Jim DeCoste, plant manager, Azteca Foods Inc., Chicago, and current TIA president, agreed. The quality of the flavored tortillas and consumer education. The flavor of the tortilla can't overpower the filling. And consumers will need recipes to know how to use flavored tortillas. The consumer has a different perception of what a wrap is in different regions of the country, so it will be important that the tortilla industry step forward and help shape that image in the consumer's mind.
Consumers have different images of wraps, and it stems from their first exposure to the concept.
Tortilla producers attribute 1997's relatively flat retail sales to the growth in home meal replacements, or HMRs. Competition in the refrigerated tortilla market remains tough, however, with more local and regional manufacturers striving for space on supermarket shelves. We plan to do this with demos and recipes, aggressive promotions and off-shelf displays. Our goal is to become a component in shoppers' home meal replacement. Fat-free tortillas maintained steady retail sales in 1997.