BELGIUM - TOMRA will be unveiling its new Modus potato size grader at INTERPOM | PRIMEURS in Kortrijk Xpo, Belgium, from November 23rd to 25th. A high volume optical food sorter, the Modus eliminates the need for mechanical grading while delivering throughput up to 45,000 kg/hour.
“There are limits to these mechanical food sorting processes, including that almost all mechanical sorters in use today only grade by width,” shared Jim Frost, Market Unit Manager, Whole Products Sorting at TOMRA Sorting Food. “To address this issue, TOMRA Sorting Food’s development team has designed the Modus which can sort washed potatoes by width and length, or a combination of both.”
“The sorting results are very impressive,” he continued. “The Modus is ultra-reliable, and very stable. Together with the long life illumination and the gentle high speed lift drop separator, which directs the potatoes into different grades, the Modus makes sure that our customers will benefit from accurate size grading.”
TOMRA offers the Modus as a standalone size grader or integrated with the Halo, Sentinel II or Titan for quality and size grading. Operating the Modus is simple and efficient, TOMRA shares. After alignment by a simple shaker and conveyor, a unique new TOMRA imaging module and electromagnetic diversion system is used to gently divert the potatoes of the selected sizes into three different exits, according to a press release.
TOMRA's new intuitive and user-friendly TOMRA user interface is also featured in the Modus. The new pulsed-LED sensor optics, proven on the Titan and Halo sorting platforms, is a key feature of the Modus, providing stability and accuracy on high volume whole potatoes.
“The new user interface makes settings for grading easy,” Frost explained. “Length and width ranges, or a combination of both, are set in a few simple steps using the touch screen. In addition, the screen allows customers to view live product data which can be saved for use at a later date for traceability or analysis purposes, for example.”
TOMRA will be showcasing the Modus next week at booth 110 at INTERPOM.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia honored Oppy Chairman, President and CEO John Anderson at the 17th annual Friend of Chile Awards Luncheon with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Benjamin Leavenworth, Consul of Chile, Rob Wonderling, President and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and Senator and Lieutenant Governor-elect Michael Stack were present to offer their congratulations to all honorees named at the Luncheon for a lifetime of charting new territory in international connections and business innovation between the U.S. and Chile.
“For nearly 40 years, Anderson’s finely-honed business instincts have left an indelible mark on a global industry, while building Oppy into a strong and successful produce marketing enterprise,” said Ricardo Maldonado, Executive Director of the Chamber.
Anderson was honored for his work in leading Oppy to its enviable position atop the North American Chilean stone fruit community. Oppy generates millions of dollars worth of business through its trade along the Delaware river.
Anderson has also been instrumental in improving the lives of the people living and working in Pennsylvania and was recently officially documented by Senator Stack for this important work.
Oppy currently operates through all four major facilities on the Delaware River: Holt Terminal in Gloucester City, New Jersey; Tioga Marine Terminal and Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in Philadelphia, and the Port of Wilmington, Delaware. Through these facilities, the company imports 4.5 to 5.0 million cartons of Chilean produce, including grapes, berries, cherries, citrus, kiwifruit and stone fruit.
This year, Anderson has also been honored with the 2014 BC CEO of the Year Award for a major private company. In 2013, he received the Dealmaker of the Year Award from the B.C. chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth.
Oppy has also recently been named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies since 2001, and has been part of its esteemed Platinum Club since 2008, according to a press release.
Congratulations on this latest honor, John Anderson!
VALENCIA, CA – Sunkist has developed a new video series to inspire consumers to be more creative this citrus season: the new Sunkist Citrus Hacks video series.
Joan Wickham, Sunkist Growers’ Advertising and Public Relations Manager, tells AndNowUKnow, “We’re excited to kick off Sunkist citrus season with the Sunkist Citrus Hack Video series. To generate excitement about winter citrus, we developed Sunkist Citrus Hacks to teach tips and tricks that can help make enjoying citrus easy and, of course, fun!”
The new video series leverages the popular “life hacks” format to showcase creative tips for peeling and serving Sunkist oranges, lemons and grapefruit.
Check out the Roll & Slice Peel hack in the video below:
To promote citrus consumption, Sunkist will be sharing the content with consumers through its social media channels and traditional media outreach as well as sharing the videos with its customers.
I'm excited to try out these hacks when I get home! Don’t miss the other videos in the Sunkist Citrus Hack Video series below:
The Easy Peel
The Easy Lemon Twist
The Bite-Sized Grapefruit
CALIFORNIA - California enjoyed some much needed rainfall this week, as the usual fall weather systems delivered a healthy dose of water to land across the state.
Although the week's weather will not have an impact on the drought as a whole, it has been encouraging news that the Sierra is already cold enough for snow to fall. According to the SF Gate, snow is currently expected between elevations of 5,500 feet and 7,000 feet. Temperatures on the mountain hit a low of 26 degrees on Sunday, and temperatures of 29 and 28 degrees are expected on Monday and Tuesday respectively. These snows are vital to rebuilding California's snowpack which has been severly diniminshed over the course of the drought. The weekend's snow on its own will not make a significant impact, but we can hope that it is the sign of better things to come from the approaching winter.
The industry hopes that the occurrence of a winter El Niño will also help to re-establish the California snowpack. Provided that cold weather on the mountaintop coincides with the rains El Nino could bring to California, it could give a much needed boost to snowfall on the mountain. While El Niño is expected to be weak this year if it does materilize, a probability which weather forcasters currently peg at 58%, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it could still do some good for California's agricultural community.
Regarding rainfall, the Bay Area was soaked in more than an inch of water on Wednesday. A second weather system brought more rain on Thursday and a third continued the trend on Friday. The SF Gate did note that while none of these systems are particularly strong, taken together they can add up. Rainfall was also experienced in the rest of California, including LA County, Sonoma County and Sacramento County.
“Any rain is not bad news,” said National Weather Service Forecaster Steve Anderson.
We can only hope that this latest California weather is the sign of more things to come. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more weather updates.
WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt Growers is tapping into the latest trend of blending and juicing with its new FreshBlenders™ product line.
Favorite sweet or tart Stemilt apples are packaged up into a resealable 5-pound grab-and-go value bag. The fruit inside each bag is ideal for blends. FreshBlenders™ can easily be promoted alongside other key smoothie and juice items, capitalizing on the value offering it provides to consumers who buy lots of fresh produce each week. Perfect for using at home in juice and smoothie recipe creations, this offering is sure to build impulse purchases and drive sales to your apple category.
If you’d like to see your product in this video segment, please send samples to 2020 L Street, Suite 320, Sacramento, CA 95811.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Obama unveiled his immigration reform plans to the country on Thursday night, announcing three new steps he will take to increase accountability. These actions include:
- Cracking down on illegal immigration at the border
- Additional resources for law enforcement personnel will increase the chances that anyone attempting to cross the border illegally will be caught and sent back
- Deporting felons, not families
- Only those who threaten national security and public safety will be deported
- Anyone suspected of terrorism, violent criminals, gang members, and recent border crossers are placed at the top of the deportation priority list
- Holding accountable certain undocumented immigrants by requiring they pass a background check and pay taxes
- Those who register with the government, have lived in the U.S. for more than five years, have children who are American citizens or illegal residents, have passed a criminal background check, and are willing to pay their fair share of taxes, may temporarily stay in the country without fear of deportation for three years at a time
- Legal status can be renewed, administration officials say, but this does not open the door to citizenship or allow access to federal health care benefits, according to ABC News
Administration officials also state that the President’s actions will extend legal status to “DREAMers,” or those who came to the U.S. at a young age, so long as they entered the country before January 1, 2010 and meet specific education and public safety criteria, regardless of how old they are today.
During his speech, Obama fired back at his critics, emphasizing that this plan is not amnesty. “What I’m describing is accountability,” he said. “A common sense, middle-ground approach. If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up.”
“The actions I’m taking are not only lawful, they’re the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican president and every single Democratic president for the past half century,” Obama continued.
Barry Bedwell, President of the California Fresh Fruit Association, tells AndNowUKnow, “While the President’s speech was correct on many valid and pertinent points, and was certainly heartfelt, the stark reality is that meaningful immigration reform must properly come from the legislative process as he eluded.”
Prior to the announcement Thursday, United Fresh issued a statement saying, “While this Executive Order may provide some minimal relief or help for agriculture, it doesn’t address any long-term solutions which can only be done through congressional action.”
Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western Growers, shared a similar sentiment, noting that agriculture must remain a top priority to achieve meaningful reform legislation. “The value of agricultural workers to our country’s economy and food production system must be recognized with a path to legal status that acknowledges their past service and ongoing importance to this industry.”
Several Republicans and Democrats have already questioned Obama’s actions, criticizing his move to bypass Congress.
In a statement, House Speaker John Boehner proclaimed, “The president has said before that ‘he’s not king’ and he’s ‘not an emperor,’ but he sure is acting like one. And he’s doing it at a time when the American people want nothing more than for us to work together.”
ABC News reports that Senator Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana, said, “I am as frustrated as anyone that Congress is not doing its job, but the President shouldn’t make such significant policy changes on his own.”
In response to congressional inaction on reform, Obama said, “And to those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill.”
Obama’s Immigration Accountability Executive Actions will benefit nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants, as well as “help secure the border and ensure that everyone plays by the same rule,” according to a press release issued by the White House.
Obama now plans to travel to Las Vegas on Friday to promote his plans for immigration reform. In closing, the President emphasized that “we are and always will be a nation of immigrants,” and also that scripture tells us, “We shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger. We were strangers once, too.”
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to track how these actions will affect the industry.
ESSEN, NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA - Aldi is currently mulling over the possibility of entering the potent Chinese retail market. According to Reuters, the German discount grocery chain is looking for new areas for growth outside of its traditional mature markets. With China still largely untapped by outside retail chains, the country must present a tantalizing possibility. Consultancy Planet Retail is reporting, however, that if Aldi does decide to expand into China, it does not expect the retailer to do so until 2018 at the earliest.
"Aldi thinks in decades rather than years, so the general conditions and the long-term outlook with higher single-digit growth rates in real terms look promising (in China)," said Matthias Queck, Research Director at Planet Retail.
The rumors began when the German monthly, Manager Magazin, reported that Aldi's controlling families had decided in February 2013 that it was worth looking into the possibility of Chinese expansion. In such a case, Aldi Sued would be responsible for entering the Chinese market while Aldi Nord would decide on two additional countries to enter afterward No time frame was specified, however.
Aldi Sued has not yet reached a decision regarding this possible venture, according to Reuters. If any decision is reached, however, you can count on AndNowUKnow to bring you the news. Stay tuned.
KINGSVILLE, ON - When it comes to corporate culture, Red Sun Farms knows a thing or two about setting the bar and taking its personal and professional achievements to the next level. The company was recently recognized as one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures for having a culture that has impacted its performance. 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures program.
“We know that success isn’t just about us as a company; it is about promoting the well-being of our industry as a whole. That care and concern is communicated all they way down to each individual at Red Sun. Creating and sustaining a corporate culture where the individual thrives as much as the company allows us a strong foundation to continually build upon,” Jim DiMenna, President and CEO of Red Sun Farms, tells me. “We also know that staying informed and giving our employees a voice in all aspects of the trade, keeps us on top of the game.”
The award was created by executive search firm Waterstone Human Capital to distinguish great workplaces where culture impacts performance. The winning organizations are selected by a panel of experts based on six measurement criteria, according to a press release:
- Vision and leadership
- Recruitment and hiring for fit
- Cultural alignment and measurement
- Retention, rewards and recognition
- Organizational performance
- Corporate social responsibility
“It’s all about the people here at Red Sun,” Jim notes. “Our culture allows us to run a good, solid company, which is translated into delivering a good, solid, quality product.”
Congratulations, Red Sun Farms!
IDAHO FALLS, ID – Potandon Produce is partnering with Personal Best Performance to sponsor the Idaho Falls Race to Feed the Hungry.
“Idaho Falls has been home to Potandon Produce since the company was founded. It’s a great place to work and we are honored to be part of a great event which truly helps local families,” said Ralph Schwartz, Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Innovation.
Every Thanksgiving Day, runners and walkers take time to join together as a community to raise awareness and money for the food bank.
The event, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, is the largest monetary contributor to the Idaho Falls Community Food Bank, according to a press release. Aside from sponsoring the event, Potandon Produce also makes a donation directly to the Idaho Falls Community Food Bank.
Earlier this month, Michael Hays from Personal Best Performance joined Tom the Turkey at the Potandon office for a check presentation and a meet and greet.
It is always great to see companies in the industry supporting a great cause!
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN – C.H. Robinson has partnered with Twin Cities NBC affiliate KARE 11 in order to hold its annual one-day food and fund drive, the KARE 11 Food Fight.
This unique, creative event pits KARE 11's four anchors, Belinda Jensen, Julie Nelson, Eric Perkins and Randy Shaver, against each other to see who can raise the most food to benefit Second Harvest Heartland, a foundation dedicated to fighting hunger in Minnesota.
“The Food Fight is a creative, fun, and festive way for local residents and companies to give back to their own community,” said Angie Freeman, Vice President of Human Resources at C.H. Robinson. “Each donation, large or small, allows us to take another step forward in preventing hunger, especially during the holiday season.”
As co-creators of the KARE 11 Food Fight, C.H. Robinson will both be providing vital staff for the fundraiser as well as transporting all donations to Second Harvest Heartland. In all, the company will be donating over 200 volunteer hours and more than 25,000 pounds of food for the event, according to a press release.
Preventing hunger and providing food assistance are top priorities of the C.H. Robinson Foundation, and the Food Fight has been a powerful force for good towards both of these goals. 2013's Food Fight raised more than 860,000 pounds of food and C.H. Robinson is looking forward to an equally strong showing this year.
From 7:30 am to 7:00 pm on Tuesday, November 25th, community members are encouraged to bring food or cash donations to drop-off locations at Whole Foods in Maple Grove, Byerly’s in Minnetonka, Cub Foods in Eagan, and Kowalski’s in Woodbury. Online donations can also be made through Second Harvest Heartland's website. C.H. Robinson and KARE 11 will be providing special guests and fun activities at each of the sites in order to encourage community participation. People can follow the events on Twitter through the hashtags: #KARE11FoodFight, #TeamBel, #TeamJulie, #TeamPerk, and #TeamRandy.
All donations from this event will go towards supporting Second Harvest Heartland, a foundation which supports over 530,000 individuals annually. For every 1.2 pounds of food donated, Second Harvest Heartland is able provide one meal to those Minnesotans experiencing the stress of hunger.
Great work on this important cause, C.H. Robinson!