ROCHESTER, NY – Crunch Time Apple Growers reports that its RubyFrost variety, what it calls “the wintertime beauty from New York State,” successfully sold out right before the start of the spring season. 

“We can’t believe how quickly we sold out this year,” Mark Russell, Crunch Time apple grower and Marketing Committee Chair, stated in a press release. “The response from consumers has been extremely positive, and that meant bigger orders from our retail partners.”

The season launched the second week of January, with final supplies shipping out in mid-March. Available exclusively through Crunch Time Apple Growers, RubyFrost’s retail distribution expanded by 40% in 2016 to meet high demand. “It was particularly gratifying for me to have coast-to-coast success with RubyFrost. As an eastern grower, we love to ship west,” Russell said.

Recent marketing efforts to promote RubyFrost included a social media contest, coupons, POS materials with high graphic bins, pouch bags and in-store demos, according to a press release.

“The high demand for this apple shows that its qualities stand out,” said Russell, “There’s a lot of new energy in the category and it’s become an exciting and competitive space. RubyFrost sells well – because it eats well, and that’s what consumers demand.”

According to Russell, consumers showed their love for the new apple this year via social media feedback, described by one new fan as “crisp and juicy with a hint of blackberries,” with many proclaiming it their new favorite variety.

“The demos really tell the tale; people really respond to the combination of a hard crunch with compelling apple flavor,” Russell concluded.

Keep checking with AndNowUKnow as we continue to track the growth of this and all other new launches throughout the produce industry.

RubyFrost Apple

SALINAS, CA - The blueberry business has begun to expand rapidly across the globe. The need for changes to match that growth has prompted TransFresh to develop a technology that would assist Apio, Inc. in prolonging the storage life of blueberries.

“We are able to store blueberries, fresh blueberries, for on the order of 28 days at 34 degrees fahrenheit,” Steve Bitler, Vice President of Corporate Technology for Apio, Inc., tells ANUK.

Incorporating three different technologies, as well as marrying this concept to the Apio Breatheway Membrane technology, the result is a multi-layered membrane. According to Steve, this includes:

• A porous support
• A polymeric film
• The ability to control the oxygen and CO₂ emission rates
• The ability to control the level of selectivity of oxygen and CO₂

This technology gives shippers an ability to extend and expand their shipping window so as not to have to concentrate all product at the peak, according to Rich Macleod, TransFresh Company’s Director for North American Pallets.

“The shippers and packers of blueberries need a way to expand or extend their market window,” Rich explains, saying that TransFresh took its system and rebuilt from the bottom up to meet this need.

To find out more about this technology and how it is adding to the shelf-life and freshness of blueberries, as well as how the pallet bags communicate to the customers that the proper levels of carbon dioxide have been maintained at a glance, watch the short video above.

TransFresh Apio

RIO RICO, AZ - SunFed is joining the push for produce consumption in schools. The company will sponsor two riders or the Summer 2016 Tour de Fresh. Vice President of Marketing, Brett Burdsal, and Vice President Operations, Matt Mandel are saddling up to put salad bars in schools.

“Tour de Fresh is truly a cause that we can get behind and support. The event aligns with our vision of helping to provide healthy food to the next generation and create a produce-passionate group of influencers,” Burdsal commented in a press release. “Giving children access to healthier eating options at a young age will help them form great habits they can carry throughout their lives.”

The upcoming ride, which covers more than 150 miles from Napa Valley to Monterey, California, as cyclists make their way into PMA Foodservice Conference, will be a three-day-long trek from July 26-28.

“There are opportunities to reach the younger generations at an earlier age and create more awareness around the versatility of produce and the health and flavor benefits available to all,” Mandel said. “Simply exposing them to different produce options informs them of the variety of different choices they have beyond traditional produce staples.”

Both first-time participants in the ride that has managed to successfully place more than 100 salad bars since its inception in 2014, Burdsal and Mandel said that they both hope to rally more industry members to join the 2016 ride.

Presented by The California Giant Foundation to benefit the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign, Tour de Fresh continues to grow as it brings members together for a cause that is beneficial both nation and industry-wide.

You can support Burdsal and Mandel, as well as all other riders, by clicking here.

Tour de Fresh

GREENSBORO, NC - More complications have arisen in response to Apollo Global’s $1.36 billion acquisition of The Fresh Market retail chain. In addition to the investigation into the grocer’s Board of Directors announced last month, a new lawsuit takes aim at Apollo Global, claiming that its purchase “undervalues” The Fresh Market’s business.

Last week, several stockholders of The Fresh Market sued asset manager Apollo Global in a Delaware federal court, according to source Law360. The website alleges that Fresh Market Founder and Chairman, Ray Berry, spoke to Apollo privately without consulting the company’s board. According to the complaint, the company's financial adviser, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, also has a bias favoring Apollo, having done more than $116 million of business together in the past two years.

“The flawed sale process was tainted from the outset due to defendant Ray Berry’s and his son Brett Berry’s prior back channeling with Apollo,” the complaint explained, according to Law360. “Berry and his family, who collectively own approximately 9.8 percent of the outstanding common stock of the company, were able to initiate the current proposed transaction in private conversations with Apollo, unknown to the rest of the company board or management, well before the sale process had even begun.”

As we recently reported, The Fresh Market had announced mid-March its acceptance of Apollo Global’s offer at $28.50 per share for stockholders, coming out to a tender agreement totaling about $1.36 billion.

As explained by Law360, the offer represents a 24 percent premium to The Fresh Market’s stock price on March 11, and a 53 percent premium to the February 10 closing price, the day before press got wind of details surrounding the purchase.

The new lawsuit seeks to stop the companies from closing the proposed deal unless they “disclose material information about the deal.” As of the time of writing this, neither The Fresh Market or Apollo Global have commented on the lawsuit.

As more details on The Fresh Market and Apollo Global are released, AndNowUKnow will continue to update you with the latest.

The Fresh Market

WENATCHEE, WA – The current lineup of astronauts aboard the International Space Station have a new treat in the form of CMI’s KIKU® brand apples. The company announced that a package of its fruit left Earth’s soil on Friday, in its first partnership with NASA.

“The growers of KIKU® apples were delighted to provide KIKU® to the crew of the Space Station,” said Bob Mast, President of CMI, in a press release. “With sweetness levels that are out of this world, it is only fitting that KIKU® apples would reach for the stars.”

The apples left from Cape Canaveral in an unmanned mission, aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule. After the Dragon capsule reached orbit, the company said that the SpaceX rocket successfully landed back on Earth aboard a ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The Falcon 9 landing was the first ocean landing for the team, and a crucial milestone for SpaceX.

Mast added, “We are incredibly proud to have partnered with the flight team on this mission, and congratulate SpaceX for their successful landing of the Falcon 9 today. It is a momentous day in the history of space travel.”

KIKU® apples were delivered to the International Space Station under a Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA, said the company, a partnership that was initiated by the Food System Manager at the Johnson Space Center, Vickie Kloeris.

“We think it’s a perfect fit,” finished Mast. “NASA wants to work directly with growers to secure the freshest, sweetest fruit imaginable for the space crew and KIKU® apples fit that description to a tee.”

CMI said that the apples delivered to the astronauts through the mission were all handpicked to supply the space travelers with its best product.

Keep checking back with AndNowUKnow for more astral updates, and big industry announcements.

CMI NASA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Global Foods International satisfied a reparation order issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), according to a press release.

The Irvine, CA, company can continue operating in the produce industry upon applying for and being issued a PACA license. Sivoush Nayyeri was listed as the officer, director, and/or major stockholder of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.

Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed that there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, the USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals. The USDA also requires any unlicensed company that fully satisfies all unpaid reparation awards to obtain a license if it continues to operate in the industry.

In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 3,700 PACA claims involving more than $66 million. Its experts also assisted more than 7,100 callers with issues valued at approximately $100 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.

Agricultural Marketing Service

LEAMINGTON, ON - Spring has come and with it a host of retail and promotional programs across North America. One of these campaigns is launched by the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) in Canada and aptly named “Spring into Flavour.”

Fiona McLean, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, took a few minutes to speak with me about the annual campaign and what retailers across the country can look forward to this season.

“Our spring campaign educates the consumer on availability of our greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, and seedless cucumbers and features new recipes on how to include Ontario greenhouse vegetable into meals,” Fiona tells me. “All varieties of Ontario tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are available in local grocery retail stores and are in full production in Ontario.”

Currently there are six Ontario retailers participating in the “Spring into Flavour” campaign for 2016. Each retailer has committed to tomato, pepper, and seedless cucumber flyer ads indicating “Product of Canada.” Loblaw, Metro, Food Basics, Sobeys, Longos, and Walmart are currently promoting the program and OGVG is welcoming other retailers who would like to partner.

With the increase in consumer healthy eating habits, more tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are becoming an ideal choice for snacking. Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that has been clinically proven to reduce the harmful effects of UV rays as well as reducing the risk of some cancers, she notes.

“Tomatoes are also an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, dietary fiber, folate, magnesium, and potassium,” Fiona adds. “We encourage produce department members to educate consumers on greenhouse produce across the board.”

Peppers are also high in nutrition as an excellent source of Vitamin C with over 250% more Vitamin C than citrus fruits by weight. In addition to Vitamin C, peppers are a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Dietary Fibre, Folate, Magnesium and Potassium.

In addition, Seedless Cucumbers are made up of 90% water and are an excellent source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, and silica. The most nutrients are stored in the peel of the Seedless cucumber, which is completely edible, so eat it in its entirety if you’d like.

The spring program runs from April 4 to May 29, 2016.

Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA – Allen Lund Company (ALC) has come out on top of Coca-Cola's 2015 Summer Sizzle Challenge, attaining the company’s prized Challenger Carrier of the Year award. 

"We are honored to be recognized by Coca-Cola as Challenger Carrier of the Year for 2015. It is very fulfilling to see our hard work acknowledged and I'm very proud of everyone at ALC who works so hard on this account," stated Eddie Lund, ALC Vice President of Sales and Branch Operations, in a press release. "We are very grateful to Coca-Cola for being a great business partner and for caring enough to recognize us in this way." 

ALC San Antonio Manager, Troy Magers, said that the company is especially looking forward to building upon its existing and beneficial relationship with Coca-Cola in the years to come. 

"Allen Lund Company has a long standing business relationship with Coca-Cola Company and our people have put a lot of time and effort into building that relationship,” finished Mager. “It is very nice to see those efforts recognized with this award."

More information about Allen Lund Company and its work with shippers and carriers can be found here, and keep an eye on AndNowUKnow for more industry recognition and awards.

Allen Lund Company Coca-Cola