SALISBURY, NC - Leading grocery retail group Ahold Delhaize USA has announced another move to continue to improve personalization and value for omnichannel shoppers at its five local brands—Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop. 

Through new partnerships with Inmar Intelligence on digital coupons, Ahold Delhaize USA brands will have access to increased capacity for offers and new offer types, increased efficiency, and an improved customer experience through more relevant savings.

“Through enhanced capabilities with Inmar, our brands will be well positioned to continue to deepen digital relationships with customers, improve the customer experience, and drive efficiency,” said Keith Nicks, Chief Digital Officer for Ahold Delhaize USA. “Advancing our capabilities in the loyalty space, and particularly with digital coupons, is key as we continue to increase overall digital customer engagement and deliver omnichannel growth.”

With this transition, Inmar will replace Neptune Retail Solutions (formerly Quotient) as ADUSA’s digital coupon provider.

According to a press release, all five local brands are currently live on the Inmar platform.

“Since our partnerships launched, together we have presented more than $141M in savings for Ahold Delhaize USA brand shoppers,” said Rob Weisberg, President & EVP MarTech Solutions, Inmar Intelligence. “This early success underscores the value to shoppers through seamless access to savings, while enabling Ahold Delhaize USA brands to deepen customer loyalty and drive measurable results at scale. We look forward to continuing to deliver high-quality savings to all ADUSA brand shoppers in 2025.

Keep a tab open for ANUK as we continue to report.

CHELSEA, MA - Start the new year off with delicious, vitamin-packed organic and conventional Mandarins from Morning Kiss Organic and DiSilva Fruit. With California and Morocco crops in full swing, January is the best time of year to promote Mandarins. Morning Kiss Organic and DiSilva Fruit are ready to support promotional efforts, and private-label opportunities are available.

Mandarins are part of a full line of citrus offerings include Navels, grapefruit, lemons, and limes—as well as specialty citrus items including Heirloom Navels, Cara Cara Navels, blood oranges, minneolas, stem and leaf murcotts, satsumas, golden nuggets, pummelos, and melo golds.

Demand for specialty citrus continues to grow in both conventional and organic categories. According to a press release, organic citrus in particular has seen strong growth in the past several years and is one of the leading categories of all organic purchases.

“We’re anticipating a surge in health-driven lifestyle changes among consumers as we head into the new year. From increasing daily servings of fruits and vegetables to committing to buying organic, people are striving to change their habits for the better. Mandarins are immune-boosting superstars packed with vitamin C, so they are ripe to see demand this winter,” says Alden Guptill, Sales Manager at DiSilva Fruit.

With Navel and Mandarin volumes up over last year, plentiful promotional opportunities on bagged citrus are available. Consumers are paying more attention than ever to price and value; Morning Kiss and DiSilva Fruit are focused on providing high quality citrus at a price point that will encourage sales.

Citrus is freshly packed to order, in customizable packaging reducing loss to spoilage at retail, and therefore protecting the retailer's bottom line. Produce is delivered daily to ensure the highest quality and best-tasting selection available.

Keep reading ANUK for the latest in all things fresh.

WASHINGTON, DC - The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) has announced two recent additions that will complete the Food Safety team at the organization. Dr. Angela Fraser has joined the association as the new Vice President of Food Safety & Quality, and Dr. Paul Lewis is now the Vice President of Food Safety Standards and Regulatory Compliance.

Dr. Fraser, who was most recently on faculty at Clemson University, is overseeing the IFPA food safety training and educational programs, as well as providing technical support and outreach for our members and the industry at large.

Dr. Lewis brings many years of policy and advocacy experience to his role at IFPA where he will work closely with the Government Relations team to provide leadership for IFPA’s scientific and policy objectives related to food safety standards and regulatory compliance.

“I’m thrilled to have Dr. Fraser and Dr. Lewis complete our team,” said Chief Food Safety and Regulatory Officer, Natalie Dyenson. “Food safety is central to the success of our entire industry, and Dr. Fraser and Dr. Lewis both bring expertise, experience and passion to the important work we do providing support and advocacy for our industry.”

Dr. Fraser brings over 30 years of experience in food safety to the IFPA team. Her journey in food safety began as an Environmental Health Specialist in Michigan, where she developed a deep appreciation for high-quality, theoretically sound educational interventions. This passion led her to pursue a Ph.D. in Food Science at Michigan State University, which she completed in 1995. Following her doctorate, Dr. Fraser served as a Food Safety Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University before joining Clemson University in 2008.

“I am thrilled to join this outstanding team as the new VP of Food Safety of Food Safety & Quality,” said Fraser. “It is an honor to lead our educational programs and technical outreach initiatives. I look forward to collaborating closely with industry leaders and academic partners to advance our shared mission of ensuring food safety and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Together, we will strive to set new standards of excellence and innovation in the field."

As a press release outlined, Dr. Lewis joins the association with nearly 20 years of experience in regulatory affairs and policy development in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, Dr Lewis served as the director of policy and advocacy for seeds and traits at Bayer Crop Science and before that, he held a number of leadership positions at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Lewis earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University, a Master of Public Administration from The George Washington University, a Master of Science in Plant Pathology from Oklahoma State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science from the University of Rhode Island.

“I am honored to join IFPA and be a part of the food safety team,” said Lewis. “The produce industry provides the most nutritious food in the world, it’s critical we can do so safely and affordably. I look forward to partnering with our members, regulatory agencies, and food safety standards organizations around the world to ensure that food safety standards, policies, and regulations that are developed for our industry are reasonable and scientifically valid.”

We welcome Dr. Fraser and Dr. Lewis to the wonderful world of produce!

BELLE GLADE, FL - Florida is expecting a 5 percent chance of rain with temps ranging from the mid-40s to the mid-60s. Oxnard temps range from the mid-40s to high-60s and mostly sunny. Coachella temps range from the mid-40s to the mid-70s and sunny. Yuma temps range from the mid-40s to the mid-70s with sunny skies and some winds.

West Coast

Celery market, movement, and demand are steady. The company is seeing abundant Iceberg supplies available with fair demand. Regular Romaine and Romaine Heart movement is good as market pricing is hovering in the low-to mid-teens. Heavy supplies of green leaf and red leaf are available with fair demand. There is an overabundance of broccoli and cauliflower industry-wide with little demand, causing both broccoli and cauliflower to remain stagnant.

East Coast

Harvest has started for both organic celery and organic Romaine Hearts, and the quality of both has been great, a release noted. The outlook for organic Romaine Hearts is strong for the next few weeks. Radish harvest and quality remain steady with promotional volumes for January. Corn volume continues to increase, and quality remains strong. Promotional opportunities are available for value-added corn. Leaf and lettuce volumes remain strong with high yields and excellent quality. Lastly, conventional celery crop quality remains good with good taste and quality.

Meet Rob Atchley, Vice President of Eastern Vegetable Operations

Q: How did you get started at Duda Farm Fresh Foods, how long have you been with the company, and what is your current role? 

A: My current role is VP of Vegetable Operations. I primarily oversee our Eastern vegetable operations in Florida, Georgia, and Michigan. In addition, I am responsible for Duda’s sugarcane business and our remaining citrus groves. This is my third season with the vegetable operation, but I have been farming with Duda for over 26 years beginning as a citrus grove supervisor and progressing to a CP in the Ranches division before joining Duda Farm Fresh Foods. In my time, I have held responsibilities for the before-mentioned ag operations across South Florida and our South Texas citrus groves from 2006–2013.

Q: What does your typical workday look like and what are you responsible for?

A: My days consist of working with our division managers across our farming operations to make sure they have the tools needed to chase our business plans. I primarily split my time between offices in LaBelle and Belle Glade.

Keep reading ANUK as we bring you industry news.

CONCORD, MA - Welch's, an iconic leader in the fruit-based food and beverage industry, renowned for its commitment to quality and innovation, is proud to announce the appointment of Christine Kwiat as Chief Research and Development Officer, effective immediately.

Since joining the company in November 2020, Kwiat has played a pivotal role in advancing Welch's transformation, driving initiatives that have redefined innovation processes and grown the portfolio. Her appointment underscores Welch's commitment to innovation and its mission to bring quality, delicious, and nutritious foods to consumers worldwide.

"Chris' strategic vision and proven ability to drive transformation have been instrumental in advancing our innovation agenda," said Trevor Bynum, Welch's President and CEO. "Her ability to inspire teams and deliver breakthrough solutions is exactly what we need as we accelerate our growth trajectory, and we are thrilled to have her at the helm of our R&D organization."

Kwiat has more than two decades of leadership experience in research, development, quality, and innovation. Prior to Welch's, she served as Vice President of R&D Innovation, Product & Portfolio Management at Schwan's Food Company.

According to a press release, her earlier experience includes various leadership roles at Kraft Foods, Oscar Mayer, and Nabisco, where she directed several successful product launches and holds five patents in food technology and packaging innovation.

"I am honored to lead Research and Development at Welch's during this transformative time," said Kwiat. "As a farmer-owned cooperative, we have a unique opportunity to build on our legacy of quality and innovation while creating products that delight consumers and deliver value to our grower-owners."

Kwiat holds a Master of Science in Food Science & Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Science in Food Science from Penn State University. She serves on Boston University's Innovation Quorum Board of Directors and Hennepin Arts Board of Directors.

Congratulations from all of us here at AndNowUKnow to the new Chief!