NEW YORK, NY - If we're being totally honest, most of the trips we've taken to IKEA are to view the latest offerings at the food court. Wandering away from the bountiful household items, we find ourselves taking in another bounty: that of delicious meal options. A highlight of any trip, the company has taken note of its foot traffic—more than 660 million people stop by the food court annually—and is looking to up its culinary offerings and keep paving the way in food innovation. 

“Food has been an important part of IKEA from the beginning,” La Cour told Future Food-Tech New York. “The first IKEA Restaurant opened in 1959, only a year after the first IKEA store opened in Älmhult, Sweden. Later the IKEA Bistro and the Swedish food market was added to the concept. The IKEA meatballs are a true IKEA icon as well-known as BILLY bookshelf and KLIPPAN sofa and as Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA’s Founder, said: ‘You can’t do business on an empty stomach.’"

La Cour stated that close to a billion people visit an IKEA store annually, and more often than not, these hungry patrons are looking for a quick and healthy meal. To fill this demand, IKEA wants to innovate its menu and look for new flavors and recipes its customers will enjoy.

“We want to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and lifestyles in our Restaurants, Bistros, and Swedish Food Markets. One could say that we have become obsessed with developing delicious, affordable, healthy, and sustainable food. Simply: better food for people and the planet. We believe that through our business we can support and influence positive change,” La Cour said.

Currently, IKEA creates food based on the five Democratic Design principles: function, form, quality, sustainability, and low price. These principles have encouraged IKEA to examine its whole value chain, in order to offer food items with health and sustainability at their core.

One way IKEA is keeping its sustainability cutting edge is by tackling food waste in its stores. Its initiative “Food is Precious” has the goal of reducing food waste by 50 percent by the end of August 2020, and part of its Bootcamp project is exploring sustainable food options by partnering with start-ups dedicated to healthy, sustainable eating. 

“I think that we are looking at an industry that will go through an end-to-end change in the coming years. Technological innovation will play a vital role in that change. Facing the challenges that I mentioned earlier, I think we should see this moment in time as a golden opportunity to engage with smart, useful technology that can have an impact throughout the value chain,” finished La Cour.

To read the interview in its entirety, click here.

For more on companies innovating the way we think about—and eat—food, keep following AndNowUKnow.

IKEA

CONYERS, GA - Since its inception over twenty years ago, Pratt Industries has been grown precipitously. With an emphasis on customer service and presenting innovative solutions to the problems of grower, packer, and shippers throughout the country, the company has expanded to become one of the largest corrugated packaging companies in the U.S.

I recently had the opportunity to hear from Cliff Vilcheck, Director of Pratt Agriculture at Pratt Industries, and learn more about the company’s packaging innovations, its growth throughout the United States, and how, by investing in new state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities—“greenfield” facilities built from scratch to accommodate the latest technology—throughout the country, Pratt Industries is working to provide the utmost service to its customers.

Q: What would you say is the mission behind Pratt Industries? How is the company uniquely suited to satisfy its customers’ needs?

Cliff Vilcheck: Our agricultural packaging program at Pratt Industries is extremely tuned-in to the corrugated packaging needs of our customers—growers, packers, and shippers of fresh produce throughout the U.S. What makes us unique amongst our competitors is our absolute commitment to servicing our customer, making their lives easier, and always bringing innovative new packaging ideas to the table for them. Exceptional service is at the heart of who we are as a packaging supplier. That’s very important to us and it’s why we’ve grown so rapidly over the last ten years.

Q: What can you tell me about Pratt Industries’ recent growth in the Northeast?

CV: The Northeast has been a very important growth area for us in recent years. We listen very intently to growers in the region and make certain our customers understand that we aren’t in business to simply offer what everyone else is: a box. Our boxes are top-notch, but the service we provide that comes with that box is every bit as important, if not more important. Our service-first model is unmatched. We challenge ourselves to find new ways to save customers money through new designs, structural adjustments, and packaging efficiencies through machine placements.

Q: I understand Pratt Industries is experiencing growth in Texas as well: how was that growth initiated? Can you speak to Texas’ importance as a growing region, a market, and a conduit through which produce travels from Latin America?

CV: Texas is a huge priority for us, so much so that we’ve built two massive manufacturing plants in the State of Texas since 2010. The latest plant to be built, in Rockwall, recently came online in 2017.

Our growth in Texas was sparked in large part to good personnel listening to growers, hearing them, learning what was missing in the market and filling that need with an innovative product along with outstanding service. Limes were the commodity that we focused on. We made some simple design adjustments to a very common lime box after listening to growers in the area and the success of that box and our commitment to servicing those customers has led to tremendous growth.

Q: What are Pratt Industries’ goals for these two fronts on which it is expanding?

CV: We’re growing throughout the entire country because service and innovation are what growers want. Retailers are constantly in search of new products. We understand that growers are tasked with constantly bringing something new to the table. So, we’re always trying to help them on that front. If we can be vigilant about helping our customers grow their business through innovation and exceptional service, then we know we’ll always be in high demand.

For more on fresh produce news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

Pratt Industries

CLARKSBURG, WV - Former SuperValu-owned Shop ‘n Save stores in West Virginia are about to be rebranded, revealing the buyer of the locations as Price Cutter. As we reported in April, SuperValu announced the sale of eight distribution centers and its Farm Fresh banners, and while it stated an intent to sell Shop ‘n Save East it had not noted to whom.

“We chose to go with a new wholesaler and we’re rebranding our name,” said Multi-Store Owner Tom Jamieson, according to WVNews. “The reason for it is we’re lowering our retail prices. We need to be more competitive and that’s the reason for the change.”

A change that will occur gradually throughout this month, Jamieson told the news source. Upwards of 6 Shop ’n Save locations in Fairmont, Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Shinnston, Mannington, and Morgantown, West Virginia will all be rebranded as Price Cutter locations by the beginning of June.

In addition to a new look and name, the stores will offer a “couple thousand new items,” according to Jamieson, as well as reduced prices.

“I can promise the customers are going to see dramatically lower prices. We’re going to be very competitive with Aldi and Walmart,” he said, adding that one new brand shoppers can look out for is Always Save, commenting it is one comparable to Aldi in pricing.

Explaining that he is extremely excited for customers to experience the savings offered at Price Cutters, Jamieson said, “That’s the whole message: we weren’t quite as competitive as we should be. We had great two-day sales and that will continue to happen, but our everyday prices on the shelf I thought were too high. That’s the whole purpose of this is, to lower retail prices on the shelf.”

Ron O’Neil, Jamieson’s business partner, stated that the rebranded locations will also offer a new premium-style brand in addition to national brands.

“There is a private label brand—just like anyone else’s private label brand like Kroger or Giant Eagle—called Best Choice,” he said.

What will remain, both leaders said, are the faces and previous offerings, such as its deli and other services previously associated with each of the stores.

“All the employees are the same,” Jamieson said. “We’re still going to have the gas fuel program with the same partners that we currently have—Sunoco, BFS and our own stations. So all the good things stay the same.”

With an expanded, more diverse portfolio of offerings, and a focus on lower, more competitive prices, it will be interesting to see how this move adds to the busy buy-side in the region.

Price-Cutter

TOKYO, JAPAN - Customers who are not a fan of fish finally have sushi options to fancy—fresh produce substitutes are making waves where, typically, seafood menu items once dominated with “vegan fish” from Tokyo-based food wholesaler Nishimoto. A tuna alternative that consists of tomato, soy sauce, sugar, water, and sesame oil, it has the texture similar to that of the familiar sushi item. The new—and branded—fish substitute is called Ahim.

Nishimoto formed a capital and business tie-up with Ocean Hugger Foods, the U.S.-based startup that was founded in 2015 and developed Ahimi. The company is launching the food option to attract customers in the U.S., as well as Europe, Southeast Asia, and Japan.

A total of 37 Nishimoto offices will sell the product all over the world—23 offices in North America and 14 offices in Europe and Asia, according to Nikkei Asian Review.

While Nishimoto has big plans for the fish-free sushi item—as it endeavors to expand sales throughout Europe and Southeast Asia and tap into the large vegan audience in those markets—Ahimi can already be found at Whole Foods Market and other U.S. supermarkets, as we previously reported. The company believes that the vegan fish option will become increasingly popular as more customers look for plant-based ingredients, and it might also be stepping into Japan’s market, where, the news source reports, the company expects growth in consumers’ health consciousness.

This is the first step in a series of developing products. Another item the company is looking to finalize is its eggplant alternative to eel, called Unami—OK, I’m officially ready for lunch at 10 in the morning PST…

This launch is looking to a rewarding venture, with the company shooting for 200 million yen, or about $1.83 million USD, in sales during its first fiscal year. It expects that to sky rocket to 1.5 billion yen, or $13.7 billion USD, within the next few years.

Swapping tuna for tomatoes and eel for eggplant—what’s next? How will we see fresh produce used to create healthier meal options, and will we be seeing these options on our local sushi spot’s menu anytime soon? AndNowUKnow will keep you updated with the latest.

VANCOUVER, CANADA - The one thing I can never get enough of is salad—it’s diverse, yet simple, and always a great choice. Taylor Farms is introducing three new chopped salads to its current line.

While in Vancouver for CPMA, I was able to catch up with Taylor Farms’ Kevin Silver, who is responsible for the company’s business development in Canada, and he filled me in on new varieties of the fan-favorite chopped salads.

“We launched these items just recently in the U.S., and we’re happy to bring them to Canada, as well,” he tells me. “Chopped salads have been a growing part of our business and continue to resonate well with consumers looking for quick meal solutions.”

The new products are Buffalo Ranch, Avocado Ranch, and Maple Bourbon Bacon, and they are an extension of the line that Kevin explains is a growing part of its business, as it resonates with those looking for healthy, quick meal options.

To hear more about how these options are amplifying the company’s currently successful line, check out the whole video above.

For more fresh produce industry news, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.

Taylor Farms

DUBLIN, CA - On the heels of this year’s successful CPMA event, our minds are all aflutter with exciting people to reach out to. A company that is stepping into the limelight is iTrade, a software company that makes transparency for the supply chain easy and reliable.

I stole a moment with Product Manager for Trace and Fresh Products, Trey Ruello and Customer Success Manager and Senior Systems Engineer for Trace Products, Jason Varni, who caught me up to speed with the company’s latest focus and what lies ahead for the booming industry interest.

“Within the U.S., Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) standards have been mostly set—there is essentially a base-level of what everyone within the industry wants to see. But that hasn’t been finalized in Canada yet. A lot of that discussion was around what that baseline should be, what should be included, what should be excluded, and what can be optional,” Trey says. “Another discussion that is ongoing—from PMA to CPMA—is about what the potential applications are for blockchain within the industry. There was much discussion about what blockchain is and how it is applicable to produce and traceability initiatives.”

There is much more on the horizon, too, with the potential for Canadian labeling requirements rumored to be in the works. After CPMA, though, the company is highlighting its efforts to provide traceability through its Transit software.

“The first solution that was released on the new version of our traceability platform is Transit, and it’s much more of a lightweight solution," Trey explains. "For customers within our industry, like Walmart, looking for palletized advanced shipment notices to be sent electronically when orders are loaded and ready to ship, via Transit they will know what is on that load, the critical traceability information for those products, and when it was shipped. Our service is designed to make the process as painless as possible.”

Transit’s success can be seen in the companies that use the program, regardless of size. From Walmart to small ma-and-pop shops, those who are using the program are finding that it works for their needs and makes transparency easier than ever to achieve, Trey tells me. The creation of this solution meets the needs of many suppliers in the industry, Jason adds.

“Something that our customers value is that iTrade, in the past, has taken its time to develop dependable solutions, and what we did this time is create a solution for customers’ needs quickly, from design to build and completed product,” Jason shares. “It’s been great to see how customers have been reacting to this option.”

The great results that Transit has seen in the past have led the company to think of new ways to implement strategies within other aspects of the supply chain, refreshing three offerings on its new traceability platform. Enter: Label, Item, and Load—three separate solutions that the company is launching this year.

“We rebuilt, from the ground up, our entire traceability solution offerings for our customers. It’s focused on three primary products: Label, Item, and Load,” Trey shares with me. “We’ve got the ability for users to use these offerings on existing company devices, rather than having to purchase something solely for our platform.”

The solutions, available via native app on both Android and iOS, assist with the following supply chain aspects:

• Label: PTI labeling solution and data capture tool
• Item: individual consumer unit-based traceability solution and consumer outreach
• Load: upgraded version of the functionality formally provided by our WMS tool which tracks the product from the cutting in the field to the customers’ coolers

The goal for these programs, Jason shares, is both back-to-the-basics in logic and nuanced in technological advances—what these programs provide is added functionality and enhanced, flexible workflows.

Both Label and Item will be available later this month, while customers will have to wait until July to dive into the ease that the new version of Load offers.

The company’s latest launches are a great reflection of the sturdy foundation that Transit and iTrade’s current industry-leading solutions have created, and, moving forward, there is more room to prop up the industry for unparalleled growth, intel, supply chain transparency and efficiency.

iTradeNetwork

SALINAS, CA - If you got this far into May and didn’t know it was National Strawberry Month, Naturipe Farms is here to remind you. The company announced that its strawberries are in peak supply, and it is making the most of this abundance by offering promotion opportunities at retail for the upcoming holidays.

“We are excited to be celebrating National Strawberry Month with record production for the month of May,” said Vinnie Lopes, Vice President of Sales – West Coast, in a press release. “Santa Maria is looking strong and Watsonville is here with a bountiful supply available now and expected to thrive through mid-fall.”

The company noted that due to this increase in supply, there are plenty of opportunities to promote strawberries in store. It recommended upsizing strawberry sales by offering 2 lb clamshells for Memorial Day, graduation parties, and summer events like picnics and cookouts.

“Naturipe is offering tools for retailers to promote the various peaks of seasons for strawberries,” added CarrieAnn Arias, Vice President of Marketing. “This is a great time to offer samples, build displays, and promote larger pack sizes, as consumers ramp up their summer activities!”

With organic demand and purchasing on the rise, production has significantly increased over prior years for Naturipe.

“Supplies are plentiful for both organic and conventional strawberries, with weekly promotable volumes available now,” stated Lopes.

Looking for the latest in upcoming retail promotions? Stick with us at AndNowUKnow.

Naturipe Farms

UNITED STATES - Brace yourselves; storms are a-coming! While the western United States faced record-breaking heat last week, the heat is shifting eastward into the southern Plains, Deep South, and Southeast this week, with Florida, in particular, expected to face tropical downpours.

“[Last] Friday should be the first day on which a few records may be threatened,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Ryan Adamson. “Cities such as Raleigh and Columbia, South Carolina; Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia; and Montgomery, Alabama, are likely to tie or break records on both days of the weekend. Widespread temperatures in the 90s will also be found farther west, with a few spots in western Texas possibly approaching 100 degrees on Friday and Saturday before the core of the heat shifts eastward.”

According to a report by AccuWeather, the sudden spike in temperature this May is shocking when compared to the below-average temperatures of this past April. However, AccuWeather reports the heat won’t be here to stay as a pocket of cooler air should move back into the Southeast and keep higher temperatures at bay once again.

Similarly, Florida only should have faced storms through the weekend.

“As a tropical disturbance meanders and moves slowly northward over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, rain and heavy downpours will increase from south to north over Florida spanning Saturday night into early next week,” said Adamson. “Rain will slowly push northward Saturday night, likely reach as far north as the Interstate 4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando by Sunday morning. In areas where it rains for most of the weekend into early next week, a general one to two inches of rain is likely with locally higher amounts possible.”

Currently, meteorologists are not expecting this storm, which could include thunderstorms, downpour, and possible flooding, to become the first named tropical entity of the year, according to an AccuWeather report. In fact, despite minor rain initially along the Florida Keys, most of the peninsula should have stayed dry until Saturday night, with the heaviest downpour moving into the northern parts of the peninsula and on to Georgia by Monday.

“Overall, this rainfall will be more beneficial than detrimental, as it will help to put a dent in the ongoing drought,” concluded Adamson.

How will crops fare in the latest round of weather? AndNowUKnow will continue to report as the storms roll in.