ORANGE, CA - National Guacamole Day, which took place on September 16, was celebrated by consumers and industry members alike. Plus, with shoppers going in search of the perfect game day accompaniments, WHOLLY® GUACAMOLE is one brand that should be on your radar.

"For many football fans, chips and dips are non-negotiable for a great game day. The newest data from WHOLLY GUACAMOLE shows guacamole is the undisputed MVP," says Chris Monahan, Brand Manager. "But on game days, we also know that people want to spend more time with family and friends, and less time in the kitchen. WHOLLY GUACAMOLE gives fans a delicious, convenient, high-quality, pre-made dip with 100 percent Hass avocados and no preservatives added that's ready to go. With our convenient bowls and mini cups, you can skip the stress of preparing food and get straight to enjoying the game and the company."

In a survey of over 2,000 Americans conducted by Toluna on behalf of WHOLLY, the brand found that 86 percent of consumers feel that dips and chips are must-haves on game day, ranked higher than even soda and beer, at 78 percent. Guacamole reigns supreme as the highest-ranked dip on game day (23 percent) out of 9 dips (ranch, cheese dip, salsa, etc).

WHOLLY makes it easy for everyone to enjoy delicious, high-quality guac instantly, the company noted in an announcement. These pre-packaged, convenient products—in 2 oz minis, 7.5 oz bowls, or 15 oz bowls—have ingredients shoppers can actually pronounce, no added preservatives, and the goodness of hand-scooped avocados.

Other benefits from WHOLLY GUACAMOLE include:

• Guac = good stuff to put in your body. Forty-three percent say they’d choose plant-based or dairy-free snacks on game day for a more inclusive spread
• Thirty-two percent will ask someone to run to the store for more if they run out of their favorite dip on game day—it’s worth potentially even missing part of the game to grab their favorite dip like WHOLLY
• Over a fourth of Americans (27 percent) say the most stressful part about hosting a football party is the time it takes to prepare the food and snacks. WHOLLY is the convenient solution to day-of party planning. It's ready to go when consumers are—no slicing, mashing, or worrying about browning avocados

For all of these reasons and more, be sure to keep WHOLLY GUACAMOLE stocked during football season and beyond.

WATSONVILLE, CA - Monterey Mushrooms is excited to announce the nationwide expansion of its cutting-edge top seal packaging, following its successful debut at the company’s Madisonville, Texas farm. Building on the positive impacts seen in Texas, Monterey Mushrooms is extending this packaging solution to farms in Loudon, Tennessee; and Morgan Hill, California.

Monterey Mushrooms’ top seal packaging is made from rPET tills, crafted entirely from 100% post-consumer recycled materials. Utilizing NIR (near-infrared) colorant, these containers are recyclable—reinforcing the company’s ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility and reducing its carbon footprint.

Top seal packaging delivers several key benefits for retailers, consumers, and the environment:

• Enhanced on-shelf presentation for a superior shopping experience
• Added protection throughout the supply chain, ensuring mushrooms stay fresh and maintain optimal shelf life
• Reduced mounding above the tray, keeping mushrooms neatly contained and protected
• Improved code date legibility for shoppers and store associates
• Enables merchandising on “pusher” racks for more effective use of multi-deck produce cases
• More consistent label application for a professional look
• Added space to feature engaging graphics and messaging on our packaging, including health claims and nutrition facts

“An extensive study by the Mushroom Council to gauge consumer attitudes and behaviors related to fresh mushrooms found that adding nutrition labeling to mushroom packaging may help increase sales,” said Lindsey Occhipinti, Marketing Manager. "Details about vitamin D have the greatest influence. Mushrooms are packed with a powerful combination of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.” Showcasing these health benefits at the point of purchase is a key opportunity for growth in the mushroom category.

“By using black rPET tills with NIR colorant, we ensure our packages remain part of a circular economy while maintaining the unbeatable freshness and quality our customers expect,” Occhipinti added in the recent release.

This national rollout reflects Monterey Mushrooms’ dedication to innovation, customer satisfaction, and environmental stewardship.

MADRID - The latest edition of Fyffes biennial Sustainability Report, covering the period 2023 to 2024, highlights the global banana and fruit producers’ major sustainability advances despite global uncertainty.

With proactive responses to increasing environmental challenges, Fyffes has achieved and surpassed many of its sustainability targets.

Fyffes has advanced responsible water stewardship, by ensuring that 100% of its own operations are covered by a certified water management plan.

Turning to packaging, 99.6% is already recyclable, reusable, or compostable. Fyffes has also reached its food loss target by repurposing 80% of post-harvest food waste.

Fyffes has also well surpassed its goal of donating five million healthy meals to vulnerable communities, reaching a number of over 27 million meals to date. The achievement of this target means even more in the current global cost-of-living crisis where the demand for foodbanks has increased exponentially.

Fyffes takes a proactive approach to climate change, last year undertaking a comprehensive, independent climate change risk assessment to better understand the current and future impacts of climate change on its growing regions. This assessment confirmed Fyffes’ experience that Fyffes own farms, and those of their growers, are already facing some of the most severe impacts of climate change, including more frequent tropical storms, increased rainfall and heat, and a rise in pests and fungal outbreaks. Fyffes is responding proactively by investing in innovative mitigation and resilience measures.

Fyffes reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions in CO2 eq./kg of fruit harvested by 12.05%, driven by initiatives such as switching to lower-nitrogen fertilisers and modernising its agrochemicals application equipment, and is determined to achieve its Science Based Target initiative (SBTi)-endorsed greenhouse gas reduction target for Scope 1 and 2.
Fyffes has also trained 100% of its employees on human rights and has introduced human rights training for suppliers. The producer has also conducted independent Human Rights Impact Assessments at supplier sites in Costa Rica and at Fyffes-owned farms in Belize.,

Speaking at the launch of the report today CEO Helge Sparsoe said in a recent release, “At a time of significant global uncertainty and with climate change severely impacting growing conditions, I am extremely proud of what our team has achieved through innovative approaches and lateral thinking. We are at the forefront of sustainability in our sector, always at the ready for our customers current and future sustainable and ethical supply chain requirements. Despite these challenges and the increasing regulatory differences in sustainability policy in consumer markets, we are steadfast in our commitment to Shaping Wellbeing for the World, both for people and planet.”

The current sustainability targets, which span the decade 2020 – 2030, were conceived in 2019/2020 when embedding sustainable and ethical performance into everything Fyffes does was established as a core value and strategy.

The latest report, which covers activity in years 2023/2024, reports on what Helge Sparsoe says is “a pivotal year for Fyffes marking the halfway point in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, our 2030 Sustainability Strategy and our corporate strategy.”

Fyffes has been shortlisted for the Reuters SDG Pioneer Award and the UK Fresh Awards Sustainability Supply Chain Award.

Read the full Fyffes Sustainability Report here.

Watch the video highlights here.

MILLEN, GA - The Southeast Produce Council (SEPC) is proud to announce the successful expansion of its Southern Innovations Networking Adventures, now offered earlier to fully integrate with the broader conference experience. This year’s events set the tone for a dynamic and engaging gathering, providing members with exciting new opportunities to connect, compete, and celebrate within the produce industry.

The early kick-off of networking events allowed participants to build relationships before diving into the educational and exhibit portions of the conference. With enthusiastic participation across sporting events, SEPC continues to elevate the Southern Innovations experience by blending professional growth with friendly competition.

Martin Eubanks Sporting Clays Classic Winners

• 1st Place: Rich Pazderski (Bland Farms), Jim Ray (Ingles), Andrew Garrett (Del Monte), Jon Schwalls (Southern Valley)
• 2nd Place: Ken Sikes & Charlotte Vick (Vick Family Farms), Mike Gorczyca (ProAct), Josh Caldwell (Food Depot)
• 3rd Place: Christopher Trujillo & Royal Brannon (PFG), Dow Jones & Matt Jones (Jones & Jones Watermelons)

Founders Memorial Golf Tournament Results

• 1st Place Team:
  • Justin Bartlett – Legacy Labor, Inc.
  • Daniel Klausner – Sunkist Growers
  • Bill Stone – Legacy Labor, Inc.
  • Josh Wright – 3 Star Produce
• 2nd Place Team:
  • Cale Blocker – Southern Produce Packing & Sales
  • Conor Chilvers – Mastronardi Produce Ltd.
  • Eddie Frye – Grocery Outlet
  • Brandon Giddens – Southern Produce Packing & Sales
• 3rd Place Team:
  • Andrew Scott – Nickey Gregory Company
  • Mike Ireland – Capital City Fruit
  • John Carter – Sunkist GrowersTyler Davis – US Foods
  • Individual Honors:
  • Longest Drive (Male): Cale Blocker – Southern Produce Packing & Sales
  • Longest Drive (Female): Karin Humanik – Harris Teeter
• Closest to the Pin:
  • Cale Blocker – Southern Produce Packing & Sales
  • Josh Wright – 3 Star Produce
  • Mark Hilton – SEPC VIP
  • Tom Coufal – J&C Tropicals

Cool Cucumber Classic Pickleball Tournament Champions

• 1st Place: Jeff Hutterer (Ocean Mist Farms), Robert Penna (Alpine Fresh)
• 2nd Place: Bill Loupee (Ben B. Schwartz & Sons), Bill Hrabak (Performance Food Group)
• 3rd Place: Derek Sledge (Frey Farms), Jonathan Jennings (Offshoot Brands)

“By moving our Networking Adventures to the beginning of our Southern Innovations experience, we’ve fostered a stronger sense of camaraderie and connection among our members right from the start,” said David Sherrod, President and CEO of SEPC, in the recent release. “It’s not just about competition — it’s about building lasting relationships that move our industry forward.”

For more information about SEPC and upcoming events, visit www.seproducecouncil.com.

KINGSVILLE, ON - As the distance continues to collapse between the consumer’s choices and their desire to know more about where their fruits and vegetables come from, companies from across the industry are building out incredible toolkits that benefit both the retailer’s needs and the consumer’s ever-evolving wants. Mucci Farms is expanding its range of resources with a new educational, social media series called Why Greenhouse Grown?

“Mucci Farms’ Why Greenhouse Grown? educational social media series was developed directly with the retailer in mind, as a direct response to feedback emphasizing the need for enhanced consumer education on greenhouse-grown fruits and vegetables,” Emily Murracas, Director of Marketing, shares with me. “Retailers identified that the current climate of shoppers is more curious and care about where their food comes from, but often lack the understanding of what makes greenhouse-grown produce beneficial and different.”

The first episode premiered on Mucci Farms’ social channels on Friday, September 19, with new episodes releasing weekly every Friday through October 17.

This launch timing aligns with the opening of IFPA. All content will be available across Mucci Farms’ social platforms and uploaded to the website.

Opportunities like these are ones Mucci Farms does not shy away from. The company accepted the challenge to bridge this knowledge gap by leveraging TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts, and LinkedIn to connect consumers directly to short-form, engaging videos that highlight the benefits of greenhouse-grown, while addressing common FAQs from its audience.

“Marketplace trends show that in present times, consumers’ purchase decisions are heavily influenced by key factors that are important to them, such as sustainability, transparency, food safety, and where their food comes from,” Emily describes. “Knowing this, we aimed to create the series to touch on these aspects and more. If consumers see a value proposition, they are more likely to select greenhouse-grown on the shelf in the midst of other offerings. This helps the consumer gain confidence in the Mucci Farms brand and the retailer selling the product.”

The educational series was designed with the following episodes to address the most frequently asked questions from consumers:

• EPISODE#1: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – How we naturally manage pests in the greenhouse
• EPISODE #2: Sustainable Growing Practices – How greenhouse growing supports the planet
• EPISODE #3: Culinary Applications: Why Choose Greenhouse Grown – Cooking with greenhouse fruits and vegetables
• EPISODE #4: Quality Assurance Process – Our commitment to only delivering the best
• EPISODE #5: Seed to Shelf: The Growing Journey – From baby plants to harvest-ready produce

“Retailers can leverage the Why Greenhouse Grown? content online through social and website by repurposing videos for their product pages, retail newsletters, and digital ads to reinforce storytelling at the point of purchase,” Emily discusses. “Retailers can also share Mucci Farms’ video assets directly or co-brand them, creating relatable, engaging posts that align with their audience’s interests.”

The long-term value here creates a more knowledgeable and loyal consumer base that will continue to support greenhouse-grown, contributing to the overall performance of the category as a whole.

“By combining authentic storytelling and short-form video creativity, we aim to set a new standard for consumer engagement in the produce aisle, just in time for the IFPA Global Show,” Emily reflects.

To learn more about the vision behind Mucci Farms, visit booth #4185 in Anaheim, California! We will see you all there.

LA QUINTA, CA & DURHAM, NC - Sun World International and Pairwise announced the formation of a joint venture to collaborate in specialty fruit, beginning with the development of a pitless cherry. Sun World will have exclusive commercial rights to these genetics as they seek a first-to-market position in high-quality pitless cherries. The partnership leverages Sun World’s fruit breeding and licensing expertise with Pairwise’s Fulcrum® platform. As part of the agreement, Sun World will make strategic investments to fund development.

In addition to maximizing yield and mitigating against climate change, one of Sun World’s north stars is providing a demonstrably superior consumer eating experience in every way, including optimizing convenience. Sun World has long been recognized and invested in convenience traits in produce, first introducing a smaller and seedless watermelon, driving further enhancements in the seedless grape category, and more recently acquiring the variety rights management business responsible for introducing seedless lemons and many of the mandarin varieties being promoted at retail under such brands as Cuties®, Halos®, Peelz® and Clemengold®.

“Our focus has long been on offering truly differentiated genetics to our growers with exceptional new traits, flavors, texture and convenience,” said Bernardo Calvo, Sun World’s CEO, in a recent release. “Developing a high-quality pitless cherry is a natural innovation evolution for us and in Pairwise, we’ve found an extraordinary partner already well down this quite complex path.”

Pairwise, which has developed the world's first seedless blackberry, brings an unmatched platform that accelerates the development of in-demand crop traits. Traditional breeding involves a lengthy process, but this approach creates a faster path to fruits that consumers will enjoy while providing growers with crops that offer greater sustainability, improved disease resistance, and higher yields.

"This is a segment of agriculture where there's tremendous opportunity to bring meaningful innovation," said Dr. Tom Adams, CEO of Pairwise. "Sun World has built one of the most successful commercial pipelines in fruit genetics. Combining that expertise with the precision and efficiency of Pairwise’s Fulcrum platform allows us to address unmet consumer and grower needs in a way that hasn't been possible before."

Pairwise will lead the R&D effort, while Sun World contributes its germplasm, breeding infrastructure, and commercial market access. The joint venture is already advancing development work and may explore additional strategic partnerships. In addition to its focus on consumer traits, the collaboration aligns with broader industry efforts to use advanced plant breeding to support sustainable agriculture, reduce waste and create higher-value outcomes for both consumers and producers.