BEVERLY HILLS, CA - From the woman who brought you classics like Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the 72-day marriage, and one insightful Twitter comment after another, comes the latest in the Kardashian line of innovations: the strawberry diet. The premise of this diet is actually rather simple: you eat strawberries and nothing but strawberries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Strawberry growers are probably lining up for the right to sponsor Kim's diet, and frankly, who could blame them? Talk about a marketing opportunity!

Kim's 22.3 million Twitter followers won't have to worry about this rigid sounding diet consuming her life. A source that spoke with The Sun told reporters that Kim will be taking a moderate approach to this lifestyle, leaving her plenty of time to focus on her other important responsibilities. The source said that she will still be indulging in healthy cheat meals throughout the week in order to make the change easier on her and her body. Reportedly, champagne dinners will be a fixture of this approach.

Surprisingly, Kim isn't the first celebrity to try this diet. According to the Channel 24 News, Victoria Beckham, the wife of famous soccer star David Beckham, tried out the diet back in 2004.

The wife of one of David Beckham's teammates commented that, "She just eats strawberries and turns away all the great breakfasts and salads everyone else tucks into. Most days she has only one meal and that is strawberries. Sometimes she just sits there drinking mineral water while we all tuck in. It's a bit strange."

Needless to say, that lifestyle didn't last long. We'll just have to wait and see how long Kim will be able to stick it out. 

At least strawberries have plenty of Vitamin C so she'll never have to worry about getting scurvy in the mean time. As for me, I think I'll be sticking with my salads.

MILWAUKEE, WI – Roundy’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Darren Karst, is leaving the company on August 9, 2014.  Karst will be joining Rite Aid Corporation as its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

“Darren has been a great partner and leader during his tenure here at Roundy’s. He has been a significant contributor to our growth and he leaves us with a talented management team that he developed. I will miss Darren and I wish him well in his future personal and professional endeavors,” said Robert A. Mariano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Roundy’s.

Roundy’s announced in a press release that Michael Turzenski, current Roundy’s Group Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, has been appointed Group Vice President, Chief Financial Officer by Roundy’s board of directors.

“We are excited to have Mike Turzenski accept the CFO role. Mike has been an important part of our management team and has played a very active role in executing our business objectives. We envision a seamless transition from Darren to Mike,” said Mariano.

Darren served as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since June 2002.  Mike has been the Group Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer since February 2012 and joined Roundy’s as Vice President, Controller in 2007.

AndNowUKnow would like to wish Darren luck on his future endeavors, and congratulate Michael on his new position.

Roundy's

SALINAS, CA - Together with his partner Bob Antle, George Tanimura built the Tanimura & Antle produce powerhouse from the ground up. Now having just recently celebrated his 100th birthday, Tanimura & Antle has announced that it will be rolling out a new lettuce variety in honor of its esteemed co-founder: George T’s Special Colossal Romaine Hearts. 

The new seed is a combination of two of George Tanimura's favorite lettuce varieties, Iceberg and Romaine Hearts, joining Iceberg's crunch and texture with the deep color and sweet flavor of Romaine Hearts. It has also been bred to be a true heart lettuce variety. This means less trimming at harvest time, and thus less waste for the grower, according to a press release.

Considering that it was George Tanimura who pioneered sustainability initiatives such as using drip tape in row-crop agriculture, this lettuce variety's emphasis on sustainable, low waste farming is altogether fitting. Furthermore with seven 3oz servings per lettuce head, food service operators will no doubt appreciate George T’s Special Colossal Romaine Hearts' cost-saving value.

Given all that he has done for the company, Tanimura & Antle’s staff’s admiration and respect for Mr. Tanimura is clear in every word.

“George Tanimura is a true and tireless leader, whose contributions to the produce industry will never be matched,” says Mike Antle, Senior Vice President and Partner.

According to a press release, the new Colossal Romaine Hearts will be packed in a 40lb. 24-count retro-designed carton, featuring the classic red and blue T&A label.

AndNowUKnow would like to congratulate George Tanimura for this professional milestone.

Tanimura & Antle

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A recent Senate hearing on school lunch programs featured testimony from Phil Muir and a To-Jo’s Bella Blended Meatballs taste test. 

Phil Muir, United Fresh former Board member and President and CEO of Muir Copper Canyon Farms in Salt Lake City, pledged support and cooperation to schools as they serve more fresh fruits and vegetables, according to a press release.

“The produce industry is committed and stands ready to support school food service directors in successfully implementing the new fruit and vegetable requirements,” said Muir in his Senate testimony.  “There are produce suppliers all over the country who are just as passionate and committed to supporting schools as I am.  We all want to provide schools with great quality fresh produce and help student’s increase their consumption.”

Muir told lawmakers that his company provides fresh fruits and vegetables to 52 school districts in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming and serve a total of 450,000 students.

“Phil Muir shared his passion and commitment to working collaboratively with schools to implement the new fruit and vegetable requirements,” said Dr. Lorelei DiSogra, Vice President, Nutrition & Health, United Fresh.  ‘His testimony also demonstrated the commitment of everyone in the fresh produce supply chain – growers shippers, fresh-cut processors and produce distributors – to helping schools be successful.  We are all committed to increasing children’s fruit and vegetable consumption and improving their health.”

United Fresh also advocated for improving school children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables through a variety of strategies.  These initiatives include more healthful standards for school meals, the Smart Snacks in Schools standard, the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program, and the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative, according to a press release.

During the hearing, Muir referenced Blendable recipes like To-Jo’s Bella Blended Meatballs as a viable option when looking for ways to increase produce consumption to meet the USDA school nutrition guidelines.  Mushroom “blendability” is the simple process of adding fresh, chopped mushrooms to meat so students’ favorite meals can be healthier without losing taste or texture.  

Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA) arranged for his colleagues to taste test the mushroom meatballs, according to a press release. 

“Mushroom blendability is a delicious example of the effective product innovations that are improving school meals for America’s children,” says Dayle Hayes, MS, RD President of School Meals That Rock.  “Students eat more vegetables while enjoying healthful versions of their favorite foods.  This is win-win-win for kids, school nutrition professionals and agriculture.”

Congress will be reauthorizing child nutrition programs in 2015. This hearing explored how schools are meeting the healthier nutrition standards that are required by the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010.

United Fresh

To-Jo Mushrooms

Muir Copper Canyon Farms

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Green Earth Produce and Albert's Organics have filed a federal civil suit against the Mediterranean Shipping Company, a cargo shipper based out of New York, over the loss of $68,000 in fresh produce. According to the two growers, negligence on the part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company directly contributed to the poor condition of the produce observed on delivery.

The Pennsylvania Record reports that the fruit in question was shipped out of Paita, Peru on January 2014, at which time Green Earth Produce and Albert's Organics claim that it was in good condition. The plaintiffs further claim that due to a lack of the procurement of a seaworthy vessel or proper refrigeration, the cargo arrived in Philadelphia in what they call an unsellable state.

Green Earth Produce and Albert's Organics claim that they attempted to contact the  Mediterranean Shipping Company in order to recover the lost payments, but were ignored on each attempt.

Green Earth Produce is suing for $38,000 and Albert's Organics is suing for $30,000, according to The Pennsylvania Record. The two growers have retained Eugene Maginnis of Dugan, Brinkmann, Maginnis, and Pace to represent them during the proceedings.

Albert's Organics

MIAMI, FL - A federal appeals court has thrown out claims against Chiquita Brands International made by relatives of thousands of Colombians killed during years of civil war.  The now dismissed lawsuit accused Chiquita of assisting in the killings by paying $1.7 million to the right-wing paramilitary group known as the AUC.

Yesterday’s court decision to dismiss the lawsuit cited Kiobel vs. Royal Dutch Petroleum, a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that imposed limits on attempts by foreigners to use U.S. courts to seek damages against corporations for human rights abuses abroad.

TAMPA, FL – IFCO has released a free eBook for growers and retailers titled ‘Debunking Myths about RPC’s: The Latest Information for Growers and Retailers.’

This 12 page eBook can be downloaded for free by clicking here and offers insights into common RPC myths or misconceptions.

After downloading, industry members will gain instant access to the latest RPC offerings from IFCO and:

IFCO recently reached the milestone of one billion RPCs. For more info on IFCO and the use of RPCs, check out our previous article by clicking here.

IFCO

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - If Cub Foods and Robinson Fresh have it their way, the Guinness World Record for Largest Fruit Display is about to be broken. With 4 truckloads of fresh MelonUp!® Pink Ribbon watermelons and the staff of the Maple Grove, Minnesota Cub Food's, these two business partners plan on building a 1,500 square foot display this Saturday, July 26th. Altogether the display will use 10,200 watermelons and will weigh 157,000 lbs, blowing the current 11,023 lbs record holder out of the water.

As much fun as building the display will be, at the heart of the promotion is a cause near and dear to Cub Foods and Robinson Fresh: funding breast cancer research. MelonUp! Pink Ribbon Watermelons have done a huge amount of good for this cause, as a portion of the proceeds from these watermelon sales are donated towards breast cancer research on behalf of the participating retailers. This has allowed Robinson Fresh to raise nearly $950,000 for research foundations.

“We are excited for the opportunity to promote MelonUp!® Pink Ribbon watermelon, an important summer product of ours, in such a big way,” said Darren Caudill, Vice President of Merchandising and Sales for Cub Foods. “We invite everyone to visit the store, where they can enjoy the celebration while also gaining additional education about local breast cancer awareness efforts.”

Cub Foods is one of the oldest supporters of Robinson Fresh's program and has donated nearly $70,000 to breast cancer research since 2008.

“We value and appreciate Cub Foods and Supervalu’s support of the Pink Ribbon Watermelon program,” said Josh Knox, Category General Manager at Robinson Fresh. “The program began with the intention of educating consumers about the multitude of health benefits that watermelon can provide, and has developed into a fun and collaborative way for retailers to give back to and raise awareness within their communities.”

According to a press release, one of these benefits include very high levels of the antioxidant lycopene - a powerful anti-cancer fighting agent, studies have shown.

In the end, Saturday Cub shoppers might be drawn to the display because of its impressive size, or perhaps for the free watermelon samples, or watermelon eating and seed spitting contests, but once there, Robinson Fresh and Cub Foods hope to make the event a learning opportunity. The Fairview Clinics’ mobile mammography unit will be on site at the event and representatives from Minnesota's Susan G. Komen® charity will be there to talk about the research efforts with consumers. Now that's something we can all get behind.

Good luck with challenging the record Cub Foods and Robinson Fresh! And great work!

Robinson Fresh

Cub Foods

BENTONVILLE, AK - Wal-Mart continued its recent spree of executive promotions this week by naming retail veteran Greg Foran to be the new President and CEO of Wal-Mart U.S.

“Greg is one of the most talented retailers I’ve ever met. His depth of knowledge and global experience will bring a fresh perspective to our business,” said Wal-Mart President and CEO Doug McMillon. “His passion for fresh food, experience in general merchandise and commitment to e-commerce will help us serve our customers even more effectively for years to come.”

McMillon also had kind words for the departing CEO, Bill Simon, who is stepping down after 8 years with Wal-Mart.

“During Bill’s eight years of service to Walmart, his passion for our mission, dedication to our associates and our customers, and innovative thinking pushed us forward,” said McMillon. “From the very beginning, his vision led us to lower the cost of health care through our $4 prescription offering. And, most recently, he put us on a path to future growth with small formats and efforts that integrate digital and physical retail.”

According to a press release, Simon said that he was grateful for the opportunity he had been given by the retailer and was ready to move on and turn over control of Wal-Mart's U.S. operations to the next generation of executive leadership. 

“It’s been an honor to work for Walmart over the past eight years, and this felt like the right time to move on and focus on my next opportunity," he said. "I look forward to helping the company as much as I can over the next six months.”

Foran spoke excitedly about his new position and the responsibilities he would soon assume as one of the top executives of the world's largest warehouse retailer.

“Being asked to lead the Walmart U.S. business is a privilege that I don’t take lightly,” said Foran. “I am excited to get started. The needs of our customers are changing dramatically and we have an enormous opportunity to serve them in new and different ways. We must be fierce advocates for our customers, work meticulously to exceed their expectations and earn their trust every day.”

Foran was first hired at Wal-Mart in 2011. He served as the President and CEO of Wal-Mart China from March 2012 until August 9th when he assumes his new position in the company.

According to a press release, before working at Wal-Mart, Foran worked a number of years for Woolworths as Managing Director of Supermarkets, Liquor, and Petrol. He also spent time as the General Manager for Big W and Dick Smith Electronics.

Congratulations on the promotion Greg!

Wal-Mart

McFARLAND, CA – Sunlight International is preparing for the busiest time of the year with the upcoming launch of a newly redesigned website. Customers and retail trade can take advantage of the new site starting mid-August.

“It's been a long time coming, but the new website launch couldn’t come at a better time,” says Nick Dulcich, President of Sunlight International. “With the busy shipping season ahead, we can show off our new site, new grape varieties, and offer retail various marketing programs and tools.”

The new site will offer a fresh look and will give users access to promotional information and premium grape products with easier navigation.  It will also feature an expanded products page, calendar and marketing programs, according to a press release.  The variety calendar is designed to allow retailers to glance at what varieties are available to make smart purchases, and the different marketing programs provide promotional products to retail as well as tools to encourage customers.

Along with the existing 13 varieties, a new extra large, crisp Green Emerald will be featured under the Pretty Lady Brand and will take center stage on the new site.

Additionally, the site features new recipes and featured dishes including new entrees, salads, soups, sides and desserts.

Can't wait to check it out!

Sunlight International