CHINA - After a series of major food safety scandals, Chinese consumers, regulators and traders are growing increasingly concerned with the "grim" state of food safety in the country. Regulators and government officials have taken notice and are planning a series of measures to fix the situation.
This is important news for U.S. exporters who currently ship $111.8 billion worth of goods to China each year, according to November 2014 U.S. Census data. Agriculture exports, of course, make up a significant portion of these totals. In fact, according to the USDA, 20% of all U.S. farm exports go to China. The question has been raised as to whether an increase in consumer confidence in China's domestic market could have an impact on the volume of fresh food the country continues to demand from outside nations.
There is, however, broad agreement among regulators and interested parties that something must be done.
“The current situation in China with regards to food safety is weak at best, with insufficient regulation and monitoring systems that have been rocked by major scandals recently, including alleged tainted meat and baby food incidents,” explained AUSVEG Spokesperson Andrew White. According to a press release, AUSVEG is the leading horticultural body representing Australia’s 9,000 vegetable and potato growers.
"We must soberly recognize the current foundations of China's food and drug safety are still weak, with new and old risks together creating a grim situation," agreed a regulator with China's Food and Drug Administration.
Some good news on this front, however, is that help is on the way. According to Reuters, China will be strengthening up its “active” regulatory body in order to prevent future incidents. Recognizing that its resources have been overextended in the effort to keep up with the fastly growing economy and that the quality of its personnel, legal structures, management methods and food safety technology are insufficient, China's government is stepping up its efforts to fix the problem.
“We welcome the announcement by China’s food and drug regulator that they are looking into increasing ‘active’ regulation, but it is still worrying to us that these major lapses continue as China is one of Australia’s top vegetable importers,” White shared in light of this news.
The specific nature of these new regulations have yet to be disclosed. When further details do come to light, however, you can count on AndNowUKnow to keep you updated with the latest.
SOLEDAD, CA – Braga Fresh Family Farms is now offering organic iceberg and green onions as part of its Josie’s Organics line.
“We stay tuned-in to what our customers need. And because we’re a vertically integrated farming company that controls a lot of organic land, Braga Fresh is able to respond quickly, making new organic products available when the market isn’t meeting demand,” said Roger Zardo, Braga Fresh Director of Sales.
According to a press release, Josie’s Organics iceberg is available wrapped or naked, and the green onions are available in cello bags, iced and iceless. The iceberg wrap and the cello bags both feature the popular Josie’s Organics packaging design with its signature blue polka dots and friendly logo.
These two new products are just the latest to join the product line. As we previously reported, Braga Fresh added cauliflower to its Josie’s Organics line last month.
Aside from these new additions, the Josie’s Organics line also includes broccoli, celery, chard, kale and more with new products currently in trial.
GREENSBORO, NC - After over a half decade of service to the company, President and CEO Craig Carlock has parted ways with The Fresh Market.
“The Board and I would like to thank Craig for his many years of service and significant contributions to The Fresh Market,” shared Ray Berry, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors. “Under Craig’s leadership, the Company successfully transitioned from a private to a public company and experienced five consecutive years of increased sales and earnings. The Company is well positioned, both culturally and financially, for future success, and has a significant opportunity, through its unique and differentiated grocery shopping experience, to gain share in existing markets and expand into new markets.”
“I further believe meaningful opportunities exist to improve profit margins through both structural and operational initiatives.” he continued. “The Board is focused on identifying the right candidate to lead The Fresh Market through its next phases of growth, while providing opportunities for our employees and delivering greater value to our stockholders.”
Going forward, the company has hired a national executive search firm to help them identify and evaluate possible candidates for Carlock's position. In the mean time, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Sean Crane has been named Interim CEO.
“Sean is a strong executive and a proven leader, with significant experience and knowledge of the Company and its operations,” Berry said. “He has been instrumental in the development and execution of The Fresh Market’s growth strategies and a key player in its success. Sean has the Board’s full support to continue executing the Company’s growth strategies and initiatives.”
So far, The Fresh Market has not named any specific persons as candidates for this newly opened position. You can count on AndNowUKnow to keep you updated with the latest when news does break, however. Stay tuned.
YAKIMA, WA – Opal® apples are going out of this world...literally.
Last Saturday a shipment of Opal apples rocketed off to the International Space Station. This unique produce order resulted from a request by the Johnson Space Center to FirstFruits of Washington for some fresh fruit for its astronauts. Opal apple's growers immediately jumped onboard.
“This is a special honor, to be able to provide fresh apples to the crew members at the International Space Station,” said Ralph Broetje, Owner-Operator of Broetje Orchards. “When we got the request for apples we knew right away that we wanted to send Opal, the most special apple in our line-up.”
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the seventh Dragon spacecraft on the fifth operational cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station on January 10, 2015 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The flight is being conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. The astronauts received their apples on the morning of Monday, January 12th, 2015.
At NASA's request, Ralph and Cheryl Broetje, the Founders of Broetje Orchards and exclusive North American growers of Opal apples, included a personal note to accompany the cargo.
The astronauts will be limited to only one or two apples per crew member due the the extremely high cost of this type of deliver. After taking their first bite, however, I doubt the astronauts will mind.
According to a press release, Expedition 41 launched on September 25, 2014 with a crew of of three Russian cosmonauts, two NASA astronauts, and one member of the European Space Agency.
PORTERVILLE, CA – Homegrown Organic Farms is adding new Senior Account Manager Fred Berry to its sales team. He will begin his work with Homegrown by learning the company's system of operations after which he is expected to transition fully over to sales.
Homegrown's CEO Scott Mabs shared his excitement over having Berry onboard, explaining that he sees his years of experience in the produce industry as an important asset for the team.
“I’m excited to be joining the team at Homegrown,” Berry agreed. “Good things are happening in the organic industry and I’m thrilled I get to be a part of it all.”
According to a press release, Berry received his education at the University of California, Davis where he graduated with a B.S. degree in Agriculture Economics & Business Management. He was also a member of the California Agricultural Leadership Program – Class XX. His experience in the industry is diverse, having served at Mulholland Citrus as Director of Marketing and with the California Citrus Mutual and California Fresh Fruit Association.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to track the movers and shakers of the fresh produce industry.
DELTA, OH - Nature Fresh Farms™ is venturing into a new frontier – the States.
The company has announced plans to begin construction on a new 175-acre greenhouse facility in Delta, Ohio in the spring of 2015. Over the next seven years, the company will invest nearly $200 million to construct the facility. Nature Fresh Farms expects to grow and shipfresh produce year-round from the site, which is expected to be one of the largest produce greenhouses in Ohio. The first case of vegetables to be shipped is slated for December 2015, according to a press release.
“This is an exciting time for Nature Fresh Farms™ as we expand our operations to include a U.S. growing facility,” said Peter Quiring, President. “This development will allow us to better serve our Ohio customers with locally grown produce year-round and continue to grow our U.S. operations.”
The project will be completed in several phases, beginning with the construction of the first 15 acres of the facility. Each expansion will be staggered in six-month intervals. According to Toledo Blade, Nature Fresh will also construct a distribution center and packing facility.
The venture presents a number of exciting opportunities for Nature Fresh, which aims to employ 50 local employees at the greenhouse within the first year. The goal is to create up to 300 full-time jobs with total payroll expected to reach nearly $12 million annually by 2022.
Interestingly, Nature Fresh is currently exploring a first-of-its-kind partnership with Northstar/Bluescope Steel to utilize carbon dioxide and waste heat from their operations.
The Delta, Ohio site was chosen for its close proximity to the company’s headquarters, as well as to provide current and future customers easy access tofresh produce. Jobs-Ohio, the Regional Growth Partnership, the Fulton County Economic Development Corporation, York Township, and the Village of Delta partnered with Nature Fresh to find the optimal site for this expansion project.
“The proposed investment by Nature Fresh Farms™ is an exciting project for the York Township, the Village of Delta, and surrounding communities,” said Matt Gilroy, Executive Director of the Fulton County Economic Development Corporation. “We welcome Nature Fresh Farms™ to Fulton County and will work diligently to meet the company’s needs and complete the project successfully.”
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to track the development of this exciting expansion project.
OTTAWA, ON – Looking to boost produce consumption among Canadian consumers, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) is launching its Half Your Plate program onto produce packaging and into retail stores across Canada. The initiative encourages Canadians from all walks of life to eat more fruits and veggies through simple, practical steps. A successful launch on social media last summer paved the way for this recent rollout, which will include launch week events at:
- Vancouver, BC (January 13, 2015 – 3:00 – 4:00pm PST): Strathcona Community Centre, 601 Keefer St.
- Toronto, ON (January 15, 2015 – 6:00-9:00am EST): Ontario Food Terminal
- Montreal, QC (January 15, 2015, 10:00am-12:00pm): Metro Plus de la Montagne, 1230 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest
“We are hosting four events across Canada this week including a Twitter Party to introduce Canadians more broadly to Half Your Plate. It’s a great opportunity to get out there and really show people how easy it is to fill half their plate with fruits and veggies at every meal and snack,” shared Sam Silvestro, Chair, CPMA Marketing and Promotions Committee. “Now is the perfect time to introduce consumers to Half Your Plate - It’s a new year and a great time to start eating healthier, especially when it’s this easy!”
“Rather than having people count servings or worry about serving size, our messaging is that at every meal, make half your plate fruit and vegetables. By the end of the day, you’ll have your recommended number of servings,” agreed Ron Lemaire, President, CPMA. “That also translates when you’re at the grocery store. Half your cart should be fruit and veggies, and having retailers promote the campaign re-emphasizes the importance of making healthier choices at the store.”
Studies show that the average Canadian only eats 3.5-4.5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, according to a press release. This is well short of the 7-10 servings recommended by "Canada’s Food Guide."
Developed with the help of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Public Health Association, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Half Your Plate is looking to reverse this trend by encouraging consumers to take better habits one meal at a time. Breaking nutrition down onto a plate-by-plate basis can simplify complicated directions that are confusing to many.
Encouraging the consumption of more fruits and veggies is a great cause which industry professionals of all stripes can get behind. Great work on this campaign, CPMA!
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL - Clear Lam Packaging has been honored by the World Packaging Organization (WPO) with a WorldStar 2015 Packaging Award for the PrimaPak™ Packaging it developed for Fisher Party Peanuts. This is the third award PrimaPak™ has received in a global awards category, an achievement which Roman Forowycz, Chief Marketing Officer for Clear Lam Packaging, is understandably proud.
“Leading food processors like Fisher Nuts are looking to the latest innovations to support their sustainability goals and drive costs out of the manufacturing process,” he said. “We’re proud to be among the WorldStar award winners from the U.S. and we’d like to thank the judges for recognizing Clear Lam with this honor.”
According to a press release, PrimaPak™ is the industry’s first flexible, stackable and reclosable package produced from rollstock on a custom vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machine. Resembling a “pop-up” box, Clear Lam designed it to be a flexible, lightweight alternative to bulky rigid jars, blow-molded containers, injection-molded packages, composite cans, and select stand-up pouches. It does this by increasing cube utilization by at least 30%, boosting the efficiency of retail and shipping operations.
The growing demand for the PrimaPak™ System has pushed Clear Lam to invest in a new Chicago co-packing facility and innovation center. According to Clear Lam, the global market for sustainable packaging is expected to reach $244 billion by 2018. The company's new facility is aimed at assuring Clear Lam is ready for this market. Forowycz explained that the site will produce PrimaPak™ packaging for test markets, regional rollouts, seasonal items and nationally distributed products.
“Our company has made a significant investment in the PrimaPak™ System, including a new co-packing facility and innovation center near Chicago, providing our customers with an end-to-end packaging solution,” he shared.
Clear Lam has made sustainability advancements the focus of the last decade through its Project EarthClear™ initiative. The PrimaPak™ System helps meet these goals and with its success underscored by the WPO, it seems like a big win for the company.
Clear Lam will join other WorldStar award winners at a formal reception in Milan, Italy on May 19, 2015.
Congratulations on this impressive achievement, Clear Lam!
UNITED STATES - Could French Toast Crunch be the key to big gains for your marketing department?
New research suggests that the nostalgia marketing championed by General Mills with the relaunch of the '90s favorite French Toast Crunch could be the silver bullet for appealing to Millennial shoppers. Nostalgia marketing appeals to the memories and experiences of a consumer's youth, attempting to link today's brands with the fond feelings associated with the past. Could produce companies seize on these same techniques to boost sales? The answer may be yes.
Millennial shoppers overwhelmingly report a desire for “authenticity” from the brands they purchase, according to the Entrepreneur.
Millenials look for brands that are “authentic, that create a sense of purpose and that are wildly differentiated,” explained Jeff Fromm, President of FutureCast and co-author of 'Marketing to Millennial.' “At the core, brands are trying to, in many cases, create engagement with consumers, and this [nostalgia marketing] is an engagement hook for them.”
Nick Fereday, Executive Director and Senior Analyst of Food and Consumer Trends at Rabobank International, agrees that nostalgia is a promising weapon in making this connection.
"It's one of those standard things that companies like to play with every now and again to lure customers back to their products," he explained to NPR. "One of the challenges for the millennial generation is that it's a much more diverse group than generations before. So, for example, not everyone may know who the horoscope lady is...in a way that 40 or 50 years ago...everyone knew who the cartoon characters were."
While it may be a difficult technique to execute, a strong nostalgia campaign can associate a brand with some of a consumer's most cherished memories. There's a reason that people salivate even decades later when thinking back on Mom's apple pie. The memories we associate with events from our childhood are powerful things. The company which is able to make a mental bridge between these events and its own brand stands to reap big rewards at the retail aisle.
Stay tuned to ANUK for more marketing tips and analysis all year long.
SANTA PAULA, CA - Limoneira is partnering together with some of the world's leading nutritionists this January to launch the company's popular “Unleash the Natural Power of Lemons” campaign for 2015. As one of the healthiest products on the market, lemons have plenty to offer health conscious consumers and Limoneira will be working throughout the new year to help its retail partners communicate these benefits.
“After the holidays, everyone is working hard to get back in shape," shared Director of Marketing John Chamberlain. "Lemons are one of the healthiest items you can consume. Limoneira has partnered with leaders in nutrition that offer great suggestions on how to leader healthier lives."
What makes lemons so special? Among many health benefits, Limoneira explains how lemons can help balance the alkalinity of our bodies.
Some of the nutritionists Limoneira will be working with include:
- Bethany Duffield, Lima
- Christine Palumbo, Chicago
- Corinne Dobbas, San Francisco
- Jocelyn Black, Toronto
- Megan Roosevelt, Portland
- Minsoo Go, Seoul
- Dr. Roger Adams, Dallas/Houston
- Susan Dopart, Los Angeles
- Vilasi Venkatachalam, New York
Going forward, Limoneira will be sharing helpful nutrition tips with consumers through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram in order to encourage them to incorporate more lemons into their daily routine. In-store displays and signage are also available for all of Limoneira's retail partners in order to help them get the most out of this exciting campaign.
Great work on this project, Limoneira!