IRVINE, CA – The California Avocado Commission (CAC) is extending its program promoting the use of California avocados at breakfast.
“Initiatives like our breakfast campaign are positioned to successfully expand usage of California avocados in support of overall category growth,” said Jan DeLyser, CAC Vice President of Marketing.
CAC will be offering retail support materials, media outreach and digital media promotions, according to a press release. Participating retailers have distributed a recipe booklet called “Wake up to Breakfast” featuring simple, produce-rich recipes and nutritional information by merchandising it with California avocado display bins.
The breakfast campaign began in 2013 and garnered 75,000 visits to a special California Avocados for Breakfast web page. This year’s breakfast web page went live on July 30 and features new recipes and tips, according to a press release. Click here to visit the site.
The program also includes a breakfast-themed email to 220,000 subscribing California avocado fans as well as original content on CAC’s The Scoop blog. CAC is also working with registered dietitians like Michelle Dudash and Bonnie Taub-Dix to share the good news about California avocado nutrition and the importance of eating breakfast.
Through Facebook, Instagram and Pinteres as well as SeriousEats.com, CAC is using new media to promote this cause.
The California Avocado Commission will continue to generate awareness about the versatility and uses of the California avocado.
BRAMPTON, ON – Galen G. Weston, Executive Chairman and President of Loblaw Companies Limited, has announced the appointment of Pavi Binning as a director to the Loblaw Companies Limited Board.
“I am pleased to welcome Pavi back to the Loblaw board," said Mr. Weston. "Pavi's experience and expertise developed over a career of executive management positions in large international companies, as well as his knowledge base in Canadian grocery retail, will complement and strengthen an extremely capable and robust board."
Mr. Binning currently serves as the President of George Weston Limited, and has been a Director of George Weston Limited since 2012, according to a press release. He joined George Weston Limited in 2010 as the Chief Financial Office after a year as a director of Loblaw Companies Limited.
Before joining Weston, Mr. Binning worked for Nortel Networks Corporation, where he held the role of CFO and then Chief Restructuring Officer. He has also held CFO positions at both Hanson plc and Marconi Corporation plc.
Congratulations on the appointment, Pavi!
Check out these 3 free smartphone apps that could give your productivity a big boost at the office.
This app bridges the gap between your smartphone, tablet, and PC, allowing you to seamlessly transition between all your devices while never missing a beat. With Pushbullet your phone notifications and incoming calls will display on your computer and you can send links and pictures between devices with just the click of a button. This means less time having to spend the time opening your email just to mail a link to yourself, and more time doing the work that matters.
Wunderlist is a great app for busy business managers and produce experts on the go. It lets you make to-do lists, organize different lists, and best of all share them with friends and co-workers. If you're a marketing manager drawing up a project for your sales team, you can easily make a weekly to-do list for your team and share it with all parties so that everyone is on the same page. You can even comment on lists shared with you, allowing for an online collaborative effort that few other free apps offer.
Evernote is consistently among the top productivity apps in the Google Play and iTunes stores because few other note-taking apps give you the customized organizational power it does. You can use Evernote to do everything from take notes, to clip web articles, to make work presentations and powerpoints. Have a big business meeting coming up? Evernote's keyword search function lets you search through all your notes and documents for any relevant information. Make a file, order your notes, and you'll be ready for any meeting your schedule can throw at you.
Check out more about what Evernote can do in the video below:
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The USDA has lifted PACA reparation sanctions on Sunny Fresh Citrus.
The Vero Beach, Florida-based company may now continue operating in the produce industry after applying for and receiving a PACA license. Robert K. Marinaro was listed as the sole proprietor of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee, according to a press release.
Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed that there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims filed under PACA involving more than $87 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.
BELLEVUE, WA - Salmon are getting some help from an unexpected source: fresh produce. Well, more specifically, Whooshh Innovations.
Whooshh developed a method of gently and quickly transporting fruit over long distances via a tube. From apples, to cucumbers and ripe tomatoes, these tubes can safely transport fruit across long distances without bruising.
Check out the video below showing how this technology works:
CNET reports that when the team discovered that hydroelectric dams were causing migrating salmon problems, they decided to adapt the tube to fish.
Salmon live difficult lives. They are born in fresh water and travel to the ocean to grow but must return back to the very spot they were born to lay their own spawn. This can mean traveling hundreds of miles and navigating obstacles like swimming up waterfalls and dams. Fish can lose their bearings and get injured or killed on the journey. This new innovation should help prevent that.
It works like a pneumatic tube. The salmon goes in one end, and the soft fabric of the tube forms a seal around the body of the fish, creating a vacuum that propels the fish through the tube at a speed of around 11 – 22 miles per hour, according to CNET.
The system has been tested at Kalama Falls, Columbia River Gorge and Roza Dam in Washington state so far, where the team have both manually fed fish into the tube and let the fish swim into it themselves -- which, the team said, they seem quite happy to do.
Check out the full video below of the Salmon Cannon in action:
Who would have thought that fresh produce and salmon could be such good friends?
BENTONVILLE, AR - The release of Wal-Mart U.S.'s Q2 financial report on Thursday marked the warehouse giant's 6th straight growthless quarter, disappointing investors in the retail market.
According to a press release, comparative sales were stagnant as were the comparative sales numbers for Sam's Club which, after subtracting fuel, were flat despite a 11.9% increase in membership income during the quarter. This led to a decrease in diluted earnings per share for continuing operations compared to last year, which fell from $1.23/share to $1.21/share.
While acknowledging the struggles Wal-Mart has faced over the last quarter, company President and CEO Doug McMillon struck a positive note.
“I’m pleased with our solid earnings per share performance,” he said. “As it relates to the positives from the quarter, I’m encouraged by the performance of our International business, our Neighborhood Market sales in the U.S. and by our e-commerce growth. As it relates to our challenges in the quarter, we wanted to see stronger comps in Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club, but both reported flat comp sales. Stronger sales in the U.S. businesses would’ve also helped our profit performance.”
“We see opportunities to improve in merchandising, pricing and store level service in our supercenters, and we are working to close those gaps,” added McMillon. “Our investments in e-commerce and mobile are very important, as the lines between digital and physical retail continue to blur. Our customers expect a seamless experience, and we’re working to deliver that for them around the world.”
According to Fortune, Wal-Mart is citing the rising cost of health care as the chief reason for these poor economic numbers as well as its decision to cut its forward looking guidance for the rest of the year to $4.90-5.15 earnings per share from continuing operations, compared to its earlier estimate of $5.10-5.45.
These numbers seem dreary, but I can see what could be the foundation for Wal-Mart U.S.'s turnaround in its Q2 report.
AndNowUKnow has previously covered Wal-Mart's expansion plans for its Neighborhood Market and Wal-Mart To Go locations. According to Wal-Mart's Q2 press release, comparative sales for these Neighborhood Market locations actually rose by a healthy 5.6%.
Perhaps these growth numbers are why Wal-Mart's stock has held steady despite the disappointing overall report, holding firm at $74.14/share, a 0.15% increase during Thursday morning's trading (as of 1pm EST on August 14th).
Whether the growth of its smaller store formats will prove to be Wal-Mart U.S.'s path back to overall company growth is a question for the future. It is however certainly a welcome sign.
ORLANDO, FL - The National Mango Board is hosting its free Mango Ripening Webinar on Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at 4 pm ET.
Mango importers, wholesalers, brokers, retail distribution center and quality assurance experts, buyers, category managers and merchandisers are all encouraged to attend to provide better quality mangos to their consumers.
The webinar will dive into Mango Handling & Ripening Protocol, as well as the best practices for mango handling at the retail level.
Reservations are required and space is limited. Click here to register to the free webinar.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two PACA violators in Florida and New Jersey have been restricted from operating in the produce industry, according to a USDA press release.
Manatee Logistics Inc., a Palmetto, FL based company, failed to pay a $5,600 award in favor of a North Carolina seller. Donald Croslyn was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
Watermelons Inc., a Howell NJ based company, failed to pay a $19,318 award in favor of a North Carolina seller. Charles F. Pagano was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims under the PACA involving more than $87 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed 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.
LEAMINGTON, ON - Mucci Farms has been named as a finalist for the 2014 PMA Impact Awards in Excellence in Packaging.
In total, 56 companies entered 67 products. 20 of those submissions have been selected as program finalists, according to a press release. Mucci Farms has three products that made it:
- The New Pint – Innovative Top-Seal/Re-Sealable Package
- Terreno™ Tomatoes – Custom Lidded TRAY
- cutecumbers™ Stand-up, Re-sealable Bag
“Packaging today needs to entice the consumer by jumping off the shelf with vibrant colors and graphics. Consumers need to be reassured they are making smart choices. Mucci Farms packaging demonstrates product usage, educates consumer with nutritional information and environmental benefits, reassures consumer with NON GMO certification logo and directs consumer to further resources with QR technology,” said Emily Murracas, Mucci Farms’ Marketing Director.
Mucci Farms will be at PMA FRESH SUMMIT in Anaheim at booth #4440 displaying these innovations and its full line up of new products.
GILROY, CA – 49er fans are gearing up for the start of football season and Christopher Ranch is ready to welcome them though a partnership with the new Levi's stadium which will make garlic fries made from Christopher Ranch Garlic a fixture on gameday.
“As a lifelong 49er’s fan and seasoned ticket holder, I am thrilled they have chosen Christopher Ranch garlic in various food items at the new stadium,” said Bill Christopher, Christopher Ranch's Owner and Managing Partner. “Using our fresh garlic on the new garlic fries is something I can’t wait to enjoy.”
According to a press release, Christopher Ranch will be supplying Levi Stadium' foodservice partner, Centerplate, with two kinds of high quality garlic: freshly peeled cloves and roasted garlic cloves. Centerplate's Gary J. Prell even toured the Ranch in order to shoot a promotional video for the partnership in which he talks about Levi Stadium's commitment to sourcing its products from local growers like Christopher Ranch.
I know I'll be certainly checking out those garlic fries come kickoff. After all, what could possibly be better than football and fresh, hot garlic fries?