Archive For The “News” Category
Fresh categories are driving nearly 49 percent of all dollar growth across fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), according to Nielsen’s latest Total Consumer Report, with fresh and perishable foods accounting more than $177 billion in sales.
Although fresh categories are performing well in Retail stores, the sector still has some room for improvement, according to the June 2018 report.
Some findings include:
- Ecommerce is still maturing within food and beverage, but fresh perishables are an opportunity in stores today. Amazon and Whole Foods merged a year ago, and ecommerce within grocery continues to grow, but is still maturing. During the past year, online food and beverage sales represented 13 percent of the overall dollar volume seen online. Fresh and perishable foods generated sales nearly 14 times as high as all online food and beverage sales this year.
- On-the-go fresh produce fails to keep pace with clean snacking. Americans are not rushing to on-the-go fresh produce opportunities although they rank eating more fruits and vegetables as the top factor for healthy eating. They often prefer other snack options. On-the-go fresh produce — pre-cut produce that has been portioned intentionally for snacking purposes — declined by nearly 2 percent in dollars and 6 percent in unit volume over the past year. On the flip side, salty snacks are proof that consumers are seeking indulgence in their snacking purchases, too, as sales grew nearly $1 billion year over year. Still, clean-label products represented more than 35 percent of salty snack dollars in the past year.
In the battle of the burgers, frozen is still winning, but fresh is catching up; meanwhile, alternative protein growth remains strong. Frozen patties are still the staple in the burger category, as frozen meat-based burgers have seen 2 percent dollar growth from last year. However, fresh meat burger patties (up 8 percent) and prepared burgers from the deli section (up 15 percent) are both growing and asserting their importance to the future of the category. Within the past year, sales of alternative-protein burgers have experienced dollar sales growth of nearly 21 percent. However, alternative-protein burgers represent just 6 percent of the overall burger category. Despite this, frozen alternative-protein burgers grew 17 percent year over year, which highlights an area for potential expansion.
By Idaho Potato Commission
EAGLE, ID – With much anticipation the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) unveiled Big Idaho® Potato 2.0. Weighing in at 4 tons, the fiberglass potato is just as impressive as the original, but with a few subtle differences. While the Truck is still 28 feet long and 11.5 feet high, it’s a little trimmer in the middle (10 feet wide), and two tons lighter so it can travel to more places.
When folks saw the original potato, the most commonly asked question was, “Is it real?” There’s no doubt the Tater Team (the Truck’s traveling trio), will continue to be asked that same question. If the potato was real, it would…
- Be the equivalent of 21,562 medium-size potatoes
- Make 20,217 servings of mashed potatoes
- Make close to 1 million French fries
- Take nearly 7,000 years to grow
- Take about 2 years to bake
The Big Idaho® Potato Truck originally launched in 2012 in celebration of the IPC’s 75th anniversary and was supposed to be on the road for just one year. Instead, it became an instant success from coast-to-coast and a part of pop culture. After traveling 155,000 miles, visiting more than 7,200 cities and being included in more selfies than we’ll ever be able to count, the original potato became too road worn to travel and is now retired in its home state of Idaho. During its seven years on the road, the Truck did some pretty cool things!
- Traveled on a barge around New York Harbor passing by the Statue of Liberty and going under the Brooklyn Bridge
- Took a lap on a NASCAR track in the Poconos
- Appeared in many iconic parades including the Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Parade, the SeaFair Festival Parade in Seattle and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Parade in Canton, OH
- Visited NASA in Houston where an astronaut did the “moon walk” on the big potato and declared America now has its own “Spud-nick”!
- Helped fulfill a Make-A-Wish dream for a Virginia boy born with a rare form of dwarfism
- And starred in the IPC’s popular nationally-televised commercials!
The original potato was donated to Kristie Wolfe, a former Tater Team member, who is in the process of turning it into a tiny house in Idaho. And, if it’s anything like her other tiny houses – a Hobbit Inn in Washington state, a treehouse in Hawaii and a reclaimed Forest Service Lookout in Idaho – it will be a sight to see! Follow the transformation on Instagram @bigidahopotatohotel. The Big Idaho® Potato Truck’s charity component, A Big Helping – Idaho Potatoes Supporting Local Causes Nationwide, will continue. In many of the markets the Truck visits, it works with local charities to help raise funds and awareness about the organization or the important cause it supports. In 2017 the Truck donated $500 each to 32 charities across the country.
To see when the Big Idaho® Potato Truck will be in your neck of the woods visit www.bigidahopotatotruck.com.
About The Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the IPC is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho®” seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation, and rich volcanic soil give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance, which differentiates them from potatoes grown in other states.
Among specialty produce items gaining in popularity with U.S. consumers are Asian vegetables and tropical items.
“What is interesting about the specialty category is the crossover between the products and which category they fall into,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, assistant sales manager for Frieda’s, based in Los Alamitos, CA, who recently appeared in a feature in the trade publication The Packer.
“Many fruit items that are popular in the Asian culture are also common in the Latin culture, like dragon fruit (photograph), lychee, rambutan, jackfruit and mangosteen.
“The Asian vegetable category has taken off as many people are becoming more familiar with the items through Asian restaurants,” Jackson Berkley said in The Packer.
“Retailers are looking to compete with the big Asian retailers by bringing in a variety of Asian items at a low retail price. This is going beyond bok choy and napa cabbage. Items like bittermelon, Chinese okra, gai lan and Chinese long beans are more common in the retail (setting).”
World Variety Produce of Los Angeles, which markets under the Melissa’s brand, has seen increasing interest in turmeric, petite baby bok choy and petite Shanghai bok choy, among other Asian items, while jackfruit continues on an upward trajectory despite its massive size.
“The trendiest fruit of them all in the category of tropicals is definitely the jackfruit,” Robert Schueller of Melissa’s added in The Packer article. “It has so much potential.”
“The only problem with the jackfruit and why not every retailer is carrying it is because it’s the largest of all fruit,” Schueller said. “These fruits are typically at least 12 pounds, but on average they are around 20 pounds.”
When the retail price is $2-3 per pound, jackfruit quickly becomes quite pricey.
“It’s a value when it’s per pound, but the thing is that retailers don’t want to deal with cutting it up because there’s a whole art to doing that … It would be considered kind of a tricky fruit to handle,” Schueller said.
Jackson Berkley also noted turmeric and jackfruit as growth items, particularly due to the plant-based eating trend.
Schueller attributed much of the buzz around jackfruit to its use among vegans as a meat substitute.
Both Jackson Berkley and Schueller mentioned dragon fruit has been a hot item as well.
HLB Specialities of Fort Lauderdale, FL report papayas and rambutan are best-sellers for the company, with rambutan experiencing the most growth since HLB began offering it three years ago.
Ecoripe Tropicals of Medley, FL points out rambutan, dragon fruit, durian, longan, lychee, mangosteen and soursop are among the items drawing the most interest for the company.
As New Jersey vegetable shipments get underway, here is a look at last season’s volume to add some perspective as to what to expect this summer.
Bell peppers and tomatoes saw significant shipping increases in 2017, while sweet corn acreage was stable.
New Jersey’s top vegetables in 2017 were tomatoes, bell peppers and sweet corn, and total acreage for vegetable crops topped 35,000 acres.
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reports shipments for 18 vegetables tracked in New Jersey totaled 507.8 million pounds, with area harvested estimated at 35,100 acres.
2017 harvested vegetable acreage of 35,100 was up 1.4 percent from 2016, when 34,600 acres of vegetables were harvested.
According to the USDA, tomatoes, bell peppers and sweet corn together accounted for 51 percent of total vegetable production in the state.
The total value of utilized production in the state was $193.8 million, and tomatoes, bell peppers and sweet corn together accounted for 48 percent of the total.
Sweet Corn Shipments
- Sweet corn topped all vegetable crops in terms of acreage, with 6,200 acres harvested in 2017, down slightly from 6,400 acres harvested in 2016.
- Sweet corn production of 601,400 cwt. in 2017 compares to 595,000 cwt. in 2016, according to USDA statistics.
- Value of sweet corn production in 2017 totaled $18.04 million, up from $17.29 million in 2016.
Tomato Shipments
- Tomato harvested acreage in 2017 totaled 4,000 acres, up 38 percent from 2,900 acres harvested in 2016.
- Production of tomatoes in 2017 totaled 1.12 million cwt., up 42 percent from 791,000 cwt. in 2016.
- Value of tomatoes in New Jersey was $39.2 million in 2017, down from $46.3 million in 2016.
Bell Pepper Shipments
- Bell pepper harvested acreage in 2017 totaled 3,100 acres, up 34 percent from 2,300 acres in 2016.
- Production of bell peppers in 2017 was 868,000 cwt., up from 633,000 cwt. in 2016.
- Value of bell pepper production in 2017 was $35.9 million, up a whopping 80 pecent from $19.9 million in 2016.
The Nunes Co. and reignited a partnership with well know actress, model and celebrity, Brooke Shields, which originally began in 1989. Nunes is one of the nation’s largest grower-shippers of conventional and organic fresh produce marketed under the Foxy brand name.
The marketing campaign brings Shields back to the Nunes Co. as a role model and icon of wellness, fitness and healthy lifestyles. These value attributes are at the core of everything the company stands for in their efforts to encourage people of all ages to eat right and take care of their health.
The Nunes Co.’s rollout of this new marketing campaign is expected to commence this month and continue through June 2019. A series of outdoor billboards will appear in specific geographic areas in the Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Great Lakes regions. The campaign will also include a matching trade advertising component to support the company’s efforts.
Long known for its creative approach to marketing, as evidenced by the countless clever billboards placed in specific geographic markets, The Nunes Co. plans to launch an outdoor billboard series to compliment the campaign. The billboards will be geared towards Millennial moms, Generation X, and Baby Boomers — audiences with which Shields has tremendous followings. According to Forbes, mothers account for nearly 80 percent of U.S. household purchases.
“Ms. Shields, being an active, working mom, is an ideal role model and brand ambassador for the Foxy brand,” said Mark Crossgrove, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Nunes Co.
Shields’ recent work surrounding health, fitness and beauty can be seen across various media outlets, including television shows like The Today Show, and print magazines like Vogue and Social Life magazine.
Having such a positive experience while working with Shields in 1989, the Nunes Co. felt this year was the right time to reengage such a public role model. The successful 1989 campaign featuring Shields is widely considered a legacy campaign in the fresh produce industry — one which people remember and still talk about 30 years later.
Remember our veterans who protect our Homeland as we celebrate our independence. Very thankful for their sacrifices and bravery.
On this 242nd birthday of our beloved country, here are some quotes from one of our greatest presidents. Have a great 4th of July!
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 at the family home in Shadwell in the Colony of Virginia, the third of 10 children. He was of English, and possibly Welsh, descent and was born a British subject. His father Peter Jefferson was a planter and surveyor who died when Jefferson was 14; his mother was Jane Randolph.
He was our 3rd president serving from 1801 – 1809. Here are some of his best quotes.
“When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe,
we shall become as corrupt as Europe.”
——
“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who
are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
—-
“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes.
A principle which if acted on, would save
one-half the wars of the world.”
—-
“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them.”
—-
“My reading of history convinces me that
most bad government results from
too much government.”
—–
“No free man shall ever be
debarred the use of arms.”
—-
“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”
——
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes,
the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors,
is sinful and tyrannical.”
——
D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of New York, Inc., one of the nation’s largest wholesale produce distributors, has implemented a number of renovations and rebrands, plus a whole new side of business designed to take its operations to the next level.
Last January, the company purchased the John Georgallas Banana Distributors of New York, a company located just outside the Hunts Point Terminal Market and across the street. Georgallas was a long time banana company. Since the acquisition, D’Arrigo has been making major renovations of the facility. There are currently 13 ripening rooms providing space on-site for both organic and conventional bananas. Besides the ripening rooms for the bananas, there are two more rooms for plantains.
The changes are now allowing D’Arrigo to accelerate the growth its tropical department which was launched several years ago. With the acquired facility outside of the Hunts Point market, D’Arrigo now has more flexibility when handling product. At the Hunts Point Terminal Market’s cooperative, vendors can only sell fresh fruits and vegetables, while with D’Arrigo’s new operation just outside of the Hunts Point market, it can sell other products such as teas, juices or packets. D’Arrigo can now have the outside facility open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. This move has changed D’Arrigo’s business model, allowing it to compete with other markets that have those capabilities.
D’Arrigo also has constructed new stalls in its wholesale facility, which was accomplished in phases. This started with its fruit department and eventually included the company’s vegetable and other departments. It resulted in the first major facelift in many years.
These renovations will result in the company having an additional 25,000 to 30,000 square feet of space.
The final stage of the construction will be coming this fall with the addition of new sales booths. This construction will allow the company to become more efficient.
EAGLE, Idaho – The top teams from the Mountain West and Mid-American Conferences will go head to head on Friday, December 21st at the 22nd Annual Famous Idaho® Potato Bowl (FIPB).
Kickoff is 2:00 p.m. MST/4:00 p.m. EST on the blue turf at Boise State University’s Albertsons Stadium; it will air live on ESPN. At the 2017 FIPB the Wyoming Cowboys (Mountain West Conference), defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas (Mid-American Conference), 37-14. More than two million fans nationwide watched it live on ESPN, along with NFL recruiters who kept a sharp eye on the game.
Wyoming’s quarterback Josh Allen was the Buffalo Bill’s first round pick, and seventh overall draft pick. Additionally, four other FIPB alum were recruited by the NFL this spring. The FIPB has a history of producing top athletes including:
- Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (Boston College)
- Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans (Western Michigan University)
- Mark Nzeocha, San Francisco 49ers (University of Wyoming)
- Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks (Central Michigan)
2018 marks the eighth year the IPC has been the naming sponsor of the premier cold-weather college football bowl game. “Pairing America’s favorite potato with one of America’s favorite sports has proven to be very effective,” explained Frank Muir, President & CEO, IPC. “The brand awareness this bowl game generates among our target audience across the country is enormous. And, that’s extremely important because it helps increase demand for Idaho® potatoes, the state’s most important agricultural crop. The potato industry generates more than $4.5 billion in annual revenue and employs more than 30,000 people.” The Famous Idaho® Potato Bowl is one of 35 bowl games ESPN will televise over 17 days. The Famous Idaho® Potato Bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN. Tickets go on sale to the general public in September through www.ticketmaster.com or the Bronco Stadium ticket office at (208) 426-4737. For premium ticket packages and sponsorship information contact the Famous Idaho® Potato Bowl office at (208) 424-1011.
About The Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the IPC is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho®” seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation, and rich volcanic soil give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance, which differentiates them from potatoes grown in other states.
By Mucci Farms
Huron, Ohio — Mucci Farms announces that they are officially harvesting out of Phase 1 of their 60-acre greenhouse facility in Huron, Ohio. “After years of hard work and strategic planning, we’re excited to hit another milestone in the Mucci Farms story,” said Bert Mucci, CEO of Mucci Farms.
The entire 60-acre facility will be growing primarily Tomatoes On-the-Vine with some snack sized specialty tomatoes. The company also announced that the entire 60-acres will be equipped with supplemental High Powered Sodium (HPS) lighting in order to grow through the winter months allowing them to harvest Ohio grown tomatoes 365 days per year. “We chose tomatoes on-the-vine because of its high demand year round, particularly in the winter months,” said Joe Spano, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “With grow lights in the entire facility, it was important to have a product that was always in demand.”
Headquartered in Kingsville, Ontario, this is Mucci Farms’ first expansion into the United States, where the majority of their product is distributed. “Expanding into Ohio allows us to reduce the food miles for our US retailers and gives US consumers their own locally grown vegetables,” explained Danny Mucci, President of Mucci International Marketing. “With such a high volume of our product already being shipped to the US, expanding into Huron was strategically done to improve efficiencies with logistics and food safety. Our proximity to market and avoiding a border crossing improves our opportunity to offer consumers with fresh, flavourful products with maximum shelf.” In addition to the remaining 36-acres of greenhouses being built in two remaining phases, Mucci Farms Ohio will include a 272,000 square foot distribution facility that will be operational this summer. Harvesting from the final two phases will begin in the spring of 2019 and 2020.
Owning and Operating over 200-acres of tomato, pepper, cucumber, lettuce and strawberry greenhouses in Kingsville, Ontario, Mucci Farms also markets on behalf of 700-acres across the continent.
By Allen Lund Company
La Cañada Flintridge Calif.: ALC Logistics, the software and LTL division of the Allen Lund Company has announced the consolidation of it’s full TMS offering, under the Alchemy brand. It is a software and transportation solution for the shipping industry, with a focus on perishable freight. ALC has been committed to the development of their TMS solution for years. Under the guidance of CIO, Chetan Tandon, the product offering is especially geared to the produce and perishable industry, however, it also offers options to shippers of all sizes and commodities. “From the time I began my career with Allen Lund Company, I found that they were always forward thinking with regard to technology. We’ve recognized the need for automation in this industry and I’ve had the privilege to develop our software, Alchemy, to support our customers’ specific needs,” stated Chetan. “We are consistently working on new features to make our customers business run as smoothly as possible.”
Alchemy incorporates shipper and carrier modules, freight audit and spot pricing options, load tendering, yard management, business intelligence reporting, and the most recent addition to Alchemy, dock scheduling. The evolution of the TMS through ALC Logistics now sets the standard for software solutions.
From Kenny Lund, VP ALC Logistics, “I am so pleased that we have a new name for our mature and stable transportation systems offering. We have earned our reputation with our customers as a premier provider of software and expertise to help them move billions of dollars’ worth of freight supported by systems that give more visibility and cost controls. We want the Alchemy brand to represent the standard for high quality, adaptable transportation solutions.”
About ALC Logistics:
ALC Logistics has been providing transportation software solutions to shippers since 1994. Operating under the Allen Lund Company, LLC umbrella, ALC Logistics is a separate business entity located in Charlotte, NC.
About Allen Lund Company:
Specializing as a national third-party transportation broker with nationwide offices and over 470 employees, the Allen Lund Company works with shippers and carriers across the nation to arrange dry, refrigerated (specializing in produce), and flatbed freight; additionally, the Allen Lund Company has a logistics and software division, ALC Logistics, and an International Division licensed by the FMC as an OTI-NVOCC #019872NF. If you are interested in joining the Allen Lund Company team, please click here.
Established in 1976, the Allen Lund Company was selected as the 2017 Supply & Demand Chain Executive, 2017 Food Logistics 100+ Top Software and Tech Provider, a 2016 Top IT Provider by Inbound Logistics, 2015 Coca-Cola Challenger Carrier of the Year, 2015 Top Private Company in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal, 2015 Top 100+ Software and Technology Providers, 2015 Top 100 Logistics IT Provider by Inbound Logistics, a 2014 Great Supply Chain Partner, and was placed in Transport Topics’ “2014 Top 25 Freight Brokerage Firms.” The company manages over 365,000 loads annually in 2015, and received the 2013 “Best in Cargo Security Award.” In 2011 the company received the TIA 3PL Samaritan Award, and the NASTC (National Association of Small Trucking Companies) named Allen Lund Company the 2010 Best Broker of the Year. More information is available at www.allenlund.com.