Archive For The “News” Category
By The Produce Mom
Thanksgiving’s almost here—time to give thanks and celebrate the bounty of the harvest on this holiday that emphasizes family values. But moms who are trying to offer up a wow factor along with their healthy Thanksgiving feasts may find it more of a challenge than a celebration. For fresh, family-friendly holiday meal ideas with pizzazz, join The Produce Mom and her partners as they host a #HealthyThanksgiving Twitter Party Wednesday, November 19, at 9 p.m. EST.
“Thanksgiving, a day that reminds us all that food truly is culture, is the perfect occasion for creating unique food presentations and putting a new spin on favorite dishes that will impress family and guests,” said Lori Taylor, The Produce Mom. “This season, two of the hottest topics are how to create chef-quality dishes and how to ensure our meals are sustainable and minimize waste, and we’ve got lots of ideas on how to do just that.”
“Food is the ultimate way to deliver the wow factor this Thanksgiving, but you don’t have to be a chef to impress your guests,” said Nick Quintero, digital marketing manager for Melissa’s Produce. “Our chef-inspired recipes encourage consumers to enjoy all the ingredients of the global market to create fantastic dishes for friends and family.”
“With Josie’s Organics organic vegetables, sustainability extends from the farm all the way to the family table,” said Chadwick Boyd, Josie’s Organics food and lifestyle expert. “We use the whole vegetable, from root to leaf, in our recipes so that no part of our veggies—especially during the holidays—goes to waste.”
The Produce Mom’s social media parties and contests typically reach more than a million consumers. During their time slot, they often rank among the top 10 national trending hash tags on Twitter, so it’s a great way for consumers to participate in an activity that enjoys a history of trending. The hour-long parties receive nearly 3,500 posts to the party-specific hash tag.
If consumers aren’t familiar with tweeting, it’s easy to get started. Here’s how. First, go to twitter.com/signup and set up a free Twitter account. Once you’re logged in, click the Follow button next to The Produce Mom’s profile page, @ProduceMom. Then, on Wednesday, November 19, at 9 p.m. EST, log in to your Twitter account and join in on the conversation using the #HealthyThanksgiving hash tag in your tweets.
During the party, prizes supplied by each host organization are randomly awarded to lucky participants who respond to hosts’ questions using the #HealthyThanksgiving hash tag.
For this #HealthyThanksgiving Twitter Party we’ve gathered together 12 event hosts, each with a unique perspective, to share their fresh take on this holiday that holds special meaning to families everywhere.
If you haul imported produce at ports ranging from Washington state to Long Beach on the West Coast, your chances of claims are increasing as delays in getting product out of the ports are increasing, due to a labor dispute.
Imported perishables coming through West Coast ports have been delayed two to three day late on average.
This is resulting in a domino effect through distribution procedures and with timely deliveries. These delays effect overall shelf life of the imported fruit and in the end trickles down to less time for consumers to eat the product.
The Pacific Maritime Association said recently a slowdown by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in Seattle and Tacoma, Wash., had spread to Los Angeles and Long Beach. The two California ports handle about 64 percent of containerized cargo on the West Coast. The union has denied a slowdown is taking place in either state, blaming the problems on a business model that interferes with on-time delivery of chassis systems.
Congestion has been occurring since at least last September in Los Angeles and Long Beach, where management lays blame on a variety of causes including a shortage of chassis, rail cars, surging cargo volume and a shortage of truck drivers. Labor strife will aggravate that, they said.
“Although the existing congestion has had ripple effects throughout the supply chain, it is the ILWU slowdowns that now have the potential to bring the port complex to the brink of gridlock,” Pacific Maritime Association spokesman Wade Gates said in a news release.
In Seattle and Tacoma terminals that typically move 25 to 35 containers hourly, were moving just 10 to 18, according to the Pacific Maritime Association.
The two sides have been in negotiations since July 1, when the last contract expired.
The completion of the first phase of the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market’s expansion was recently celebrated by produce merchants, city leaders and members of the community.
Located on the east end of the market at 901 Rankin St., the new building adds 82,000 square feet of produce distribution and warehouse space to the market’s existing 300,000 square feet. The building provides office space as well as 20 refrigerated dock doors. It sits on about 3 acres.
Approximately 25,000 square feet of the new facility already has been leased to Mollie Stone’s Markets, Mill Valley, Calif. It will serve as the central produce distribution center for all nine of Mollie Stone’s stores in the region. The retailer of organic and natural foods plans to build out the space to meet its needs and move there in early spring., Mollie Stone’s had been part of the market for several years but had outgrown its existing space.
The wholesale market is finalizing a lease on the other space and hopes to make an announcement shortly. Prior to 2013, 3 acres of space wasn’t even in the market until city land became part of the property.
The completion of this facility is the first phase of the wholesale produce market’s $100 million investment and expansion plan, providing a modern and efficient home from which to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to restaurants and local grocers in the city The new facility is part of a much larger long-term “reinvestment plan” made possible when the city of San Francisco, which owns the land on which the market sits, signed a 60-year least with the market in September 2013.
Many consumers have noticed U.S. lemon prices have reached record highs this year.
USDA data shows that for the year ending July 31, lemon prices increased the value of the crop by 62 percent to $647.7 million. It also means you’re paying a lot more for them at the store.
Lemons received a big boost this year fro
m several different factors. The prices of limes tripled by May for some buyers after crop damage in Mexico led to tight supplies and varying effects on supply from drought conditions in California were both key contributors, according to Bloomberg.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that wholesale lemon prices almost doubled from the previous year, and retail lemons are up 36 percent to $2.327 per pound in August. According to Bloomberg, that is the highest since the Bureau began tracking them in 1980.
This price increase has been good to the California lemon growers who harvest lemons almost year-round and accounted for 91 percent of the U.S. lemon crop this year.
Harold Edwards, Limoneira CEO Harold Edwards, Limoneira’s Chief Executive Officer, told Bloomberg, “This has been by far our most profitable lemon year.” Edwards added that Limoneira, which farms 4,000 acres of lemons in California and Arizona, received about $24 on average for each 40lb carton sold in the fiscal year that ends next month. This is a 50 percent increase from a year earlier.
Sunkist Growers tells Bloomberg that consumers, restaurants and beverage makers have all boosted lemon demand to an all-time high due to growing popularity. Mintel Group Ltd’s Menu Insights database shows that lemon-flavored ingredients on food-service menus climbed approximately 1 percent between the second quarters of 2011 and 2014.
In sort of a flashback to the ’70s it seems history is repeating itself as a lot of hoopla is taking place about the rail industry getting more serious about hauling fresh produce – and competing with trucks. In the short run it seems not to have worked out that well — at least for some.
The latest example is McKay TransCold of Minneapolis, which closed its doors November 1st, after launching a new refrigerated boxcar service last June. Known as Transcold Express, it had weekly runs between Selma, CA and Wilmington, IL. However, the company had problems with its cross dock operation in Wilmington, where it had spent monies on significant upgrades of the facility. Unable to find additional investors to continue operations, the company decided to call it quits.
Another short lived example of a foray into the rail perishables business is the Cold Train Express Intermodal service that suspended service last summer. Cold Train saw its on time service on BNSF’s Northern Corridor plummet from 90 percent in November 2013 to only 5% percent last April. Cold Train said the reason relates to soaring oil and coal shipments by rail. For example, the Northern Corridor of BNSF saw tank car shipments increase from 20,000 three years to over 400,000 this year. Unlike it’s southern routes, which has two sets of tracks, the northern route has only one set of rail tracks.
Meanwhile, Railex, which started a rail service a few years ago, seems to be doing better than anyone, with it’s coast-to-coast service. Another service, Tiger Cool Express LLC, also remains in business, but we hear little about it.
Produce is viewed by some in the rail industry as the last long-haul, $100 billion market that intermodal has yet to penetrate. Still, over 95 percent of fresh produce is delivered by truck in the U.S.. Rail officials are counting on trucks supplies tightening, with the driver shortage continuing to worsen and increasing government regulations on the trucking industry – which in theory is supposed to be deregulated.
The completion of an eight-year construction project at the Mariposa Land Port of Entry, Nogales, AZ, was recently marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The project was designed to increase traffic flow at the border, update facilities and accommodate new Customs and Border Protection inspections procedures.
The port now is able to inspect about 4,000 trucks per day through eight primary commercial booths and 56 secondary commercial inspection bays, and non-commercial travel is expedited through 12 primary booths and 24 secondary personal vehicle inspection spaces,.
Northbound pedestrian processing walkways and inspection facilities were constructed as part of the project along with five booths and two processing facilities for southbound inspections.
The project has doubled the capacity of the port of entry, said Will Brooks, director of field operations for Customs and Border Protection.
“It will help facilitate legitimate travel and trade as well as be an economic gain to the Arizona communities it serves as well as to the nation,” he said.
Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Nogales-based Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, said the community “got a big jolt in the arm (from) this $220-million project.” For produce operations, “This is where you want to be,” he said, especially for companies whose distribution base is west of the Mississippi. The next challenge, he said, is to increase staffing and improve access on the Mexican side of the border.
The project was sorely needed, said Bruce Bracker, chairman of the board of directors of the Greater Nogales-Santa Cruz County Port Authority. “We started with a port that was designed for 500 trucks a day crossing 1,800 trucks,” he said. With the redesigned port, “We have a facility that’s designed for 4,000 trucks a day.”
Mexican produce crossing the border at Nogales – grossing about $3600 to Chicago.
by The Mississippi State Port Authority
GULFPORT, Miss. – The Mississippi State Port Authority is in final lease negotiations with Dole Fresh Fruit Company which will provide Dole with a state-of-the-art, expanded port terminal.
Under the agreement, Dole will relocate their operations to the west pier, significantly increasing capacity at the Port. The new lease calls for a 13-year extension with two, additional five-year extension options, providing Dole the opportunity to remain in Gulfport through 2037.
“Dole has been a valued member of the Port of Gulfport family for 50 years, and we look forward to many more years of partnership and success,” Gov. Bryant said. “ The progress currently underway at the Port will enhance Dole’s ability to compete effectively in a global market and allow them to expand their economic footprint in the Gulf Coast region.”
“While we are still working on the final details of the financial terms, we have come to an agreement on the length of the lease extension,”said Jonathan Daniels, MSPA executive director and CEO. “Dole’s commitment to the Port, region, and the State of Mississippi fully entrenches the company in the Gulfport community for decades to come. The state of Mississippi is making a significant financial investment in the company, and we are pleased by the loyalty Dole is showing to the state.”
Dole currently occupies more than 140,000 square feet of warehouse space as well as 24 acres of open storage and container parking space on the port’s east pier. The new terminal on the west pier will encompass almost 40 acres and will also allow them to increase container storage capacity by nearly 50 percent. The new warehouse complex will increase dry storage capacity, while also including construction of 20,000 square feet of temperature controlled space.
“We have been at the Port of Gulfport for 50 years, and this agreement affirms our continued commitment to the people of Mississippi,” said Barry Jung, Director of North American Terminal Operations for Dole Fresh Fruit Company. “We are confident that our decision to stay in Gulfport will maintain Dole’s position as a leader in the fresh fruit market and Gulfport’s geographic location, ease to market, combined with our new terminal, creates a highly efficient environment for our import and export activities.”
The long term commitment Dole is making to the Port mirrors the agreements made in the past year and a half by tenants such as Island View, DuPont and McDermott International. If all options are renewed, Island View’s agreement totals up to 50 years, DuPont 60 years, and McDermott International for up to 40 years at the Port of Gulfport.
California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) issued regulatory guidance last week stating the state is cleared to enforce elements of its emissions regulations requiring truck and trailer owners to install aerodynamic add-on devices and use certain tires.
A ruling by the Environmental Protection Agency gives the go ahead for CARB to enforce areo add-on requirements on 1011-2013 year-model tractors and integrated sleepers, plus with trailer equipment.
CARB’s guidance issuance comes two months after the EPA issued California a waiver allowing it to enforce in full its greenhouse gas regulations.
The rule went into effect in January 2010 and requires the use of SmartWay-verified tires and other SmartWay-verified equipment on all new trucks and trailers.
CARB had only been enforcing the rule for 2010 and earlier model trucks and trailers However, the EPA’s Clean Air Act had preempted state regulations.
In June 2013, CARB asked EPA for a waiver of the preemption, which would allow it to enforce the GHG regs for 2011-2013 year model trucks and 2011 and later trailers.
The equipment required by CARB are verified by the EPA to improve fuel economy and therefore reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
Both the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and Owner Operator-Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) had released statements in August stating their opposition to enforcement of the rule, but for different reasons.
Meanwhile, it appears more owner operators and small fleet owners are refusing to truck in California for economic reasons and in some cases in opposition to mounting and intrusive regulations.
By National Mango Board
ORLANDO, Fla. — Research published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolic Insights found that regular consumption of mango by obese adults may lower blood sugar levels and does not negatively impact body weight. These are important findings considering that approximately 34 percent of U.S. adults have been classified as obese and given the health concerns related to obesity, such as type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome.1,2,3.
“We are excited about these promising findings for mangos, which contain many bioactive compounds, including mangiferin, an antioxidant that may contribute to the beneficial effects of mango on blood glucose. In addition, mangos contain fiber, which can help lower glucose absorption into the blood stream,” said Edralin Lucas, Ph.D., associate professor of nutritional sciences at Oklahoma State University, College of Human Sciences and lead study author. “Our results indicate that daily consumption of 10 grams of freeze-dried mango, which is equivalent to about one-half of a fresh mango (about 100 grams), may help lower blood sugar in obese individuals.”
This pilot study was designed to investigate the effects of mango consumption on anthropometric measurements, biochemical parameters, and body composition in obese adults. Participants completing the 12-week study included 20 adults (11 males and 9 females) ages 20 to 50 years old with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 to 45 kg/m2. The study subjects were asked to maintain their usual diet, exercise habits, and regimen of regularly prescribed medications.
Each day during the study period, participants consumed 10 grams of freeze-dried mango, and dietary intake was monitored via 3-day food records assessed at baseline and after 6- and 12- weeks of mango supplementation. Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, and circumference of waist and hip) were measured at baseline and after 6- and 12- weeks of mango supplementation. Body composition and blood analyses of fasting blood triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and plasma insulin concentration were evaluated at baseline and at the end of 12 weeks of mango supplementation.
The researchers found that after 12 weeks, participants had reduced blood glucose (-4.41 mg/dL, P<0.001), and this glucose lowering effect was seen in both males (-4.5 mg/dL, P=0.018) and females (-3.6 mg/dL, P=0.003). No changes were observed in overall body weight, hip or waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, percent fat mass, and lean mass. However, hip circumference was significantly lower in males (-3.3 cm, P=0.048) but not females. BMI tended to be higher in females (+0.9 kg/m2, P=0.062) but not males after mango supplementation, although these results were not statistically significant. Overall and by gender, there were no significant changes in triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, or blood pressure. The blood sugar findings of this study are in agreement with Lucas’ previous animal research, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.4
A nutrient rich fruit, mangos contain over 20 different vitamins and minerals, supporting optimal function of processes throughout the body. Mangos are an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamins C and A as well as folate. They are also a good source of fiber, copper, and vitamin B6.
About National Mango Board
The National Mango Board is an agriculture promotion group, which is supported by assessments from both domestic and imported mangos. The board was designed to drive awareness and consumption of fresh mangos in the U.S. The superfruit mango contains 100 calories, and is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, a good source of fiber, and an amazing source of tropical flavor.
Mango availability per capita has increased 53 percent since 2005 to an estimated 2.87 pounds per year in 2013. Mango import volume for 2013 was 935 million pounds. Learn more at www.mango.org.
The end a three-year U.S. pilot program allowing Mexican trucks full access to U.S. highways expires tomorrow and the U.S. Department of Transportation must decide what it is going to do.
The DOT and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are required by U.S. law to collect a statistically valid sample before the agency decides whether to permanently open up the U.S. market. More than 5,000 truck and driver inspections are being reviewed by the FMCSA.
The pilot program was launched by the federal government in 2011, at which time Mexico removed retaliatory tariffs it had placed on certain U.S. fruits, vegetables and nuts shipped to Mexico. The tariffs, imposed in 2009 and lifted in October 2011, ranged from 10 to 45 percent, on items including apples, grapes, pears, lettuce and other U.S. agricultural commodities exported to Mexico.
Those retaliatory tariffs could be re-imposed by Mexico if the U.S. fails to live up to its North American Free Trade Agreement obligations to provide full access to Mexican carriers. So American roads could be opened up permanently to Mexican trucking companies, denied access, or a decision could be delayed.
The trucking industry is divided on the issue, with large fleets tending to support the move, while owner operators, small fleets and the Teamsters tending to opposed the idea, based primarily on safety issues and concerns over rate slashing by Mexican truckers. The produce industry generally supports Mexican trucker access for fear of the tariffs previously mentioned.