Page 253 - Roduce Editorials News Today

Duncan Family Farms, a family-owned, multi-regional grower of certified organic and sustainably-grown produce, specializing in baby lettuces, greens, kale and herbs, acquired  Pedersen Farms, a family-owned farm and certified organic grower located in upstate New York.

Mission Produce Inc. appointed Shaunte Mears-Watkins to its board of directors. She will stand for election at the company’s 2022 annual meeting of stockholders. Mears-Watkins is an accomplished global sales and marketing executive with over 20 years of experience and is known for her innovative strategic perspective and global P&L leadership in the consumer product and food industries. She currently serves as the chief commercial officer at Clif Bar & Co., a double-digit growth manufa...

Retailer registration for Organic Produce Summit 2022 will open Monday, Jan. 10, with qualified individuals from retail and direct-to-consumer buying organizations eligible for complimentary registration and accommodations. The sixth annual OPS will be held July 13-14 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, CA.

Miguel Gonzalez, one of the founders and owners of Vallarta Supermarkets, died Tuesday, Nov. 23 as a result of an automobile accident. He was 56. Mr. Gonzalez’s passion in building the Vallarta Supermarkets family business was contagious and he corralled anyone he could partner with to enjoy the journey.

It was a merry Christmas for parts of produce departments across the country as the holiday season has boosted produce sales. According to Mark Campbell at ProduceIQ, high-end categories such as grapes, berries, avocados, melons and asparagus have seen prices increase since Thanksgiving.

The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas hosted a breakfast event earlier this month to honor the industry’s essential workers as part of 2021 Member of the Year celebration. This fall, the FPAA announced the Essential Worker as the 2021 Member of the Year recipient. The Essential Worker represents all those who contributed to the success of a secure food supply during the last year. From warehouse workers to administrative staff, the award was dedicated to all the employees of FPAA membe...

Sunkist Growers and Tajín Seasonings have created an innovative and exciting display for the Rose Parade Floatfest in Pasadena, CA, on Jan. 1 and 2.  The Sunkist-Tajín collaboration will extend to in-store promotions at select retail locations with sampling events and displays.

Hy-Vee Inc. will host its fifth Best of Local Brands summit in February to expand and enhance the product offerings at its more than 280 retail stores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. One hundred new brands were selected from the first three summits combined and are available to Hy-Vee customers. The summit will consist of 15- to 30-minute virtual presentations from selected suppliers. The summit will take place from Wednesday, Feb. 16 to Frid...

Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. is recalling from the market all Dole-branded and private label packaged salads processed at its Bessemer City, NC, and its Yuma, AZ, production facilities due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. and is also temporarily suspending operations at both facilities to conduct an extensive cleaning and sanitation protocol. The company estimated the one-off cost associated with this temporary suspension will be between $15 million and $25 million.

Albertsons Cos. has partnered with Picadeli, one of Europe’s leading food tech companies dedicated to disrupting the healthy food industry. Picadeli offers a modular store-in-store salad bar concept with the mission to make fresh, healthy food accessible and affordable to the masses, delivering on convenience and taste at a time when so many fast-food options fall short.