Newark, DE. and Washington, D.C. – Only one in 10 Americans eat the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables. Chefs and foodservice operators drive greater consumption by plating versatile, delicious fresh produce. The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) will honor nine of them for excellence in using fresh fruits and vegetables in the culinary arts.
“At IFPA, we want to recognize and elevate the work from these foodservice professionals as they apply creativity to their dishes and drive consumption,” said Joe Watson, IFPA vice president for foodservice. “That’s the purpose of the IFPA Produce Excellence in Foodservice Awards.”
This awards program honors nine chefs and foodservice operators for their masterful use of fresh produce. Winners gain global recognition and a trip to The Foodservice Conference from IFPA, July 25-26 in Monterey, Calif. Award candidates are nominated by their peers.
The association will recognize one chef/operator in each of these categories:
- Business and industry
- Casual and family dining restaurants
- Colleges and universities
- Fine dining restaurants
- Hospitals and healthcare
- Hotel and resort
- K-12 Foodservice
- Supermarket and retail operators
- Quick-serve restaurants
Steve Grinstead, CEO of program sponsor FreshEdge, said: “While it’s important to give these culinary masters the recognition they deserve, we also want to raise overall awareness of what’s possible when creativity is applied to produce in foodservice. That’s one reason it’s important to highlight these winners at The Foodservice Conference, the only event dedicated to produce in foodservice.
“FreshEdge is proud to be a company of customer-obsessed distributors. That’s why we sponsor this prestigious award,” Grinstead said. “Working with our customers, we can see they are plating innovative, patron-appealing dishes that feature fresh produce. And that’s a win for everyone in the supply chain, and especially for consumers.”
Nominations opened Jan. 16 and close March 8. “The produce supply chain knows who’s getting the job done in foodservice,” Watson said. “We encourage them to nominate the chefs or foodservice operators in those nine categories for this award.”
About the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA)
The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) is the largest and most diverse international association serving the entire fresh produce and floral supply chain and the only to seamlessly integrate world-facing advocacy and industry-facing support. We exist to bring the industry together to create a vibrant future for all. We grow our member’s prosperity by conducting advocacy; connecting people and ideas; and offering guidance that allows us all to take action with purpose and confidence.
