“We are extremely excited about our new microwavable vegetable line,” said Sam Tedesco, a partner and the vice president of Safeway Group, headquartered in Vineland, NJ. “This line is all about fresh quality ingredients and delicious flavors that are cooked to perfection. Lightly dressed with olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper, the veggies natural flavor is about letting simplicity shine through in nutritious fast food.”

The Safeway Group is a leading processing company that services primarily the Northeastern United States. It has several divisions which includes Safeway Fresh Foods. This division’s talented team provides its customers the convenience of obtaining all their value-added products manufactured fresh daily.

“We have a proprietary technology that steams the vegetables in the tray and maintains their high nutritional values,” Tedesco explained. “And we pack this line in Eco-Friendly Go Green trays. Our core line includes asparagus, baby broccoli, baby potatoes, Brussels sprouts, zucchini and grape tomato medley combinations, and seasonal items like butternut squash and French beans.”

Safeway Group’s Tedesco family. Rear, l-r;  Sam Tedesco, a partner and the vice president, his wife, Vivian; Kerry Tedeso and husband Frank Tedesco. Front, l-r;  Sam and Vivian’s daughter, Samantha; Anna Tedesco; Sam and Vivian’s Son, Salvy; Sal Tedesco; Frank and Kerry’s children, Frankie and Ava.A family owned company that began over 35 years ago, Safeway’s owners are highly recognized within the food industry for their knowledge, quality products and innovation. Throughout its history, the company has developed many proprietary products and processes, and they are best known in the industry for their cutting-edge approach to manufacturing and innovation.

The company’s lines are sold to a widely diverse customer base. The Fresh Foods’ division sells its ready-to-eat line primarily to convenience and quick-serve operations. It uses its “Sunnyside Farms” brand on a small percentage of its packages, while the majority are private labeled for national retailers.

“Safeway Fresh Foods’ hallmark is innovation,” Tedesco noted. “There is always something new and fresh being introduced here. Together with our customer-partners, we like to continually inspire, imagine and create new product opportunities.”

Besides its ready-to-eat and new microwavable vegetable lines, Safeway has developed a specialty line of power greens that are washed and ready to eat. These nutritious greens add to consumers’ favorite recipes, such as in smoothies, salads, side dishes or as toppings on protein portions.

“We want consumers to leave the initial prepping to us and then add these items to spice up any recipe with nature’s pure goodness,” Tedesco added. “Our core line includes black kale, kale, collard greens, endive, escarole, Swiss chard, Swiss red chard and Romaine filets.”

Safeway’s facility quality is monitored and inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and it is a USDA-approved processor. Tedesco said that quality is the foundation of everything the company does.

“This issue is paramount with each item we prepare,” he said. “We are SQF Certified and HACCP verified. From farm to table, our customers deserve the best, and we follow a comprehensive plan to deliver quality, food-safety products. Our staff is comprised of only the most capable and diligent men and women — many with extensive experience in this or related industries. Our entire team is responsive and answerable to our customer-partners, and they hold a passion for this industry. Together we work diligently to deliver a high level of service and products daily.”

With year-round service, numerous divisions and a diverse base of customers who all have individual needs, Safeway must source from across North America and offshore to fill its needs. But it also is a farming operation, Sunnyside Farms, located in nearby Rosenhayn, which is the family’s roots. It produces mostly green seasonal products, which add important value to Safeway Group’s overall food supply chain vision. The farm also allows the company to give back to Mother Nature and add value to the commodities it grows.

“Produce is grown not manufactured, so we are balancing daily price, quality and supply continually,” said Tedesco. “Our purchasing team does an outstanding job and has developed a network of produce partners to supply our needs and to work with us regardless of challenges such as weather-related issues. We also have strong customer partnerships, in which we share market conditions and forecasts.  Although produce is grown, securing and balancing is definitely a science.”