Mission Produce to debut high-pressure treated avocados at United
Mission Produce to debut high-pressure treated avocados at United
Mission Produce Inc. will introduce a new processed avocado product line at the United Fresh exposition in Las Vegas May 5-7, according to Ross Wileman, vice president of sales and marketing.
The new line, which will initially consist of two flavors of guacamole, employs high-pressure technology that extends shelf life by destroying the bacteria in the product. "It basically pasteurizes the product to give you a 30-day shelf life," Mr. Wileman said.
The high-pressure technology, which subjects the avocados to 84,000 pounds of water pressure, has been available "for a number of years," and there are at least two other companies currently using the process for guacamole and fresh-cut avocado products in the U.S. market, he said. It is a product technology currently "being utilized and growing dramatically at retail and foodservice," he said.
Mission will be packing the guacamole "in a bag form and a convenience tray" under its "Mr. Avocado" label, Mr. Wileman said. "Presently, we are in the process of launching a classic mild guacamole and a spicy guacamole." They will be carried as "a convenience item" in retail stores, usually in the refrigerated case in the produce department "near the salad dressings," providing shoppers with "a nice convenient package" of ready-to-go guacamole, he said.
He expects the product line to be expanded to include fresh-cut items. "That is our direction," he said. "We are just watching the guacamole first, and we hope to increase that" to include avocado halves and slices and perhaps other products as well.
The other products Mission will be featuring at its booth at United are fresh avocados, which are the company's core business, and asparagus, with which Mission first became involved in 2007.
"This is our second year in asparagus, and we are bullish on asparagus going ahead," Mr. Wileman said. "The first year was a learning phase -- understanding the product, developing a customer base. We are expanding those horizons now."
Mission's first year in the asparagus business had its challenges. The company sources asparagus from three regions: California, Mexico and Peru. In 2007, an earthquake affected the Peruvian asparagus production, and Mexican and Californian production were both affected by cold weather. "Last year was a tough year to get into asparagus," Mr. Wileman said.
"But this year is much better. The product is being well received, and it complements our other programs."
The company's asparagus program will "absolutely" be expanded in future seasons, with volume growing in "all three areas" -- California, Mexico and Peru - he said.
With regard to fresh avocados, Mission also sources product from several growing areas, principally California, Chile and Mexico.
The 2008 California avocado harvest had been going since early in the year but was just getting into major volume when The Produce News talked with Mr. Wileman in late April. "We will probably go with good supplies through at least August," he said.
The current California crop is larger than last year but still "somewhat smaller than a normal year" due to residual effects from the 2007 freeze compounded by wind and fire damage last fall. Because of that and continually growing demand, "we see probably a little bit higher prices in the summer months than we normally anticipate, just because of lack of volume," he said. "But quality is excellent."
Mexico will contribute to the supply of avocados available in the U.S. market throughout the summer, and beginning in August or September, "we will get back into the Chilean product," he said.
The new line, which will initially consist of two flavors of guacamole, employs high-pressure technology that extends shelf life by destroying the bacteria in the product. "It basically pasteurizes the product to give you a 30-day shelf life," Mr. Wileman said.
The high-pressure technology, which subjects the avocados to 84,000 pounds of water pressure, has been available "for a number of years," and there are at least two other companies currently using the process for guacamole and fresh-cut avocado products in the U.S. market, he said. It is a product technology currently "being utilized and growing dramatically at retail and foodservice," he said.
Mission will be packing the guacamole "in a bag form and a convenience tray" under its "Mr. Avocado" label, Mr. Wileman said. "Presently, we are in the process of launching a classic mild guacamole and a spicy guacamole." They will be carried as "a convenience item" in retail stores, usually in the refrigerated case in the produce department "near the salad dressings," providing shoppers with "a nice convenient package" of ready-to-go guacamole, he said.
He expects the product line to be expanded to include fresh-cut items. "That is our direction," he said. "We are just watching the guacamole first, and we hope to increase that" to include avocado halves and slices and perhaps other products as well.
The other products Mission will be featuring at its booth at United are fresh avocados, which are the company's core business, and asparagus, with which Mission first became involved in 2007.
"This is our second year in asparagus, and we are bullish on asparagus going ahead," Mr. Wileman said. "The first year was a learning phase -- understanding the product, developing a customer base. We are expanding those horizons now."
Mission's first year in the asparagus business had its challenges. The company sources asparagus from three regions: California, Mexico and Peru. In 2007, an earthquake affected the Peruvian asparagus production, and Mexican and Californian production were both affected by cold weather. "Last year was a tough year to get into asparagus," Mr. Wileman said.
"But this year is much better. The product is being well received, and it complements our other programs."
The company's asparagus program will "absolutely" be expanded in future seasons, with volume growing in "all three areas" -- California, Mexico and Peru - he said.
With regard to fresh avocados, Mission also sources product from several growing areas, principally California, Chile and Mexico.
The 2008 California avocado harvest had been going since early in the year but was just getting into major volume when The Produce News talked with Mr. Wileman in late April. "We will probably go with good supplies through at least August," he said.
The current California crop is larger than last year but still "somewhat smaller than a normal year" due to residual effects from the 2007 freeze compounded by wind and fire damage last fall. Because of that and continually growing demand, "we see probably a little bit higher prices in the summer months than we normally anticipate, just because of lack of volume," he said. "But quality is excellent."
Mexico will contribute to the supply of avocados available in the U.S. market throughout the summer, and beginning in August or September, "we will get back into the Chilean product," he said.
