READING, ENGLAND - There’s a new broccoli variety in town, and eating it could drop your cholesterol by quite a bit.
While not exactly new, as it has been in markets for a few years, it's definitely new-ish. And new-ish was enough to get the attention of the University of Reading.
The broccoli variety, currently being called Beneforté, was recently used in two independent studies run by the University of Reading in the United Kingdom that claim it can reduce blood LDL-cholesterol levels by as much as 6%.
Beneforté broccoli is the result of over 10 years of cross-pollination and selection, and combines the most desirable attributes of commercial broccoli and a wild broccoli variety found in southern Italy. This wild broccoli, related to the familiar broccoli we eat today, has a increased ability to produce phytonutrients such as glucoraphanin.
The key to Beneforté is that it was bred to contain two to three times more glucoraphanin, which is thought to help our bodies increase cellular metabolism.
According to a report provided by the University of Reading, researchers gave volunteers 400g of the high glucoraphanin broccoli per week. And after 12 weeks, LDL-cholesterol was lowered by an average of 6%.
With LDL cholesterol being a recognized as a risk factor for heart disease, any reduction could be seen as a victory.
Beneforté is already being sold in some supermarkets, so keep an eye-out for this next possible superfood.
SALINAS, CA - NewStar Fresh Foods welcomes Tim Meissner, the former VP of Sales and Marketing for Amerifresh. The company is also promoting Mark Solis and Antonio Ojeda to management positions.
Meissner’s over 16 years of experience in the produce supply chain will be a valuable asset as NewStar is seeking to grow its market share in the specialty vegetable arena. His responsibilities will include sales, business project strategy, new product line development, and brand marketing. Along with his work for Amerifresh, Meissner has also been COO of Southern Specialties, VP of Sales at River Ranch Fresh Foods, and Corporate Produce Manager at SUPERVALU.
John Killeen, VP of Sales for NewStar said, “Tim is a perfect fit for New Star’s strategic blueprint. His in depth knowledge of the business, from both a buying and selling perspective, coupled with his operational background will serve the company well as we aggressively grow our brand."
Meissner is a graduate of Montana State University with a degree in Business Marketing and Psychology and will work out of the Phoenix and Salinas offices.
Mark Solis’ promotion to Inside Sales Manager was also announced. Mark Solis has extensive experience in commodity management, transportation, and customer service and has previously worked for Tanimura & Antle, and Church Brothers.
Mark was most recently an Inside Sales Executive with NewStar, and the company says he has demonstrated the skill sets necessary to lead a highly focused team on providing our customers with the service levels necessary to insure their supply and needs. Mark will be responsible for the day to day sales activities within NewStar.
Antonio Ojeda was promoted to Commodity Group Manager. He will now have oversight on all commodity management processes throughout the company.
“Antonio has developed a strong relationship with all groups responsible for our program and works very closely with our great team in Mexico,” says Anthony Vasquez, VP Business Operations for NewStar.
These promotions are both newly created positions within the company, according to a press release.
SANTA MARIA, CA - Kalettes® will be presented at StarChefs.com’s Rising Stars Revue in Boston on April 15 through April 16, 2015. The curious kale and brussels sprouts hybrid will be highlighted in a private honorees dinner on the first night and a tasting gala, and approximately 500 people on the second night.
StarChefs.com is the award-winning restaurant industry trends magazine and its Rising Stars Revue showcases up-and-coming chefs and culinary professionals spearheading the American dining scene. These chefs and culinary professionals are recognized based on creativity, ambition, exquisite presentation and delicious food, according to a press release.
“We’re very excited to be at the Rising Stars Revue because it’s an opportunity for us to introduce Kalettes to foodservice industry professionals,” said Kraig Kuykendall, Sales Manager of Tozer Seeds America, the company behind Kalettes. “Our goal is to begin a dialogue and engage with these professionals who are at the forefront of the foodservice industry and influence food trends with consumers.”
Tozer Seeds has exclusive marketing agreements with select companies to grow and market Kalettes to create a consistent name and brand identity, which would allow consumers to easily recognize this new vegetable.
The companies who have entered into the marketing agreement include:
- 4Earth Farms
- Classic Salads
- Mann Packing
- Ocean Mist Farms
- Southern Specialties
- WP Rawl
Kalettes are the brainchild of more than a decade of research by Tozer Seeds. The hybrid veggie offers a fusion of both sweet and nutty, combining the most likable traits of each of its parent vegetables. Kalettes were developed by cross-pollinating brussels sprouts with kale through traditional methods, and are not genetically modified.
As part of the agreement, Kalettes seeds will be sold by Johnny’s Selected Seeds to small farmers and homegrowers.
Donald (Don) S. Perkins, pioneer of the dual grocery store-drugstore format and a cultivator of leaders, passed away in his home last week at the age of 88.
Don was the CEO of Jewel, now Jewel-Osco, for ten years, though he was with the company for almost 30 years. During that time he was involved in several acquisitions, including Osco Drug in 1961, Boston-based Star Market in 1964 and Pacific Northwest grocer Buttrey in 1966, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Strongly believing and promoting the idea of a marriage between grocery and drug stores, he oversaw the launch of the Jewel-owned convenience store chain White Hen Pantry, as well as the company’s 1980 acquisition of the Sav-on Drugs California pharmacy chain.
"That became a very powerful engine for Jewel," Richard G. Cline, former Jewel Chairman and CEO, said in the report. "The trade term was 'combo stores,' and it was a great strength of Jewel. It was a kind of convenience retailing where a consumer could get a lot done in one visit. There was a great degree of complementarity of people shopping for food and people shopping for merchandise — not only drugs and cosmetics but certain items and general merchandise and in particular, seasonal items."
According to Richard, Don’s other passion was people. In fact, he developed a bench of leaders who later went on to take top positions at various companies.
"Don had great faith in people and was willing to take risks with them and give them challenges to help them grow and move as far along as they could," Richard said.
Keeping his promise to only serve a decade as CEO, Don stepped down from his position with the company in 1980. Upon retiring, he explained to the Chicago Tribune:
"I get asked all the time, 'How can you leave Jewel and retire at this time?'” Don said back in 1983. "I could have stayed on until I was 65, but we would have lost a generation of management and spent too much time building good management. One of my favorite lines is: I can show you a company hurt more by someone staying too long than by someone staying too short."
And he did so much in the short time he stayed. During his time in the chair, Don oversaw several successful initiatives to push Jewel’s growth, including unit pricing and open dating of perishable items and helping the company to be the first grocer to offer generic foods.
Of course he couldn’t stay too still. After reaching the age for mandatory retirement on the boards of some large public companies he was serving, Don continued to dabble in business by serving on the advisory boards of a few smaller firms that had no age limits.
In 2008, Don co-wrote a memoir with his daughter entitled, "A Calm Temperament Expectant of Good." His first wife, Phyllis, passed in 1983. He is survived by his second wife, Jane; another daughter, Susan; a stepson, Frank Phillips; a stepdaughter, Elizabeth Phillips-Sorich; a brother, Bob; a sister, Joan Gerrard; seven grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
A memorial and celebration of his life will take place at 3 p.m. May 16 at Shoreacres, 1601 Shore Acres Road, Lake Bluff.
AndNowUKnow would like to offer our sincere condolences to Don’s family, friends, and all affected by this loss.
NEWARK, DE - If you have yet to include the PMA Foundation’s Women’s Fresh Perspective Conference on your calendars, you might want to bust out a pen and start rearranging your plans for this coming April 26 - 28.
While the conference aims to be a catalyst for the development and participation of women in the industry, you may still ask why you should send your female employees to San Diego for the last weekend of the month.
Executive Director for the PMA Foundation Margi Prueitt took the time to tell us.
“It’s easy to assume the conference is just something nice for women, but it’s important because women bring unique aspects to a leadership team, not better but different from what men bring,” Margi tells me. Referring to a longitudinal study published by McKinsey, which shows leadership teams with at least 30 percent of females have a higher return on investment than those with fewer women, she added, “Diversity of thought makes for better decisions.”
Margi, who was CEO of the Delmarva Peninsula American Red Cross for 20 years, along with numerous other executive roles before joining the PMA Foundation, expressed the importance of the Women’s Fresh Perspective Conference for the advantages it provides from a business aspect. The conference’s purpose is to reinforce and nurture women leaders, not just for the sake of gender, but for the bottom line. “Female minds combined with male minds at the table of leaders will enhance the performance of the business,” she emphasized.
So the question shifts from 'why would you send your female leaders' to 'why wouldn’t you?' Any business can benefit by diversifying its leadership team, and, according to the PMA Foundation, all levels of women can walk away with an enhanced skill set to boost the bottom line.
Margi also emphasized that while all the conference speakers were chosen not only for their speaking abilities, but also for their expertise applicable to specific educational tracks (offered educational sessions) so that women in every role of experience can walk away with improved skills.
“All our speakers are chosen for their ability to present content appropriate to women based on level of experience,” she tells me. “This program is unique and different from anything we or other industry activities do because it is built on competencies. We are growing leadership skills and providing insight and coaching on skills like strategic thinking, communication, building high performance teams, just to name a few. Our sessions are built so when a woman completes a session based off what she wanted to improve, she will walk out with competency for her leadership journey.”
The PMA Foundation’s Women’s Fresh Perspective Conference sets itself apart in another aspect as well; the networking possibilities for those who attend. The event has attendees from the full supply chain and several countries.
The PMA Foundation is especially excited about this because the expanded networking opportunities are in direct response to last years feedback calling for more networking and in-depth connectivity.
“We have a good representation of participation by retailers, along with more long-term and in depth networking,” Margi said, adding that the retail presence shows that the entire supply chain does feel women leaders are important.
The highlight of the three-day-long conference, in Margi’s opinion, is the attendance and opportunity to hear from the keynote speaker, Geena Davis.
“Geena Davis is our major highlight,” Margi tells me, detailing that Davis is a very active leader in gender issues. “She is quite the advocate for women in leadership and making it into those positions.”
While Davis is a very successful actor, she is also an accomplished world-class athlete, a member of the Mensa genius society, and founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media non-profit organization. With plenty to share on the latest research on how women leaders can reach their full potential and optimizing their success, Davis adds the finishing touch on an event current and up-and-coming female leaders won’t want to miss.
So mark your calendars, book your travel plans from April 26-28, and we’ll see you in San Diego, California.
LADERA RANCH, CA - After a rough January and February due to poor weather conditions in southern Mexico, melon volumes are healthy once again. I spoke with Steve Dabich, Dulcinea’s Vice President of Sales about the current melon market and what he believes will be the future of the crop.
“We started in south Mexico, which was a tough start due to rain and other weather conditions. The positive is we now have a healthy crop going in northern Mexico,”
Now with the company harvesting in Guaymas & Hermosillo and planning a domestic deal in Arizona around May 15, Dulcinea hopes to raise volumes by around 10% over prior year on the overall crop size, particularly of its Dulcinea Tuscan cantaloupe & Dulcinea Pureheart watermelons, he tells me.
“The highlight of this year for Dulcinea will be the production of our Dulcinea Tuscan cantaloupe. With conventional cantaloupe consumption down being down year over year, more retailers will be promoting Dulcinea Tuscans for the quality eating experience, consistent flavor high brix.”
Dabich says that the size of Dulcinea’s Personal size Pureheart watermelons “more taste less waste” has been a big selling point in recent years.
He tells me, “Demand is growing year over year for Dulcinea branded produce. More customers prefer a Dulcinea Pureheart vs a conventional full size watermelon. More convenient size helps especially in a smaller household.”
With demand growing and consumers clamoring to get ahold of Dulcinea’s smaller size melons, poor weather is hardly a concern for the melon grower.
FOWLER, CA - Bee Sweet Citrus is giving the children of Fowler a huge gift, and getting a massive dose of karma in return.
The company will present Valley Children’s Healthcare with a $1 million gift during a special employee celebration at its Fowler headquarters. It will help support Valley Children’s new outpatient specialty care center.
“Many of our employees live in Fowler and the neighboring communities, and for them to one day be able to take their kids to see a Valley Children’s specialist right down the street is wonderful,” says Jim Marderosian, President of Bee Sweet Citrus. “I think it’s great for Bee Sweet Citrus and its employees to support the children, parents and community around us with the high level of healthcare Valley Children’s provides. We are happy to be able to support Valley Children’s and look forward to welcoming our new neighbor.”
The employee celebration and check presentation took place yesterday on Wednesday, April 8.
“We thank Mr. Marderosian and Bee Sweet Citrus for making this most generous investment in Valley Children’s and our new center in Fowler,” says Todd Suntrapak, Valley Children’s President and CEO. “This donation will help us continue to improve access for Valley families and allow children get the specialized care they need – closer to home.”
In recognition of Bee Sweet's philanthropic investment in Valley Children’s partnership with Adventist Health/Central Valley Network, the pediatric service area within the Fowler facility will be named in honor of Bee Sweet Citrus.
Last year, Valley Children’s Healthcare and Adventist Health/Central Valley Network purchased property together on the east side of Freeway 99, near the Merced Avenue off-ramp in Fowler. The partnership brings together Valley Children’s expertise in pediatric care with Adventist Health’s expertise in rural and adult healthcare. The multimillion dollar development will improve access to high quality care for families living in rural areas.
Construction begins later this year and the specialty care center will open in 2016.
PORTERVILLE, CA - With double-digit growth in many of Homegrown Organic Farms’ national blueberry accounts, the company has kicked off its blueberry harvest at its southern San Joaquin Valley farms in California. Conditions brought on an earlier harvest this year and Homegrown is slated to transition up to its Central SJV farms as well, this week.
Homegrown’s Marketing Manager Cherie France; Scott Mabs, Chief Executive Officer, and Chad Hansen, Blueberry Category Manager spoke with me about the company’s outlook for the start of the season, how weather is playing a role, and the hot topics in the blueberry category.
“Our sustained warmer winter and shorter spring time weather patterns have contributed to another early start to the California time period as a whole. However, over the past few weeks as nighttime temperatures have cooled we expect to see a reduction in the projected early season volumes,” Cherie tells me.
Homegrown’s Oregon production is projected to begin earlier than normal as well, and California’s projections are pointing toward a more concentrated production peak during mid-May. The company expects to transition to its Oregon farms in late June/early July.
“This experience coupled with the projected earlier start date in Oregon will allow California’s production to flow nicely into the Oregon time period,” Cherie notes. “We’re anticipating another great season with our California and Oregon production.”
Along with Homegrown’s category growth, the company has seen and experienced an increased concern in social responsibility, including food safety, sustainability, and labor, across all fresh produce commodities.
Scott Mabs tells me, “We pride ourselves on the fact that we’ve always been a market leader when it comes to valuing these important issues. Our customers have come to recognize our practices as we continue to spend the time and effort affirming and directing these conversations and establishing our reputation.”
Homegrown achieves this through its Field and Farming Operations, Production Team, QC Team, Food Safety Team, and Marketing Department and telling Homegrown’s stories through the Committed to Caring program.
As berries continue to trend at the top of the snacking categories, Chad Hansen notes that, “Fresh organic blueberries are an extremely hot topic. This is driven by increased consumption, strong consumer demand, excellent industry innovation, sustained high quality, responsible marketing as well as many other contributing factors.”
Homegrown prides themselves on the company’s cutting edge blueberry varietal selection and as well as its high flavor and quality characteristics which not only offer premium shipping quality but high eating features as well.
SANTA PAULA, CA - What you can do when life hands you lemons has gone way past lemonade, and Limoneira intends to educate everyone on how during its Lemonicious Month.
According to John Chamberlain, Director of Marketing, the company is teaming up with Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantation to highlight the possibilities of citrus.
"Limoneira Company supplies us with such a beautiful crop and we are grateful for their partnership that has developed over the years of using their product," Susan Mille Hoffman, Vice President of Purchasing for Garden Fresh, said. “Their commitment to freshness fits perfect with our passion to serving our guest the freshest produce.”
Limoneira’s fresh produce will be featured in Souplantation’s Bleu Cheese & Spiced Pecan Lemon Salad, as well as its Tangy Lemon Muffins and Creamy Lemon and Asparagus Pasta. And any foodservice company or restaurant can tap in to this kind of Limoneira promotion, John tells me.
“Limoneira has an annual promotional calendar and we can customize promotions for our food service customers,” he said. “If our food service accounts are interested, they can contact their account reps and ask to be included Limoneira promotions.”
The promotion goes beyond the creative aspect of what can be done with lemons, table top cards will also be featured in the restaurants where the promotions are taking place.
This Lemonicious Month will continue through the end of April in any Souplantation or Sweet Tomatoes restaurant. While there anyone who indulges in a Limoneira lemon-featured menu item can be entered to win a new Apple iPad, as well as being featured in a video and press release distributed to thousands.
To qualify:
- Take a picture of your receipt.
- Log on and like Limoneira’s Facebook
- Upload your photo.
So remember, when life gives you lemons, you have many more options than lemonade.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The USDA has cited Nogales, AZ-based Al Harrison Company Distributors for failure to pay for produce.
The company failed to pay $690,537 to 12 sellers for 104 lots of produce in a violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. As a result, Al Harrison Company Distributors can no longer operate in the produce industry until March 24, 2017, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license.
The company’s principal, Brent Harrison, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until March 24, 2016, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond. Another company principal is currently challenging her responsibly connected status.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 4,250 PACA claims involving more than $77 million. USDA experts have also assisted more than 7,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $110 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without the approval of the USDA. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA.