Month: June 2015

Organic sales approaching the $1 billion mark and double digit growth in the value-added produce sector are two of the highlights of United Fresh Produce Association’s Q1 2015 edition of the FreshFacts® on Retail report. This publication examines overall retail trends in produce for the past year, and includes new features designed to provide insights into performance and consumer data for fresh produce. …

On June 16, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially announced its long anticipated regulation to revoke the “Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)” status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) – a source of artificial trans fatty acids (TFAs) – for use in food. The food industry has three years to completely phase out the use of PHOs. The potato industry is very well-positioned on this issue and knowing the importance of this issue to the industry, the Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE) has prepared its stakeholders for this FDA announcement. …

Display produce and bulk items with drama and convenience with the new RPC Bin Direct Hook-In Shelves and Bins from FFR Merchandising. …

Last year, Turbana sought a new community partnership by implementing a coast-to-coast search, “Win 25k For Your Cause.” The search brought hundreds of applicants nationwide. After thousands of votes from communities across the country, Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN) New York, an organization that provides one-to-one recreational opportunities to children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities, emerged as the winner. …

Fresh produce repacker McEntire Produce, Columbia, S.C., has expanded their use of SmartWash Solutions products to improve their wash line performance. The SmartWash system plays a key role in monitoring food safety as it mitigates cross contamination. In addition, SmartWash improves production “uptime” and plant capacity, while reducing operational costs. …