St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets Inc. will acquire two Fricks Market stores in Missouri. One store will reopen as Schnucks, but the second location will remain a Fricks Market, operated by Schnucks, until a new, 23,000 square-foot “Schnucks Fresh” store is completed.

The U.S. fresh produce and floral industries support 2.2 million total jobs across all 50 states and $120.1 billion in labor income, nearly reaching pre-COVID levels, according to an economic impact study conducted on behalf of the International Fresh Produce Association. The report highlights the significant role the industry plays not only as an employer, but as being critical to the U.S. food system.
 

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA, a global leader in transportation and logistics, has started developing a new MSC Air Cargo solution in response to customer demand and as a complementary service to its container shipping solutions.

MSC Air Cargo has been under development for several months and the new solution will be available from early 2023, following the delivery of the first of four MSC-branded Boeing 777-200F aircraft that will be operated by Atlas Air, a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc.

The Mushroom Council is composed of fresh market producers or importers that average more than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms produced or imported annually.

Ahold Delhaize is testing a system that grows herbs and leafy vegetables in a hydroponic garden on the sales floor. Plants are grown under special conditions and in ideal light. As hydroponics allow cultivation anywhere and with the organic solution full of nutrients, no soil is necessary, and no sprays nor GMOs are needed.

During this month, the garden will grow herbs and salads such as basil varieties, mint, dill and red leaf lettuce. Customers can also purchase these items and see how it’s grown within the supermarket.

Fruits and vegetables are foundational to healthy eating so much so that their underconsumption impedes the ability to achieve greater diet quality among all Americans as well as greater nutrition security among those with fewer resources. Inflation has further exacerbated this issue — between June 2021 and June 2022, the cost to build a healthy dietary pattern increased by 12.5 percent.