Posts Tagged “feature”
Researchers from New Zealand’s University of Otago, Christchurch have found that daily consumption of two kiwifruit can significantly lift a person’s mood and energy levels.
In a study that was published in the Journal of Nutritional Science (JNS), the effects of the fruit on a group of 54 healthy young male university students was monitored over six weeks, with one group consuming two kiwifruit per day and the other consuming half a kiwifruit daily.
Those with higher consumption experienced significantly less fatigue and depression than the other group, and felt they had more energy.
Scientists inferred this was likely related to the two kiwifruit dose optimizing vitamin C intake, as the sample group had a low fruit consumption beforehand.
The research used a gold variety of kiwifruit.
Professor Margreet Vissers and her team from the UOC’s Centre for Free Radical Research are involved in a large on-going study to better understand the critical role of vitamin C in the human body.
“Our study provides good evidence to support the view that there are measureable health benefits to be obtained from eating a good amount of fruit and vegetables daily. For best benefit, it is important to include high vitamin C foods in your daily diet,” she said in a release.
Vissers said vitamin C helped activate a number of enzymes in the body that enhanced the levels of metabolic energy and different neurochemicals in the brain.
The study was funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as well as the University of Otago and kiwifruit marketer Zespri International.
Halloween, and then Thanksgiving will be here before we know it, and one big hint of those events coming are pumpkin shipments. Those loadings have actually been going on since August in some places, but now bigger volume is taking place.
A vast majority of pumpkins are shipped relatively short distances, primarily because the item is grown in virtually every one of the lower 48 states. Still, some pumpkins are shipped several hundred miles.
From upstate to New York down to the Carolinas a significant drop in pumpkin shipments are expected due to excessive rains. Much better growing conditions and the resulting volume is seen from the upper Midwestern states. New Mexico is reporting good loadings, but most destinations are to regional markets in nearby states such as Texas, Oklahoma and some to Colorado.
The five leading pumpkin shipping states are: Illinois, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
NE Colorado Onion Shipments
Northeast Colorado onion shipments are not expected to be signficantly affected from heavy rains in the state in mid September, just some harvesting delays. At least this is what Colorado onion shipper are saying. Up to eight inches of rain pounded the area over a six-day period. It is still recomended looking for possible quality problems when loading these onions coming out of storage.
Northeastern Colorado has about 2,000 to 2,500 acres of onions, which is only about 2.5 percent of total storage onions in the USA….There also are some norkotah potato shipments from this area, but no word as yet on how quality or volume may be affected.
Sweet Potato Shipments
North Carolina is the nation’s leader with sweet potato shipments. Both the Tar Heel state, as well a loadings from other leading sweet potato states are expected to be down around 20 to 25 percent, compared to the season that recently ended. Some other areas with significant sweet potato volume are California, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.
Shipments are so light right now as farmers have just finished the old crop and are starting to harvest the new crop, that shipments of uncured, green sweet potatoes are taking place to meet demand. Just make sure your receiver is aware of this. It takes about 30 to 45 days once sweet potatoes are harvested, to be cured. Weather issues have resulted in harvests running two to four weeks late. Curing should be completed by late October.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $2250 to New York City.
USA apple shipments are expected to rise 13 percent in the 2013-14 season, despite a smaller crop from industry leader Washington state.
About 243 million bushels are expected to be hauled, mostly by truck, up from 216 million bushels in 2012 and nine percent above the five-year average.
Major comebacks in Michigan and New York, which were clobbered by late freezes in 2012, helped make up for the smaller Washington crop.
Washington growers are expected to ship about 140 million bushels this year, down from 155 million bushels in 2012 but four percent higher than the five-year average.
New York, the No. 2 producer, is expected to ship about 32 million bushels in 2013, up from 17 million bushels in 2012 and 15 percent above the five-year average.
Shipments from Michigan, the third-largest USA apple shipper, should soar from 2.7 million to 30 million bushels.
In Pennsylvania, the No. 4 USA shipper, about 10.5 million bushels are expected, down from 11.8 million bushels in 2012 and eight percent below the five-year average.
Loadings from Virginia, are estimated at 5.5 million bushels, similar to last year and three percent above the five-year average.
California apple shipments are finished for the season, and were expected to produce about 4.8 million bushels in 2013, down from 7.1 million bushels last year and 32 percent below the five-year average.
Hudson Valley apples – grossing about $1200 to Chicago.
Looking around the nation, here are some upcoming loading opportunities ranging from Texas, to Idaho, Colorado, New York and South Florida.
New York’s nearly 700 apple growers are expected to harvest approximately 32 million bushels of vintage apples by November – a new record.
After last year’s short crop, there will be lots to celebrate this fall. A year ago, frost led to a crop of only 17.1 million bushels.
New York apple shipments of it top variety McIntosh is currently underway in the Eastern part of the state, and will soon be shipped from orchards statewide. Apple varieties ranging from Zestar, to Gala, and HoneyCrisp area and other varieties are being loaded from production areas across the state.
Hudson Valley New York apples – grossing about $2700 to Atlanta.
Texas Citrus Shipments
Rio Grande Valley Texas citrus shipments should get underway with a pretty normal start in early to mid-October this season.
About 75 percent of the Lone Star state’s citrus shipments will be with grapefruit, and 25 percent with oranges. Peak loadings typically occur between mid November and the first of the year.
Colorado Potato Shipments
Due to lack of water and poor markets there is a 10 percent reduction in acreage from last year in Colorado. Planted acreage is about 50,000 acres this year. Most shipments from the state originate in the San Luis Valley, although there is much smaller volume coming out of Northeastern Colorado.
San Luis Valley Potatoes – grossing about $1750 to Dallas.
Idaho Potato Shipments
While early season shipments of Idaho potatoes haven’t yielded any significant quality problems (just some small sized potatoes), the state had a lot hot weather during the growing season. It’s just something to keep an eye out for when loading, in case quality problems start developing.
Idaho Potatoes – grossing about $3000 to Chicago.
South Florida Imports
South Florida ports are receiving papyas from Central American for distribution throughout the USA. The heaviest arrivals occur between July and March from such countries as Belize and Guatemala. Don’t count on straight loads of the tropical fruit, but sometimes a few pallets can help you get where you need to go.
A new warehouse, plus plans to redevelop four central warehouses to meet wholesaler’s’ changing needs and re-route traffic around the market to allow for a more unobstructed flow of business, are among big changes being planned for the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market, according to the San Francisco Business Times.
Hopefully, the changes will improve making it easier for 18 wheelers to manuever when delivering refrigerated loads of fresh produce.
Serving nearly 30 wholesalers and distributors, the 300,000-square foot market in Bayview is bursting at the seams with generations of family-owned businesses that are picking up steam, new vendors entering the market and a few large companies that need to expand to keep up with demand. Collectively, they recorded $500 million in sales last year, the Times reports.
“We keep having to find more space for so many of the vendors,” said the market’s general manager Michael Jains. “I guess it’s a good problem to have, but we’re excited for what’s next.”
Janis and his team are gearing up to break ground on an adjacent 84,000-square-foot facility next month — the first phase of a $100 million renovation and expansion that will take shape over the next 10 years.
With help from the city, the project seeks to modernize and expand the market to 500,000 square feet, increasing merchant sales to a projected $737 million and growing the number of full-time workers to 1,000.
The project also calls for lighting and landscaping enhancements, as well as the creation of a “front door” entry point to make it easier for customers and visitors to enter and navigate the market.
According to Janis, the improvements are a needed to secure the long-term sustainability of the market, which plays an important role in the Bay Area’s food system by servicing most of the region’s restaurants, hotels, markets and grocery stores.
Royal Rose Radicchio was officially certified a “Superfood” based on a laboratory analysis of its nutritional breakdown, including antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. The levels of Lutein, Flavonols, and Flavones were very significant; as was the level of fiber a single serving of radicchio contained.
“The benefits of Radicchio put this unique vegetable in the “Superfood” category. Radicchio is rich in antioxidants, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals that are thought to promote heart health, reduce cholesterol, increase vitamin C utilization and may reduce cancer risk,” says Jennifer LeDuc, RD, CNSC, the Clinical Nutrition Manager with the acclaimed Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System. “Radicchio is versatile enough to be part of a salad and can be used as the main entrée when roasted, grilled, braised, or barbequed. Health conscious chefs and home cooks nationwide are discovering radicchio not only for its undeniable health benefits, but for its year round availability, great taste and versatility.”
The most noteworthy antioxidant evaluated in Royal Rose Radicchio was the level of Anthocyanidins. In fact, this sugarless plant pigment is what makes our new Superfood even more super, outscoring blueberries, spinach, and, radicchio’s nemesis, red cabbage! Anthocyanidins are a class of flavonoids responsible for the intense color of fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, raspberries, and red onions. The sugarless plant pigments are proven assets to human health. Anthocyanidins are unique flavonoids because of how well they are maintained in the human body once eaten, making them incredibly beneficial to consume regularly.
Anthocyanidins serve as powerful antioxidants, helping fight against the free radicals that age skin and cause chronic illness. New research suggests that these same anthocyanidins positively impact collagen production in blood, soft tissue, blood vessels, and ligaments, making them useful in treating everything from varicose veins, to arthritis, to skin beautifying. About.com (reviewed by the Medical Review Board) defines an anthocyanidin as a “sugarless plant pigment…that has antioxidant, antiplatelet, and wound-healing properties …which may help fight heart disease and cancer.” Anthocyanidins are also unique in that they are able to protect cells and tissues from free radical damage in both water- soluble and fat-soluble environments. Anthocyanidins are estimated to have fifty times the antioxidant activity of both vitamin C and vitamin E.
Nutrition and dietary professionals agree that radicchio should be integrated into a balanced diet, and that the benefits of eating antioxidant-rich foods can enhance a healthy lifestyle. Please see www.radicchio.com for recipes and more nutritional information on Royal Rose Radicchio. And let us know how you enjoy Royal Rose Radicchio on Facebook and Twitter.
About Royal Rose
Royal Rose Radicchio has been adding fresh color to the “Salad Bowl of the World” in Salinas, California since 1993 when Italian farmers Lucio Gomiero and Carlo Boscolo teamed up with Salinas Valley growers to bring seasonal radicchio to America year-round. Royal Rose LLC currently follows the sun through multiple growing regions to supply the emergent market with field-fresh radicchio from California, Florida, Arizona, and Mexico. Led by company president Dennis Donohue, Royal Rose’s FRESHER-BIGGER-BETTER program reflects an ongoing commitment to educating consumers about this powerful vegetable’s versatility and freshness.
Royal Rose Radicchio’s main products are Italian in origin.
Source: Royal Rose Radicchio
Fishers, N.Y. – New York apple shipments are now officially underway across the Empire State, from the lower Hudson Valley to the upper Champlain Valley – and growers are harvesting a vintage crop, New York Apple Association (NYAA) reports.
The state’s nearly 700 apple growers are now expected to pick about 32 million bushels by the time harvest concludes in November, a modern record. New York’s average production is 29.5 million bushels.
Excellent weather conditions – beginning during this year’s bloom and growing season, and continuing into harvest so far – mean that this year’s fruit will be large and juicy, with high natural sugars. Meanwhile, recent new plantings mean that consumers will find more of the New York state apple varieties that they love.
“This year’s apple harvest is on time, and is now in full swing across New York state,” said NYAA President Jim Allen. “Our consumers who have been waiting for us to get back into the market after last year’s short crop will have lots to celebrate this fall.”
Harvest of New York’s top variety McIntosh is now underway in the Eastern part of the state and will soon be harvesting statewide, Allen reported. Harvest of all other varieties, including consumer favorites including Zestar, Gala and HoneyCrisp, is underway across the state.
“We didn’t just recover from last year, we’ve roared back and more,” said Allen. Devastated by frosts that killed much of last year’s fruit in the bud, the state’s 2012 crop was 17.1 million bushels per U.S. Department of Agriculture.
To promote this year’s crop, NYAA has enlisted New York native and international soccer star Abby Wambach. In July, Wambach assumed the title of women’s world record holder for career goals scored. Television and radio commercials featuring Abby are airing now; she will also be featured in in-store signage starting later this fall.
“We want to score the soccer mom vote,” said NYAA’s Allen.
View the Wambach and “Blossom to Awesome” videos on NYAA’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/newyorkapples1.
About New York Apple Association, Inc.
A nonprofit agricultural trade association based in Fishers, N.Y., NYAA represents the state’s commercial apple growers. The grower-funded association supports profitable growing and marketing of New York apples through increasing demand for apples and apple products, representing the industry at state and federal levels, and serving as the primary information source on New York apple-related matters. For more information, visit www.nyapplecountry.com.
Source: New York Apple Association, Inc.
McDonald’s Canada is adding meatless entrees to its menu for the first time in nearly a decade with the introduction of a pair of vegetable wraps called the Mediterranean Veggie and Santa Fe Veggie. Each have joined the restaurant’s Signature McWrap line.
A recent study of Canadian consumers by Environics Research Group that found 76 percent of those surveyed want more vegetables in their diet, according to a McDonald’s news release. And 71 percent seek meatless items at least sometimes, even if they don’t consider themselves vegetarians.
51 percent in a study group said they were unsatisfied with current meatless options at restaurants.
The new McWraps are served on whole-wheat steamed tortillas. Ingredients include:
- Mediterranean Veggie: Roasted garlic hummus, feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, shredded iceberg lettuce, onions seasoned with lemon and a feta sauce.
- Santa Fe Veggie: Roasted corn, black beans, a blend of light cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, tomatoes, red onions, shredded iceberg lettuce and tri-color tortilla strips mixed with chili lime glaze and a Southwest sauce.
Price is $4.39 at participating restaurants. The flavors extend the McWrap line-up launched in May.
“The new Signature McWrap veggie options are part of our ongoing commitment to evolve our menu to meet changing lifestyle preferences while creating entrée options that welcome new customers into our restaurants,” John Betts, president and chief executive officer of McDonald’s Canada, said in the release.
McDonald’s menu items can be found online has nutritional information. They are backed by an advertising campaign that includes television spots, radio, digital, in-store merchandising and other venues.
Canadian quick-service restaurant servings of non-fried vegetables are up more than 10 percent over last year, while total quick-service traffic remained flat, according to The NPD Group and Consumer Reports on Eating Share Trends.
Here is a round up of loading opportunities for domestic pumpkins and sweet potatoes, plus an outlook for hauling imported tropical fruit crossing our southern border – and at various USA ports.
HaulProduce.com subscriber Mark Yackee sent in this message:
” Pumpkin shipments have begun in the tri-state area of Michigan,Indiana, and Ohio. Volume as of September 16th will increase significantly, peaking around October 10th. Crop quality is very good overall and the area looks to ship more than 400 truckloads. Haulers and buyers welcome!” Thank you, Mark!
North Carolina, the nation’s leading shipper of sweet potatoes, could be down as much as 20 or 30 percent for the 2013-14 season. Nationally, sweet potato acreage is off 11 percent, so fewer may be available in other southern states such as Mississippi and Louisiana.
Last season, the USA had 135,500 acres of sweet potatoes planted, but this season there is only 116,100 acres. The weeks prior to Thanksgiving tend to provide the heaviest time for sweet potato shipments, but with harvests running behind schedule due to weather, volume could be off even for this holiday.
Eastern North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $2250 to New York City.
Mississippi sweet potatoes – about $1800 to Chicago.
Fall Tropical Imports
Fall is a strong time for shipments of tropicals, including mangoes, papaya and pineapple. Mexican products will have heaviest crossing into the USA in South Texas, while South American tropicals will be arriving at various ports on both the East Coast and West Coast.
Imports of Mexican mangoes have been particularly heavy, but should be winding down now. However, the Mexican product is quickly being replaced with imports from Brazil.
Consistent imports of papayas and pineapples are predicted this fall.
The year around imports of Mexican limes continues as the old crop is finishing up and the new crop of limes are starting to arrive in the USA.
It’s looking like excellent loading opportunities for fruit out of the Northwest, as well as apples from Michigan from now right into next summer.
While loadings of pears certainly are not one of biggest volume produce items available for hauling, it is substantial. The nice thing about the fruit from the Northwest, is being loaded with apples. The Northwest typically ships as many apples each year as the rest of the nation combined. If the estimate holds, this would be the third largest amount of Northwest pear loadings on record – plus one of the larger apple crops.
Northwest pear shipments this season are estimated to be 19.8 million cartons, about two percent more than a year ago and about four percent more than five year average.
Washington state apples and pears – grossing about $4800 to Cleveland.
Michigan Apple Shipments
About 70 percent of Michigan apple shipments originate from the Fruit Ridge region. While the official estimate for loads this season is 26 million bushels, some observers are predicting as much as 30 million bushels. Michigan apple loadings have been underway since the third week of August. Whatever the final total for shipments this season, it should end up next summer as one the biggest on record.
Michigan also continues to ship a variety of vegetables, blueberries and melons.
Michigan produce grossing – about $2100 to Atlanta.
South African Citrus Imports
Imports of South African summer citrus are at about the half way point through the season. Over 30,000 tons of citrus have arrived, mostly at Eastern seaboard ports.
The final boat is scheduled to arrive during the third week of October, with the season expected to be competed before USA domestic shipments get started. This is the 14th season of citrus imports from South Africa to the USA and average annually approximately 40,000 tons.