While Duda Farm Fresh Foods is known as a celery powerhouse in terms of volume grown and number of value-added products, the company offers an array of fresh vegetables in numerous retail and foodservice options.

Duda will be showcasing celery, sweet corn, radish, iceberg lettuce and leaf lettuce products at the New York Produce Show. That includes the Dandy Snacking in a Snap! product line, which was launched a year ago with celery dippers. The petite 2-inch celery sticks are perfect for bite-size snacking, according to Duda Farm Fresh Foods. Retail options are 8-ounce and 1.25-pound resealable bags.

A 5-pound foodservice pack of the celery dippers became available this summer.

At the New York Produce Show, Duda Farm Fresh Foods will highlight a new line of bilingual celery dippers, with packaging including French labeling for Canadian buyers and U.S. brokers who ship to Canada.

Nichole Towell, senior director of marketing and innovation at Duda Farm Fresh Foods, said the celery dippers were introduced a year ago in the U.S., and demand created the opportunity to expand to Canadian markets. The bilingual packaging is a response to that. Shipments of the celery dippers in the new packaging began this fall.

When launching the Dandy Snacking in a Snap! Line, Duda Farm Fresh Foods said it aligns with consumer snacking trends, and the development of the product line was guided by ongoing consumer research.

All Dandy-branded celery products are grown from Duda Generations’ proprietary celery varieties, which are naturally sweeter and crispier, according to the company. The stalks are processed with water jet cutting technology, which delivers a clean cut. Duda Farm Fresh Foods ships the products within 24 hours for consistent quality and flavor.

NYPS expo connections

Towell said there’s a high ratio of buyers to exhibitors at regional produce shows, allowing Duda to conduct “more meaningful” conversations about new and existing business.

“Due to the higher indexes for celery consumption among consumers in the northeast, the NYPS is an ideal event for Duda to continue to nurture and make new connections with those retail and foodservice buyers,” she said.

Exhibiting in New York allows Duda Farm Fresh Foods to stay visible and relevant with buyers in the northeast. Towell said tradeshows have completed a post-COVID bounce-back, with notable increases in foot traffic, with demand for in-person interactions and the unique value they offer.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods is exhibiting at booth No. 206.

Dip It to Win It

Duda Farm Fresh Foods launched its annual Dip It to Win It promotion in mid-November, focusing on celery snacking during football gatherings and halftime spreads. The promotion runs until Feb. 7, strategically positioned to help consumers plan Super Bowl Sunday menus.

The company offers consumer sweepstakes throughout the year, such as this years “Summer of Sweetness” and National Celery Month sweepstakes promotions.