SANTA MARIA, CA - Bonipak Produce shares its Simply Fresh Commitment, a company-wide operating standard for measuring, tracking and reporting freshness from harvest through customer delivery. Bonipak will share more about the commitment at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Global Produce & Floral Show, October 15 and 16 in Orlando, at Booth 2850.

Freshness is expected in produce, but delivering it consistently requires coordination at every step. Bonipak tracks product movement from harvest through customer delivery, using that data to monitor performance, guide operational decisions, and strengthen accountability across its operations.

Bonipak has shipped 80% of the conventional product supplied to participating customers within one day of harvest. This strong result demonstrates Bonipak’s ability to move product quickly from the field through its operations and establishes a clear benchmark for maintaining strong performance and driving continued improvement.

Bonipak uses freshness scorecards to regularly review performance, including metrics such as average product age at delivery. Ongoing reviews help keep teams accountable, identify opportunities for improvement and support informed conversations with customers about freshness.

“Customers hear a lot about freshness, but they need something they can see and measure,” said Stan Otremba, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Bonipak Produce, in the recent release. “The Simply Fresh Commitment gives customers greater transparency into our performance and creates a consistent way to have informed conversations about the freshness priorities that matter to their programs.”

Bonipak supports the commitment through connected operations spanning farming, harvesting, cooling, processing, sales and distribution. Coordination across these functions gives Bonipak greater control over the timing decisions that influence freshness and helps teams identify opportunities to move products more efficiently from the field to the customer.

“This commitment creates accountability across our organization,” said Scott Cruciger, Chief Executive Officer of Bonipak Produce. “We are using the information we already track to understand our performance; communicate it clearly and continually improve the way we serve our customers.”

Customers can visit Bonipak at IFPA Booth 2850 or learn more about the Simply Fresh Commitment at bonipak.com/fresh.

LOS ANGELES, CA - After becoming one of summer’s buzziest new snacks, Joolies Date Sours are heading into fall with their biggest retail expansion yet.

The sour, chewy whole-fruit snack is rolling out across major retailers including Target, Costco, H-E-B, Meijer, Hy-Vee, and ShopRite, and other Wakefern banners, alongside specialty and independent retailers nationwide including Erewhon, Laurel Supply, and Lunds & Byerlys — bringing the candy-inspired date snack to more shoppers across the country.

The expansion follows the launch of Date Sours at Sprouts Farmers Market earlier this year, where Joolies introduced a completely new way to experience the ancient date: sweet, sour, and chewy, with the craveability of gummy candy but made from real fruit.

Date Sours aren’t the only Joolies product gaining ground. Date Pops, the brand’s date-and-walnut snack bites, are also expanding into H-E-B and Meijer this fall, giving shoppers even more ways to discover dates beyond the traditional whole fruit.

“The response to Date Sours has been incredible, but what’s most exciting is seeing them go from something people discovered online or at Sprouts to a snack they can now find at major retailers from coast to coast,” said Amanda Sains-Harris, head of marketing at Joolies, in the recent release. “And we’re seeing that momentum beyond Date Sours. With Date Pops also expanding into H-E-B and Meijer this fall, we’re giving people more ways to discover dates and showing just how much opportunity there is for this fruit beyond the traditional produce aisle.”

Made from organic dates and just five simple ingredients, Joolies Date Sours deliver a soft, gummy-like chew with a punch of sour flavor — with no added sugar, sugar alcohols, or artificial ingredients. The line comes in four candy-inspired flavors: Watermelon, Cherry Cola, Peach, and Blue Raspberry.

Joolies Date Pops keep things just as simple, made with only organic dates, walnuts, and natural flavors. The soft, chewy bites put a better-for-you spin on three dessert-inspired favorites: Brownie Bite, Cinnamon Bun, and Lemon Bar.

As families settle back into school routines and Halloween approaches, Date Sours offer a whole-fruit option for fall snacking, from lunchboxes and after-school snacks to road trips, game days, and candy bowls.

What began as a playful reinvention of a fruit often associated with an older generation is quickly becoming one of Joolies’ fastest-growing products.

Grandma’s fruit? Not anymore.

Joolies is changing the date-ing game. To find Joolies products or shop online, visit joolies.com.

CARLISLE, PA - The GIANT Company, known locally as GIANT and MARTIN’S, announced that renovations are now underway at its GIANT store located at 176 W. Street Road in Feasterville, PA. The store will remain open during renovations, which are expected to be completed early next year.

“As the needs of our customers continue to evolve, our store offerings must too,” said Kevin Bane, Feasterville GIANT store manager, in the recent release. “This remodel will allow us to enhance the shopping experience for our customers, while staying focused on GIANT’s commitment to value and freshness.”

The store’s fresh offerings – produce, bakery, meat and seafood, and dairy – in addition to the center store aisles, will be updated with improved efficiencies for shoppers and an enhanced assortment of products. Understanding the needs of today’s busy customers, the deli and prepared foods department will undergo an overhaul to offer more Grab ‘n Go items.

Open daily from 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., the Feasterville GIANT opened in 2018 and currently employs approximately 159 team members.

For greater shopping convenience during the remodel, Feasterville customers are encouraged to try GIANT Direct, an opportunity to order their groceries online at giantdirect.com for easy curbside pickup.