SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Maintaining a strong immune system and living a healthy lifestyle remains top of mind for most consumers. Potatoes are a powerful source of the immunity-boosting nutrients and have great storage—a great combo during these times. Side Delights® wants its retail partners to keep this critical category in mind to help continue boosting healthy immune systems.
“As shoppers go back to work in office buildings, bringing a microwavable potato, such as a Side Delights® Bakeables™ to work delivers a fast, hot lunch without additional exposure to potentially crowded lunchrooms,” noted Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network. “In addition to wearing masks, we all need to do our part to protect ourselves and others. Enjoying Side Delights potatoes protects the body from within, is shelf-stable and convenient, and tastes delicious.”
According to the press release, a March 10 Seattle Times article, Can you Boost your Immunity with Food?, suggests consumers choose immune-supporting nutrients such as Vitamin C and a plant-based diet. Potatoes are a good source of vitamin C, 30 percent of the recommended daily value. With shelter-in-place orders changing our daily activities, consumers will continue to seek out produce that is healthy, convenient, and has great storage capabilities.
Additionally, potatoes contain 7 percent of the daily value of fiber to aid in gut health. According to Potatoes USA, by storing them in a cool, dark place, between 45–50 degrees Fahrenheit, they can last several weeks. Some products such as Side Delights potatoes are packed in special light-blocking packaging technology or an opaque bag, extending shelf life even further.
Consumers are shopping and cooking at home more, so having this essential category will ultimately boost retail sales. Stay in the know with AndNowUKnow.
CHILE - You simply can’t have summer without citrus—it’s impossible! And here to agree with me—and the industry at large—is the Chilean Citrus Committee, which is projecting an epic supply of lemons for the United States market. With 23,148 tons already shipped, steady and promotable volumes will be available for retailers through September.
“One lemon provides almost half of the recommended daily vitamin C intake, so they’re the perfect go-to for a quick energy recharge," explained Karen Brux, Managing Director of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association. "Whether you’re adding some slices to your water, squeezing juice into your salad dressing, or zesting on top of your favorite pasta, lemons can amp up the flavor and nutrition of just about anything. Summertime means summer barbecues, and lemons are a perfect fruit for grilling!”
U.S. retail sales of lemons have been swift, the committee was quick to point out in its release. Looking at sales data from the beginning of April through the week ending July 5, weekly retail sales of lemons have increased anywhere from 19-49 percent compared with the same week in 2019.
“Following a long period of drought, Chile has finally received some healthy amounts of rain, and more rainfall is in the forecast,” remarked Juan Enrique Ortúzar, President of the Chilean Citrus Committee, who explained that weather conditions have been favorable for lemons and the Chilean citrus industry overall. “While this has created some temporary delays in the harvest, it has also helped the fruit to grow and reach full size, so our lemons are looking beautiful. The rainfall will also benefit future citrus crops.”
In order to drive shopper demand for these Chilean lemons, the Chilean Citrus Committee has also developed a video full of new ways for consumers to love lemons, which you can see below.
The Citrus Committee is partnering with retailers on numerous digital programs for lemons, including digital coupons and web banners to supermarket dietitian segments communicating family-friendly usage ideas. Geotargeted ads will also be running to support sales in select markets.
So, retailers, put a little zest in your step and get ready for those lemon promotions!
MIAMI, FL - We often associate spring with the season of renewal, but after you hear of Crystal Valley Foods’ new retail line items, you’ll wonder why summertime doesn’t bear this association, too. After a landmark acquisition of tropical produce importer Joco Produce in December 2019, Crystal Valley has been hard at work incorporating new items into its already extensive portfolio. I sat down with Katiana Valdes, Marketing Director, to find out more about these new products.
“The addition of Joco Produce’s product line has allowed us to offer a full and extensive line of tropical and ethnic fruits and vegetables. Someone of these items include ginger, malanga, yuca, calabaza, turmeric, bread fruit, dragon fruit, passion fruit, rambutan, papaya, star fruit, and sapote,” Katiana began. “We are selling all of our tropicals and ethnics in bulk but we have also made a new line to include some of these items in a scannable, retail-friendly clam shell.”
As pre-packaged fruit and veg has become so popular with consumers, I leapt at the chance to learn what these offerings entailed. The exhaustive list includes 2 oz Thai Chili; 3 oz green, orange, and red habanero peppers; 5oz ginger, 3 oz cachucha peppers; 5 oz turmeric; 5 oz ginger; and a 12 oz okra. Crystal Valley is also working on adding more items to the mix, such as bagged jalapeños.
“We already have a good mix of value-added offerings, and these new products really allow us to become a one-stop shop for our retail partners,” Katiana shared. “We have seen an increased demand at retail for all of our specialty fruits and vegetables because more people are cooking at home nowadays and they are experimenting and trying new things. There are a few other factors contributing to the growth of these specialties/topicals as well, a big one being the continued shift in demographics in the United States and its growing diverse population. The Hispanic population in particular, many of whom consume these tropical fruits and vegetables, continues to grow and influence the offerings at restaurants and supermarkets.”
Social media influencers and bloggers too affect consumer trends that spread into retail, Katiana noted, explaining that shoppers are becoming excitedly adventurous when they walk down produce aisles.
But in order to ensure that these products make their way into consumer baskets, Crystal Valley has implemented specific merchandising strategies that retailers can hone in on.
“Consumers are a little wearier nowadays of grabbing product off of a table that perhaps other customers might have touched as well. They are concerned about cleanliness and safety. These pre-packed/pre-portioned items give shoppers a sense of security and it also allows for more ease at checkout since they all have that scannable barcode,” Katiana expressed. “In general, we will see the demand for ethnic and tropical fruits and vegetables continue to increase. it is important for retailers to help make their customers aware of the tropical/ethnic product mix they offer. Demos, large secondary displays in high traffic areas, POS, and social media highlighting benefits and preparation techniques will all help increase sales. Crystal Valley’s marketing team is happy to work with our partners to develop custom POS, social content, and programs in order to promote these unique products.”
Is there anything Crystal Valley can’t do? Stick with AndNowUKnow as we continue to bring the industry the latest in innovations, products, and more.
UNITED KINGDOM - As the retail space across metros around the globe continues to tighten and vye for the formula that will gain and keep consumers, experimentation and innovation are a must. And it seems like one test is going particularly well for Aldi in the U.K., a market that many in North America monitor for approaching moves. The grocer is upping the stakes in its trial with Deliveroo, more than doubling the size of the partnership with 11 new stores.
“Even as many lockdown restrictions are lifted, we’re aware that there are still many people who are shielding and would like to shop at Aldi but can’t,” Richard Thornton, Communications Director at Aldi UK, said. “In extending this trial further, we are making it even easier for thousands more people in different parts of the country to get hold of great quality food at Aldi’s unbeatable prices.”
The extension includes five more locations in London, as well as first-time launches in both Greater Manchester and Cambridge.
“We are pleased that Aldi is extending its current trial with Deliveroo into 11 new stores. At Deliveroo, we want to play our role in making sure households have access to everything they need and want during COVID-19. This expansion is fantastic news for our customers, who can now enjoy an even wider choice of great quality food in as little as 30 minutes," said Ajay Lakhwani, Vice President of New Business for Deliveroo.
This latest move means customers living near 20 stores in England will now be able to choose from around 200 essential Aldi groceries online, according to a press release.
Eight stores in Nottinghamshire introduced the Deliveroo service to Aldi shoppers in May, with Camden launching in June. A detailed list of stores can be found here.
Aldi said it will continue to monitor the partnership closely in each location before making any further decisions. If successful, the retailer said Deliveroo’s service could be rolled out across more stores in other towns and cities across the U.K. before the end of the year.
As to whether this is an indicator of ongoing tests and trials we might further see in markets across the Atlantic, AndNowUKnow will surely keep an eye out for our readership.
MIAMI, FL - New additions translates to growth, and Generation Farms is experiencing three times that excitement as it welcomes a trio of industry veterans—Randy Bolhuis, Steven Johnson, and James Towell—to expand the company's sales prospects.
“We couldn’t be more excited,” said Brian Stanley, Director of Sales. “As we continue our expansion with additional crops and growing regions, we’ve been looking for high-powered sales leaders to join our team. Welcoming three superstars at the same time speaks to the speed and direction Generation Farms is heading.”
Bolhuis, Johnson, and Towell all joined the leading grower-shipper of organic and conventional onions, watermelon, and other fresh fruits and vegetables as Sales and Procurement Associates.
Bolhuis leads his new comrades in experience with our industry. Generation Farms shared that he brings over 40 years of produce knowledge that is sure to help grow the company's reach even further as it looks to expand its contacts and customer base.
With no small amount of time under his belt, Johnson brings 20 years of experience to the sales team. He is planned to assist in expanding the company’s production and retail sales of the Generation Farms and Generation Farms Organic brands.
Last, but certainly not least, is Towell, who touts a strong 12-year-long resume in the produce industry to bring to his new role and team. Towell, along with Bolhuis and Johnson, will head the new Generation Farms offices in Michigan and Lake Park, Georgia.
Bolhuis, Johnson, and Towell will help in promoting the company’s full product lines, with a focus on squash, zucchini, peppers, and eggplant.
“In addition to tremendous experience and knowledge about fresh produce, Randy, Steve, and James are respected professionals with deep retailer and grower relationships,” concluded Stanley, whose family has been growing crops in the Southeastern United States for four generations.
Congratulations to all on their new roles!
WASHINGTON, DC - As it continues to enforce the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) filed an administrative complaint against B & B Organics. The company, operating from Indiana, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to 23 produce sellers in the amount of $1,038,238 from June 2017 through April 2019.
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
B & B Organics Inc. will have an opportunity to request a hearing. Should USDA find that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry as a licensee for three years, or two years with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond. Furthermore, its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for two years, or one year with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
The PACA Division, which is a part of AMS’ Fair Trade Practices Program, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 7,800 callers with issues valued at approximately $148 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
For more information and to read the press release in its entirety, please visit the link here.
OVIEDO, FL - Citrus is a powerful tool to have at your fingertips—packing a punch in the face to nationwide health concerns while carrying the vibrant colors and smells that help chase any summertime woes consumers might be feeling away. And with years of experience to back it, Duda Farm Fresh Foods is ensuring the citrus doesn’t stop as the grower rounds its 18th consecutive season of citrus imports.
“At Duda Farm Fresh Foods, we are constantly improving our available citrus varieties to provide quality fruit from our growers in Chile, Peru, and Uruguay,” said Mark Bassetti, Senior Vice President. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring premium citrus to consumers during domestic off months, allowing them to enjoy the refreshing fruit year-round.”
Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ line of imported citrus is sold under the Dandy® label, with a range of options including clementines, lemons, navels, and Cara Cara oranges.
This season’s easy peeler clementines have displayed vibrant colors and a premium sugar-to-acid ratio which, according to a press release, results in a sweeter flavor, perfect for summer snacking.
“Through the years, we’ve maintained relationships with trusted growers in the southern hemisphere to ensure quality fruit each summer,” said Alberto Cuellar, Vice President of Global Business. “As we’ve seen an uptick in citrus demand due to COVID-19, we are continuing to meet consumer needs through our import citrus program as the domestic market comes to an end.”
The company will be importing citrus from the southern hemisphere to the U.S. market now through October, guaranteeing optimal quality, flavor, and volume.
This year, as things warm up, Duda Farm Fresh Foods also launched an inaugural summer promotion to help drive foot traffic into stores, in addition to its ongoing marketing efforts through social media, consumer emails, influencers, and public relations
Continue to follow us as we monitor all the drivers of the produce calendar.
DALLAS, TX - The virtual PMA Foodservice event is right around the corner, and we here at ANUK couldn’t be any more excited! Foodservice is a major part of our industry, whether it be in restaurants, schools, or even online. Thought-leaders over at DMA Solutions is getting the word out with its informative post, “Serve Up Better Foodservice Content with These Tips.”
“It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly devastating for the foodservice industry. We anticipate foodservice buyers will be on the hunt for cost-effective and convenient solutions for grab-and-go and takeout in the coming months,” Mackenzie Wortham, Account Manager and Managing Editor of DMA’s The Core Blog, stated. “Looking on the bright side, for fresh produce, our current situation has potentially resulted in an increased demand for healthy, fresh food, especially organic produce. This means that foodservice buyers are actively seeking information about the products you grow and sell.”
Some ideas listed in the post include:
- Create content that educates about where fresh food is grown
- Build a “Foodservice Hub” on social media
- Host a (virtual) event tailored to foodservice professionals
- Offer school foodservice professionals special curriculum
- Discover the power of public relations
“Foodservice opens a whole new realm of possibilities for fresh produce marketers to produce exciting and helpful content that can ultimately drive more demand for their products,” wrote Wortham.
For more information on how to ramp up your foodservice offerings, click here for the full post.
Keep checking back to ANUK as we bring the latest in the fresh produce industry.
MCALLEN, TX - Sitting with Paul Catania, Jr. and Matt Catania, it is apparent that this time last year, neither knew the floodgates that would be opened to Catania Worldwide as it established itself in Texas.
“There were a number of objectives when we opened our facility in McAllen, the main one being to facilitate our fruit coming out of Mexico, streamlining our logistic operations as we transported our fruit to the U.S. and into Toronto,” Paul tells me, explaining how this effectively ensured Catania could bring its own product over more quickly and in a manner tailored to its practice. “This facility initially allowed us to supply ourselves with the loads we were bringing out of Mexico, and we have since been able to expand in what we offer.”
Now marking the one-year anniversary of the new division, the company is welcoming a widened portfolio both in volume and variety.
“We can now distribute product and break up orders in a way that we couldn’t do when we didn’t have an office here in McAllen. But after the first couple months getting settled, I decided to start developing my own customer base and working with people throughout the United States,” Matt reflects, telling me that from the start last year to now, those new customers have helped increase Catania’s lime business by about 50 percent. “Additionally, we are working to expand on items like prickly pears and fresh figs out of Mexico.”
Matt grew up in the family business, learning the ins and outs of Catania’s operations. But it is when he took a step away from produce, he explains, that he learned how absence truly makes the heart grow fonder, and the partnership all the better.
“I worked in the office in Toronto where I grew up for a few years, and then left to experience different careers. It was all great for me personally because it gave me confidence outside the industry. At the same time, I had to be away from produce for a while to realize that I really have a passion for it. It is nice to know now that there’s nothing better out there for me than working in this industry and for this organization,” Matt reflects.
It’s this confidence Matt credits to building the new customer base Catania now has in the region. For his part, Paul tells me there was no better candidate for the position, explaining that Matt’s individual experience made him a perfect match for the relationships that would forge this new chapter in the company’s story.
“Matt spent eight months in Mexico specifically focusing on limes. So, he was perfectly suited to be there in Texas when we opened, I couldn’t have found anybody better,” Paul shares.
As we discuss the success the company is seeing, Paul shares that Catania, like so many in the industry, was braced for the ramifications brought on by COVID-19, doing its best in any area where it had control and maintaining an optimistic view where it did not.
“We’ve had to do a lot of adjusting, much of which was aimed at trying to protect our people and give them as healthy and safe a work environment as possible. There’s a lot we’ve had to go through to achieve that, as I know a lot of companies have,” Paul tells me, explaining the complexity of these measures not just in the details of each building, but across North America where requirements and hazard levels are more different than they are alike.
“Despite the challenges, our retail business has grown considerably,” Paul continues. “Part of that is we’re dealing with a number of commodities that are perceived to be healthy; citrus—lemons and limes, in particular—and kiwi. Our business in Canada, specifically, has jumped considerably. I am so pleased and proud of everybody and the jobs that they have done, but it is a challenge every day. There’s so much we still don’t know.”
What the team does know is how to charge forward and hone in on the areas in which it sees room for further development and expansion, including becoming a leading connection between Mexico fig, lime, and prickly pear growers and the markets in the U.S. and Canada.
“We’re constantly working to grow programs here, and we’re really excited about developing new pack styles, reaching out to new customers and new areas in the United States, and continuing to help Toronto expand their already existing business with the items we’ve already been largely successful in,” Matt shares.
Certainly, everything is bigger and Texas, and it seems this growing operation is no exception.
PORTERVILLE, CA - Let’s hear it for the bees! Homegrown Organic Farms’ (HGO) latest announcement, which marks its Oregon blueberry production as Bee Better certified, is a clear win for both the grower and the bees it wants to protect.
“Being in the organic fruit business, we are very aware of how much our crops rely on bees. Going through this certification was just one of the ways we are working to care for our land and environment and ultimately ensure the sustainability of our farms longterm. We are very excited and proud of this achievement and look forward to another outstanding organic blueberry season now through September,” remarked Scott Mabs, Homegrown Organic Farms CEO.
According to a press release, this certification recognizes the cultural practices HGO has adopted to protect bees and other pollinators and demonstrates the conservation-mindedness of the company and the farmers it represents.
Liz Robertson, Bee Better Certified Administrator with the Xerces Society noted, “Homegrown Organic Farms’ adoption of Bee Better Certified is a milestone not only for their company but for Bee Better Certified as well. We are continuing to see widespread adoption in the fresh fruit industry and we are thrilled to have a company such as theirs join the ranks of Bee Better Certified products that are available in stores. We look forward to partnering with them for years to come.”
The company’s Bee Better Certified blueberries will be packaged with the Bee Better tape-seal as a tamper-proof closure and are available to ship immediately. So, bee on the lookout, buyers!