Tree fruit volume appears similar to last two years
PARLIER, CA -- As recently as two weeks earlier, it would have been hard to imagine that with all of the weather they had been through, California peach, nectarine and plum orchards could possibly set anything remotely close to a full crop this year.
New marketing opportunities explored at Fresh Cut Expo
BALTIMORE -- The convenience chain Sheetz Inc. said that its popular fruit cups have been a successful model for marketing fresh-cut products, but other fresh-cut offerings have been a disappointment.
RETAIL VIEW: Are traditional supermarkets on life support?
In the retail sector, news abounds about club stores and super stores. Organics are also making headlines, whether it's the growth of Whole Foods or the expansion of that line in Wal-Mart. Most of the news about traditional supermarkets tends to revolve around disappointing quarterly financial earnings or the sale of one chain or another. Some have argued that the traditional supermarket is a thing of the past.
Chilean fruit exporters await two USDA decisions
WILMINGTON, DE -- Chile's orange and grapefruit growers have completed their paperwork. Now, to export these products to the United States, they are simply awaiting for a final approval from the U.S. Department of Agricutlure's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, according to Ron Bown, chairman and chief executive officer of the Chilean Exporters Associaiton in Santiago.
IFPA and United members vote overwhelmingly for merger
CHICAGO -- United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association Chairman Nick Tompkins and International Fresh-cut Produce Association Chairman Mark Miller announced at the May 6 opening general session of the United Produce Show that their respective memberships have voted overwhelmingly in favor of the two organizations merging.
May Day boycott had minimal economic impact
Growers, packers and shippers of fresh produce, who in many cases rely heavily on immigrant labor, potentially could have been the most severely affected by the nationwide boycott planned for Monday, May 1.
Record number of retailers enter 2006 Potato Lover's Month Contest
EAGLE, ID -- It's no secret that creative displays in the retail environment move product. Need proof? For the 15th year in a row, the number of entrants in the Potato Lover's Month Retail Display Contest significantly increased.
Novazone boosting its presence in the food industry
BALTIMORE -- Novazone Inc., a provider of innovative ozone- based solutions to improve the freshness and safety of food and water, is looking to make its mark in produce as part of its plan to become strategically focused on the food industry. The company was on hand promoting its services at the International Fresh-cut Produce Association's Fresh Cut Expo 2006, here, April 26-29.
Indianapolis Fruit organic seminar deemed a success
An April 24-25 seminar on merchandising and handling organic produce "was everything we hoped it would be," said Mike Mascari, owner and president of Indianapolis Fruit Co. in Indianapolis.
The seminar attracted 240 people, many from a large section of the middle of the United States, and was deemed "a large success" by Mr. Mascari.
'Dateline' segment and merger dominate talk at IFPA meeting
BALTIMORE -- A record crowd attended the International Fresh-cut Produce Association's conference here April 26-29 to hear speakers discuss food safety, packaging innovations and other trends facing the fresh-cut industry. Some 108 of the industry's top suppliers and nearly 1,500 attendees registered for the meeting, which was called the biggest audience ever for the Fresh Cut Expo.