Bill Litvin Sr., vice president of sales for Giorgio Fresh, headquartered in Blandon, PA, said the company will be featuring its new line of stuffed Baby Bellas as well as its line of organic mushrooms at Booth No. 438 at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit.

“These are our newest products,” said Litvin. “Giorgio offers a variety of tasty stuffed Baby Bella mushrooms, including cheese and imitation bacon bits, imitation flavored crab and Parmesan cheese, and artichokes and spinach. They are packed four, 8.5-ounce to a carton.”

The new stuffed Baby Bellas, he said, definitely spice up the company’s product line.

Giorgio Fresh also offers an extensive line of organic products.

“The trend of blendability, which entails blending fresh mushrooms with ground meat to reduce calories and fat while maintaining flavor and texture, continues to be a hot topic in the mushroom industry,” said Litvin. “Restaurant chains and national school lunch programs are implementing the concept of blendability by making meat blends and burger toppings.

“Not only has this led to an increase in mushroom demand, but also an increase in foodservice sales because of that market segment’s movement toward blendability,” he added.

He also noted that the recent U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistic Service report shows a 10 percent price increase for mushrooms being sold for the processed food market.

“As more options for mushroom blendability are presented, so will the demand for mushrooms,” Litvin pointed out.

Giorgio Fresh Co. is a fully integrated grower-shipper of fresh mushrooms. It produces whites, browns, Portabellas and various exotics along with organic whites, browns and Portabellas. It also offers gourmet wild, dried and value-added products.

Being a fully integrated operation, Giorgio Fresh controls every step of the process, from growing to distribution. Its mushrooms are grown, hand-picked and processed in state-of-the-art packing facilities under strict quality control. Giorgio is SQF Level 3 and MGAP certified, and all mushrooms are grown using IPM-certified procedures.

In addition to its Blandon headquarters, the company also ships from Toughkenamon, PA, and Saltillo, Mexico, covering the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest United States and northern Mexico.

“Giorgio is pleased to announce that we have been selected as a finalist in the PMA Sensory Experience Contest for our Mushroom Sauce Pizza with Mozzarella & Cheddar Cheese recipe,” said Litvin. “On Friday, October 17, at the PMA Fresh Summit, private judging will be held, followed by a Fresh Ideas in Action Reception where the finalists’ food will be served to over 200 attendees.”