Happy Food, our flagship consumer brand, offers more than just a playful experience but a journey towards a healthier lifestyle. Established in-house nearly a decade ago, this label is accessible year-round, spanning both the Florida and import seasons. Targeting health-conscious consumers, Happy Food has successfully created a warm, social identity for citrus enthusiasts. Our tagline, “be healthy, be happy,” captures the idea that eating whole fruit grown from the best citrus regions in the world, will not only be enjoyed in the moment but will bring happiness through a healthy, whole product that will do good for your body and mind. 

In 2023, IMG Citrus embraced a significant opportunity to revitalize the Happy Food brand. The shift to registered packaging for our Happy Food d-packs was more than an operational change; it was a step towards furthering our vision. Throughout the redesign process, we carefully considered various options and ultimately decided to prioritize showcasing the nutritional benefits of citrus and the product itself. We accomplished this by prominently featuring a nutrition fact table and a section that highlights the vitamins and nutrients on the packaging.

The design aesthetic of our bags was equally important to us. We wanted to make sure that the Happy Food characters took center stage, so we made the fruits as large as possible. Additionally, each citrus variety was given its own background color, carefully chosen to complement and enhance its vibrant appearance.

The designs are also conducive to utilizing new laser printing technology that we plan to add to our packinghouse in the near future which allows us to print food traceability information directly on our packing film. This removes the use of a non-recyclable paper sticker and allows our HDPE netted bags to be recycled by the end user.

The response from retailers has been overwhelmingly positive. The new Happy Food packaging made its debut in stores like Publix, Aldi, Whole Foods, and Kroger in the summer of 2023. At IMG Citrus, we believe this brand refresh is not just a change in design, but a reaffirmation of our core values – promoting health, happiness, and a sustainable future.

This article was written with contributions from Sydney Allison, Director of Sales, IMG Citrus