Archive For The “News” Category
By TransFresh Corporation
Salinas, CA — TransFresh Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chiquita Brands, has announced that its flagship technology, Tectrol® Modified Atmosphere Packaging Systems, recognized worldwide for delivering an added level of protection to help ensure the quality and marketability of fresh strawberries, has now significantly modified the Tectrol System to help deliver more consistent supplies of fresh blueberries.
TransFresh has successfully completed a multi-year research and development initiative resulting in a unique Tectrol Storage Solution that utilizes Apio’s patented BreatheWay® Technology to deliver a sealed package system with adjustable oxygen transfer rates that react dynamically to changes in temperature and berry respiration for more reliable fresh blueberry storage. Apio is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Landec Corporation.
According to TransFresh, the breakthrough sealed pallet process delivers to customers a unique storage solution with stable oxygen and carbon dioxide. “What’s remarkable about the Tectrol Storage Solution for fresh blueberries is that the innovative zip-sealed pallet system combined with the patented breathable membrane allows just the right amount of oxygen transfer needed by the fruit, resulting in greater atmosphere control than previously possible and a virtually fool-proof packaging operation,” stated Rich Macleod, TransFresh Corporation vice president (in photograph). “Customers who may have struggled in the past to meet the specific atmosphere needs of fresh blueberries are now finding they have a new solution available with higher consistency and a more stable atmosphere for greater storage reliability,” he said. Macleod further commented that customers may now have much more confidence in their storage solutions by being able to more effectively match supplies with market demand. TransFresh expects that its new storage solution can be adapted to other commodities such as fresh cherries and grapes.
To develop the unique Tectrol Storage Solution for fresh blueberries, TransFresh looked more closely at storage needs versus shipping needs. According to Reilly Rhodes, TransFresh Tectrol business manager for fresh blueberries who spearheaded the multi-year development project, the “A-ha” moment came when the pallet sealing method used for fresh strawberries was “turned on its head.” “We redesigned our seal system for the fresh blueberry market and then married the redesigned seal and bag with the Apio BreatheWay® technology,” he explained. The new Tectrol Storage Solution for blueberries is not only high-performance operationally, but is also fully “adjustable” to blueberries and their storage conditions. “At that stage,” Rhodes said, “we were no longer simply adapting a successful program for fresh strawberries to fresh blueberries, we were actually creating a new and highly adaptable solution designed specifically for fresh blueberries.”
In completing the initiative, TransFresh drew upon the extensive expertise of Apio’s BreatheWay® Technology team and also worked alongside several of the key customers who participate in the fresh blueberry industry. BreatheWay® Technology is a trademark of Apio, Inc.
Domestic markets have sold 15 percent more blueberries this year than last and represent a fast growing berry segment. As these markets have grown, the demand for a more effective storage solution has accelerated. Because blueberries are grown in a variety of countries and districts, and varieties tend to have steep production peaks, the ability to hold blueberries in modified or controlled atmosphere conditions helps to smooth out the bumps in market supply and demand. A pallet-sized atmosphere package such as the Tectrol Storage Solution gives suppliers the flexibility to market a quality product through the peaks and valleys of the distribution system.
Customers who are interested in more information may contact Reilly Rhodes, TransFresh Corp., at (949) 279-5084.
About TransFresh®
TransFresh Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chiquita Brands, is a pioneering and established global company with nearly 50 years of experience in perishables transport. Tectrol® is the trademarked brand name for the TransFresh® family of proprietary modified and controlled atmosphere systems and processes developed and owned by TransFresh. The Tectrol Service Network™ services, markets and supports the Tectrol Pallet Systems operations and technologies. Since inception, TransFresh’s innovations in packaging, equipment and sealing processes have established Tectrol as the industry standard. For more information, please visit www.transfresh.com.
About Chiquita Brands
Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) is a leading international marketer and distributor of nutritious, high-quality fresh and value-added food products – from energy-rich bananas, blends of convenient green salads and other fruits to healthy snacking products. The company markets its healthy, fresh products under the Chiquita® and Fresh Express® premium brands and other related trademarks. With annual revenues of more than $3 billion, Chiquita employs approximately 20,000 people and has operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit www.chiquita.com.
About Apio
Apio is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Landec Corporation (LNDC). Landec, through Apio, is a market leader in the commercialization of specialty packaged vegetable products using Apio’s BreatheWay® patented technology. Landec also develops and commercializes injectable medical materials for ophthalmology and orthopedic applications. Landec’s Apio food subsidiary sells its products nationwide under the Eat Smart® and GreenLine® Brands. For more information visit www.apioinc.com.
The California drought is hurting everyone from growers to shippers – and produce truckers – to the consumer, who ultimately is paying more for their food.
Groundwater supplies pumped from wells will make up most of the shortfall in agricultural water caused by the California drought.
A new study says the drought will still result in $810 million in lost crop revenues this year. The study, “Economic Analysis of the 2014 Drought for California Agriculture,” published by the University of California at Davis Center for Watershed Schiences, the study estimated the total statewide economic costs of the drought at $2.2 billion, including the loss of 17,100 seasonal and part time jobs.
Crop values of the state’s fruit and nut trees will decline by $277 million because of the drought, while losses to vegetables and non-tree fruit are estimated at $47 million in 2014.. The drought is expected to decrease cropland in California by 428,000 acres in 2014. Of that total, fruit and nut trees account for 41,000 acres of the total reduction, with vegetables and non tree fruit representing 10,000 acres of idled ground.
The surface water reduction caused by the drought, according to the report, is estimated at 6.6 million acre-feet. The increase in groundwater pumping of water was estimated 5.1 million acre-feet, leaving the net water shortage of 1.6 million acre-feet. Besides crop revenue losses of $810 million, other costs include additional water pumping expenses of $454 million and $203 million in livestock and dairy revenue loss. That totals $1.5 billion in direct costs.
India Globalization Capital, Inc. based in Bethesda, MD is working with TerraSphere Systems and Greenlife Ventures to develop multiple facilities to produce organic leafy green vegetables, with plans to eventually transition the facilities to produce legal cannabis, according to a news release from the company.
The facilities, planned for unspecified locations in the U.S. Northeast and Canada, will utilize TerraSphere’s advanced pesticide free organic indoor farming technology. The transition to support the legal cannabis industry will occur when there are clear rules on the cultivation of cannabis in each region.
TerraSphere designs and builds contained vertical farming systems, according to the release. “We are excited to partner with TerraSphere as we look to both develop proven pesticide-free organic growing intellectual property and secure a meaningful footprint of high tech facilities, in important states, for ultimately growing legal cannabis,” chief executive officer Ram Mukunda said in the release. “In the interim, we expect these facilities to generate accretive revenue from other plants as part of our strategic short-term goal of building profit, while simultaneously moving IGC closer towards meeting our long-term goal of becoming a dominant player in the emerging legal cannabis space.”
The release did not say what organic vegetables will be cultivated or when the facilities would be operational, and a spokesman for the company. Each of the four planned facilities will range in size from 10,000 to 30,000 square feet and will feature LED lighting for developing faster growing plants with additional yields of up to 20 percent. When the facilities are operational, India Globalization Capital will own 51 percent of each venture. The company will make a cash investment in the venture and will receive a seven-year option to purchase the venture for cash and shares of its common stock, according to the release.
A planned fall rollout at U.S. retail supermarkets of the vegetable Kalettes is planned, which is a cross between kale and brussels sprouts.
It is spearheaded by based sales manager of Tozer Seeds America, said in a news release.
“We started selling seed in the U.S. in 2012 and quickly realized that this new vegetable was going to be a huge hit with consumers due to the popularity of both vegetables,” Kuykendall said. So far, Kalettes has appeared in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. It was developed over more than a decade of research by cross-pollinating brussels sprouts with kale through traditional methods.
Plans for the U.S. launch include consumer and social media activity. A website offers recipes; a Facebook page and other outlets have been established. Rock Garden South, a Miami-based grower and subsidiary of Miami-based specialties distributor Coosemans Worldwide, introduced organic BrusselKale — a cross between brussels sprouts and red kale — last year.
Since opening three years ago, the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market has been touting itself as the world’s largest, fully-refrigerated wholesale produce marketplace.
With 700,000 square feet of space, this modern facility has indoor, consistently chilled facilities keeping customers and produce safe from the elements, while maximizing shelf life and ensuring freshness and crispness. It is a quarter-mile-long, multi-story, skylit, fully refrigerated fruit and vegetable warehouse.
The main benefits of being in the new produce market is not having to break the cold chain, which is very important in maintaining the quality for fresh produce. The Philly market also is ahead of the curve as far as keeping up with new standards and government sanctioned food safety regulations.
This prevents product that is being staged for orders from sitting in the 100 degree heat during the summertime in Philadelphia. This past winter was a true test of the market’s value to the merchants and to their customers. Business was conducted in a clean, safe temperature controlled environment, while some other wholesale terminal markets dealt with freezing temps and blowing snow.
The lay out of the market also makes it easier for refrigerated big rigs to maneuver, with less delays. The market now employs 1,500, up from 1,100 at the former Philadelphia Regional Produce Terminal on Galloway Street in South Philly. It is now located on Essington Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia.
On the other hand, just 25 produce firms now operate in the new center, down from 40 at the old terminal, though surviving firms have expanded to fill the available space.
If you like hauling bananas out of the Port of Wilmington (Del), The Diamond State Port Corp., and Chiquita Brands have agreed that Chiquita will continue to use the complex as its mid-Atlantic distribution hub for the next five years.
The agreement includes two five-year renewal options, which could extend Chiquita’s stay at Wilmington until 2029, according to a news release.
Chiquita’s business means Wilmington will continue to handle more bananas than any other port in North America.
In 1988, Chiquita consolidated mid-Atlantic supply chain operations to Wilmington, which is now its largest port operation in North America.
Chiquita brings bananas, pineapples and other tropical fruits and vegetables into North America through the port from Central America.
“We are extremely pleased that Chiquita has decided to sign a new lease with the port and continue our long and fruitful relationship,” Gene Bailey, executive director of Diamond State, said in the release. “Chiquita is a most important customer and responsible for hundreds of jobs and … significant economic impact to our port, state and region.”
“The Port of Wilmington is an important destination for Chiquita and our customers,” Mario Pacheco, Chiquita’s senior vice president of global logistics, said in the release. “We are pleased that we have reached an agreement that will enable us to continue to call Wilmington home for many years to come.”
California’s ongoing drought continues to hit price tags in grocery stores across the country including fresh fruits and vegetable prices, which will go up an estimated 6 percent in the coming months, the federal government said recently.
“You’re probably going to see the biggest produce price increases on avocados, berries, broccoli, grapes, lettuce, melons, peppers, tomatoes and packaged salads,” said Timothy Richards, a chair at the Morrison School of Agribusiness at Arizona State University.
In its monthly report on the food price outlook, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the price of fruit and vegetables will continue to rise.
The USDA’s Economic Research Service reported that the California drought has the potential to increase food price inflation above the historical average in coming years as farmers continue to battle for water in the summer months.
Although the department is sticking with its overall forecast that U.S. food prices will increase by up to 3.5% this year over last, it cautioned that the cost of meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables will jump.
California farmers produce about half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, and most of its high-value crops such as broccoli, tomatoes and artichokes.
But the rising cost of water has forced farmers to idle about 500,000 acres of land and produce less, making certain foods more expensive.
Fresh produce has increased the most and that’s a direct result of the California drought,” said Annemarie Kuhns, an economist with the USDA. Almost 70 percent of the nation’s lettuce is grown in California.
The department now expects 2014 U.S. fresh fruit prices to jump by up to 6 percent, up from its May projection of about 4 percent. A devastating citrus disease in Florida also sent citrus prices up 22.5 percent this year.
Consumers will also see a bump in dairy prices due to increased demand.
New USDA estimates say U.S. per capita use of fresh vegetables dipped 5 percent in 2013 and imports claimed a record share of the total supply.
Preliminary numbers show per-capita use of fresh vegetables (excluding potatoes and melons) in the U.S. totaled 138.8 pounds in 2013, down 5 percent from 145.5 pounds in 2012 and off 5 percent from 146.8 pounds in 2000, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service. That preliminary number is the lowest per-capita use of fresh vegetables since 1998’s tally of 136.1 pounds.
Imports accounted for a record 27.3 percent of fresh vegetable use in the U.S. in 2013, up from 25.1 percent in 2012 and double the import share of 13.2 percent in 2000. U.S. vegetable exports accounted for 7.1 percent of the domestic supply, up from 7 percent in 2012, but down from 7.8 percent in 2000.
The report reflects a decline in most of the major fresh vegetables tracked in 2013 compared with the previous year, including tomatoes (-3 percent to 19.6 pounds), head lettuce (-12 percent to 12.5 pounds), carrots (-4 percent to 7.6 pounds), bell peppers (-10 percent to 10.3 pounds) and sweet corn (-4 percent to 7.4 pounds). Other less consumed vegetables also showed declines, including asparagus (-5 percent to 1.6 pounds) and snap/green beans (-5 percent to 1.7 pounds).
Fresh vegetables that showed stable per-capita use included cabbage (7.1 pounds) and cauliflower (1.2 pounds).
Fresh potato and broccoli per-capita use was higher in 2013, according to the USDA.
Broccoli rose 8 percent from 6.3 pounds in 2012 to 6.8 pounds in 2013, while potato per-capita use in 2013 rose 5 percent to 36.1 pounds.
The change in per-capita use doesn’t mean that much for a single year, said Desmond O’Rourke, president of Belrose Inc., Pullman, Wash. Weather events and yield differences can create swings, he said. O’Rourke said USDA Agricultural Marketing Service shipment data shows 2013 vegetable volume was flat compared with 2012, though the USDA includes pumpkins in their total volume numbers for vegetables.
Changes in federal hours of service regulations, along with stricter rules by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are two primary reason refrigerated produce loads have increased this year by as much as 10 percent, according to DAT Solutions, a load board network based in Beaverton, OR.
Over 99 million transactions annually and bases rate estimates on $24 billion of freight bills, according the DAT website, and bases rate estimates on $24 billion of freight bills.
The hours-of-service changes require drivers to stop for rest breaks more often, meaning it takes longer to reach destinations such as distribution centers, many of which were located years ago based on drive times allowed under the old regulations.
Some (truckers) have gone to a relay system where the first one drives so far, then another driver picks up the trailer and takes it on. The downside, particularly with temperature-sensitive loads like produce, is that you don’t have the continuity of one driver taking care of the load for the whole trip,” Montague said.
Higher rates also are attributed to the tightening rates emissions regulations by CARB, which apply not only to trucks picking up and delivering produce in the state, but those merely driving through California.
Montague said as of early June, many of the highest rates in the nation were for trucks going into California. The DAT data for the week ending May 31 showed per mile rates of $2.44 in California for reefers. “At least 90% of the fleets that haul fresh produce have 10 trucks or less,” Montague said, adding that many produce haulers are individual owner-operators with only one truck. “The changes in regulations really make it hard for the smaller operators because of the costs for upgrades. The overall message is a lot of smaller truckers are having trouble.”
The U.S. organic market has hit new heights of $35.1 billion in sales last year, according to a survey from the Organic Trade Association (OTA).
The survey shows the organic industry recorded 11.5 percent year-on-year growth in 2013, which was the fastest growth rate in five years.
“The U.S. organic market is experiencing strong expansion, with organic food and farming continuing to gain in popularity. Consumers are making the correlation between what we eat and our health, and that knowledge is spurring heightened consumer interest in organic products,” OTA CEO Laura Batcha said in a news release.
The Organic Industry Survey, conducted and produced by the Nutrition Business Journal, showed the fruit and vegetable category continued to lead the sector with $11.6 billion in sales, up 15%.
The OTA highlighted that with organics now making up more than 10 percent of the fruits and vegetables sold in the U.S., the US$1.5 billion in new produce sales represented 46% of the organic sector’s $3.3 billion in new dollars.
The relatively small organic condiments category posted the strongest growth at 17 percent, reaching $830 million.
“The entire organic industry needs to rally around helping consumers better understand and appreciate all the values that certified organic brings to the table,” Batcha said.
“Consumer education is critical to grow the organic industry.”