AVONDALE, PA - A major talking point at PMA’s Foodservice Expo was the Mushroom Council’s blending campaign, and To-Jo Mushrooms was right there to support this push to bring produce even more into the spotlight.
Peter Wilder, Marketing Director, To-Jo Mushrooms took the time to tell us some of the new initiatives the company has taken as the mushroom category continues to rise.
“[The Blend] is a new way of mixing mushrooms with meat or a variety of proteins to make a better burger, make a better meatloaf,” Pete tells us.
Among the focal points the company was showcasing were its chopped mushrooms, a move Pete tells us is convenient for foodservice operators.
“It’s a way to bring flavor to the plate, and save money at the same time while getting all the nutritional benefits of mushrooms,” he said.
Pete also discussed To-Jo’s new Foraged Fresh program, an opportunity for foodservice distributors to get specialty mushrooms. “We offer them a weekly flier, and then we’ll ship out the product via FedEx direct to their distribution center.”
To see our entire interview with Pete, as well as the products and details discussed, watch the short video above.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The USDA has imposed sanctions on two produce businesses in Texas for failure to pay reparation awards issued under PACA.
According to a USDA press release, the following businesses and individuals are now restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Dallas-based Martinez Fresh Produce LLC, for failing to pay a $14,000 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Arturo Martinez Isguerra was listed as a member of the business.
- Lewisville-based Bartush Schnitzius Foods Company, for failing to pay a $45,076 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Wayne L. Musgrave and Jose M. Rubi were listed as the Officers, Directors, and/or major stockholders of the business.
The 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.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 4,250 PACA claims involving more than $77 million. Our experts also assisted more than 7,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $110 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
YERINGTON, NV - “Fight like a girl,” that’s the message that Peri & Sons Farms will be promoting between now and December. 2015 will be the sixth year for Peri & Sons Farms’ PINK Breast Cancer Awareness consumer onion packages.
“We intentionally kept the package style open, making it easily customizable to meet retailer’s needs. These bright, eye-catching bags can be packed with medium-sized white, yellow, red or sweet onions in 2lb, 3lb, 4lb or 5lb weights. We really want to get the packs into consumer’s hands, because we think the messaging is important, so pricing is moderate to keep retail prices attractive,” Jessica Peri, Retail Sales Manager, tells me.
These pink packs, filled with sweet or other onion varieties, are available at grocery stores across the nation and will include promotional packaging featuring consumer-engagement aspects such as a QR code that leads to a landing page.
“This landing page will feature free ‘longevity’ recipes expertly developed by cancer specialist and wellness cookbook author Rebecca Katz,” Director of Marketing and Consumer Relations, Teri Gibson, tells me. “Also on the package, consumers are invited to vote online for the charity that will receive Peri & Sons’ annual donation.”
Peri & Sons first introduced its pink promotion bags in 2010 in response to customers and retailers who were looking for a pink promotion to tie into the national campaign. The Boy & Girls Club of Mason Valley has been the charity nearest-and-dearest to the Peri family’s heart, but they also felt it was important to support the breast-cancer awareness movement within the entire produce industry.
“In our own little way, we wanted to heighten awareness for the wonderful research being done to find a cure for breast cancer, but we also wanted our message to be one of prevention through healthy eating habits. That theme, cooking and eating healthy food, is consistent throughout our marketing communications, whether to our customers or to our consumers,” Teri added.
Peri & Sons plans to continue promoting the message that eating well is the best form of healthcare, “If you can’t find time to eat healthy, there’s a very good chance you will eventually have to find time to treat illness.”
Donation recipients to date include National Breast Cancer Foundation, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and Susan G. Komen /Northern Nevada.
To thank consumers for taking the time to vote for a charity and engage with the promotion, Peri & Sons offers a free “PINK” magnet.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to rally for this cause across the industry.
VALENCIA, CA – Sunkist has made a number of organizational changes to welcome the upcoming citrus season.
Terri Mouton, former Director of Marketing at Frieda’s, is now joining Sunkist as its new Director of Varietal Sales, focusing on the mandarin, tangerine, and tangelo categories, according to a press release.
Heralded for her expertise in brand development, the cooperative felt confident that Mouton would be well equipped to oversee and grow the easy peel category.
“Terri understands the challenges of the produce market and has a proven track record in business development, sales, and marketing strategy,” said Kevin Fiori, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We are excited to have her onboard to help take Sunkist to the next level as we move forward with our mandarin business.”
The cooperative has also promoted two company veterans, Ray Mizutani and Jeff Gaston.
Mizutani, a four-year Sunkist employee, will assume the Director of Export Sales position that is currently being held by Dave Pott. Pott has announced his intention to retire by the end of the year after more than 30 years in the citrus industry and nearly 11 years at Sunkist.
“Dave has been a key contributor to Sunkist’s export sales division, managing relationships with importers and exporters,” Fiori said. “Working closely with Dave during his time at Sunkist, Ray has gained the respect of customers, the shipper community and his colleagues within our organization. We feel fortunate to have him leading the export team moving forward.”
Last, but not least, Jeff Gaston, a 16-year Sunkist employee, has been promoted to Director of Western Sales to oversee accounts in the Western region from the cooperative’s headquarters.
“Jeff has been an integral part of our sales team for many years, and we are pleased to be promoting him to a leadership position to focus on growth in the Western region,” said Fiori.
With these changes, Sunkist believes it is more than ready to tackle the upcoming citrus season.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Wal-Mart is reportedly looking to trim spending by cutting hundreds of headquarter positions.
Reuters reports that those close to the matter stated that fewer than 500 employees are expected to lose their jobs and an announcement could be made as early as tomorrow. Currently, there are more than 18,000 people employed at Wal-Mart’s headquarters. Due to this news not having yet been made public, Reuters' source requested to remain anonymous.
Local publication The City Wire has speculated about job cuts in recent weeks, according to the report, including a recent followup in which Vice President of Corporate Communications for Wal-Mart, Greg Hitt, said, “For any company of our size and scope it’s a natural course for us to review our management structure from time to time as we work toward better efficiencies and getting closer to our customers.”
Hitt did not comment on any scheduled cuts, nor did the retail chain comment on the situation to Reuters. There have also been an influx of Wal-Mart employee resumes to recruiting firms, according to the report, indicating some internal concern from employees.
Chief Executive Doug McMillon, as well as other top executives with the company, have an annual meeting scheduled later this month to discuss the current strategy with investors and analysts alike, so stay tuned.
DELTA, BC - Windset Farms® has announced the company will yet again be partnering with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, being an active member in both fundraising and supporting the race for the cure. Over the last 3 years, Windset has helped raise over $100,000 to the CBCF and says it hopes to continue its fundraising efforts.
“We want to do what we can to give back to our community,” says John Newell, COO of Windset Farms®. “As a produce company, we support proper nutrition and healthy lifestyles that can help reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases.”
Starting its fourth year of its partnership with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Windset Farms® will again be actively present with a company team at the CIBC Run for the Cure, held on Sunday, October 4th. The company will also be donating over 2500kg of its Concerto® Grape Tomatoes and Fresco® Mini Cucumbers for participants and supporters at every Run for the Cure site across British Columbia, according to a press release.
In addition to these important contributions, 10% of net proceeds from select Concerto® Grape Tomatoes packages will be donated to the CBCF for the entire month of October. Look for the Pink Ribbon labelled packages at participating local BC grocery outlets.
BENTONVILLE, AR - As of late, retailers are pushing further and further to tap into the consumer craze of online shopping on behalf of produce. From AmazonFresh to Instacart, strategies continue to search for the niche that will provide a faster, more efficient shopping experience to fresh, and Wal-Mart is the latest to join.
InvestorPlace reports that the retail giant has expanded its curbside pickup offerings to more than double its five pilot locations.
Eight more cities will now have curbside pickup available when grocery shopping online with Wal-Mart, including:
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Charlotte and Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Tucson, Arizona
- Colorado Springs
These new avenues in shopping that help promote on-demand grocery delivery are growing on the buy-side, but are they peaking on the consumer end?
“We’ve tested online grocery options – both pickup and delivery – in a handful of markets across the USA, and each time we’ve added a new city, our customers begin using the service faster than they did in the previous one,” Wal-Mart said on its blog, published Tuesday.
Available on the same day if the orders are placed by 10:00 a.m. local, the service is free for consumers who select a pickup time when placing their order online.
WENATCHEE, WA - The final results for the 2014 apple crop are in, and survey says… Consumer preferences are shifting from commodity apples to premium varietals.
According to Nielsen data provided by CMI, total apple volume sold at retail showed only a slight increase despite the record apple harvest last year. Only three apple varieties (Honeycrisp, Jazz Apples, and Ambrosia) in the top 10 generated year-over-year sales increases, all of which are premium varieties with an average retail over $2.00 per pound.
Honeycrisp and branded apples in particular showed strong dollar and volume growth, but Katherine Grove, CMI’s Marketing Specialist, explained that category sales have actually declined.
“Retailers that identified the opportunity to maximize performance of Honeycrisp, Ambrosia™, and some of the key emerging branded apples like Kanzi® and KIKU® probably had a pretty good year while their competitors lost market share,” she said.
For the completed apple season from September 1, 2014 to August 28, 2015, Nielsen data shows that total apple volume sold at retail increased by 1.9 percent. A decline of 3.9 percent in the average retail price caused overall apple category dollars to drop for the year by -2.0 percent, according to a press release.
Among the top five apples, only Honeycrisp showed an increase in dollar performance for the year, jumping 25 percent. A shift in consumer preference may explain the decline in performance for Red Delicious.
This data includes actual sales performance from approximately 19,000 supermarkets representing 67 percent of total U.S. supermarket sales.
Grove added that 2 lb. premium pouch bags had the strongest growth rate of all of the major packaged apple segments.
Overall, the top 5 apple varieties (Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith) drove 75 percent of total category sales for the year.
LEAMINGTON, ON - Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) is launching a new media campaign utilizing print and online channels to educate retailers, produce merchandisers and produce managers on proper merchandising and storage techniques for seedless cucumber.
Through a new website, goseedless.com, OGVG is providing tips and strategies to aid retailers in reducing shrink, increasing sales, and free up valuable cooler space. Tips are also available online for retailers and merchandisers for Ontario greenhouse grown tomatoes and peppers.
Fresh Tip #617 Fresh Tip #618 Fresh Tip # 619
“In a number of retailers in the United States, seedless cucumbers are often kept in the refrigerated sections of the produce department, often times under misters and in temperatures of 32 to 36°F,” Jacquie Trombley, Marketer Liaison Officer, for OGVG, tells me. “In Ontario, seedless cucumbers are kept at ambient temperature, typically next to or near tomatoes and peppers. If a store moves enough inventory, refrigeration on the floor is not necessary.”
Jacquie informs me that seedless cucumbers that are displayed within refrigerated sections should be kept between 50 and 60°F, without exposure to mist.
“Lower temperatures and exposure to moisture can create chill damage, early decay, and pitting, increasing overall shrink and decreasing overall sales potential,” she adds.
According to OGVG, the greenhouse vegetable sector is a power economic force contributing $1.4 billion to the Ontario economy. Over 70% of Ontario greenhouse produce is exported to the United States annually. In fact, OGVG growers and marketers are less than a one day drive to the majority of markets they serve in Canada and the United States. Ontario retailers report that across all banners seedless cucumbers are one of the top items in the produce department. Retailers also report huge incremental growth in mini and cocktail seedless cucumbers as a healthy snack alternative.
When it comes to trends, Jacquie has seen a strong push toward snacking and packaged products. Specialty produce like cocktail cucumbers, baby tomatoes, mini peppers have all been showing up on grocery store shelves.
“With consumers trending toward healthy snack alternatives, the smaller, ready-to-eat varieties are seeing a definite increase in the marketplace,” she notes.
The OGVG represents over 200 growers of greenhouse tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, on over 2500 acres spanning from Windsor to Niagara and as far north as Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The majority of Ontario greenhouses are family-owned and have been in existence for several generations.
“OGVG growers are real farm families – they are committed to, and passionate about, the quality of their produce,” Jacquie adds.
In 2015, OGVG licensed 35 marketers who are responsible for the selling and distribution of Ontario greenhouse products throughout North America. All OGVG marketers are FDA registered and bonded, ensuring on-time delivery of fresh produce to the U.S. with no unnecessary border delays and inspection problems.
The greenhouse vegetable sector is a powerful economic force in Ontario. The latest StatsCan numbers revealed farm gate sales for Ontario tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers were $783 million in 2013, a 15% increase from 2012.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - Grab your umbrellas, California! This Wednesday brought both cloudy skies and moderate showers to Northern California, with even more of the wet stuff predicted for today. Most of the moisture will be south of Sacramento in the Stockton, Modesto, foothills, and the higher country, but some will venture into the bay area and beyond into San Jose as well.
The National Weather Service (NWS) predicts that the approaching weather system will combine with moisture moving from the Southwest to generate showers Wednesday afternoon and into today.
The NWS expects rainfall amounts of a half-inch or more in the northern Sierra Nevada, while Sacramento could get a tenth to two-tenths of an inch of rain.
This won't be the end of Northern California’s wet weather either. Forecasters are predicting another weather system will drop down from the north on Saturday as well.
Even if your area of Northern California sees quite a bit of rain this week, don’t expect the drought to be behind us. This storm is not expected to put a substantial dent into the state’s water supply.
Reporting from our rainy Sacramento office, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to cover California’s weather and beyond.