Mission Produce expanding in Canada and Mexico
Mission Produce Inc., based in Oxnard, CA, announced that it will increase space and double ripening capabilities at its Toronto facility, and it will purchase a new packing facility in Mexico.
The Toronto facility will expand to more than 28,000 square feet from 6,000 square feet, and ripening capabilities will double to 144 pallet spaces. Cooling storage is also increasing to more than 400 pallet spaces.
Mission expanded into Canada three years ago.
United Fresh to hold FSMA webinars
United Fresh has teamed up with the International Association for Food Protection and the Institute of Food Technologists to produce two webinars providing details about the FDA's proposed Produce Rule under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.
The webinars will offer insights and analysis of the draft FSMA rule from FDA, university experts, and United Fresh food-safety leaders and legal counsel.
Ram Produce Distributors continues to be progressive and innovative
Mike Badalament, sales associate for Ram Produce Distributors LLC, located on the Detroit Terminal Market, told The Produce News that the company’s expertise is predominantly in tomatoes.
Domex lines up busy convention schedule in 2013
Domex Superfresh Growers is moving into a busy exhibit season during 2013 and will be available at popular venues to talk about the company's programs designed to drive customer sales.
The company is headquartered in Yakima, WA, and is internationally recognized for its premium conventional and organic tree fruit.
Kathryn Grandy joins Chelan Fresh
Chelan Fresh Marketing in Chelan, WA, welcomed a new marketing coordinator, KATHRYN GRANDY.
Mann Packing launches innovative Veggie Mac-n-Cheese line
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 reports three straight years of growth
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.
Value-added fresh-cut fruit can bolster bottom line
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.
Hours-of-service debate rages on
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.
Berry category continues to grow strongly for Rocky Produce
“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.