LOS ALAMITOS, CA - Although a certain massively successful fantasy television show has ended, we’re not out of dragon season yet. Frieda’s red dragon fruit is ready to be hand-picked on the lush and sunny volcanic hills of Nicaragua. This exotic fruit is about to come roaring into stores with the potential to drive higher traffic to the produce department. With its deep red-magenta flesh and exceptional taste, it won’t be hard to get consumers hooked on the otherworldly looking red dragon fruit—and Frieda’s has ideas in place for how to market this head-turning fruit.
“We are recommending retailers to merchandise red dragon fruit alongside young coconuts (on ice) and blueberries to increase dollar ring for the July 4th holiday,” said Alex Berkley, Sales Manager.
According to a press release, a recent survey by C+R Research and Frieda’s revealed that 38 percent of shoppers reported that they were more likely to shop at retailers who carry red dragon fruit. Furthermore, a whopping 62 percent of shoppers claim the fruit is worth paying more for—even more so than traditional white-fleshed dragon fruit. Keeping this in mind, Frieda’s developed a limited-edition ElastiTag® to help buyers and shoppers identify the red-fleshed dragon fruit.
Once peeled, the beautiful and refreshing red dragon fruit can be eaten alone or added to summer classics like fruit salads, smoothies, and even salsa. With a Brix of 17, Frieda’s red dragon fruit is one of the sweetest around, but with a mild flavor that pairs well with other fruits like pineapples or strawberries. The attention-grabbing fruit would also work well as a garnish, cocktail ingredient, or as a festive table decoration.
Frieda’s red dragon fruit is available in 6, 9, 12, and 18 counts and a baby “snackable” size, with availability all throughout the summer and October.
For more news on mythical creature-inspired fruit, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
KINGSVILLE, ONTARIO - United Fresh 2019 is just days away with the Windy City positioned for an influx of innovation, and one company will be there to “sweeten” the deal. Next week in Chicago, SUNSET® will unveil the company’s full line-up of premium berries, which includes the newly rebranded WOW™ berries.
“We can’t wait to share our new WOW™ berry line,” said Nicole Balderas, Vice President of Marketing. “The unique flavor notes of each premium berry are—quite literally—better than chocolate and will completely change expectations for how a berry should taste.”
So, what’s in store for attendees? More than a sweet treat or two. From WOW brand ambassadors to a berry special nightcap at the United Fresh Late-Night Party, SUNSET is set to take the show floor and the evening festivities by storm.
According to a press release, the first 150 people to sample the six new varieties of WOW berries will also receive a special take-away.
“SUNSET revolutionized the tomato category by delivering a new level of quality, flavor, and innovation, and we’re going to do it again with berries,” said Paul Mastronardi, President and CEO, and the fourth generation family member to lead Mastronardi Produce. “It’s going to be a banner year for us at United Fresh.”
WOW berries will also be on display in the United Fresh Innovation Award showcase, alongside other SUNSET finalists: Backyard Compostable packaging and Sprinkles™, Tiny Mighty Tomatoes™.
Congrats, SUNSET, on another tasty accomplishment—from the seed to the trade show floor!
WASHINGTON, DC - As part of its efforts to enforce the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) and ensure fair trading practices within the U.S. produce industry, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet their contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the PACA. These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA. By issuing these penalties, USDA continues to enforce the prompt and full payment for produce while protecting the rights of sellers and buyers in the marketplace.
According to a press release, the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Academy Fruit Company LLC, operating out of Clovis, California, for failing to pay a $9,600 award in favor of an Illinois seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Jayson Paul Scarborough was listed as a member or manager of the business.
- Epic Fresh Produce LLC, operating out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, for failing to pay a $97,319 award in favor of an Arizona seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Mario Cardenas was listed a member or manager of the business.
- PK Produce Inc., operating out of Canton, Ohio, for failing to pay a $23,370 award in favor of a New York seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Paul Kasapis was listed as the officer, director and/or major stockholder of the business.
- EJ Produce Inc., operating out of Dallas, Texas, for failing to pay a $1,094 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Julio Guzman and Eugenio Cuellar were listed as the officers, directors and/or major stockholders of the business.
- Terra Organica Inc., operating out of Bellingham, Washington, for failing to pay a $15,706 award in favor of an Oregon seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Stephen Trinkaus was listed as the officer, director and/or major stockholder of the business.
PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.
The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,350 PACA claims involving more than $63 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $156 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
OXNARD, CA – The growing prevalence of Fair Trade USA across the industry is a program anyone can get on their feet and cheer about. Helping to drive that cause forward is Freska Produce International, a company that has seen, first hand, how the Fair Trade USA certification has impacted its business. Fair Trade USA certified goods are produced according to rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards, so the consumer can make a huge difference in the lives of workers all over the world by purchasing products that go through this rigorous and coveted certification.
“We are now seeing employees with exceptional skills coming to our plants seeking employment," said Partner Jesus “Chuy” Loza. “These employees are seeing the benefits of Fair Trade USA and how it is changing the atmosphere and the culture of our operations.”
Freska Produce, one of the largest Fair Trade Mango shippers in the U.S., has gained Fair Trade USA certification at its Mexico packinghouses over the past two years, according to a press release. Now, the company is feeling the benefits of Fair Trade USA throughout the company.
Loza further commented, “The happiness and value our employees feel can truly be sensed in the product we bring to market.”
With mangos produced in Mexico now bearing the Fair Trade USA certification logo, the company will be able to help ensure that basic human rights for farmers and workers are enforced. Additionally, farmers and workers earn extra money with every sale.
“This higher wage has seen a rate of return in the plant that corresponds to the happiness of our employees and their eagerness to return to our operations, day after day. Some individuals even come to the packinghouse to seek out work from neighboring communities,” said Miguel Allard, Owner of a packing plant Freska works with in Chahuites, Oaxaca, Mexico.
This message of Fair Trade USA, as well as the certification and impact across the world, would not be possible without the support of U.S. retailer partners, Freska shared. Fair Trade USA has provided Freska an opportunity to deliver the benefits of trade more broadly with its focus on inclusion and empowerment. The certification also shows the industry and the consumer that the production of fresh produce can and must be more equitable.
“Seeing the benefits of this program in the form of proud and content employees that are being empowered through fair and equitable wages, has provided the proof we were seeking when we got into this,” stated Loza.
Fair Trade USA continues to be a great mission and program to get on board with for companies across fresh produce. Congrats to Freska Produce, for its continued investment in the people who bring an exceptional mango to market!
ISSAQUAH, WA - The recently announced round of tariffs on Chinese trade has retailers concerned about the fallout, and even bulk retailer Costco is taking stock of the changes the tariffs might bring. Though it reported strong quarterly results, the company has implied price surges for consumers to compensate for the potentially increased price of goods.
“At the end of the day, prices will go up on things. What’s interesting is that it’s hard to predict what the impact is,” said Richard Galanti, Chief Financial Officer to CNBC. “We want to be the last to raise them. And when prices are going down, we want to be the first to lower them. We’re not afraid to use some of those monies to again drive business.”
The Chinese trade war has escalated with President Trump planning to raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports from 10 percent to 25 percent, according to Reuters. While Galanti commented that the situation is “pretty fluid,” the retailer plans to accelerate shipments and negotiate with vendors before the tariffs go into effect to stave off price hikes a little longer, reports CNBC.
"As you might expect, it's all over the board in terms of every item and every vendor is different," Galanti commented in a corporate call. "In some cases, it's being passed on. In some cases, we're able to work to figure out how to move merchandise. And then the impact of when the price increase does go through, it has a different impact on how it affects sales. We think that we're in a good position in terms of our size and our ability and our relationships with our vendors and we'll keep you posted on how it goes. We work with vendors. There's been some switching, a small amount of switching to other countries of origin where we can, although we're not the only one in town trying to do that."
Although Costco has seen increased sales and stock prices in the past few months, with total revenue now up 7.4 percent to $34.74 billion, it is still lagging behind competitors in the e-commerce sector like Walmart and Amazon.
As Costco prepares itself for the Chinese tariff hike, the most recently announced increase of Mexican tariffs could throw an even larger wrench in the works for the retailer.
What will be the ultimate impact for Costco on this double round of tariff increases? And what does this mean for consumers? Only time and AndNowUKnow will tell.
MONTEREY, CA - PRO*ACT and The Coastal Companies have revealed a partnership that expands the companies' footprints in fresh food distribution in North America. Recently, The Coastal Companies acquired Hearn Kirkwood which, PRO*ACT's CEO Max Yeater stated, signals opportunity for further growth for all companies involved.
“We’ve had a lot of respect for what Coastal has been able to achieve and know that their vision and values align excellently with PRO*ACT and our network,” said Yeater. “This transition has been great for our customers and staff and is a partnership that we see being productive for years to come for all parts of our supply chain.”
According to a press release, the acquisition of Hearn Kirkwood was announced last week, giving The Coastal Companies greater reach and service capabilities in both its foodservice and retail channels of business.
Coastal’s foodservice business will be enhanced in the Mid-Atlantic, specifically in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. region. With the addition of Hearn Kirkwood’s extensive line of prepared and ready-to-eat products, The Coastal Companies' retail and grab-n-go businesses will be strengthened from Maine to Florida.
With additional relationships with top-tier growers, and new opportunities for customer growth, stepping into a role as PRO*ACT’s distributor in that region with multi-unit customers will also give The Coastal Companies access to PRO*ACT’s cumulative buying power.
“We are excited to have Hearn Kirkwood join The Coastal Companies and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with PRO*ACT and its network,” said The Coastal Companies' CEO John Corso.
Working with PRO*ACT at Coastal enables the company to expand its procurement capabilities and gives the company access to a larger sales team. Joe Cimino, PRO*ACT’s VP of Procurement, expressed the feeling of momentum that has been generated by the partnership.
“We’ve worked hard to develop strategic relationships that enhance our ability to effectively serve customers; this is an exciting development that will benefit our entire value chain,” said Cimino.
It hasn’t been challenging aligning with PRO*ACT as each organization has served as an industry leader in food safety, customer service standards, sustainability, and innovative growth. Both companies are continuing to plan how to maximize the companies' partnership to service customers and take advantage of the suite of services that are at the companies' fingertips.
For updates on PRO*ACT and The Coastal Companies partnership, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
AUSTIN, TX - The Center for Produce Safety’s 10th annual Research Symposium is only a few weeks away, with the event taking place in Austin, Texas, on June 18 and 19. While there’s much to look forward to during the two-day event from panel discussions to interactive programs, attendees are going to want to stay till the very end to hear from leading executives from a few of our industry’s top retailers during a distinguished executive panel.
“It is an honor to have this well-respected panel of executives sharing their experience, insights, and vision on the complicated topic of food safety,” Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, Executive Director, said in a press release. Fernandez-Fenaroli will serve as the moderator of the panel.
This year’s panel will feature the following representatives:
- Tejas Bhatt, Walmart
- Dave Corsi, Wegmans Food Markets
- Mark Mignogna, Sysco
- Tim York, Markon Cooperative
The aforementioned panelists will provide a retail perspective on the topic of food safety, so don’t miss out!
If you still haven’t registered for this event, register now here. And for a full itinerary and program information, click here.
To stay on top of all of our industry’s shows and events, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
IRVINE, CA - Good morning, AndNowUKnow readers!
Today, I am bringing you some of the category and weather news from around the industry. Check back twice weekly to see where the rain is falling, the sun is shining, and everything in between.
Tropical Disturbance May Affect Harvests in Southern and Central Mexico
Major rain is coming to southern and central Mexico. A low-pressure disturbance off the southern coast of Chiapas will bring heavy daily rain totals to southern and central Mexico starting today, which will most likely affect harvests for multiple commodities.
Starting today and continuing through at least next weekend most southern and central growing regions of Mexico will see daily rain totals between .50” to 1.25”, depending on the area and day. Along with this rain will come cooler temperatures starting next Tuesday.
A large range of commodities may be affected: limes in Veracruz, broccoli and wet veg out of Puebla and El Bajio region, avocados out of Michoacan, and tomatoes out of Jalisco.
Martinez de la Torre, Veracruz (Persian lime capital of the world), is expecting 1.00” of rain on Saturday and 2.00” of rain on Sunday. Puebla is expecting 1.00” of rain per day Sunday through Tuesday.
Please check the app for other locations and commodities.
Heat Wave Out West
A ridge of high pressure has settled over the western U.S., bringing above normal temperatures to western states over the next five to seven days. The temperatures will range between 5 to 10° above normal in most growing regions. The heat will range from northern Mexico all the way up through Washington state.
The SJ Valley in California will see temperatures in the upper 90°s in most of the valley while at the southern end, Bakersfield will see some 100° temperatures.
The Coachella Valley will have temperatures above the 100° mark all next week.
Salinas and Santa Maria will have high temperatures in the mid-70°s all next week, which is about 8° above today’s high temperature.
Look for volumes to increase and quality to improve from all areas as the cold and rain from last week are in the rearview mirror and warm temperatures will be around the foreseeable future.
Walla Walla and the Yakima Valleys of Washington will also experience high temperatures this weekend with maximum temperatures around 90° today through Sunday. The one difference for this area is come next Wednesday temperatures will cool off dramatically and there will be a slight chance of rain for this region.
Heat Wave Continues in the South
Northern Florida and Georgia continue with temperatures well above normal. Most growing locations in the region will experience max temperatures in the upper 90°s with an occasional max temperature of 100°. These temperatures are 10 to 15° above normal. Minimum temperatures will be in the upper 70°s which is very conducive for plant development and fruit production.
Starting next Thursday temperatures will finally begin to drop 7 to 8° bringing them more in-line with June averages.
Look for volumes to continue strong from these areas.
Two Cold Nights Coming to Michigan
Michigan is expecting a mini cooling trend over the weekend as high temperatures will drop from a max of 78° today to only 63° for Sunday and Monday. The minimum temperatures will drop from 60° tonight to only 43° on Sunday and Monday. These cooler temperatures may have an affect on harvests toward the middle of next week.
Starting Wednesday temperatures will begin to rise with highs reaching into the mid 70°s once again and lows in the mid 50°s. There is a chance of rain for this Saturday and again next Wednesday throughout the state.
Thanks again, and we'll be back next week with another weather report!
SALINAS, CA - Naturipe Farms is celebrating the most patriotic time of the year—Memorial Day weekend through Independence Day weekend (May 24 to July 7)—with a new marketing campaign that’s showcasing the true meaning of red, white, and bluebs. Last weekend, Naturipe Farms launched a new social media marketing campaign, with a twist. For every photo fans share featuring a package of Naturipe berries and the hashtags #growinggratitude and #naturipe, Naturipe will donate $1 to the Gary Sinise Foundation.
“At Naturipe, we wanted to invite our customers to join us in honoring our country’s veterans and first responders this summer,” said CarrieAnn Arias, Naturipe Farms’ VP of Marketing. “The Gary Sinise Foundation has done such amazing work to serve defenders, veterans, first responders, and their families that we felt they were the perfect organization to partner with.”
Naturipe first kicked off its Growing Gratitude campaign earlier this year, around the same time that the berry provider began its partnership with the Gary Sinise Foundation, whose mission is to serve and honor America’s defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. Naturipe began this campaign by honoring the multiple generations of Naturipe farmers who have served in uniform, according to a press release.
The campaign will also debut limited edition patriotic packaging in select markets this summer. The packaging includes a patriotic version of the retro Naturipe logo in red, white, and blue, along with the Gary Sinise Foundation emblem.
Naturipe’s extra special campaign runs through July 7, with the grower agreeing to donate up to $20,000. For more information on Naturipe’s partnership with the Gary Sinise Foundation and full details of the #growinggratitude social media campaign, click here. And for the freshest news like this, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
CALIFORNIA - Sacramento is currently jumping from winter to summer. This week we are seeing a 30-degree (Fahrenheit) increase from last week’s rain and wind, and we have the Northern California snowpack to show for it.
As we’ve reported, both in our own coverage and through our partnership with Weathermelon, California has seen a record-setting May in terms of water that has the Sierra at higher-than-normal snowpack levels and several reservoirs nearing max capacity.
“This year has been an extremely good year in terms of snowpack,” said Jon Ericson, Department of Water Resources Flood Management Chief, in an earlier press release. “Based on our surveys, we are seeing a very dense, cold snowpack that will continue to produce run-off into the late summer.”
The Sacramento Bee reports current statewide snowpack levels being recorded at 20 inches of “snow water equivalent,” the depth of water that would result if the snowpack melted at once. This is a figure that is 167 percent above average for this time of year, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
As of Sunday morning, May 26, water levels in the state included:
- Folsom Lake at 94 percent of capacity
- Lake Oroville reservoir at 96 percent of capacity
- Lake Shasta at 97 percent of capacity
- Lake Berryessa at 94 percent capacity
- Lake Camanche at 81 percent of capacity
Officials were releasing water from multiple of the above water sources to avoid spillover, The Sacramento Bee stated.
Snowpack is more than 10-feet deep in some areas, according to Department of Water Resources' snowpack readings, with this year being marked as the fifth largest recorded after it peaked March 31.
The immense snowpack levels this year are always a welcomed element to our landscape as they function as a reservoir of its own—but more reservoirs and storage are what we truly need to retain our precious resource. What to do, California?
As Mother Nature continues to keep us guessing, AndNowUKnow will report the latest.