MADRID, SPAIN - It was more tricks than treats for one group of would-be produce shippers. A banana shipment seems to have been at the center of exposing a large group connected to a suspected drug ring that captured the attention of Spanish, U.S., and Portuguese officials.
A police statement said the suspects were smuggling drugs from Latin America via a company dedicated to importing large quantities of bananas and other fruit from Costa Rica, according to a statement that was cited in Yahoo! News. Among the find and seizure were six tons of cocaine hidden among the bunches of bananas. Though the report did not note the estimated street value of the bust, it did add that more than 300,000 euros in cash (nearly USD $341,000), weapons, and high-end cars were also confiscated.
The raid spanned more than 20 homes and businesses in relation to the bust, and ended with the arrest of 16 people in connection to a suspected drug ring, police said.
The investigation into the ring lasted almost a year and included Portuguese and U.S. officials, as well as the Spanish officials that made the arrests. While Spanish police made a record seizure of nearly nine tons of cocaine in a shipping container that was also carrying bananas in April—that time in the southern port of Algeciras—the report did not note if the two incidents were connected.
While it isn’t ideal to have fresh produce looped in to such nefarious deeds, at least this time it was involved in a sizable save.
DALLAS, TX - Brighter Bights Executive Director Sam Newman will speak at The Dallas Fresh Food Association (DFFA)’s luncheon on November 7. Given that the DFFA is continuing its commitment to community outreach, along with encouraging the consumption of fresh foods, Newman’s expertise as Brighter Bights Director made him the obvious choice for honored guest. He will discuss opportunities to create a mindset shift and instillation of healthy eating habits, all of which will hopefully fight against against childhood obesity in local schools.
“Three out of ten children in the U.S. are overweight or obese and less than half of children eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily,” said Newman in a press release. “I’m hopeful that, with groups like the Dallas Fresh Food Association, we can help combat the lack of understanding and awareness around how food impacts health—especially at the school level where most of these kids spend the vast majority of their time each day.”
According to the press release, the Brighter Bights program has provided more than 18 million pounds of fresh produce and educational materials to more than 265,000 students, parents, and teachers in Texas, New York, Florida, and Washington D.C. The program now joins DFFA’s mission to reach out to students and their families in Dallas and Fort Worth. Through Newman’s guidance, the association looks to inspire the community to eat more fresh produce.
For the latest in how those in our industry are looking to better their communities, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
DALLAS, TX - Albertsons and its banner Tom Thumb are trimming down and shuttering unprofitable store locations as both look to grow in the North Texas region. By December 1, two Albertsons locations and two Tom Thumb locations will be closed.
“After a great deal of careful analysis, we have made the decision to close four of our north Texas stores,” Albertsons Spokeswoman Connie Yates said to Dallas News. “Closing an underperforming store is always a tough decision, but sometimes a necessary step to position our company for greater success and growth.”
The Albertsons stores that are closing are the location at 10800 N. Beach St. in Fort Worth and the location at 1300 W. Beltline Road in DeSoto. The Tom Thumb locations that are closing are the stores at 2600 Flower Mound Road in Flower Mound and 820 S. Macarthur Blvd. in Coppell.
In addition to the closures, Albertsons is also reorganizing its regional office in Fort Worth, Texas, with the number of jobs affected unknown at this time.
“We had some minimal restructuring in our regional office, with the majority of those people moving to other positions,” Yates continued.
Are these closing Albertsons locations a sign of a newly implemented strategy for success or dark clouds ahead for the retailer and its banners? AndNowUKnow will continue to keep an eye on the retail forecast.
MONTEREY, CA - If you’re on the fence about heading over to the 2018 Organic Grower Summit, the deciding factor is in: two members of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will be front and center in one of this year's educational sessions.
During their session, NOSB Chair and Senior Sourcing Manager, Ingredients for Cliff Bar Tom Chapman and newly elected NOSB member and CEO of United Vegetable Growers Cooperative Eric Schwartz will provide an overview of the agency responsible for information on a wide range of issues involving the production, handling, and processing of organic products.
“We look forward to talking with members of the organic community at OGS about the work of NOSB,” said Schwartz. “The NOSB relies heavily on input from the organic community, especially during the advisory process to the National Organic Program. It's important to understand how the rule making process works and how organic growers, processors, and handlers can get involved.”
The NOSB members will be speaking at the “Candid Conversations with NOSB Members” session, which will feature a closer look at how the Board makes recommendations on organic production practice standards as well as materials allowed or prohibited for use in the production and processing of organic foods, according to a press release. The session will also include an interactive Q&A with OGS attendees, with Melody Meyer, President of Source Organics, moderating.
Registration for the Organic Grower Summit, a joint production between California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Organic Produce Network (OPN), is $499 and includes the opening reception, educational sessions, keynote presentations, breakfast, lunch, and access to the trade show floor, which will include exhibitors across soil amendment, bio-pesticide, seed, packaging, food safety, ag technology, and equipment manufacturers. Attendees can also purchase tickets to the 2018 CannaBus Tour, which takes place at 8 am-12 pm on Wednesday December 12th, and the CCOF Foundation Dinner, which is Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm.
The tradeshow floor is nearly sold out, so get your tickets now to be a part of another year of this fantastic show that brings together organic growers, producers, and processors for two days of education, information, and networking opportunities! For more information about OGS 2018, click here.
NEW YORK CITY, NY - Buckle up, Amazon, there’s a new innovation center in town. Sam’s Club, one of Walmart’s banners, announced it will open both a new store and innovation center in Dallas, Texas. According to Reuters, this spot will be a hub for new innovation—the warehouse chain will test its new tech there before it’s implemented in other stores.
This new center, titled Sam’s Club Now, boasts of new technology such as electronic shelf labels that automatically update prices and 700 installed cameras to manage inventory. (Remind anyone of Amazon Go?)
Sam’s Club Now, the news source reported, will also hop onto the shorter checkouts train with the Scan and Go feature on its mobile app. With this tech, customers can use voice search to find items in store, pick up orders, and create shopping lists.
“Sam’s Club Now gives us one more avenue to develop, test, and refine technology and features that will create new shopping experiences at scale,” John Furner, President and CEO, told reporters on a conference call.
Although Sam’s Club is owned by Walmart, the new center will be seperate from Walmart’s own internal research lab. However, with this latest investment in stores outside of itself, Walmart might be looking to boost its competition against Amazon by bringing a few more of its banners to the fight.
Will we see more news like this in the months to come? AndNowUKnow will keep its eyes peeled.
ROCHESTER, NY - Maybe you weren’t able to make it to PMA Fresh Summit this year or maybe the crowded streets of Orlando, FL, ushered you right through the gates of Disney World (on accident). Either way, you missed out on the latest and greatest from Love Beets. The company launched not one but two new products at booth #4248 for 2018’s show—a 1 lb organic beet powder and a Golden Beet-o de Gallo made with golden beets.
"Love Beets is dedicated to creating new, interesting products allowing for all consumers to enjoy beets in some form. Our newest product, the Golden Beet-o de Gallo, introduces some other vegetables and flavors making this version of pico de gallo more palatable to some than a plain beet,” said George Shropshire, General Manager. “Love Beets provides a versatile way to prepare, add, substitute, or incorporate beets to the diet without pigeonholing to only providing a traditional beet option.”
Love Beets’ 1 lb offering of organic beet powder is already available at Costco, George tells me, and consumers are loving that just one tbsp of the powder carries the nutritional value of three medium sized beets. As for the Golden Beet-o de Gallo, it’s the next in the company’s growing product line of golden beet-based products, keying into that mindset of making beets palatable to all.
“At PMA this year, we focused on highlighting our new golden beet products. We are excited to finally have an assortment of golden beet options, as these products do not stain, which lends itself nicely to the ‘no mess, no fuss’ mentality of the Love Beets product line,” George explained.
But these new products aren’t all the company has been working on as we near the new year. George says the Love Beets team is growing and exploring a lot of different avenues to diversify the brand, focusing on providing a wide variety of products as well as a variety of different beets being used.
“We have a lot of new products in the works for 2019 and onward, keep your eyes peeled for new product launches throughout the next year,” George hinted. “This is an exciting time for Love Beets with a lot of wheels turning for future innovations!”
I, for one, will happily keep my eyes peeled for more to come from these beetbuffs. But in the meantime, I will happily much on some Golden Beet-o de Gallo.
BRONX, NY - In a move to tighten up the organization of one of the eastern United State’s largest produce distributors, Baldor Specialty Foods has announced a comprehensive restructuring plan that will see several personnel changes and additions. Effective immediately, the new organizational structure was announced at a time when the company’s new 100,000-square-foot facility expansion at Hunts Point will be completed. The expansion is expected to create 350 new jobs.
“We are launching a comprehensive restructuring plan that reflects the growth Baldor’s experienced over the last year, growth that’s required us to dramatically expand our headquarters facility in Hunts Point and growth that calls for a new structure that will make our business more efficient for our customers,” CEO TJ Murphy said.
The following list includes existing employees that will be taking on new roles under the restructuring plan, as well as Baldor’s latest hires:
Promotions
- Gene Mayer is promoted to Senior Vice President of Procurement. He was previously Vice President of Procurement.
- Glenn Messinger is promoted to Vice President of Branch Operations. He was previously General Manager of Baldor Boston.
- Alan Butzbach is promoted to Vice President of NY Operations. He was previously Vice President of Continuous Process Improvement.
- Benjamin Walker is promoted to Vice President, Sales, and Marketing. He was previously Senior Director of Marketing & Business Development
- Thomas McQuillan is promoted to Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Culture, and Sustainability. He was previously Director of Food Service Sales and Sustainability.
- Jon Hansburg is promoted to Director of Food Service Sales. He was previously Senior Sales Executive.
- Kenneth Bower is promoted to Director of Procurement for Commodity Vegetable. He was previously a Senior Buyer.
- Lou Terrulli is to Director of Procurement for Commodity Fruit. He was previously Director of Purchasing.
- Emily Murphy is promoted from Category Specialist Manager to Director of Specialty Procurement.
- Patrick Ahern is promoted from Buyer to Director of Pricing. Ahern is known as Produce Pat on Baldor’s popular YouTube series.
New Hires
- Leigh Denardo joins Baldor as Director of Marketing. Denardo was previously with Whole Foods Market where she was Executive Director of Marketing for the North East Region.
- Christopher Tella joins Baldor as Customer Experience Manager. Tella was previously a Large Enterprise Senior Client Advisor for Blue Wolf, an IBM Company.
- Joe Carrico joins Baldor as Vice President of Human Resources & Safety. Carrico was previously VP of Human Resources & Safety at Newell Recycling.
“With this restructuring plan, we now have a solid management team that’s ready to take Baldor to its next level of growth,” said President Michael Muzyk. “This allows me to continue with my Board position at United Fresh and its important work, including food safety, Government Policy, and getting fruits and vegetables into the hands of children through its school salad bar initiative.”
With this many changes to Baldor’s executive playbook, it will be interesting to see what this means for the world of fresh produce on the East Coast and in the Mid Atlantic. AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
ORLANDO, FL - One of my favorite aspects of 2018’s PMA Fresh Summit was the categories of this year’s Fresh Ideas Showcase, which I’m guessing made it easy for buyers that were looking to fulfill specific needs in their stores. As for me, I couldn’t get enough of all the latest our industry has conceived. Here are a few of many products that had me eager to hit the grocery store upon my return.
Mann Packing Breakfast Nourish Bowls®
For many in my professional and social circles, breakfast is a perk of the weekend. We all love it, but we rarely make time for it. So this particular introduction to the already award-winning Nourish Bowls® line seemed a brilliant move for convenience-seeking shoppers looking to take back breakfast time...while still not waking up until we absolutely must.
SUNSET® Shazam!™ Shishito Peppers
I’m a sucker for peppers, so what a time it is for me and millennials like me to be alive! Shishitos are one part of what is taking the pepper category to a new level, and I have been waiting to see these since the Mastronardi Company initially teased their existence earlier this year. After all, “shazam” is one word that might come to mind when consumers find that stray shishito with a bit more kick than its siblings!
Earthbound Farms - Organic Blends
A healthy way to rosé all day? You bet I had to see this. With its Rosé Blend, Mighty Spinach Blend, and Red Baby Butter Blend, Earthbound Farms’ latest organic additions might not get you tipsy, but it will give you the nutrients you need to brunch hard—and the flavor, versatility, texture, and color to elevate any dish.
Sarah Frey's Homegrown Agua Fresca Line
I’m all too familiar with Frey Farms' Tsama Lama and the juice he represents, so I came to a halt when I saw that Sarah Frey had a new watermelon beverage. Clean, refreshing, and simple, the line she says was inspired from summers growing up on the farm will transport consumers there as well. Needless to say, I’m hoping this, too, makes an appearance in the coolers for Frey Farms’ annual participation in Tour de Fresh.
Freska Produce Dried Organic Mangos
No more does “fruit snack” just mean that it resembles the shape of the foods we love. 100 percent mango, and even organic, this retains what adults and children both love most of one of the world's most popular fruits. This offers a great produce-powered alternative to any gummies or candy bags we might otherwise be tempted to grab.
It's hard to believe that we have wrapped up another PMA season, but these products are among those to help chase the candy fever that might be spreading this week. Can't wait to see what new heights our industry raises the bar to before we make our way to Anaheim, California, next year!
ORANGE COUNTY, CA - For those lovers of kiwifruit—especially those who want to eat them year-round—you will be delighted to hear that the harvest of Zespri Kiwifruit from Northern Hemisphere orchards is currently underway.
“This year’s Northern Hemisphere harvest is expected to exceed 19.1 million trays, which is almost 25 percent up on the 15.4 million trays recorded in 2017/18,” said Chief International Production Officer Sheila McCann-Morrison. “This includes close to 10.5 million trays of SunGold, compared to 6.3 million trays last year, and 8 million trays of green kiwifruit versus 9 last year. Zespri is looking forward to completing the New Zealand season by the end of the year while transitioning to supply from our Northern Hemisphere locations.”
McCann-Morrison noted in the company’s press release that the increaed volumes demonstrate the progress of Zespri’s global supply strategy, which has provided consumers with Zespri Kiwifruit year-round.
“Growth in our offshore supply allows us to meet increasing consumer demand for our premium quality kiwifruit and ensure that our brand remains top of mind in the three-to-four months of the year when our New Zealand-grown kiwifruit is unavailable. Ultimately, this is trying to meet the needs of our consumers and support sustainable long-term returns for our non-New Zealand and New Zealand-grown crop,” McCann-Morrison stated.
In order to make this year-round supply feasible, Zespri has fostered long-term partnerships with growers and suppliers outside of New Zealand. Due to these partnerships, Zespri can deliver kiwifruit to Italy, South Korea, Japan, and France. The press release noted that exports from Italy and France allow the company to serve consumers in other key markets. Europe is one of its most significant sources of kiwifruit; Italy supplies more than 90 percent of Zespri’s total volume.
All kiwifruit grown outside of New Zealand adheres to the company’s high-quality standards.
“In addition to expanding our production in current key European locations, particularly in Italy, we are running trials in new growing locations to determine whether we can successfully diversify our supply. We believe this will allow us to mitigate risks like pests and adverse weather events and also bring our supply closer to market,” said McCann-Morrison.
Apart from substantial growth in Europe, the company expects to see continued growth in Asia. It is currently focusing on increasing its SunGold supply in Japan and South Korea; it also is looking to explore the option of a 12-month supply program in China. Additionally, a proof of concept trial is nearing completion in China, as the company works with local partners to assess local varieties and determine whether it can sustainably grow Zespri-quality fruit. Zespri has also started production trials in Oregon and California in the U.S., which has become one of Zespri’s most significant new growth markets.
For the latest in produce updates like this, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
NEW YORK, NY - Blue Apron is teaming up with Walmart-owned Jet to offer its full slate of meal kits on Jet.com’s online and mobile platform—the first e-tailer the meal kit provider has partnered with. As part of the partnership, millions of households across New York City, Jersey City, and Hoboken will be able to receive Blue Apron products through same-day or next-day delivery starting today.
“Teaming up with Jet enables us to dynamically serve the lifestyle of metropolitan consumers, who will now be able to conveniently fill up their online shopping carts with high quality Blue Apron meals that can be cooked in 30 minutes or less while shopping for other everyday needs,” said Brad Dickerson, Blue Apron CEO. “This exciting launch is another step forward in our channel expansion strategy and reflects the strength of the capabilities we are developing to readily support a variety of opportunities to broaden our access to consumers.”
The partnership offers Blue Apron a dedicated branded experience that will feature a rotating selection of two-serving recipes via Jet’s newly-launched City Grocery offering—a key part of Jet’s relaunch that offers consumers in most of New York City three-hour scheduled delivery windows for groceries and more.
According to a press release, the first Blue Apron meals that will be offered on Jet.com are:
- Seared Steaks & Peperonata with Fregola Sarda Pasta & Grana Padano Cheese (2 servings, 28 oz) $22.99
- Dukkah-Spiced Beef & Couscous with Tahini-Dressed Broccoli (2 servings, 41 oz.) $20.99
- Togarashi Popcorn Chicken with Sweet Chili Slaw & Jasmine Rice (2 servings, 32 oz.) $18.99
- Italian Farro Bowl with Roasted Vegetables & Mozzarella (2 servings, 32 oz.) $16.99
“We are thrilled to be the first e-commerce retailer to offer the Blue Apron on-demand kits as part of the newly launched Jet City Grocery experience,” said Simon Belsham, Jet.com President. “The Blue Apron on-demand kits give our urban customers a convenient and enjoyable way to prepare home-cooked meals for their family. A crucial part of Jet’s strategy is to provide valuable services that seamlessly integrate into people’s daily lives, and Blue Apron is a great example of this.”
To peruse Blue Apron on Jet.com, visit: jet.com/blueapron.