WENATCHEE, WA - It is peak season for Piñata® Apples from Stemilt, and as we move through February, this signature variety is bringing flavor, differentiation, and a tropical twist to produce departments. Known for a unique flavor profile that presents a high-brix and high-acid eating experience with note of pineapple, the Piñata apple is making waves in the consumer basket and already creating excitement in 2017.
Brianna Shales, Communications Manager, joins me as Stemilt ramps up its Piñata program to share the latest and greatest about this exclusive and distinctive apple variety.
”Demand has been incredible for this apple, and also having a significant presence in both the conventional and organic segments has really helped the Piñata variety grow,” she tells me. “Last year, the variety was in over 6,000 supermarkets in the U.S alone, with a huge presence in Canada as well. Between display contests at retail and demos across produce departments, the Piñata is truly raising the bar on flavor and presentation.”
Presentation you ask? Yes, presentation. With growth across both conventional and organic Piñata apples, Brianna shares with me that Stemilt is offering retailers a host of merchandising solutions while segmenting the category into more opportunities to offer a range of buying options for different consumer groups.
“Stemilt offers our retail partners a bulk conventional apple display option to cater to those shoppers who want to buy just two Piñata apples or many. Bulk has remained a mainstay of the category with 66% of apples sold bulk,” Brianna says. “In addition we have a high-graphic display for our organic Piñata apples offered under Stemilt’s Artisan Organics program to differentiate between the options and create multiple destinations across the department.”
In addition this year, Stemilt is also offering its 3 lb. Lil Snappers® Piñata pouch bag program for kids in both organic and conventional – bringing smaller sized fruit for grab-and-go convenience. This program continues to sell very well due to the apple’s sweet and tart flavor profile which really gets kids and parents excited about the category.
And new this year is the 5 lb. Apple Lover standup vertical pouch bag for Piñata apples which also comes with its own high-graphic, display-ready carton. Retailers can put this carton on display separate from the bulk Piñatas as well, to create their own destination in the produce department and help drive those impulse sales.
“The Piñata is really unique since it is cultivated from a trio of heirloom apples – Golden Delicious, Cox’s Orange Pippin and Duchess of Oldenburg,” Brianna adds. “This parentage creates an apple that blends the right balance of sugars and acids, with a hint of pineapple flavor on the backend that brings that tropical taste we love to share with our customer and consumer base.”
With a crisp and juicy texture, as well as a perfectly thin skin for eating out-of-hand or cooking with– this apple is looking to bring versatility and value to the competitive apple category.
WATSONVILLE, CA – Premier mushroom provider Monterey Mushrooms has announced that it plans to participate in the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure conference held March 9-10 in Orlando, bringing the magic of produce to life and showcasing the ways in which mushrooms and protein can be combined to reinvent consumers’ favorite recipes.
The company will demo a new cooking method it calls "the blend"—mixing finely-chopped, sautéed mushrooms with cooked ground meat to create healthy versions of traditional protein offerings—suitable for making flavorful and nutritious versions of favorites like tacos.
“The blend is reinventing some of America’s favorite foods such as burgers and tacos,” said Lindsey Roberts, Marketing Specialist. “The blend is a mother’s secret weapon because it’s a subtle way to get more vegetables on your plate.”
The company intends to showcase its domestically-grown organic specialty mushroom package at the event, as well. Monterey Mushrooms will be showing king trumpet, beech, maitake, shiitake, oyster, and enoki mushroom varieties in an award-winning, sustainable package that includes graphics with usage ideas, facts, and simple how-to instructions. The package’s paper till is recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable.
“Interest in organic mushrooms is growing as is our ability to grow mushrooms organically,” said Mike O’Brien, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We are excited to expand this offering and introduce a variety of mushrooms to our customers nationwide.”
The Monterey Mushroom team present at Southern Exposure will consist of O’Brien, Sales Manager Leslie Block, Sales Manager and National Foodservice Sandy Malouff-Quintana, and Eastern Region Sales Director Mike Stephan.
Visit the company’s booth #318 at Southern Exposure to learn more about the company’s on-trend offerings and enjoy blended tacos with mango salsa.
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
According to a USDA press release, the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Sun Valley Enterprise Inc., operating out of Bakersfield, CA, for failing to pay a $7,888 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Gumecindo Ramirez, Rigoberto Sermeno and Everacdo Vargas were listed as the officers, directors, and/or major stockholders of the business.
- Tab Distributors Inc., doing business as Chicago Mushroom & Produce Co., operating out of Carol Stream, IL, for failing to pay a $60,517 award in favor of a Pennsylvania seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Thomas E. Gentile, Anthony T. Gentile and Baloinder S. Grewal were listed as the officers, directors, and/or major stockholders of the business.
- Magnolia Brand Produce Inc., operating out of Vardaman, MS, for failing to pay a $145,210 award in favor of a Mississippi seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Richard E. Bailey was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
The PACA Division, which is part of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA includes buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. Its experts also assisted more than 8,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $140 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
ROSEMONT, IL – US Foods’ fiscal year for 2016 has come to a close with its latest Q4, bringing with it five acquistions throughout the year, and reportings for the company’s first year after becoming public. With these considerations under its belt, the company came out with strong findings and increases across the board.
“Our Great Food. Made Easy. strategy drove our strong performance, resulting in increased case volumes and improved profitability,” stated CEO Pietro Satriano. “In our first year as a public company, we grew volumes with Independent Restaurant customers well above market rates and expanded profit margins in a challenging, deflationary environment. We also expanded both our broadline and specialty distribution capabilities through the successful integration of five acquisitions in the last year. Our focus on driving higher volumes with our targeted customers, expanding Gross profit, and reducing our operating costs resulted in full year Adjusted EBITDA above the high end of our guidance range.”
According to a press release, the company noted that during its fourth quarter, its net income increased to $87 million, with a 3.9% increase of its Adjusted EBITDA to $265 million. The company also saw a net sales decrease of 4.3% to $5.7 billion, and a gross profit decrease of 4.7% to $1.0 billion.
These findings contributed to US Foods’ fundamental measures marking improvement throughout the course of fiscal 2016. Notable aspects to the year-end report include the following, when compared to last year:
- Gross profit of $4.1 billion increased 1.0%
- Operating income increased from $224 million to $414 million
- Net income increased to $210 million
- Adjusted EBITDA increased 11.1% to $972 million
- Total case volume increased 1.4%
- Restaurant volume increased 4.7%
- Net sales decreased 0.9% to $22.9 billion
Highland Mirror noted that Wall Street estimated US Foods to hold a profit of $0.49 Earnings per Share when posting its results, US Foods reported an EPS of $0.53 beating that expectation. As of today at 10:25 a.m. (PST), the company reported a stock price of $27.65 per share, and a price-to-earning ratio of 29.91.
So, what strategies is the company looking to utilize for 2017, to keep up its momentous growth?
“Looking ahead to 2017, we will remain disciplined in our efforts to drive improved volumes and profitability and expect to deliver full year results in line with our mid-term guidance,” Satriano continued.
US Foods expects an Adjusted Diluted EPS to be between $1.26 and $1.40, with a net sales growth of 1-3%, and Adjusted EBITDA growth of 7-10%.
WENATCHEE, WA – With spring fast approaching, CMI Orchards has announced its latest retail promotions—featuring some of the freshest apple varieties on the market.
CMI’s Season of Flavor program includes Ambrosia™, KIKU®, Kanzi®, Jazz™, and Pacific Rose™. The promotion will kick off at the beginning of March, offering more than 2,000 participating retailers incentives and prizes for promoting the branded apples with event signage and in-store displays.
“The data reveals that retailers with the strongest performance in the overall apple category focus on extracting incremental sales by highlighting branded apples for their customers,” said Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing for CMI Orchards, in a press release. Lutz noted that national supermarket scan data results show that late-winter through early-spring is prime time for retailers to capture incremental sales with branded apples.
The Season of Flavor promotion, designed to help retailers take advantage of this short window of opportunity to boost category sales, offers retailers a turnkey program intended to encourage summer trialing in order to help capture bigger rings at the register.
“Supermarkets that can shift consumer purchases to higher priced apples simultaneously drive the average category transaction. Promoting club apples at this time of year just makes good financial sense for retailers,” added Lutz, also noting that most of the branded apples included in the promotion carry retail prices over $2.00 a pound.
In addition to custom incentives for retailers, and other promotions like produce manager display contests, CMI has created signage and point-of-sale materials to help retailers drive demand throughout the promotion.
Interested retailers can contact CMI Orchards.
For more on exciting promotional opportunities in the produce industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Fresh Solutions Network®, LLC is helping retailers and consumers celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the coming of spring with festive in-store promotions. The company announced today, February 16, that it will offer new free-standing, promotionally-themed merchandise displays and coordinating point-of-purchase signage for Side Delights® Potatoes.
“We are creating continued momentum of potato sales with our seasonal-themed promotions,” shared Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network. “A new generation of shoppers are embracing potatoes, and Side Delights® Potatoes offer convenient, healthy, tasty options that offer an endless variety of potential menu items for every holiday and season.”
Retailers looking to encourage potato sales in the lead up to St. Patrick’s Day, the “feast day” in honor of Ireland’s Patron Saint, can take advantage of the company’s new merchandising fixtures. The company noted that potatoes have a long and traditional association with the holiday—including a centuries old Irish-American custom in which gardeners planted potatoes in their garden to commemorate their admiration for Ireland’s staple crop prior to the Irish Potato Famine.
Side Delights® “Luck ‘o the potato” promotion will celebrate consumer’s favorite side dish by drawing them in-store and driving potato sales throughout the month of March, and QR codes will offer shoppers simple, classic Irish recipes for the food-focused holiday.
During April and Many, the company will roll out their “Taste of Spring” promotion, with bright, colorful potato graphics and a fresh, healthy Potato Spring Salad recipe. According to a press release, QR codes featured on in-store signage will take shoppers to this recipe and encourage repeat purchases.
As the company stated, potatoes are America’s favorite vegetables and research suggests that shoppers are on the lookout for creative recipe ideas to feature their choice spuds.
For more on innovative and timely promotional opportunities as we head into spring, check back in with us at AndNowUKnow.
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited Sandia Distributors Inc., Nogales, Arizona, for failure to pay for produce.
According to a USDA press release, The company failed to remit net proceeds totaling $1,769,070 to four growers for 527 lots of produce. This is in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). As a result of these actions, Sandia Distributors Inc. cannot operate in the produce industry until January 14, 2019, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license.
The USDA also stated that company’s principal, Raul Paez, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until January 14, 2018, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. Its experts also assisted more than 8,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $140 million.
ORLANDO, FL – Looking to bring family-focused healthy resources straight to consumers in-store, Produce for Kids (PFK) is celebrating its first anniversary of We Heart RDs kit by launching a new display contest. The campaign will run for retail dietitians through March.
“We’ve been receiving emails, tweets, and Instagram posts from retail registered dietitians and nutritionists showing how they are displaying the provided resource materials in the We Heart RDs kit in store,” said Trish James, Vice President, Produce for Kids. “We decided there was no better way to celebrate National Nutrition Month and the first anniversary of We Heart RDs than with an in-store display contest.”
The display contest will be held for retail dietitians who receive the free monthly We Heart RDs resource kit. According to a press release, retail dietitians can email photos of their displays or post them to social media through the hashtag #WeHeartRDs to enter for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship to attend a professional nutrition workshop or conference of their choice.
Participants can sign up by February 23 to receive the March kit and resources for the contest, and contest entries can be submitted through March 31. The program and new contest were designed to provide the growing number of retail dietitians with family-focused healthy resources, recipes, and activities for in-store use.
Retail dietitians can also download printable materials from the PFK website, in addition to signing up for the e-newsletter, which includes the following materials:
- Build Your Own series
- Activity sheets
- Nutritional Information
The monthly We Heart RDs kit is currently sent to more than 340 retail dietitians across more than 52 retailers in the U.S. and Canada. The kits contain a counter card for easy identification of currently in-season produce, recipes for those items, “I’m a healthy eater” stickers for kids, timely tips from PFKs team of blog contributors, and seasonal information from category boards.
Per each season, components switch out with each mailing and are based on current topics of interest. For instance, category boards who are participating in the We Heart RDs kit for National Nutrition Month include Avocados from Mexico, Colorado Potatoes, and Michigan Apples.
Submissions via email can be sent here.
UNITED STATES - Businesses have joined other large demographics across the nation in today’s “A Day Without Immigrants” movement–a protest meant to show immigrants’ role in U.S. operations.
Stores, restaurants, and various businesses across the nation are missing employees or have committed to closing completely for the day. One produce company anonymously reported to ANUK that 50% of its Florida staff were a no show.
Key California areas and growing communities ranging from Los Angeles, to Bakersfield, to the Bay Area, have also joined the wave. Several Salinas and Oxnard-based growers reported significant absences directly related to the protests, with one source sharing that as much as 40% of workers were missing today. Some Ventura County growers tell us that approximately 50% of harvesting employees boycotted work today.
On the other side, some growers we reached out to accross the U.S. reported that they had not been impacted at the time we seeked comment.
There is also a protest planned at San Francisco City Hall from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. PST, amongst many other protests in official locations and a noon protest planned at the White House.
Beyond coast-to-coast ag reports, the movement is being seen in major cities in Texas, Georgia, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.
Amongst businesses closing as part of the protests are buy-side operations like Dallas’ El Rancho Supermarkets and the Bay Area’s Gazzali’s Supermarkets, as well as foodservice operations like the Sweetgreen salad chain, which closed down 18 Washington stores today, according to various new sources.
“A Day Without Immigrants” comes after a succession of moves by President Trump’s administration to limit immigration, according to USA Today, including plans to build a border wall, install a temporary immigration ban on nationals from specific nations, boost patrol agents to curb illegal immigration, and pull federal funding from “sanctuary cities” that limit cooperation with immigration agents.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on this and other current events that could affect the produce industry.
PASADENA, CA - In our sun-soaked orchards, located in the ideal growing conditions of California's San Joaquin Valley, you'll find row after row of Vintage Sweets Heirloom Navel Oranges, grown only from carefully cultivated root stock.
Walking these old line groves, our field experts hand-select the fruit, testing it for peak sugar and perfect flavor right there in the cool shadows of the citrus belt.
Only when they're ready do we bring them to the packing house, where they are washed, carefully sorted, and packed by hand. Guided by precise quality control standards, we minimize the time it takes to get from our family farm to families across the country.
And though they don't see all the work behind the scenes, they know the Vintage Sweets Navel guarantees the deliciously sweet taste they love.
Vintage Sweets. Taste the Difference.