Homegirl salsa will be sold at Ralphs downtown starting today

The Ralphs supermarket downtown starts selling Homegirl salsa today. It's the salsa made by women in Homeboy Industries' Homegirl Cafe & Catering job training program, and the move is part of an initiative by Ralphs Grocery Co. to help the L.A. gang-intervention agency learn how to commercialize its products.

In the highly competitive supermarket world, anti-gang agency Homeboy Industries is getting a break. Normally, it would be almost impossible for a start-up food company to even get a meeting to pitch a new product to a major supermarket chain.

This will be the organization's first venture into a major food retailer. Initially, Ralphs will sell two types of salsa, Homegirl Mango and Homegirl Molita, for $3.99 a pound at the deli counter. There are plans to expand to packaged salsa and hummus in the refrigerated case.

To read more of Jerry Hirsch's story on Homegirl salsa, click here.

Photo: Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Gary White]

Are Yall gonna share ? I live in Florida, eat salsa, and like your cause. I'm good for 2 jars if your gonna sell it on line.

[Bert]

Ralphs if you are reading, please expand the amount of stores you put it in as they meet production. I could use that mango salsa tonight and would buy it in an instant!

[H.C.]

a bit of a surprise to see Ralph's taking this on -- I would've figured if they're heading to a market it'd be more along lines of Trader Joe's, F&E or even Whole Foods. Nonetheless, good for them for this commercial step. And I looove their salsas and foods.