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In the US, fresh fruit and vegetables are held to impossibly high aesthetic standards. Although the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) set standards are voluntary, stores have continued to maintain high expectations of how their fruits and vegetables should look. However, this could be set to change as a number of US startups are showing consumers that ugly is better, report UK newspaper The Guardian.
In 1917, the USDA sought to create a common trading language for potatoes as a way for buyers to understand what they were getting when they weren’t able to see the products in advance. Over the years, the standards have been criticized for unnecessarily focusing on aesthetics. For example, the green pepper has to be 90% green – so it can’t have too many traces of red or yellow.
“The US multi-colored peppers are unsellable in that context,” said JoAnne Berkenkamp, senior advocate of the food and agriculture program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. “It’s not a valid quality issue.”
Other USDA standards are more scientific, taking into consideration maturity and shelf life. For example, the percentage of how red an apple should be is related to sugar content and how ripe it is. Even if the USDA was to relax some of its cosmetic standards, Berkenkamp doesn’t think it would move the dial much.
“Most large, national and international buyers use their own standards, which in many cases are higher than the USDA. That’s what really drives the market,” she said. “What the industry wants is in fair degree, due to what customer wants. It really comes down to customer acceptance.”
Grocers entice customers to shop at their stores by stocking gorgeous, fresh vegetables under mist and flattering light. The produce is not contorted or blemished. If it were, would consumers still buy?
“Americans are fussy on what food looks like,” said Jonathan Bloom, the author of American Wasteland. “I’d argue that it’s somewhat cultural. That’s partly because we as Americans can afford to be picky from a price standpoint but also from a volume perspective. We have so much available food.”
That’s why Sarah Vared, the interim director of Refed, says a key component in fighting food waste is consumer awareness.
“Consumers ultimately give businesses the social license to start stocking and purchasing some of these products that they might not have today,” she said. “As consumers become more aware of this issue and are asking for these products, you’ll start seeing retailers providing them.”
The largest US grocer, Walmart says it hasn’t received much consumer demand for imperfect produce. Even so, the chain is considering a pilot this year. It is keeping a close eye on an innovative experiment by its UK chain Asda. In February, Asda rolled out the “wonky vegetable box”, selling seasonal produce to feed a family of four for a week. Due to popular demand and positive social media response, Asda’s pilot expanded from 128 to 550 stores a month after its release.
by The Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market
Philadelphia — Everyone here agrees. It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since The Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market (PWPM) moved into its state-of-the art, fully enclosed, fully refrigerated facility, located at 6700 Essington Avenue. “It seems like yesterday,” says Sonny DiCrecchio, President/CEO. “We are proud to pave the way as a leader in terms of cold chain management, product safety, staging, loading, security, and recycling.”
During the birthday week, the Philly Wholesale Produce Market will host Mayor Kenney, several area Secretaries of Agriculture, port officials, and other dignitaries. We also plan a Food Truck Day, offering some of Philly’s best fare to our employees and customers.
It took 10 years of careful, thoughtful planning to create today’s PWPM, which is double the size of the old facility and establishes the highest global standards for distribution of premium produce. Employing hundreds of people in both union and non-union positions, the PWPM donates nearly two million pounds of produce to local charities every year.
“Our 5th birthday week is our way of thanking everyone who helped us achieve this milestone,” says DiCrecchio. “We look forward to many more years of service to our community, our employees, and our customers.”
The Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market is the world’s largest, fully refrigerated wholesale produce market. Completed in 2011, our 700,000 square foot facility is fully enclosed, providing customers with security, comfort, efficiency, and an unbroken cold chain. We are open to the public and serve a range of produce buyers from the home cook to national supermarket chains. Because the PWPM is made up of 22 fresh fruit and vegetable merchants, buyers have the opportunity to compare products, brands, and price points.
PWPM is a wholesale produce market with 50 years of experience serving customers within a 500 mile radius providing high quality fresh produce and excellence in customer service. PWPM operates in a state of the art facility that provides customers with the freshest produce, in the most efficient manner at competitive prices. www.pwpm.net
Honoring Army Spc. Adam S. Hamilton died five years ago today (May 28, 2011) in Haji Ruf, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device
WHAT MEMORIAL DAY IS REALLY ALL ABOUT.
While produce truckers haul thousands of load of Florida tomatoes each year, the Sunshine state still has a big time tomato waste problem. Some solutions to this problem may be coming from researchers in Florida.
They have been performing groundbreaking work on turning rotten, damaged and generally unfit for sale tomatoes into electricity, which could be a major source of green energy.
The researchers working on the pilot project see tremendous potential in the new “tomato battery.” They believe it could eventually generate enough energy from the state’s tomato waste to power Disney World’s 43 square mile complex of hotels, theme parks, golf courses and shopping centres for three months of the year.
The process could also reduce Florida’s tomato waste, which currently has 396,000 tons dumped into landfills and waterways annually, causing significant problems for the environment.
The scientists are using bacteria to break down and oxidise “defective” tomato waste – a chemical reaction which releases electrons that can be captured in a fuel cell and be a source of electricity.
Tomatoes are particularly well suited to the job because they contain a bright red carotene pigment, which the researchers have found to be an excellent catalyst for generating electrical charges.
Team leader Professor Venkataramana Gadhamshetty said: “We wanted to find a way to treat this waste that, when dumped in landfills, can produce methane – a powerful greenhouse gas – and when dumped in water bodies, can create major water treatment problems.”
He acknowledges that the amount of electricity they are generating from tomato waste is relatively small, but says with more research and development the energy output can be increased many times over.
As consumers continue to search for fresh produce that offers the healthiest fare available, they are increasingly turning to berry consumption.
And this trend also confirms that inclusion of berries as an active ingredient in a host of food items at home continues to grow: they are a do-not-disregard ingredient.
One of the rock stars of the berry category is the blueberry, which today is only surpassed by strawberries among consumer berry purchases. Due to their undeniable presence as a superberry and superfood, blueberries have been equally embraced by Millennials who are writing their own formulas for physical fitness as well as seniors, the generation of consumers that continues to embrace food as vehicles of nutrition carefully and naturally packaged to deliver a one-two punch.
According to Josh Borro, author of The Upshot, information released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that blueberry consumption increased 411 percent from 2000 to 2012. Strawberry consumption increased 60 percent during this time frame, and fresh raspberry consumption increased 475 percent.
Borro said that advances on the supply side, which have resulted in delivery of a superior piece of fruit farmed under optimum conditions, give consumers exactly the kinds of berries they are craving.
While the total percent increases show that Americans are loving their berries, there is a sacrificial side to the equation. According to Burro, increases in berry consumption are reflected in decreases in consumption of other fruit such as apples and bananas.
One of the factors influencing increased — and increasing -– availability of berries is the fact that these categories have been strengthened through increased plantings of superior strains in ever-growing locations around the globe. The berry industry is a global category, and consumers are able to enjoy their berries of choice regardless of the time of year as larger export volumes make their way into the United States during the domestic off-season.
Another factor that has driven berry sales is the fact that they are a perfect fruit to eat “as is.” According to the 2015 State of the Plate report issued by the Produce for Better Health Foundation, 83 percent of all fruit is eaten “as is.”
Quality issues are being reported with late season Chilean imported grapes as Mexico’s table grape exports are arriving in the U.S. in light volume. Mexican grape shipments are expected to be down 18 percent this season from 2015.
In 2015, Sonora, Mexico exported 17.22 million cases of table grapes. This year loadings are expected to hit 14.17 million, a drop of 3.05 million boxes, or 18 percent.
Early green seedless grapes are the only Sonora category of grapes expected to increase in volume this season. These are estimated at 871,000 cases, up 15 percent from 2015.
Here are the estimates for shipments of other Mexican grape varieties:
Flames: This red seedless grape may be down over 1 million cases from a year ago. In 2015, Sonora exported 8.6 million cases; the estimate for this year is 7.6 million boxes, which is a drop of 12 percent.
Sugraone: This green seedless variety is expected to drop 26 percent, to a total of 3.1 million boxes. This is down almost 1.1 million boxes from 2015, when 4.17 million were exported.
Perlettes: This white seedless grape is expected to be down 21 percent in 2016. There is a drop of 314,222 in the estimate from the 2015 export crop of 1.464 million. It is estimated that 1.15 million cases of Perlettes will be exported in 2016.
Red Globes: This variety faces the largest percentage of volume drop of all Mexican grape varieties in 2016. The Red Globe export estimate for 2016 is 400,000 boxes — a sharp decrease from the 825,848 boxes of Red Globes exported from Mexico last year.
Black grapes: The volume from Sonora is expected to be 650,000 cases, down 26 percent from 877,872 in 2015.
Other grape varieties will cumulatively be down 14 percent to 400,000 cases in 2016. This is a drop of 67,000 boxes from a year ago.
There should be good volume with grapes at Nogales the week prior to the Memorial Day weekend.
There is light volume with vegetables and mangoes, with rising grape volume crossing the border at Nogales – grossing about $3200 to Chicago.
U.S. citrus shipments and production will steadily decline over the next ten years, according to new projections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The projection also can be used as guide to what direction produce shipments will take over the next decade.
The USDA’s recent Agricultural Projections to 2025 report said U.S. citrus fruit production, which has been affected by citrus greening disease, is forecast to drop by an average of 1% per year in the next decade. The forecast for falling production is linked to continued declines of bearing acreage, notably in Florida, according to the report.
USDA projections call for total U.S. citrus output to drop from 18.4 billion pounds in 2015 to 14.3 billion pounds by 2025. The projections indicate that non-citrus fruit production will rise from 36.9 billion pounds in 2015 to 39.9 billion pounds in 2025, a gain of 8% over 10 years. Tree nut production will rise at a faster clip, according to the USDA, with output pegged at 6.08 billion pounds in 2025, up 24% from 2015.
The agency said total U.S. production of fruit, nuts, and vegetables is projected to rise by 0.6% annually in the next decade. While processing vegetable production is forecast to rise 0.8% annually over the next ten years, agency economists predict a modest 0.1% per year increase in fresh market vegetable production.
Fresh market vegetable shipments will barely increase from 41.3 billion pounds in 2015 to 41.7 billion pounds by 2025, according to the USDA.
Michigan state money is helping put more produce on the plates of the needy.
Known as the Michigan Health and Wellness 4×4 Plan, three local agencies receiving a nearly $50,000 grant is the Munson Medical Center, District Health Department #2 and the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan. The grant offers nutrition with a prescription.
“The most important thing is we’re going to be getting more fruits and vegetables into the hands of our residents. We’ve heard it since we were children, eat your fruits and veggies. However, not everyone takes that to heart as adults. “We’ve had our eye on the fruit and vegetable prescription program for quite some time,” says Munson Medical Center’s community health manager, Christi Nowak. “Fresh fruits and vegetables can be a little intimidating, so we want to help make that not as intimidating with the educational component.”
Munson Medical Center is trying to make produce more accessible and less intimidating.
They’re using a state grant to give prescriptions to those with chronic disease.
“By participating they’ll be given a fruit and vegetable prescription and they’ll be able to partake in some nutritional education classes,” Nowak says. “Once they complete those they’ll be able to go to our farmers market at the Grand Traverse Commons and redeem those prescriptions for fresh fruits and vegetables.”
The program starts this spring and will teach patients how to incorporate fresh foods into their life through classes and rewards.
“One of the main focuses of this project is to help people broaden their horizon in what is available to them in the fresh fruit and vegetable category,” says registered dietitian Laura McCain. “Then what do they do with it. How do they incorporate it into snacks and meals. We want to see it sustainable. We want to see it grow into a community wide effort where there are lots of opportunities if a person doesn’t currently know how to eat healthy to be able to get that help.”
In recent weeks, there have been several news stories mentioning the high cost of vegetables and fruits in the national media. The softening Canadian dollar has in many cases driven up the cost of imported produce, and this is being reflected in grocery store prices. However, one staple vegetable that has not experienced the same jump in prices is Prince Edward Island potatoes.
“The facts are very clear, potatoes are a ‘win-win-win’ on nutrition, affordability and taste,” says Dr. Maureen Storey, President and CEO of the Alliance for Potato Research and Education. “On nutrition, potatoes top other commonly consumed vegetables for delivering heart-healthy potassium. And, studies from the University of Washington show that potatoes and legumes are the most affordable, potassium-rich vegetables that are well-accepted by consumers. As far as taste goes, there’s no argument or bargaining at the dinner table when it comes to potatoes.”
Potatoes are packed with vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium and Vitamin C, while one medium sized potato is only 100 calories.
Whether someone prefers russets, whites, yellows, reds, or mini potatoes, all of these are available from Prince Edward Island potato growers at many grocery store in the Eastern U.S. and Canada. Prince Edward Island potatoes have been grown in the rich, red soil of PEI by farmers who have been growing potatoes for generations.
by Columbia Marketing International (CMI)
Shipments of U.S. grown Kanzi® brand apples are peaking and over the next few weeks will set new records for retail sales performance. During the past 52 weeks, flavor-intense Kanzi® have been one of the brightest stars of the apple category, increasing in sales by over 87%.
Robb Myers, Vice President of Sales at CMI reports retail interest in Kanzi® is very high. “Kanzi apples are really turning heads at the retail level,” said Myers. “Over the past year, apple category dollars are down, yet Kanzi® is still driving incredible growth.”
Myers says that between March 15 and May 1, sales of Kanzi® apples in the U.S. peak. “This is the time for Kanzi®,” said Myers. “Kanzi® flavor develops in storage so we release it in late winter just as sales momentum in the apple category is beginning to slow.”
“There is nothing like a new item to invigorate category sales,” said Myers.
Myers added that the season for this Washington State apple extends through the end of April when imported Kanzi® arrive from New Zealand.
Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing for CMI, says national retail scan data results document the strong performance by Kanzi®. According to Lutz, Nielsen data reveals that over the past year, Kanzi® had the number one dollar growth rate among the 35 best-selling varieties in the U.S.
“We’re seeing Kanzi® selling successfully in nearly 3,500 stores nationally,” said Lutz. “The next six weeks are prime time for retailers to let their shoppers try this spectacular new apple.”