OVIEDO, FL – Duda Farm Fresh Foods has a large variety of citrus items now available in promotable volumes nationwide for summer citrus categories as it kicks off its citrus import season.
“Seasonal weather has the potential to occasionally diminish growing conditions in the United States, which can affect a consumer’s ability to access fresh citrus fruit,” said Alberto Cuellar, Duda Farm Fresh Foods Director Global Business Development. Because of this, it is temporarily necessary to import fruits as a means of promoting healthy and happy living, and meeting the needs of American consumers, according to a press release.
“Consumer demand continues to grow for specialty items in citrus such as Meyer Lemons, Tangelos, and Cara Cara oranges,” said Paul Huckabay, Duda Farm Fresh Foods Western Citrus Sales Manager. “We have relationships with the best growers around the globe to provide the quality and taste experience that consumers want.”
This summer, grapefruit varieties, oranges and specialty fruits including Meyer lemons will be available from Florida, California, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay. This marks the first commercial season that the U.S. gained approval for import of citrus from Uruguay.
Duda will be supporting sales with an online sales kit that includes recipes and point-of-sale material.
KINGSVILLE, ON - Following up its latest “Best New Vegetable of 2014” win at United Fresh with SUNSET® Y.E.L.O.™ cocktail tomatoes, Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET® has once again been recognized at the 8th annual Greenhouse Competition in Leamington, Ontario.
This year, Mastronardi took home six first place awards including Best English Cucumber, Best Overall Tomato, and People’s Choice for Best Pepper with SUNSET® sweet bell peppers, according to a press release. SUNSET’s Seriously Sweet™ Zima™ tomatoes took top honors with Best Specialty Tomato and Best Overall Tomato.
“We’re very excited about the Greenhouse Competition results,” said CEO Paul Mastronardi. “Each year the contest gets bigger and better and we’re thrilled to have had such great success, especially with Zima™.”
The annual competition is hosted by R.E.A.C.H. International, a locally funded charitable organization, with proceeds going toward the funding of schools and clinics in Uganda.
“It’s been a great week,” continued Mastronardi, noting the wins at both United Fresh and the Greenhouse Competition. “We’re very proud and very thankful to be getting such incredible feedback from the industry and consumers alike. Zima™ and Y.E.L.O.™ are both great products with amazing color and flavor and have quickly become household favorites.”
Congratulations, Mastronardi!
LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO - Nature Fresh Farms received two awards at the 8th annual Greenhouse Competition in Leamington, Ontario. It won for Best Overall and Best Orange Bell in the Perfect Pepper category.
The Orange Bell is grown inside of Nature Fresh Farms' high tech greenhouses and is a new category to its 2014 lineup, according to the Nature Fresh website. It is USDA certified organic.
Nature Fresh has competed several times in the Perfect Pepper competition in recent years and won a number of awards, according to a press release.
Its greenhouse peppers and tomatoes are currently in full production.
Congratulations on the awards!
NOGALES, AZ – Wholesum Harvest President, Ricardo Crisantes, announced that Hannah La Luzerne has been appointed Sustainability Manager for the company.
“We are pleased to welcome Hannah to the Wholesum Harvest team,” said Crisantes. “She shares our company’s commitment to protect our land, air and water, and will work with us to make sure that the environment that we are leaving behind for our children and grandchildren is a healthy one.”
La Luzerne was previously a Sustainability Analyst for Dell Computers and will oversee Wholesum Harvest’s sustainability practices across the supply chain, according to a press release.
“At Wholesum Harvest, we believe it is our responsibility to leave the Earth better than we found it,” said Crisantes. “We pursue sustainability wherever we can. Hannah will work with our growers and operations staff to ensure that we are adhering to our high sustainability standards—protecting the Earth, minimizing waste, and using renewable energy when possible—while also protecting the health of our workers and providing our customers with safe, organic produce that is free of dangerous agrochemicals.”
Wholesum Harvest is committed to sustainable growing practices and environmentally friendly business operations and is a member of the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association.
Congratulations, Hannah!
LAKELAND, FL and AUSTIN, TX - We’ve examined why a Whole Foods and Publix deal might make sense, but it’s still one of the more bizarre rumors to come out so suddenly. Whole Foods’ shares saw a spike in heavy volume on June 5, and interest in options was triple the normal amount in early trading, according to options analytics firm Trade Alert, fueling unsubstantiated reports of the rumored acquisition.
Spokesmen from both Whole Foods and Publix have commented on the rumor, saying that they either don’t comment on rumors or that the rumors “have no merit.”
Additionally, Gavin Maguire, a senior analyst at Briefing.com, which provides financial commentary and analysis, claimed, “We see rumors like these 20 to 30 times a day, and very few of them end up coming to fruition. All the clues are there that this would kind of make sense. But you see this kind of activity all over the market, especially in a stock that got crushed.”
With that said, the Austin Business Journal gives three more reasons why the deal seems unlikely…
1) Acquisition history: Rather than buying entire chains, Publix has only bought a handful of stores such as the $500 million purchase of 49 Albertsons stores in Florida in 2008, or last year’s acquisition of seven Bi-Lo stores in Charlotte, North Carolina, Austin Business Journal reports. If a deal were to happen, it might be more likely to see Publix buy blocks of Whole Foods stores, especially those in the southeastern region of the U.S.
2) Geographic disparities: The majority of Publix stores are based in the Southeast U.S., with 1,077 supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Whole Foods, on the other hand, has approximately 383 stores across the U.S. and District of Columbia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Although Publix has been expanding outside Florida in recent years, analysts say it’s a bit of a stretch for the chain to broaden its scope nationwide with a Whole Foods acquisition, according to Herald Tribune. Publix has spent a considerable amount of time building a strong network of stores in Florida. For now, it seems unlikely that it will budge. These maps from Big Think show you how the two retailers compare geographically.
3) Strategy: Since 2011, Whole Foods has maintained a goal of 1,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada and has since expanded that goal to 1,200. Whole Foods CEO John Mackey said that while competition has accelerated, Whole Foods is still gaining market share. “We continue to differentiate. We continue to innovate. We continue to upgrade the experience that we’re giving our customers. We think it’s a good strategy and that’s why we’ve gone for the first time and laid out how we see the next five years happening,” said Mackey, according to Austin Business Journal.
Check out our previous articles on the rumored Whole Foods and Publix deal below...
Will Publix Acquire Whole Foods?
Three Reasons Why a Whole Foods-Publix Deal Makes Sense
What do you think about a Whole Foods-Publix deal? Let us know by voting in the survey below!
FOLSOM, CA – Technomic surveyed more than 300 foodservice professionals and found that customer interest in healthy dining options is pushing colorful fruits onto restaurant menus.
Though they are normally found in breakfast items, blueberries are showing up in dished served all throughout the day. They are reported as the third most-purchased fruit, trailing only strawberries and apples, according to a press release.
“We learned from a top 500 chain menu survey earlier this year that blueberry mentions on menus boomed 97 percent between 2007 and 2013,” says Mark Villata, executive director for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC). “Now, this usage and attitude study gives us insight into why. That is, what are the drivers influencing decision makers to increase their use of blueberries?”
When asked why they like using blueberries, the survey reports that chefs and operators say:
- Blueberries are a healthy option for customers (82 percent)
- Blueberries are low-labor and easy to use (82 percent)
- Blueberries give the entire operation a health halo (58 percent)
- Menu prices can be higher for items that include blueberries (42 percent)
“Blueberries are delicious, healthy and versatile, and add to our menu,” says David Goldstein, executive chef at Los Angeles-based Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill. “Our menu is loaded with fresh, healthy foods so when we put together our Harvest Quinoa Superfood Salad, we added dried blueberries. These days, I think customers expect to find blueberries in the healthiest options.” In addition, Sharky’s offers handmade, freshly prepared lemonades; one of their newest is Blueberry Mint made with fresh blueberries.
A survey conducted by Hebert Research in 2013 showed that 99% of Americans believe blueberries are healthy, according to a press release. With demand for healthy menu items increasing, it will be interesting to see what dishes start showing up on menus.
IDAHO FALLS, ID – Potandon Produce updated its Klondike Brands website making navigation easier and placing larger emphasis on potato recipes and preparation tips.
Since 2008, the Klondike Brands website has been Potandon’s main consumer website and has already gone through two earlier versions, according to a press release. In this update, the Home Page offerings have been moved above the fold for easier recognition, and the Store Locator has been made more prominent.
The recipe section has been revamped to cater to its growing database of recipes. The section has been reorganized in a way that includes specific preparation and cooking times and a more dynamic search feature.
The site now contains a 30 minute potato salad recipes sections, a preparation secrets section which will be constantly updated and a new Events/Blog area.
AVONDALE, PA - To-Jo Mushrooms announced today that Kevin Delaney has been hired as VP of Sales and Marketing, and Amy Steenrod has been appointed to Director of Human Resources.
Mr. Delaney’s responsibilities will include managing To-Jo’s national sales team and overseeing the marketing strategies for both the Fresh and Food Products Divisions of the company. Previously, he served as Director of Marketing at Procacci Brothers where he worked since 2007. Kevin also serves on the PMA Foundation Board of Directors, according to a press release.
“Kevin will give To-Jo a national perspective that further strengthens our competitive position in both the Foodservice and Retail segments of the industry. We are excited to have him on board as we continue to expand our business and develop new territories,” said President Anthony D’Amico.
Amy Steenrod was previously Sr. Human Resources Business Partner at Embraer Aircraft Holdings where she was an integral part in their three year run as one of “Florida’s Best Companies to Work For,” according to a press release. She brings 20 years of HR experience and a proven set of business practices.
“The addition of Amy to our senior leadership team will allow us foster our company’s core values, enabling To-Jo to become an employer of choice in the industry,” said D’Amico.
Congratulations, Kevin and Amy!
ROSEMONT, IL - US Foods plans to open a new distribution center in Seabrook, New Hampshire. This development will better serve its customers throughout the New England area.
“We are thrilled US Foods has selected Seabrook as the hub of its New England operations,” said Bill Manzi, Seabrook town manager. “We look forward to partnering with them on a major economic development project that will bring quality jobs and much needed tax revenue to the Town of Seabrook.”
Currently the company services its New England customer base from a center located in Peabody, MA. The facility there is approximately 188,000 square feet, and the new facility will be more than 500,000 square feet and include additional dry and cold storage, fleet fueling and maintenance areas, according to a press release.
“This new building will allow us to better serve our more than 2,000 customers throughout New England and operate from a more efficient and modern facility which will benefit the company, its customers and the nearly 300 employees in the Boston Division,” said John Glynn, President, Boston Division, US Foods.
US Foods is partnering with the ESI Group on the renovation of the new facility to make sure that it operates as efficiently as possible. Construction is planned to begin at the end of June with a tentative opening in the first quarter of 2015.
CHICAGO, IL - It is an exciting time in fresh produce, especially when it is your first time in Chicago! As the trade show portion of United Fresh Produce Association's annual convention and expo in Chicago wrapped up yesterday, attendees joined together to cast their votes throughout the show for fresh produce innovation and recognized this year's New Product Awards in five categories.
This year’s event represented 328 companies – a 15% growth in exhibitors over last year. Attendees matched San Diego numbers, which is over 4,500 attendees for the United Fresh show.
The award categories were competitive and brought some of the best of our industries innovations to the forefront of the industry. The category awards were delivered in the areas of Best New Food Safety Solution, Best New Fruit Product, Best New Packaging, Best New Packing/Processing Equipment, and Best New Vegetable Product. More than 40 fresh fruit and vegetable innovations competed in the showcase.
The 2014 New Product Award winners announced today are:
Best New Food Safety Solution: FoodLink Fresh - FoodLink
Best New Fruit Product: Crunch Pak with Marvel Apple Snacker, Crunch Pak
Best New Packaging Product: Josie’s Organics Romaine Hearts, Braga Fresh Family Farms
Best New Packing/Processing Equipment: STRAWBERRY CAPPER Mod. Frazer, Turatti S.R.L.
Best New Vegetable Product: Y.E.L.O., Mastronardi Produce/Sunset
"These winning products have been selected by United attendees as outstanding representations of the new approaches, ideas and processes that are driving the fresh fruit and vegetable industry forward, and we applaud them for their product development," said John Toner, United's vice president of convention & industry relations. "From its very beginnings, the United show has been the undisputed home of innovation for the produce industry, and these awards continue to showcase the best and brightest minds in the produce business."
The new products and solutions that graced the show are evidence of the leaps and bounds the industry is taking in innovation, partnerships and fresh concepts.
Other great highlights hits from the event were keynote addresses from Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw, who offered his insights on the future trends in the supermarket retail industry, while The Packer named Tony Freytag, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Crunch Pak Sliced Apples, as the company’s Person of the Year.
The Thursday evening festivities, brought together an amazing group of people for the Reception Honoring Women in Produce. While the reception honors all women working in the produce industry the event also recognizes one outstanding female industry leader. Teri Miller, Produce Category Manager, Delhaize America, received the award this year, presented by Lisa McNeece, Vice President, Foodservice and Industrial Sales, of Grimmway Enterprises Inc., who received the award in 2013. The room was complete with industry leaders, up-and-comers, both female and male.
The Fresh Marketplace Learning Center and FreshTech Learning Center on the show floor offered a variety of perspectives from our industry peers ranging from opportunities to drive produce sales at the school level and new fresh-cut equipment design developments, to food safety issues, restaurant trends and a Women in Produce panel to inspire the next generation of produce professionals.
Thanks again, United, for creating an atmosphere for promoting innovation, the sharing of ideas and fresh produce!
Stay tuned for an upcoming article on some of my United Fresh product favorites, almost too many to count.