Mann Packing Co., a pioneer in the fresh-cut vegetable category, is bringing another new-to-the-world concept to the produce department with the first-ever Veggie Mac-n-Cheese kid-friendly meal solution.

The product line includes four flavor profiles using Sargento cheese: classic cheddar, bacon and cheddar, fiesta cheddar and white cheddar. Each cheese sauce is coupled with fresh vegetables and a ready-to-heat pasta packet.

FoodLink, the network for fresh food retailers, wholesalers, growers and shippers, reported a third straight year of record growth in 2012. Growth was driven by new retail customers, expanded business with existing customers, and a surge of new suppliers and service partners joining its online commerce network.

The fresh-cut fruit category continues to expand dramatically every year, fueled by consumer demand. Today, consumers want fresh, nutritious and flavorful cut fruit packed for their safety and convenience.

Lifestyles are rapidly changing and the result has been a trend toward eating healthy. Retailers should take full advantage of this wellness progression by promoting more value-added fresh-cut fruit products.

Transportation experts are predicting that if the new hours of service regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration go into effect in July as scheduled, productivity will decrease and the net effect will be the loss of truck capacity and a significant increase in freight rates.

“The berry category continues to grow for us,” Dominic Russo, buyer and sales associate for Rocky Produce Inc., located on the Detroit Produce Terminal, told The Produce News. “The entire berry category — blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries — is doing extremely well. We’re currently bringing them in from Chile and Argentina, and we source domestically when they are available. Strawberries are coming out of Florida [mid-January]. The quality is great and prices are really good.

Jeremy Olesky is the on-site general manager of Gourmet’s Finest’s Detroit facility, which the company opened four years ago. The firm has two convenient locations that allow it to ship its high-quality mushrooms to many major cities quickly. Besides its 10,000-square-foot distribution center in Detroit, its headquarters is in Avondale, PA, in the middle of America’s mushroom heartland.