Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc., headquartered in Oviedo, FL, said that Chef Todd Fisher would be representing Duda Farm Fresh Foods at the Chef Demo Challenge: Healthy & Flavorful Kids’ Menus, at the Produce Marketing Association’s Foodservice Conference & Exposition in Monterey, CA, according to Nichole Towell, marketing development manager for the Oviedo, FL-headquartered company.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ Radish MiniStick ‘Matchsticks’ now come in a one-pound option.The contest will take place July 21, the second day of the three-day event, from 12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. The challenge is for chefs to create kid-friendly menu items that meet Half the Plate guidelines and are full of flavor.

“Chef Todd will be layering Dandy celery sticks with several flavorful and healthy toppings to create kid-friendly menu items,” said Ms. Towell.

“Duda Farm Fresh Foods will be exhibiting in booth number 138,” she continued. “Several representatives from our fresh vegetable and citrus divisions will be on hand to answer any attendees’ questions.”

The company will be showcasing its fresh-cut celery line, its Radish “MiniSticks” and its complete line of citrus at the expo.

“We will also introduce a new one-pound Radish ‘Mini-Stick’ bag,” said Ms. Towell. “This is a perfect size for foodservice applications. The foodservice segment remains a significant focus for Duda Farm Fresh Foods. We are continually seeking new ways to provide enhanced product solutions to our foodservice customers.”

Duda has been growing fresh products since 1909, when its founder, Andrew Duda, moved to the United States from the then Austro-Hungarian Empire in search of the American dream. Today the company is a leading U.S. grower, shipper and marketer of a wide range of fresh citrus and fresh and fresh-cut vegetables. Its primary locations are in Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia and Michigan. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of A. Duda & Sons Inc., a family-owned, diversified land company also headquartered in Oviedo. It distributes its line of fresh produce to customers across the United States and into Canada.

“We are proud to be a valued product and service provider to all facets of the foodservice industry,” said Ms. Towell. “Through our relationships with national foodservice distributors, we are able to deliver quality solutions to customers ranging from quick-serve to fine dining establishments.”

She said that the company is experiencing a slight lift in foodservice sales, adding, “While our opinion is very subjective, we believe that current household budgets have settled into a new normal, and while families may not be eating out with the same meal budgets that they had five years ago, they are definitely eating out again.”

Duda Farm Fresh Foods opened a new 65,000-square-foot processing plant in Oxnard, CA, in 2008, which Ms. Towell said has allowed the company to offer a fuller line of innovative fresh-cut celery items to better serve its customer base.

“Duda grows a number of fruit and vegetable items, including a full line of citrus products, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, corn, herbs, lettuce and radishes,” she said. “We certainly want to highlight our expansive line of fresh-cut celery as well as our Radish ‘MiniSticks’ to the foodservice industry.”