, Landec acquired Yucatan Foods, adding Yucatan and Cabo Fresh guacamole and avocado products to the portfolio. Uniting all the brands under the Curation Foods corporate identity is the final step in the company’s transformation of its food business.

“We are reimagining the way fresh, plant-based foods are grown, prepared, delivered and ultimately brought to the table,” Ms. Hemmeter said. “Curation Foods is uniquely qualified to deliver innovative, plant-based products for consumers throughout North America with a unified team of talented and passionate employees and a unique set of capabilities that has been cultivated over an extended period of time. We are very excited about our new Curation Foods name and completing the transition of our food business from a produce business to a natural foods business. Curation Foods will continue to evolve and grow, focusing on and investing in developing profitable brands that meet the needs of consumers.”

Curation Foods products are sold throughout North America, including in all club stores, 73% of all retail stores and a variety of food service operations. The company’s supply chain consists of refrigerated processing centers, distribution centers and a fleet of refrigerated trucks.