With the approach that “innovation starts here,” many new and innovative products were the apple of attendees eyes at United Fresh 2016. Here are few that resonated with me as I walked the floor.

Bay Baby's PERSONAL Spaghetti Squash

Cutting a spaghetti squash in half, putting it in the oven, and then adding some garlic salt and pepper is one of my favorite easy dinners. This particular product is right up my ally for both convenience and mitigating leftovers in my fridge.

Mastronardi's SUNSET® Tomato of Yore™

Mastronardi tapped into my, and many others around the world’s, Game of Thrones love with what it calls “the King of Flavor,” with catchy messages about its being greenhouse grown so no need to fear winter's coming. And if the curvy four pack Top Seal is eye-catching on the busy show floor, I'm sure it will have that effect in-store as well.

Sunkist's One Pound Lemon Pouch

This new package is bright yellow and screamed summer to me when I stopped by Sunkist’s booth. The one pound bag showcases the product and offers a sturdy handle to make it easy to carry out of the store and on to whatever party the produce’s destination may be.

Mucci's Naked Leaf

I really like the message the name conveys, with the all-natural trends gripping consumers “naked” seems a perfect word to apply to produce. The packaging was versatile, and the leaves, root and all, were worth biting into.

Rennaisance Food Group's Tropical Juicing Kit

Juicing is a key way fresh produce is making it to kitchens, and at 15.75 oz with several fruits and greens, I can see this being a great starter to getting curious dabblers into more juicing and more fresh produce purchases.

As you can see, this year offered a wide array of innovations as the industry looks to push produce further into the spotlight. I can't wait to see what is to come as the countdown begins to United Fresh 2017.

United Fresh Bay Baby Produce Sunkist Mastronardi  Mucci Farms Renaissance Food Group