NOGALES, AZ - SunFed is continuing the company’s pioneering efforts to bring more flavor and versatility to the retail community, with the recent introduction of its Melonheads™ seedless watermelon program. This new program initially debuted during PMA Fresh Summit in Atlanta, GA and is currently available in both organic and conventional options under its Perfect Produce® portfolio.
“We have seen a great response, and an increase, in retail penetration,” COO Matt Mandel tells me. “Along with that positive response, we have also seen a positive uptick in sales. Melonheads started shipping this fall, with the first plantings coming from northern Sonora. With a diversified production base, Melonheads should be shipping year-round as the program evolves.”
SunFed has been growing great tasting watermelons for many years now, and the new look and branding complements the great eating experience of Melonheads™.
“The vibrant graphics only help the beautiful, sweet melons jump off the shelf. The retro-themed aesthetic is appealing to both kids and adults,” Brett Burdsal, Director of Marketing, says. “We feel our miniature watermelons are a premium product and wanted to find the best way to showcase the item’s attributes. Once we decided on the name ‘Melonheads™’ the graphics pretty much drew themselves.”
SunFed uses six different characters, allowing customers to choose/identify with their own melon. By sticking with SunFed’s theme of big, bright, pop colors, Melonheads™ help to diversify and draw on the consumer that eats with their eyes as much as their mouths.
Melonheads™ are packed loose (6, 8, 9, 11 and 12ct) and in 2-count mesh bags (four bags per box). They ship in a ready-to-display, high-graphic and eye-catching, full-color box.
Melonheads™ production will be concentrated in northwest Mexico but diversified across several growing locations.
MONTVALE, NJ – A&P has received bankruptcy court approval to sell its Food Emporium brand and related intellectual property to Key Food Stores Co-Operative Inc.
A report from the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday stated that Judge Robert D. Drain of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, NY, gave the green light to the $1.75 million sale, according to court documents. The deal includes the assumption of certain liabilities, Food Emporium trademarks, domain names, e-commerce business, and a mobile app, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Key Food was the only bidder for the property.
Founded in Brooklyn, NY in 1937, Key Food is a cooperative of independently owned supermarkets located across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The company acquired 23 former A&P locations at an auction held last October.
In October, it was also revealed that advisory firm Hilco Streambank began seeking interested buyers for a number of A&P’s brands and intellectual properties.
A&P declared bankruptcy for the second time this past July with approximately $2.3 billion in debts and $1.6 billion in assets.
As of October 2015, Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. operated 297 supermarkets and other stores under several brands, including A&P, Waldbaum’s, SuperFresh, Pathmark, Food Basics, Food Emporium, Best Cellars, and A&P Liquor.
More than 100 of the company’s stores have been sold. The rest, however, remain closed.
VALENCIA, CA – Sunkist is helping retailers prepare for peak mandarin season with multiple packaging and point-of-sale options to take advantage of the category's recent boost in sales.
IRI Worldwide data indicates that mandarins lead all citrus categories in dollar sales at retail and are up 17.3%, representing almost 37% of all citrus sales for the last year, according to a press release from Sunkist. Mandarins also lead in pound sales, up just over 19%.
Joan Wickham, Sunkist’s Manager of Advertising and Public Relations, said that the rise in popularity of mandarins follows along with consumer demand for healthy, convenient snacks.
“Easy to peel and high in Vitamin C, mandarins fit the bill for healthy snacking and they are also juicy, sweet, and delicious,” she said, noting that the item is also great as an ingredient.
In fact, the company says, mandarins are trending in foodservice channels. Operators are using mandarins in recipes ranging from adult beverages, salads, desserts, and seafood appetizers. Clementines have also shown a strong increase on menus, with a nearly 40% spike over the last year, driven mainly by increased use in beverages.
Sunkist provides retailers with a host of packaging and point-of-sale options to help educate consumers about specialty mandarin varieties. These materials go a long way in helping to drive sales.
“Providing flavor profiles, nutrition information, recipes, and usage tips encourages consumers to experiment and enjoy mandarins in multiple ways,” said Julie DeWolf, Sunkist’s Director of Retail Marketing.
Sunkist offers Satsuma, Clementine, Royal, W. Murcott, and Gold Nugget mandarin varieties from late October through June with multiple packaging options, including the Sunkist® Smiles brand.
MONTEREY, CA - PRO*ACT is teaming up with the United Fresh Association for the 9th consecutive year to sponsor the Produce Excellence in Foodservice Awards, and Director of Marketing Mary Wright-Rana took the time to share with us why foodservice is integral to the produce industry.
“We’re honored to be part of this since its inception,” Mary tells me, stating that it’s important to spread the word of these professionals throughout the U.S. and Canada. “The individuals for these awards in foodservice are the people that are making a difference in young kids' lives and also in our lives by making fruits and vegetables the focus of their center of the plate and by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables.”
Mary explained that it’s the foodservice professionals that set the trends and promote produce to consumers by preparing produce in certain ways that make them want to take them home to their families.
“Chefs and the foodservice professionals are the trendsetters. They’re the ones that are out there trying new things on menus, really focusing on putting more fruits and vegetables on the plates, and people try them in a restaurant and then they go home and reproduce them to their families,” Mary said.
Mary says that foodservice can serve the industry and promote the produce aisle for retail by showing consumers what to do with those items, as well as the push social media has provided with consumers sharing their plates with the internet.
Looking to the future, Mary shared that she believes trends in foodservice are going towards the expansion of local products.
“I think you’re going to see that from hydroponics where they’re growing on rooftops in New York, but also you’re seeing people taking warehouse space and putting in levels of greens that type of stuff in area where they can’t grow year around.”
To hear our full audio interview with Mary, listen to the brief recording at the top of the page.
PASADENA, CA – Cuties® is launching a new consumer marketing campaign that hopes to make kids sing “I Want Cuties!”
Sun Pacific, the grower behind Cuties®, has created a playful twist on the classic 80s tune “I Want Candy” in order to encourage kids to swap sweets for fresh fruit. The campaign was designed to encourage families to reach for Cuties instead to help curb kids’ cravings for sweets.
Victoria Nuevo-Celeste, Sun Pacific’s Vice President of Marketing, said that fruit is a naturally healthy way to curb an appetite for sweets because, along with sweetness, “fruit provides fiber to help you feel full, plus essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants,” she said.
“Cuties is America’s favorite fresh fruit brand and kids love them so much they ask for them by name,” she continued. “That makes Cuties the perfect fruit to offer kids in place of candy.”
The campaign will be featured across radio, billboards, digital advertising and content, social media, and deliveries of holiday “sweet swap” ideas to media and influencers. In addition, Cuties will also retailers with custom social media content, tool kits for registered dietitians, and other support to incorporate the campaign in stores.
An upcoming dance-along music video will debut during the holiday season, so don’t miss it!
EMERYVILLE, CA – Discount chain Grocery Outlet successfully acquired six vacant Fresh & Easy stores in California, according to bankruptcy documents.
The retailer bid on the stores last week, noting that the locations were a good fit for the brand. The stores are located in Orange, Rosemead, Long Beach, Downey, Whittier, and Sunnyvale, according to the Orange County Register.
Currently, Grocery Outlet’s footprint includes over 220 independently operated stores in California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Pennsylvania. The privately held company generates annual revenues exceeding $1.5 billion and employs approximately 1,000 people across the U.S.
In late October 2015, Fresh & Easy filed for bankruptcy again after it was unable to obtain financing and the liquidity necessary to continue to fund the business going forward. The company later began liquidating its assets with sales across the entire store, including fresh produce and other groceries.
The Orange County Register reports that it takes at least six months to remodel and select an owner/operator for each new store, depending on a site’s condition.
For more on Grocery Outlet’s expansion in California, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
WOODLAND, CA - Global food distributor Sysco Corporation has committed $250,000 to the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) over the next five years to assist its Campaign for Produce Safety, which looks to fund critically needed and actionable produce safety research.
"At Sysco, we recognize that we play an important role in supplying safe foodservice items to our customers," Rich Dachman, Sysco's Vice President of Produce, stated in a press release. "Our alignment with and support for the Center for Produce Safety affirms our commitment to continuously understand and improve the delivery of safe produce that consumers throughout the world can enjoy. It also reinforces our vision to be our customers' most valued trusted business partner."
As we previously reported, CPS set a goal in September of this year to raise $20 million, all to go towards research to improve the safety and practices of the industry.
"Sysco's participation in the Campaign exemplifies the breadth of the impact of CPS," Stephen Patricio, CPS's Chairman and head of the Campaign for Produce Safety, said in the release. "Consumers must have faith in the safety of fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts from field to fork. Sysco's support of CPS has been a strength since our inception, allowing engagement with the finest research scientists and universities around the world. We thank Sysco for their leadership."
Below is a list of all the contributors to the CPS’s Campaign for Produce Safety as of November 30, 2015:
- Contribution of 1,000,000+
- Produce Marketing Association*
- Taylor Farms*
- Contribution of $500,000 - $999,999
- California Fresh Fruit Association
- Dole
- Contribution of $250,000 - $499,999
- Agricola El Toro
- California Melon Research Board* & California Cantaloupe Advisory Board*
- Georgia Pacific*
- Sysco Corporation
- Tanimura & Antle*
- The Wonderful Company
- Contribution of $100,000 - $249,999
- GreenGate Fresh
- JV Smith Companies*
- Lipman Produce
- Pacific International Marketing
- Western Precooling Systems
- Church Brothers/True Leaf Farms
- Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
- International Paper*
- Castellini/Club Chef*
- Driscoll's*
- Florida Tomato Committee"
- Freshway Foods
- McEntire Produce, Inc.
- The Oppenheimer Group
- organicgirl
- Contribution up to $99,999
- Loblaw Companies Limited
- H-E-B*
- Martori Farms
- Mission Produce, Inc.
- Sunview Marketing International*
- California Tomato Farmers
- Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
- Monsanto Company*
- Pasquinelli Produce Company
- Rice Fruit Company
To become a contributor, contact Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, Executive Director, Center for Produce Safety at (530) 554-9706 or [email protected].
JACKSONVILLE, FL – Crowley Maritime Corporation is looking to meet the demands of peak shipping season in Central America and the Caribbean with the addition of 400 new refrigerated cargo containers to its equipment fleet.
“Putting these containers into service is part of our continued commitment to maintain the highest quality equipment for our customers just in time for the peak refrigerated shipping season,” said Steve Collar, Senior Vice President and General Manager, International Liner Services.
Each unit is a 40-foot high cube and is being delivered in Santo Tomas, Guatemala to accommodate Central America’s heavy northbound reefer season, according to a press release. The season is currently underway and will last through May 2016.
The containers are also equipped with Carrier’s high efficiency PrimeLINE® refrigeration units in order to boost efficiency and reliability.
“Our expert staff continuously evaluates our fleet for its ability to meet the customer’s needs,” Collar continued. “If there is room for improvement, Crowley does not hesitate to make the investment to ensure we have the right equipment in the right place at the right time.”
To date, the company has invested over a quarter of a billion dollars in new cargo equipment for its liner services fleet. This is just one more way Crowley hopes to better serve the needs of its perishables customers.
NEWARK, DE - Teens, celebrity icons, and produce powerhouses came together this past November 20, all in the name of celebrating fruits and vegetables, all while spreading the word about FNV. This sold-out FNV Live event at the Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA, was the perfect way to push the initiative’s goal to change how teens look at fruits and vegetables.
PMA is one of FNV’s top supporters, and CEO Bryan Silbermann, of course, was in attendance.
“I was blown away by what I saw that evening,” Silbermann said. “From beginning to end, there was an overflow of energy and engagement, and I saw the FNV campaign truly come to life. Teens were getting excited about fresh produce.”
Among the all-star attendees to the event included: U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, actress and businesswoman Jessica Alba, actress/singer-songwriter Jordin Sparks, and actress Gabrielle Union. Each guest thrilled the crowd with their appearances throughout the event, and “lent their star power to fruits and vegetables, sharing the love of fresh produce,” Silbermann shared.
Performances at FNV Live included Grammy-award-winning singers Ashanti and Estelle, who energized audiences and got them up on their feet, and soccer freestylers, Indi and Skye Cowie, who showcased their talents to demonstrate the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Social media stars Nash and Hayes Grier joined the sisters in an interactive challenge, tossing fruits and vegetables with their feet.
Jessica Alba was a speaker at the event, who reminded attendees of FNV live of teens’ influence, and urging everyone to join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #TeamFNV, and after thanking the audience for their help in launching FNV, First Lady Michelle Obama also urged everyone to join Team FNV to share the amazing power of fruits and vegetables.
According to a press release, the Partnership for a Healthier America’s FNV initiative aims to change how teens experience fruits and vegetables: to make fruits and vegetables more desirable—and seen as food teens want to eat versus food they have to eat.
With the turnout for this event, which was similar to a trending awards show than a produce campaign, it looks to be on its way.
AUSTRALIA - Sure you’ve maybe had a hard cider or a fruit beer or two, but have you had an Avocado Beer? If this sounds as amazing to you as it does to me, you might just want to catch a quick plane to the other side of the world—Australia.
An Australian brewery located just south of Perth has taken their local fruit, the avocado, and turned it into a beer thats getting rave reviews throughout the region.
This isn't the first fruit-flavored beer that owner and operator of Bush Shack Brewery, Danial Wind, has created either. A peek at the brewer’s menu reveals a Chili Beer, a Strawberry Blonde beer that uses real strawberries, and a Twisted Lemon Larger that uses real lemons.
Wind’s avocado experiment, however, came courtesy of his state's inaugural Avocado Festival last month. After receiving great reactions from his customers, a bigger batch was planned and the brewery received 161 avocados from a local grower.
"We've been going through a keg of it a week here," Wind explained to Australian news source ABC News. "Based on peer group pressure and public opinion we will be making more of it."
The avocados give a bitter and more subtle hoppy flavor to the beer, while also maintaining a smooth and creamy finish, but Wind says even with all the beer’s success, he still expects it to remain a niche product.
"I don't see it as being a beer that people would drink every day," Mr Wind said. "It is very full in flavour and most of your every-day beer drinkers prefer something a bit lighter in flavour."
Could this be your new favorite way to up your fruit intake? You might need to take a trip to Australia to find out.