Posts Tagged “feature”
Pineapple has made Costa Rica the world’s leading pineapple exporter and a symbol of the country’s commitment to quality, innovation, and responsible production, according to the Trade & Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER).
Between January and September 2025, pineapple exports reached $992 million, with more than 1.5 million tons shipped worldwide. The fruit accounts for 35 percent of Costa Rica’s agricultural exports and reaches 44 international markets, with the United States (54 percent), Belgium (12 percent), and Spain (8 percent) among the top destinations. Its strong presence in Europe reflects a growing preference for products that combine flavor, traceability, and wellbeing.
“Costa Rican pineapple today stands as a global benchmark for excellence. Its taste, quality, and innovation have positioned it as a favorite in the world’s leading markets. In an increasingly competitive environment, at the Trade & Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica we work to sustain and expand this leadership, opening new opportunities for our exporters and sharing with the world a product that embodies the best of Costa Rica: health, sustainability, and trust,” said Laura López, CEO of PROCOMER.
Costa Rican pineapples are cultivated mainly in the northern, southern, and Caribbean regions of the country, where tropical climates and fertile soils create ideal growing conditions. The industry generates over 81,000 direct and indirect jobs, stimulating rural economies and strengthening the livelihoods of agricultural communities united by a shared principle: producing with care and quality.
Westside Produce/Classic Fruit reports the U.S. domestic melon season winds down in October and Imports take over. Most melon consumption in the U.S. comes from domestic grown product, so imported supplies over the winter are typically lighter in volume.
It’s around this time that growers and shippers start gearing up to import the seasonal fruit from global suppliers such as Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
During the winter months, Westside Produce/Classic Fruit’s melons come from their offshore operations in Guatemala, the world’s main supplier.
This year, the company is reporting incoming fruit is looking great, and supply is sufficient for a steady flow that will last through the holiday season.
Growing conditions are noted to be better than the past few years, with far fewer major weather problems. Quality and yields should be very good.
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Southern Specialties, of Pompano Beach, FL is a grower, importer and distributor of specialty produce, and reports a strong year across the board as it heads into the final months of the year.
As the industry transitions into the fall season, the 35 year-old company once again turns attention to one of its key Florida-grown programs — its green bean operation.
The company’s green beans are marketed under its Southern Selects label, along with a number of private-label programs for major retailers and foodservice distributors. Southern Specialties sources and processes the beans through its Florida operations.
Besides Florida-grown green beans, Southern Specialties also uses its South Florida base as a critical gateway for imported counter-seasonal products.
This allows the company to complement Florida-grown crops with imported items such as asparagus, baby vegetables and berries from Guatemala, Mexico and Peru.
The company points out about 96 percent of the asparagus consumed in the U.S. comes from either Peru or Mexico and is one of the leading growers and importers of Peruvian asparagus, which enters the Port of Miami and is then distributed nationwide. Southern Specialties also grow and distribute asparagus from Mexico, as well as seasonally available Michigan asparagus.
Having the Port of Miami and Port Everglades nearby provides an important logistical advantage, especially during the busy fall and holiday months.
Both ports are strong receivers for product coming from throughout South and Central America, which can distributed along north-south and east–west corridors that allows the company to reach about 80 percent of the U.S. population within two days.
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Providing healthy, medically tailored meals or boxes of fresh produce along with nutrition counseling with a dietitian led to improved quality of life for people with heart failure compared to people who received dietary counseling without healthy food deliveries, according to a preliminary late-breaking science presentation at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025 in New Orleans.
The meeting, Nov. 7-10, in New Orleans, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science.
“People with heart failure can often experience their condition worsening if they are not eating the right kind of food after they go home from the hospital,” said lead study author Ambarish Pandey, M.D., M.S., FAHA, an associate professor of internal medicine in the division of cardiology and geriatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and medical director of the center’s heart failure with preserved ejection fraction program.
“People need nutritious meals that can provide them with the right nutrients for optimal health, including the appropriate calorie intake, the right amount of protein and limited sodium, sugar and fat.”
This randomized trial included 150 adults who were enrolled within two weeks of being discharged from the hospital for acute heart failure.
Researchers assigned participants to one of three groups: one group received medically tailored meals and dietary counseling with a dietitian; the second group received fresh produce boxes and dietary counseling; and the third group received dietary counseling without food delivery.
Participants receiving either meals or produce were also divided into two subgroups. One subgroup only received food if they picked up their medications from the pharmacy and attended their follow-up clinic appointments. The other subgroup received food whether or not they picked up their medications or attended appointments at the clinic. The meals and grocery food delivery programs lasted for 90 days.
The study’s key findings include:
- Participants in both food delivery groups (receiving either medically tailored meals or fresh produce boxes) reported a higher quality of life compared to those who received dietary guidance without food delivery, based on their responses in the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire.
- People in the conditional delivery groups (confirmed prescription pick-up) reported higher quality of life compared to people in the unconditional delivery group (no prescription pick-up required).
- Participants who received boxes of fresh produce and were able to use fresh produce in their own meals reported greater patient satisfaction than people who received prepared meals, based on their responses in the end-of-study survey.
- There were no significant differences in the number of hospital readmissions or emergency department visits between participants in the food delivery groups compared with people who did not receive food deliveries, or between the two groups receiving food. The study found a total of 32 hospital readmissions and emergency department visits for heart failure during the 90-day study, with 18% of participants having one or more readmissions or emergency visits.
- “These findings indicate the potential for healthy foods to affect outcomes and disease progression for people with chronic conditions like heart failure. If we can identify the best strategy for providing access to healthy food, this could be transformative for people with heart failure who are particularly vulnerable after hospitalization,” Pandey said. “I think healthy food can be as powerful as medications for people with chronic conditions like heart failure.”
- Access to healthy food is a social factor that contributes to overall health including cardiovascular disease risk and outcomes. Current evidence indicates that food insecurity, or limited access to enough food, and nutrition insecurity, or limited access to healthy foods, are both associated with more chronic health conditions and worse outcomes.
- According to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Scientific Statement, Systematic Review of “Food Is Medicine” Randomized Controlled Trials for Noncommunicable Disease in U.S., programs that incorporate healthy food and health care for people with or at high risk for chronic disease showed great potential in improving diet quality and food security.
California strawberry supplies remain extremely limited due to the rains and lower temperatures of the past two weeks. Mexican berries (into South Texas) and Florida-grown supplies are increasing; quality is improving. Expect prices to decline slowly over the next 10 days, according to a press release from Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA.
Santa Maria and Oxnard, California
- Harvesting has been minimal this week as growers are allowing fruit to mature
- Winter production is expected to begin by late December
Mexico (into South Texas)
- Supplies are increasing
- Quality problems include white shoulders, skin bruising, and green tips
- This market is active
Florida
- Cooler weather has slowed growth, but supplies are slowly increasing
- Defects include white shoulders and green tips
- Size ranges from 17 to 22 berries per 8/1-pound clamshells
Baja, Mexico (into California)
- Shipments are beginning to cross after last week’s border blockades ended
- Rainy weather slowed production
- Quality ranges from fair to good
- Size ranges from 19-24 per 8/1-pound clamshells
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Two new research studies show that daily almond consumption may help support gut health.
Among the key findings, the papers show almonds may act as prebiotics, promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and supporting a healthy gut microbiome, as well as play an essential role in the gut-heart axis.
Research also showed almond consumption boosts the production of butyrate, benefiting both gut and heart health.
The research, funded by the Almond Board of California, reviewed the evidence for almonds acting as prebiotics and explained how they might benefit gut health.
Prebiotics are substances that nourish or feed beneficial gut bacteria in the large intestine, helping them grow and thrive. This results in a diverse and balanced gut microbiota, promoting healthy digestion, strengthening the immune system, and, according to emerging research, potentially benefiting brain function and protecting against disease.
The comprehensive review showed that almonds have significant potential as a functional food with a prebiotic effect.
The study found almonds benefit gut health by enhancing the balance and diversity of gut bacteria, as well as boosting the production of beneficial compounds such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These compounds help protect the gut lining, aid in mitigating inflammation, and support metabolic health.
“Almonds contain dietary fiber, polyphenols, and non-digestible carbohydrates like oligosaccharides, which provide their prebiotic effects,” said Professor Jack Gilbert, University of California, San Diego, project lead for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s Nutrition for Precision Health initiative and co-author of the paper.
The research evaluated the body of evidence on almonds and gut health, including laboratory experiments (in vitro studies), clinical trials, and systematic reviews, which collate the findings of many studies on a specific topic.
Although the study authors concluded that there is sufficient evidence to show that almonds have a prebiotic effect, they emphasized that further studies are required, particularly those using standardized methods.
Also funded by the Almond Board of California, another study examined the benefits of almonds on cardiovascular and gut health, and explored the links between the two areas.
The researchers reviewed numerous studies and presented their findings in a discussion paper, focusing on the impact of almond consumption on cardiovascular health, related risk factors, and the gut microbiome.
The data concluded that almonds promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and boost the production of SCFAs, particularly butyrate. The review also confirmed that eating almonds can support heart health, for example, by lowering “bad” LDL-cholesterol and blood pressure.
The researchers also speculated that the impact of almonds on gut health may influence heart health.
“The gut-heart axis is an emerging and exciting area of interest in cardiovascular research, and our literature review suggests almonds may positively affect this,” said Ravinder Nagpal, co-author of the paper and Director of The Gut Biome Lab at Florida State University.
The microbiologist explained that collectively, almonds’ microbiome benefits help alleviate inflammation and support metabolic function, which could result in cardioprotective effects.
The researchers noted a lack of studies examining how substances produced by gut microbes after consuming almonds specifically affect cardiometabolic health, so more data is needed.
Both papers echo the findings in a recently published consensus paper, which confirmed that eating almonds stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria and the production of SCFAs and other substances that may influence metabolic health.
How do almonds show prebiotic potential?
Almonds contain several substances that function as prebiotics. These include:
- Fiber: Almonds are a good source of dietary fiber with 4g per one-ounce serving.
- Polyphenols: Almonds contain polyphenols that, according to the research team, “exhibit prebiotic-like effects by selectively promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and modulating the microbiome through their antioxidant (vitamin E) and antimicrobial activity.”
- Oligosaccharides (Non-Digestible Carbohydrates): These carbohydrates help feed beneficial bacteria in the gut.
One ounce (28 g) of almonds provides 6g of protein, 4g of fiber, 13g of unsaturated fat, only 1g of saturated fat, and 15 essential nutrients, including 77mg magnesium (18.3% DV), 210mg potassium (4%DV), and 7.27mg vitamin E (50% DV). They make a great snack, are perfect for topping cereal or yogurt, and are a delicious addition to stir fries, curries, and salads.
An otherwise relatively some California grape growing season was disrupted in mid-October when an unusually strong storm crossed key production areas from Bakersfield to Visalia.
Between 20 and 30mm of rain fell over two days, prompting California grape growers to cover vineyards with protective plastic.
Pandol Brothers, California grower, shipper and importer based in Delano, reported nearly all vineyards have plastic covering ready to be pulled on in case of rain. However, this was an unusually strong storm for October, but it shouldn’t be a problem for most growers.
Some others expressed less optimism. One California grape exporter noted that many vineyards appeared to be uncovered and added that even protected blocks could see increased disease pressure from moisture rising back up from the soil.
The storm also resulted several shippers halting ocean exports to Asian markets, opting to rely solely on air freight to avoid the risk of claims or rejected fruit on arrivals.
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With over 30 percent retail sales growth in the US this year, Zespri kiwifruit is climbing the ranks of America’s fruit isle, now sitting at number 15 and eyeing a top-10 spot.
The New Zealand company reports kiwi is the fastest-growing fruit in the fruit category, and Zespri is the number one kiwifruit brand driving that growth, selling more than 4x the next best-selling brand.
Zespri attributes much of the brand’s momentum to the company’s popular SunGold variety, which is described as sweet, juicy, and very broadly appealing.
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BEING THANKFUL FOR HOW WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED, WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS AND LIVING IN THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH.
WISHING EACH OF YOU A BLESSED AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING! WHETHER YOU ARE ABLE TO BE HOME WITH LOVED ONES, OR ARE ON THE ROAD, MAY YOU FEEL THE PRESENCE OF THE GOOD LORD WATCHING OVER YOU AND THOSE YOU LOVE.
AND MAY GOOD BLESS THESE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
A big crop of walnuts is just getter bigger if the California Walnut Board and Commission (CWBC) is correct in its latest estimate.
The CWBC reports initial forecasts may have been too conservative as the organization estimates a six percent increase over the original 710,000 short tons projected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Thanks to near perfect growing conditions and the harvest still ongoing, the CWBC sees a potential of 750,000 short tons.
The organization observes the kernel size is also two percent larger than the average of the past two years, with optimal color and quality.
Established in 1948, the CWBC represents California walnut growers and handlers.
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