Hollandia, FreshPoint and USDA

Jun. 09, 2011

What do you get when you combine a square and a circle? A squircle! And for Hollandia Produce, it means a new and improved clamshell! The Live Gourmet Living Butter Lettuce Squircle clamshell is designed to allow the same room for the lettuce leaves while reducing the area that contains the root ball. The Squircle is designed to eliminate un-used space in its shipping carton, allowing for a 20 percent increase in sellable units per pallet. In addition, the new design reduces the amount of plastic used, resulting in a 15 percent saving per clamshell.

FreshPoint is launching its “Eat Southeast Fresh” campaign, in an effort to generate support for local farmers and products. The program will feature an interactive website at www.eatsoutheastfresh.com. The site includes “Meet the Farmer” biographies, chefs of the month, and produce availability charts. Bob Massave, Regional Vice President of FreshPoint Atlanta, stated: “We will be able to provide our customers with more options for locally grown produce than ever before and our involvement and support of the local farmers will hopefully help build recognition of just how important our local agriculture is to our region, our customers and our future success."

USDA has launched a new dietary guidance program, called MyPlate. MyPlate recommends that Americans should include half a plate of fruits and veggies with each meal. President and CEO, Tom Stenzel, stated “The produce industry is firmly committed to working closely with USDA and others to support and promote MyPlate and the half a plate message as part of a lifetime of healthy eating.”