SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA - After more than 400 tests and four years of research, Cal Poly has developed a new method to prevent browning and reduce the growth of aerobic bacteria, yeasts, and molds as well.
Dr. Wyatt Brown and his team in Cal Poly’s Horticulture & Crop Science Department in the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences created a multi-functional formula as an alternative to current anti-browning methods that only focus on enhancing the aesthetic quality of fruits and vegetables.
Though the formula proved effective for various types of sliced fruits and vegetables, the researchers discovered that when applied to pre-cut Granny Smith and Fuji apples, the composition prevented browning and the growth of aerobic bacteria, yeasts, and molds for a minimum period of 21 days.
Cal Poly also states that special packaging is not required to utilize the formula. The formula also does not alter the nature of an organic, non-GMO, or GMO produce item.
The formula utilizes a combination of calcium ascorbate, calcium propionate, and calcium chloride to improve the shelf-life of fresh produce items.
Cal Poly was recently granted a United States patent in June 2015 (U.S. Patent Number 9,044,045) for the anti-browning/antimicrobial composition, according to a press release.
According to the patent, the desire to develop such a formula was motivated by a need for “new compositions and methods for preventing browning and microbial growth in food products with low cost and high effectiveness.”
Cal Poly is currently seeking licensees to commercialize the formula.
JAPAN - September is no longer what marks the coming autumn, Starbucks has seen to that. The coffee giant’s Pumpkin Spice Latte is as much a signal of the changing of the season as the colors of the leaves, but when it comes to this latest pumpkin-centric concoction is it just too much?
Great Ideas reports that Starbucks Japan has introduced a pumpkin sandwich, boiled kabocha to be exact, with lettuce, tomato, almonds, as well as a spread mixing honey, soy milk, and cream cheese.
Starbucks just recently shook up the PSL (pumpkin spice latte)-loving world with its addition of actual pumpkin within its popular latte, but this is a wholly different section of the menu. The report does state, however, that kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin frequently used in the nation’s cooking. Therefore, the item may not be as shocking to Japan’s consumers, and it’s unknown if this item will actually be brought to the U.S.
According to Great Ideas, the latest creation is going for a pretty reasonable sandwich price of $3.67 (440 yen), especially compared to the company’s usual treats like its Chicken BLT Salad Sandwich ($5.95) and its Roasted Tomato and Mozzarella Panini ($5.55). Add that to the fact that the company has a tendency to turn healthy, unconventional items into mainstream food demands, and perhaps this pumpkin will morph into Starbuck’s next seasonal signature.
For all the latest products within the industry, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.
MONTEREY, CA - The eat brighter!™ campaign continues to sweep the produce industry as it endeavors to reach millennials and their children to encourage healthy eating.
Sunkist's Manager for Advertising and Public Relations, Joan Wickham, discussed working with PMA and joining the eat brighter!™ movements.
“Sunkist does a family brand and pairs really well with Sesame Street, so for us this is a really easy pairing,” Joan told PMA TV.
Joan added that being one of the first companies to join the campaign caused a few nerves that working with PMA put at ease, suggesting that any company interested in participating in the brand should contact the association.
To see Joan’s full experience in working with PMA on Sunkist’s adoption of the eat brighter!™ concept, watch the short video below.
Mucci Farms also joined the movement, and Key Account Manager Nick Williams shared that Elmo and Big Bird have made a marked contribution on sales for the company.
“Sales have increased with seeing Elmo’s face on the front of any bag, seeing Big Bird’s face on a bag increases sales” Nick said, saying that these characters, and hopefully Cookie Monster, help to promote the company and its message to parents as they shop.
Nick’s full interview featuring eat brighter!™ on Mucci’s packaging can be seen below.
As we previously reported, PMA’s second quarter reflected an average incline upwards of three percent in sales from participants in eat brighter!™, with some reporting increases as high as 11 percent.
To learn more about the at brighter campaign, or to join the movement, you can go to www.pma.com/events.
CINCINNATI, OH - It's another executive shakeup for Kroger this year. The company has announced the appointment of four new Executive Vice Presidents to lead key lines of the company’s business.
Mike Donnelly has been named EVP of Merchandising, Chris Hjelm has been named EVP and CIO, Fred Morganthall has been named EVP of Retail Operations, and Mike Schlotman has been named EVP and CFO. Kroger also said that each new appointee has been assigned additional responsibilities to help streamline the company’s decision-making under this new organizational structure.
"Kroger is fortunate to have an exceptionally strong group of leaders across our company," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's Chairman and CEO. "Our entire senior leadership team brings unmatched depth and experience to achieve our goals. This new organizational structure will help Kroger achieve laser-focus to accelerate growth, improve our connection with customers and deliver value for shareholders."
Kroger also announced the retirement of Senior Vice President of Retail Divisions Geoff Covert, and the promotion of Sukanya Madlinger as his successor. Madlinger currently serves as the President of Kroger's Cincinnati/Dayton division. She will be subsequently succeeded by Tim Brown, who currently serves as President of Kroger's Delta division, based in Memphis. Brown's successor will be named at a later date.
"We have valued Geoff's insights and contributions to our manufacturing and retail operations teams. We thank Geoff for his many years of dedicated service to Kroger, and wish him and his family the very best in retirement,” McMullen continued. “Sukanya is an outstanding executive whose leadership has always reflected her passion for our associates and the customers we serve.”
This has been just the latest in a long list of executive restructuring this year. In June, Kroger named Fred Morganthall as SVP of Retail Divisions and Rod Antolock as President of Harris Teeter stores. Also in June, Kroger's President and COO Mike Ellis announced his retirement.
GUADALUPE, CA - Apio’s latest Eat Smart® salad kit is offering consumers a taste of Southwest flavor with a new generous superfood-packed blend.
Available this month in 10-ounce and 24-ounce bags, the Eat Smart® Southwest Vegetable Salad Kit combines savoy cabbage, red cabbage, radishes, carrots, and kale with crunchy corn, yellow and blue tortilla strips, cheddar cheese, and a chipotle ranch dressing for a fresh, gluten-free take on Southwest cuisine.
Anne Byerly, Vice President of Marketing, said in a press release that many consumers are looking for healthy eating options that are easy to integrate into their busy lives.
“This hearty, superfood-packed salad delivers an appealing taste experience that busy consumers can prepare in a snap,” she said.
Apio also offers several other popular salads in its gourmet line, including Sweet Kale, a gluten-free Wild Greens & Quinoa, and a Beets & Greens vegetable salad kit.
In an online survey of 7,500 purchasers of Eat Smart salad kits, conducted in April 2015, nine out of ten consumers who had tried one of Apio’s salad kits said they would buy it again, according to a press release.
“Our gourmet vegetable salads provide consumers with delicious, highly nutritious, restaurant-caliber salads that they probably wouldn’t have time to create from scratch,” Byerly continued. “The Southwest Vegetable Salad Kit gives them another good reason to keep coming back for more.”
Keep an eye out for this latest nutrient-rich salad kit from Apio. For the latest on the industry’s newest products, stick to AndNowUKnow.
SACRAMENTO, CA - It was go big or go home for Farm-to-Fork. The California-based initiative set out to beat the world’s largest donation of fruits and vegetables early yesterday morning, setting up camp just down from the Capitol Building at about 5 a.m.
The previous record stood at 25,000 pounds of produce, and that was what the organization was after.
Among many local groups to make a generous donation to both the cause and the record attempt was General Produce, who started off a “BIG day of donation” with 2,000 pounds of potatoes.
“Along the way, local purveyor Premier Mushrooms kicked in 300 pounds of mushrooms!” Linda Luka, Director of Marketing & Communications for General Produce, told me as the donations continued to come in. “We’re on a roll towards the 25,000 pound goal.”
Little did the company, or Farm-to-Fork, know just how well they would succeed in surpassing that goal. After about five hours, the organization transported thousands of fresh fruits and veggies to a Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services cold storage facility to be weighed for the count and stored for immediate distribution.
The tally took several hours, with a representative for the Guinness Book of World Records present to make the official announcement once the numbers were in.
And Farm-to-Fork did not meet its goal -- it shattered it.
“Today Sacramento region showed how amazing they are by donating 170,923.8 pounds to the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services!” the organization posted on Facebook. “Thank you for all of your support.”
170,923.8 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. That is a lot of fresh produce to be donated to local banks and families in need of healthy food.
"We are so incredibly grateful to the farmers, grocers, providers, and community members who came together yesterday to set this record," Farm-to-Fork Director Nicole Rogers tells me. "This food drive showcased what Farm-to-Fork is really all about, and that's all of us coming together to harness our incredible agricultural bounty and to share it with everyone. This spirit will continue throughout the month, culminating at the free Farm-to-Fork Festival on Capitol Mall on Sept. 26."
Congratulations to both Farm-to-Fork and the Sacramento community for making this mark in the Guinness World Records for the produce industry.
CARPINTERIA, CA - After sorting through hundreds of entries, Hollandia Produce has chosen the winners of its “A Better Butter Lettuce Recipe Contest,” a national retail and consumer-based campaign aimed at helping both consumers and retailers better understand the versatility of living butter lettuce as a staple recipe ingredient.
"The quality and creativity of these recipes submissions was overwhelming," said Renee Cooper, Marketing Manager for Hollandia Produce. "Choosing the winners was very tough. However, we believe the selected entries best represent the essence of our campaign and best showcase the quality of our produce."
Contestants competed for the $1,000 Grand Prize gift card to Williams-Sonoma and $150, $75, and $50 gift cards respectively for the First-, Second- and Third-Place honors in the categories of Salad/Side, Appetizer, and Main Course.
The Butter Lettuce Contest Winners include:
- Grand Prize:
- Suzanne Clark - Butter Lettuce Wrapped Crab and Halibut with Lettuce Butter Sauce
- Salad/Side Winners:
- First - Josee Lanzi - Deconstructed Salmon Sushi Roll Salad
- Second -Ben Diaz - Crisp Butter Lettuce with Honey Lime Vinaigrette, Bacon, Apples, and Wilted Spinach
- Third - Melanie Terwilliger - Butter Lettuce, Grilled Peach and Goat Cheese Salad with Cornbread Croutons and Fig Preserve Vinaigrette
- Appetizer/Starter Winners
- First - Naylet LaRochelle - Grilled Chicken and Nectarine Pinchos with Butter Lettuce and Cashew Pesto
- Second -Gloria Piantek - Italian Roast Beef Lettuce Wraps with Butter Lettuce Crunch Pesto
- Third - Pamela Braun - Stacked Butter Lettuce Salad with Pears and Taleggio Dressing
- Main Course Winners
- First - Lidia Haddadian - Butter Lettuce Herbed Quinoa & Sunny Side Up Bowls
- Second -Mary McShack - Butter Lettuce Pesto Bacon and Tomato Panini
- Third - Shauna Havey - Spicy Falafel Butter Lettuce Tacos
Hollandia Produce used social media, a contest microsite, and shipped its Live Gourmet® Living Butter Lettuce with a recipe label attached to each clamshell to promote the contest. Six original, chef-created butter lettuce recipes were rotated bi-monthly throughout the contest to show just how living butter lettuce can be prepared as anything from a salad, wrap, sandwich, and to a smoothie.
All of the award-winning recipes and many of the additional submissions will soon be available for download on www.hollandiaproduce.com while some will appear with creator commentary in upcoming blog posts. And coming soon, Hollandia Produce will host similar recipe contest that will feature its Living Upland Cress and Organic Watercress products.
DENVER, CO - On Chipotle’s menu for today? 4,000 new employees. The company has reportedly set up hiring events all across the United States with the goal of growing its workforce by almost 7% in just one day.
Yesterday, September 9th, from 8am to 11am, each Chipotle restaurant turned into a place where thousands took place in open interviews. According to the company’s most recent financial report, Chipotle plans to take its current portfolio of 1,800 locations to more than 2,000 throughout the remainder of 2015.
No experience is required to either apply or be hired. Chipotle’s press release for the event stipulates 13 characteristics that the company is searching for in a candidate. Employees should be “conscientious, respectful, hospitable, high-energy, infectiously enthusiastic, happy, presentable, smart, polite, motivated, ambitious, curious, and honest.”
New hires will be in entry-level positions that earn average pay of $10 an hour and get a 401(K), according to the company. Chipotle also began offering all employees access to paid vacations and tuition reimbursements in July.
PR Director for Chipotle, Chris Arnold, told CNNMoney that the average time an employee goes from entry-level crew to general manager is about 20 months. Arnold also emphasized the fact that Chipotle wants its employees to stick with Chipotle and move on to higher positions.
The typical career path within the company includes kitchen manager (with a company-wide average salary of $33,000 annually), service manager ($36,000), apprentice ($53,000) and general manager ($67,000).
Chipotle currently employs over 60,000 people and says it promoted over 10,000 employees into management roles over the last year.
BELLINGHAM, WA - Among other current changes, Haggen is now reportedly down to one CEO.
Amidst a $1 billion lawsuit with Albertsons and a new Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the Seattle Times also reports that it has parted ways with Pacific Southwest CEO Bill Shaner.
Other than stating that Shaner is no longer with the company, and that his last official work day was last Thursday, according to what a Haggen Spokesperson told the Seattle Times, the company has not officially commented on the former CEO’s departure.
For now, it appears the company will retain only its current CEO of the Pacific Northwest Division John Clougher.
Shaner was hired in December of last year for the Pacific Southwest Division of Haggen as it anticipated a huge expansion into two new states when it acquired 146 stores from Albertsons.
As we previously reported, the retail chain has since filed bankruptcy, obtaining commitments for up to $215 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing from existing lenders. In a press release announcing the move, as well as allegations listed in Haggen’s lawsuit filing, the chain claims that Albertsons failed to live up to good faith agreements that it would convert the locations in a timely manner, which “ultimately led to Haggen’s failure” and, eventually, the need for the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you up to date on this story as it develops further.
SALINAS, CA - Mann Packing is revamping its sales and marketing departments with the addition of Gabriel Gonzales and Kane Palacios.
As the new Data Systems Specialist for Sales Operations, Gonzales will be responsible for managing the company’s product registration process. He will leverage his prior sales planning, data analytics, systems management, and category management experience with Safeway in this new role, having previously managed several categories across the retailer’s entire business. He will report to Craig Grantham, Mann’s Director of Sales Operations.
Palacios, a Salinas native and recent graduate of Yale University, will concentrate his efforts on Mann’s social media channels as the company’s new Marketing Assistant. He will be responsible for assisting in packaging projects, website content management, marketing collateral materials, and provide general support to sales and marketing, according to a press release. Palacios will report to Kim St George, Director of Marketing and Communications.
These new additions will prove pivotal in helping to support the company’s growing business, and Mann Packing is confident that both Gonzales and Palacios will be successful in their roles.