SUMMERLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA - Several executive changes are being made to the leadership structure at Okanagan Specialty Fruits® (OSF). The supplier recently named Don Westcott as the new President. He is taking over from Neal Carter, who has transitioned to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Additionally, Sarah Evanega was named as the Vice President of External Relations.

"I am honored to step into the role of President of Okanagan Specialty Fruits. I recognize the magnitude of the responsibilities that come with this position. I cannot overstate my admiration and gratitude for Neal, his mentorship, and the groundbreaking legacy he has established," said Westcott. "I look forward to continuing collaboration with Neal and our entire team as we build upon the company's remarkable accomplishments and drive further expansion."

In addition to Wescott’s appointment, Evanega is entering a new role.

"I'm thrilled that my new role perfectly combines my passions—plant science innovation, access to healthy eating, and my commitment to fostering impactful connections," states Evanega. "I am honored to be working for such an innovative and forward-thinking company and am eager to engage with our stakeholders in a way that I hope will be instrumental to the vision and goals of OSF."

According to a press release, Evanega brings a Doctorate in Plant Biology and extensive experience in the food and agriculture biotechnology sectors, garnered through various leadership roles in the public and private sectors. Perhaps most notably, she was the founding Director of the Alliance for Science.

Evanega has also been recognized for her work through various awards in science, communications, education, and leadership. At OSF, she will spearhead all corporate relationships and serve as a leading voice in propelling the company toward unprecedented growth across North America.

Carter, who co-founded OSF in 1996 alongside his wife Louisa, will also transition to his new role.

"Don has been an invaluable member of the OSF leadership team since joining us in 2017," Carter explained. "With his extensive industry experience, proven track record of success, and deep alignment with OSF's mission and values, there is no one better suited to lead OSF into the future."

As CEO, Carter will leverage his expertise and OSF's scientific capabilities to explore new avenues, including developing OSF's new cider business, Endless Orchard.

Congratulations to these executives on their new roles!

OXNARD, CA - Staying ahead of the curve is part of Westfalia Fruit’s value proposition, and the global supplier is making good on that promise at this year’s Southeast Produce Council (SEPC) Southern Exposure event. Known as the Westfalia Difference, the company will highlight everything from its avocado ripening innovations to sourcing strategies and its 2024 initiatives.

“We’re dedicated to providing our retail partners with a 365-day supply of avocados, along with customizable ripening programs,” said Raina Nelson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Westfalia Fruit Marketing USA. “It is about aligning with our customers' needs, from a consistent and reliable source of fresh produce to solutions-driven support. As we celebrate 75 remarkable years in the avocado industry, we remain as committed as ever to our customers’ avocado category."

Westfalia Fruit Marketing USA offers high-quality avocados from five key countries of origin: United States, Peru, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. As a vertically integrated company, Westfalia Fruit manages the entire supply chain from farm to table to ensure the highest standards of quality and freshness of its products, a release explained.

The supplier also operates state-of-the-art packinghouses and storage facilities in Chile, Colombia, and Peru to focus on supplying premium avocados to global markets.

March marks the highly anticipated return of California-grown Hass avocados and the gourmet GEM® avocado variety, with peak volumes from April through June. Avocados sourced from Mexico will continue to see consistent supply year-round across all sizes and grades.

Colombia, known for its rich soils and optimal growing conditions, will offer a consistent supply of avocados from May through August. The Colombian avocado season is expected to peak at the 60s and smaller, promising promotable volumes of medium- and small-sized fruit. From the groves of Peru, the avocado season commences in July and extends through September.

“Our commitment to quality, innovation, and actionable sustainability has solidified our position as the preferred avocado supplier across the globe. Every aspect of Westfalia Fruit is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of excellence,” added Raina.

Make a stop at booth #611 at Southern Exposure to learn more.

UNITED STATES - Timing is essential, and access is everything. These words pool in my thoughts when I consider those formative years of a child’s diet—how they provide peak opportunities for impacting the habits, lifestyle, and lifetime of our peers, beginning at the earliest of developmental ages. Those leading the charge, including the USDA’s School Breakfast Program and The Foundation for Fresh Produce, are taking their commitments to creating healthier food options for today’s youth to the masses as the National School Breakfast Week, March 4-8, quickly approaches.

The USDA's School Breakfast Program ensures that children are able to begin their school day with a healthy breakfast. Why, you ask? It might seem obvious to us, but a healthy breakfast is linked to better academic performance, attendance, and graduation rates, as the foundation tells me.

Addressing the sugar concerns in today’s menus will be a large component of reaching our industry’s nutrition goals, as Mollie Van Lieu, Vice President of Nutrition and Health, Foundation for Fresh Produce, shares. Currently, breakfasts in schools follow nutrition standards based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), but a new rule proposed in 2023 will seek to revise the nutrition standards from DGA, including an added sugar limit.

“An added sugar reduction provides an opportunity to incorporate more fruits and vegetables, and to use them to help provide an overall boost of flavor. The new guidelines won't be an easy change for many schools, as Americans of all ages consume too many added sugars,” Mollie says. “American breakfasts in particular (even outside of schools) are often high in sugar—think sweetened grains like pancakes, cereal, and chocolate milk. In fact, the U.S. leads the world by far in our consumption of added sugars. As schools look for naturally occurring sweet items that appeal to children, this is an opportunity for fruits, and an opportunity to introduce new dishes that feature vegetables as well.”

Two phases to the newly proposed rule will roll out through 2028 to ensure no more than 10 percent of calories will be from added sugars. One study found most schools exceed DGA in both breakfast and lunch.

When we look at how excessive sugar intake is linked to weight gain, poor diet, dental problems, and heart disease, it's hard to turn away from such a cause.

So, I asked Andrew Marshall, Wholesaler-Distributor Relations and External Partnerships, how foodservice companies can build on this new advantage in partnership with the foundation and schools.

“Industry partners, such as foodservice distributors, can certainly work with school customers to consider dishes that incorporate fruits and vegetables, enabling them to offer foods with limited added sugars. Our recipes are certainly a good start, offering on-trend food items that can easily incorporate a variety of produce choices. The recipes feature kid-friendly items that include produce that many schools are already ordering or could easily request,” he says. “We encourage the International Fresh Produce Association’s distributor members to consider sharing the recipes with their school customers, or even speak with their school customers about how to share the recipes more broadly within the school community. Collaborating on new menu ideas can help to strengthen the relationship between school menu planners and their supplier partners.”

Speaking of collaboration, The Foundation for Fresh Produce partnered with Healthy School Recipes to develop fruit and veggie-forward recipes that would meet the new DGA limits. A win-win for both students and the industry.

“Companies that are interested in learning more about selling to schools and connecting with menu planners from some of the nation's largest school districts, should consider supporting IFPA's K-12 School Forum. This is a programming track at the Foodservice Conference, which brings together school nutrition leaders, providing an opportunity for them to discuss strategies for sourcing, serving, and promoting fresh fruits and vegetables to children at school,” Andrew continues.

With these conversations driving change and commitment in school breakfast platforms, rest assured that the upcoming National School Breakfast Week will be helping the country turn a corner and turn more toward fresh.

KINGSVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA - A major launch is about to rock the show floor at this year’s upcoming Southern Exposure. Mastronardi Produce® announced that it has launched a large-format, greenhouse-grown Romaine lettuce under its Backyard Farms® lettuce line.

“Our greenhouse-grown Romaine is a game-changing product in the lettuce category,” says Peppe Bonfiglio, Vice President of Sales. “We are the first greenhouse grower in North America to successfully cultivate a full and flavorful large-format Romaine. Large-format Romaine is particularly challenging to grow because it thrives under a narrow threshold of conditions. Our growers use a precise climate control system and monitor the heads multiple times a day to hone in on that perfect band of climate.”

According to a press release, Mastronardi Produce leverages state-of-the-art growing technology along with years of breeding and growing experience to produce its Backyard Farms lettuce line.

The greenhouse grower describes the Romaine heads as remarkably full in size and color with sweet and delicate leaves. Packaged in an elegant poly bag, the Romaine heads are offered in a resealable two-count and club format under the recognizable branding of Backyard Farms.

“Greenhouse-grown Romaine lettuce has been on the wish list of retailers for years,” adds Peppe. “We are offering a product that is comparable in size to field-grown Romaine but with all the perks of greenhouse-grown produce, including flavor, color, and consistency. We are excited to make our mark in this category the same way we have revolutionized tomatoes and berries.”

The Backyard Farms Romaine lettuce is already on shelves at select retailers. One of the additional benefits to the Backyard Farms brand is that it already has a loyal consumer base and long history of providing locally grown, fresh-from-the-vine tomatoes in Maine where “it’s always tomato season.” The brand launched its lettuce line in 2023 and now offers a portfolio of cut leafy greens that are washed and ready-to-eat.

Stop by booth #631 to see this Mastronardi Produce launch for yourself.

THIBODAUX, LA - With grocery delivery now integrated into many consumers’ weekly routines, platforms like DoorDash are expanding their capacity. Rouses Markets recently teamed up with DoorDash to make its groceries accessible to even more consumers on demand.

"Our commitment to our customers has always been centered around providing exceptional service,” says Donny Rouse, the Chief Executive Officer and grandson of Founder Anthony J. Rouse, Sr. “We hold the same expectation for the level of service, whether it's in our stores or online. DoorDash has a proven track record for timely and reliable deliveries. We can trust our customers will receive their orders promptly, ensuring the freshness and quality we’ve been known for since 1960.”

Rouses Markets spans 64 stores situated in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. According to a press release, Rouses Markets first introduced same-day delivery, app-based shopping to customers in 2018.

To celebrate the partnership, now through March 31, 2024, consumers can enjoy 20 percent off all eligible orders with a subtotal of $35+. In addition, all Rouses Markets stores will be available on DashPass, DoorDash’s membership program that offers members $0 delivery fees from thousands of restaurants, grocery, and convenience stores nationwide.

With over 150,000 non-restaurant stores available on the DoorDash Marketplace, the addition of Rouses Markets bolsters DoorDash’s growing selections in the grocery category as the platform evolves into a one-stop shop for all local commerce.

As the grocery delivery space continues to expand, keep clicking back to ANUK.

ITASCA, IL - Every part of the supply chain is vital from farm to shelf, and PECO Pallet is highlighting the efforts of trucking providers that ensure food is properly delivered. This year, the company has recognized two trucking companies for their exemplary performance through its inaugural Carrier of the Year award program, Venture Logistics and JIT-EX.

"Both of these service partners earned the highest evaluation scores for their respective categories, demonstrating consistently superior service and excellent customer support throughout the year," said Mike Greene, PECO's Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Transportation. "And while we congratulate Venture Logistics and JIT-EX on their award-winning 2023 performances, we also want to recognize the contributions of all the carriers in our network who support our customers and are an extension of PECO's quality and service commitment. They all play a key role in our shared success."

Venture Logistics of Indianapolis, Indiana, was named Linehaul Carrier of The Year, and JIT-EX of Memphis, Tennessee, was recognized as Dedicated Carrier of The Year, a release stated. PECO works annually with dozens of trucking firms, who provide time-definite transportation of its signature red pallets.

PECO's inaugural Carrier of the Year program objectively assesses carriers on key performance metrics, including equipment quality and availability, on-time performance, delivery updates, invoicing timeliness, safety, data quality, proactive communications, and overall customer support. Evaluation criteria also include cost-reduction initiatives, FMCSA CSA scores, and continuous improvement efforts.

Congratulations to Venture Logistics and JIT-EX on these honors!