MIAMI, FL - There are times when I’m walking through my grocery store and I see the avocado display, the prices that have now inflated, and sigh in dismay at the size before me, because I now have been introduced to something far greater. I’m talking about the long neck avocado. Miami Fruit shared a picture of its meter-long omega-rich fruit and the world over literally fell in love—just not with its price tag.

The organic and GMO-free variety garnered attention for the long neck uniquely known to this seedling variety. Predictably, the price tag—each 3-6 lb box costs $47—shocked me just as much as the avocado did itself. However, Miami Fruit stated that this seedling is not grown commercially and was originally native to Nicaragua, according to mitú.

To learn more about this behemoth of an avocado, visit Miami Fruit’s Instagram. For more exciting news in the produce world, keep reading ANUK.

Miami Fruit

HOUSTON, TX - A few of our industry's charity queens, Lisa Helfman and Dr. Shreela Sharma, are joining the likes of real-life royalty! Recently, Business Insider published its Food 100, a ranking of the 100 coolest people in food and drink, and included Helfman, Sharma, and the Duchess of Sussex herself: Meghan Markle—all on the same leadership list!

“We are humbled to be joining this impressive group of innovators in the food industry,” said Helfman, Brighter Bites’ Co-Founder. “For Business Insider to include us among these leaders demonstrates that our evidence-based nutrition education and health promotion program is gaining traction...and living a healthier life through fresh food is really the coolest way to live.”

Helfman and Sharma, the co-founders of Brighter Bites, ranked #60 and #61 on the list, a great accomplishment for their produce careers and the nonprofit organization that is making waves beyond just the produce industry.

Other notable figures who ranked on Business Insider’s inaugural Food 100 list were Markle (#32), Charles, Prince of Wales (#63), George Clooney (#9), and award-winning restauranteurs Clare Smyth (#3) and Asma Khan (#1).

If you haven't yet familiarized yourself with all that Brighter Bites is doing for the next generation of produce consumers, I highly recommend doing so and fast—there's no stopping this growing organization from completely evolving health, eating, and shopping behaviors and you (yeah, YOU growers, packers, shippers, and suppliers!) won't want to miss out on this next wave!

Congratulations to Lisa Helfman and Dr. Shreela Sharma for this fantastic accomplishment! For more produce industry wins, stick right here with AndNowUKnow.

Brighter Bites

FRESNO, CA - A recycle symbol is grand, but is it clear? The industry is taking further steps to ensure that consumers understand the sustainability measures being taken and how they can complete the cycle. Trinity Fruit Company’s Director of Marketing, Angela Hernandez, and I took a moment to discuss the company’s moves in this important initiative.

“Trinity Fruit Company is committed to utilizing eco-friendly packaging for each of our commodities. It is our mission to grow, pack, and ship our quality products in the most environmentally responsible fashion,” Angela shares. “We want to help create a better tomorrow one piece of fruit at a time!”

The latest steps Trinity Fruit Company has taken to achieve this took place in June, when it became a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and became a member of the How2Recycle® label program.

With recyclability at the forefront of consumers’ minds when they see packaging, clarity is key. This program, Angela tells me, offers a custom label on Trinity Fruit’s packaging that tells the consumer how to recycle a package. The label is based in the U.S. and Canada and is the only nationally harmonized label that follows the Federal Trade Commission Green Guides, according to the company.

“This will educate our consumers on how to recycle our products and empower our customers to focus less on deciphering recyclability and more on enjoying our delicious fruit. This will also help reduce contamination in the recycling stream,” she says.

And there is more in the works, as well. The team has begun to eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging of its products while also evaluating alternatives for single-use plastics.

The temptation of increased ring at the register is a plus for the system rather than a main motivation. As a grower, Trinity Fruit sees such moves as its duty.

“It is our responsibility at Trinity Fruit Company to create a better tomorrow by constantly evaluating all of our products and processes. We are always questioning ourselves and analyzing what we are doing today and why. From the fields and packing facilities to store shelves and everything in between, we are dedicated to improving methods to be ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible. Making improvements in farming practices and eco-friendly packaging today will have a positive impact on our environment in the long run,” Angela shares.

As Trinity Fruit and the rest of our industry continues to make strides in sustainability, AndNowUKnow will continue to connect you to the latest.

Trinity Fruit Company

MONTEREY, CA - Is there anything that makes me happier than a Brussels sprout? I’ve yet to find it! With more and more consumers jumping onto the happiness-equals-Brussels-sprouts train, it’s no wonder that companies like Gold Coast Packing are upping their foodservice capabilities to include all manner of Brussels sprouts formats. I spoke with Crystal Chavez, Marketing Coordinator, to learn a bit more about this development.

“We’re predominantly a foodservice company and our core items are broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and cilantro, but what we’re highlighting is our Brussels sprouts,” she shared with me. “It’s a trending vegetable; everyone’s using Brussels sprouts as more of a center-of-plate item, and we’ve got them for you!”

Recently, the company launched its halved and whole Brussels sprouts alongside its shredded offering. Available in a 4 x 5 lb and 2 x 5 lb pack size, these three options are ideal for any foodservice operator.

“The sizing from our Brussels sprouts came from our customers—what they wanted for their back-of-house, or what they needed for themselves and their customers, too,” Crystal said. “We went out to our customers and asked ‘How do you want this? We’re here to work with you.’ And those were the two sizes that pretty much everyone asked for.”

Proving that its customer service is just as valuable as its produce! See the exclusive interview above for more details.

Gold Coast Packing

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that La Central Produce LLC satisfied a $10,496 reparation order issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) involving unpaid produce transaction(s).

Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:

The Forest Park, Georgia, company can continue operating in the produce industry upon applying for and being issued a PACA license. Jose J. Morales was listed as a member of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.

PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.

Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed that there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals. USDA will only reinstate the license of a business to an active status if all reparation awards are satisfied and if the license is not terminated.

The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.

In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,350 PACA claims involving more than $63 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $156 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.

For further information, contacts, and to read the press release in its entirety, please check out the link here.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service

COACHELLA, CA - When it’s show season, you know there are going to be a few companies throwing curve balls at us trade news writers. At PMA Foodservice 2019, Prime Time International was one of those companies reminding us that the team is more than just a few staple categories as the company continues to expand into a new segment to wow the buying crowd. Long story short, we were impressed and pleasantly surprised as always.

We tapped Mike Way, Managing Partner, to give us the low-down on a few of Prime Time International’s new items.

“New to our venue is asparagus,” Mike revealed to me. “We’re going to have asparagus 365 days a year.”

Another new item Mike shared with me was its mini pepper program, which was less shocking of an announcement considering Prime Time’s status as one of our industry’s pepper powerhouses.

“We’re the largest pepper grower in North America. We have peppers 365 days a year: red, yellow, green peppers, and now mini peppers,” Mike continued. “So we have the red, yellow, and green peppers, mini peppers, and asparagus—that’s Prime Time.”

To hear more from Mike himself on a few of Prime Time’s new programs, watch our exclusive video interview above.

Prime Time International

ZAANDAM, NETHERLANDS - The 11-day strike impacting Stop & Shop, one of Ahold Delhaize’s retail banners, may have ended, but the repercussions are still being felt. The retailer recently reported slowed growth in both its brick-and-mortar and digital space, and though sales were still positive, the company took an undeniable hit.

"Although our results were impacted by the strike at Stop & Shop, our other U.S. brands continued their strong performance,” commented Frans Muller, President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize. "As we continue to see sales performance improve at Stop & Shop, we expect no significant impact from the strike in the second half of the year.”

According to The Hartford Courant, the economic impact of the initial work stoppage was $224 million, and $121 million during the “recovery period,” for a total of $345 million in losses. The company’s online sales also took a hit, because though sales for that sector were up 14.4 percent (to $249 million), pre-strike projections had placed online sales growth at 18 percent.

Ahold Delhaize released a financial report detailing its current economic position and the fallout from the strike. Some of the details include:

• Net sales of €16.3 billion ($18.2 USD), up 1.5% at constant exchange rates, impacted by the strike
• Net consumer online sales up 29.2% at constant exchange rates
• Underlying operating margin of 3.6%, including strike impact
• U.S. comparable sales growth excl. gasoline +2.3% adjusted for Easter and strike impact

For the full report, click here.

Will this slowdown in Ahold’s growth become a trend? Or is it just a bump in the road? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.

Ahold Delhaize

NOGALES, AZ - Pound for pound, the commentary, research, and debate around the Tomato Suspension Agreement Proposal is one of the most dynamic conversations I have witnessed since I started in the industry a mere eight years ago. One of the voices in constant and passionate engagement around the debate comes from the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas/Tomato Division (FPAA/TD).

Recently, the FPAA/TD shared its evolving view on the issue noting that the Tomato Suspension Agreement proposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce in July carries “flawed provisions that infringe upon federal laws and are unlikely to survive antitrust and other legal actions that are sure to arise.” The Mexican growers’ proposal from August 5, as shared by the association, identifies a path forward that greatly reduces FPAA’s antitrust concerns.

“We have made two trips to Washington to meet with the Department of Commerce to explain how the Commerce proposal gives unfair advantage to one type of U.S. seller of Mexican tomatoes over other U.S. sellers of Mexican tomatoes, yet the unjustifiable provisions remain,” FPAA President Lance Jungmeyer, stated. “The Commerce proposal would allow repackers to profiteer on the condition of Mexican tomatoes at destination. By contrast, the new Mexican proposal provides a clear path to remove defective tomatoes from the marketplace. This is a step in the right direction.”

To read the Mexican growers’ proposal from August 5, please click here!

The FPAA added that written comments have been submitted and in a recent meeting with Commerce, FPAA has stated that it believes Commerce is going beyond its statutory authority, particularly with sales price adjustments for defective tomatoes. The example given by the FPAA noted that “Commerce’s proposal tramples on the rights of U.S. buyers and sellers of Mexican tomatoes to claim damages for breach of contract, which are protected under U.S. law, including the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).”

Jungmeyer went on to share more background that informs the FPAA's position.

“When Congress passed PACA in 1937 and gave USDA jurisdiction to protect the rights of sellers and buyers of perishable agricultural commodities, it never imagined that another government agency like Commerce would decide that some American companies would get protections, while others would not,” Jungmeyer reflected, adding that this would be outside the scope of dumping law.

In addition, the FPAA firmly believes a new suspension agreement must remove the mandate for USDA to inspect every imported lot of Mexican tomatoes—an action that the Mexican government has said would invite reciprocal inspections on U.S. agricultural products. In the FPAA’s eyes, inspections of Mexican tomatoes would accomplish nothing because USDA records show that 99 percent of tomatoes meet standards upon arrival at customers’ warehouses and destinations.

The complex issues around the Tomato Suspension Agreement continue to be top-of-mind and at the center of conversations on multiple fronts. Keep checking back with AndNowUKnow as we continue to take the temperature from both sides of the aisle.

Fresh Produce Association of the Americas

WASHINGTON, DC - United Fresh celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Produce Industry Leadership program by launching it in California with 12 new members in the playbook. The class will engage in leadership development opportunities and meetings with industry members throughout California including: Mission Produce, Deardorff Family Farms, San Miguel, Bayer, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Limoneira, Sunkist, Grimmway, and Wonderful Citrus.

“This year’s class marks the celebration of the 25th year of United Fresh’s Produce Leadership Program,” said Vice President of Education and Member Programs Amanda Griffin. “Their journey will conclude with an elevated celebration of all 25 classes next June in San Diego. I look forward to gathering with all of our graduates and alumni of the program.”

And just who will be joining the program in this journey? The press release listed these top names that will be traveling across California:

• Fernando Aguiar, Naturipe Farms
• Aly Ahnert, Fresh Start Foods Canada
• Peter Barone, Starbucks
• Frank Camera, SunFed
• Annie Faller, Gold Coast Packing Company
• Craig Fields, RPE
• Bobby Grinstead, The Grinstead Group
• Martha Hilton, Wegmans
• Marc Newman, Capital City Fruit Company
• Stephanie Pharris, Duncan Family Farms
• Jennifer Pulcipher, North Bay Produce
• Oliver Sill, Columbine Vineyards

“It’s always a special moment for all of us at United Fresh when our class of up-and-coming produce industry professionals takes the first step in their leadership journey,” said President and CEO Tom Stenzel. “Throughout their yearlong journey, we will cheer them on as Class 25 prepares to become the future leaders of their companies and of our industry.”

The program has seen a resounding success since its launch in 1995 and has graduated more than 200 industry professionals. Corteva Agriscience, the agriculture division of DowDuPont, sponsors the program with extensive involvement from professional trainers, faculty, leading United Fresh members, and Corteva Agriscience executives. Students are immersed in four core areas: leadership development, business relationships, government and public affairs, and media and public communications. The program culminates June 16-18, 2020, with graduation at the United Fresh 2020 Convention & Expo at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. For more info, visit the United Fresh website.

Eager to find out how the event goes? Stay tuned with AndNowUKnow.

United Fresh

DEERFIELD, IL - The ravenous retail market knows no bounds, feasting on retailers across the spectrum of industries and forcing many to pivot their strategies to stay competitive. The latest to make amends to its operations is Kroger-partner Walgreens. This week, CNN Business announced the pharmaceutical chain will close 200 stores across the U.S.

According to the news source, the closures only amount to less than 3 percent of Walgreens’ 9,500-store-strong network. In a statement, Walgreens confirmed that the closures will cause “minimal disruption to customers and patients.”

Crain’s Chicago Business reported that the store closures are part of a cost-reduction plan that will ultimately cost the company $1.9 billion to $2.4 billion, as noted in a securities filing. The chain cited specific challenges like lower prices for generic drugs and a decline in reimbursement rates as reasons for the need to cut costs.

Crain’s Chicago Business also noted that the latest round of closures comes on the heels of an earlier announcement asserting as many as 750 stores will close. CNN Business added that Walgreens is planning on shuttering 200 of its Boots stores located in the United Kingdom, as well.

While Walgreens did not list which stores will be closing, it did state that it will help its affected employees find jobs at nearby locations.

For more grocery retail news from around the industry, keep following AndNowUKnow.

Walgreens Kroger