One of the leading proponents of sustainable produce packaging said the idea that plastic can be eliminated from the manufacturing process is an unrealistic goal and will not happen in his lifetime, though he quipped the younger panelists may witness it.

“Plastic is here to stay,” 63-year-old Kevin Kelly, CEO of Emerald Packaging, said at the “Sustainable Packaging: Reducing Plastics in the Produce Department” breakout session during the Organic Produce Summit, held July 10-11 in Monterey, CA.

Giorgio Fresh Co. is known as a leading mushroom provider for good reason.

“We’ve been growing mushrooms for three generations, and today Giorgio is one of the largest mushroom growers in the world,” said Bryan Shelton, vice president of sales and marketing for the Blandon, PA-based company. “Rooted in nearly 100 years of experience, we are committed to our consumers. It’s why you can’t pick a better mushroom than Giorgio.”

North Bay Produce, a powerful cooperative of 31 grower-owners representing more than 1,000 farms from around the world, markets and distributes fresh fruits and vegetables 52 weeks a year.

Some produce managers inform me that by expanding organic displays and placing some of the more popular items on an end cap, they are moving more of the category tonnage. That’s great news.

Most think the unsung heroes of the produce industry are farmers. While that is true, they also include those who deliver our food — and I’m not talking about Instacart or Grubhub.

Very few of us pay attention to the truckers on our highways who transport our food from point A to point B, much less what it cost to do so.  While the below figures don’t account only for the transportation of produce, they do provide a glimpse into the going volume and rates of transporting our produce across the nation.  

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. recently won Overall Food Innovation of the Year in the 2024 Mindful Awards for the company’s new Del Monte Precious Honeyglow, an innovative personal-size fresh pineapple that weighs less than two pounds and offers an extra sweet taste and radiant golden hue.