Shaw’s and Star Market introduce new Star Market concept at four stores
Shaw’s and Star Market announced the grand reopening of four Boston-area locations. The Star Market stores all celebrated with official ribbon-cutting ceremonies Nov. 1, and customers were introduced to the new premium offerings with a focus on fresh produce, top-quality meat and seafood and a large selection of products.
Love Beets launches cinnamon and nutmeg product for the holidays
Love Beets, a family-run firm offering premium beet products, has extended its offerings with the launch of Wedged Baby Beets Sprinkled with Cinnamon & Nutmeg. The limited-edition product will be in the market specifically for the holiday season.
Industry veteran retires after 45 years
Chuck Underwood, a fresh produce industry veteran, recently retired from the domestic sales staff at Columbia Marketing International LLC in Wenatchee, WA.
Citrus program is year-round at The Chuck Olsen Co.
The Chuck Olsen Co. in Visalia, CA, is involved n a variety of commodities as shipper, distributor, exporter and load consolidator for foodservice and retail, but the company’s two major product lines are citrus and grapes, both of which are year-round programs, according to President Jeff Olsen.
The Olsen family has been in the consolidation side of the business for four generations.
Duda Farm Fresh Foods expands acreage in several California citrus varieties
In its California citrus program for 2013-14, at Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc. in Visalia, CA, will be offering navel oranges, Eureka and Lisbon-type lemons, Meyer lemons, Mandarins and Minneolas, according to Paul Huckabay, citrus manager for western citrus.
“In addition, we will be importing Mandarins from Morocco into the East Coast,” he said.
The company’s citrus crop volume will be up this year, and “a lot of our growth is attributed to new plantings” coming into maturity, Huckabay said Oct. 23.
Ahold USA appoints division president of Giant Landover
Ahold USA announced that Gordon Reid will join the Giant Landover Division as president, effective today.
Reid replaces Bhavdeep Singh, executive vice president of operations of Ahold USA, who has served as interim president since September. Singh continues to serve as executive vice president of operations for Ahold USA.
Produce eyed as possible source of E. coli outbreak in Denver
The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, in cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Food & Drug Administration, is investigating potential links to an E. coli outbreak in Denver. The investigation is focusing on three Jimmy John's restaurants in the metropolitan area.
Eight people reported being sickened after eating at the sandwich shops in early October. Additional cases have been reported, and at least one person has been hospitalized.
Kelly Bros. specializes in procuring fresh pack eliminations for juice and processing
Kelly Bros. Inc. in Exeter, CA, was started in 2010 to focus on finding a home in the processing industry for byproducts from fresh citrus packinghouses.
“We would go to the packinghouses and ask for their eliminations,” meaning basically anything that was not being packed in a carton or tri-wall for the fresh market. “We would then take it to the juice plants” which make not-from-concentrate orange juice, said Patrick Kelly, president and one of three brothers in the company, the others being Brian Kelly, supply chain manager, and Christopher Kelly, chief of operations.
Homegrown adds Pummelos to citrus program, expects future growth in Mandarins
Homegrown Organics LLC in Porterville, CA, which had its first year of production in Mandarins in the 2011-12 season and increased volume the following year, will have similar acreage in production this year to what it had in 2012-13. “But we have on the docket some good increases penciled in for the following year” and the year after, said President Scott Mabs.
Ginger prices skyrocket with little relief in sight
Importers from both coasts say that the price of ginger, especially Chinese ginger, has risen to unprecedented levels and there is no relief in sight.
Jim Provost, president of I Love Produce in Kelton, PA, calls himself one of the larger year-round importers of ginger into the continental United States. He sources Chinese ginger year-round but also pulls from South America and Central America from July through December, and Hawaii and Thailand in the January-to-July time frame.
"Basically ginger is a two-hemisphere crop and contra seasonal," he said.