Page 28 - Roduce Editorials News Today

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the 2025-30 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee.

Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be as sweet without making Pink Lady apples a top promotional item for the loveliest day of the year. “Bulk is the major opportunity for Pink Lady this year, and Valentine’s Day is a key timeframe to promote the variety,” said Brianna Shales, Stemilt’s marketing director. “This is one variety we’ve seen promotable volumes of compared to last year and makes a pretty-pink addition to the theme of the holiday.”

Health and wellness have become increasingly important in the consideration of the snacking styles of Americans. Reading the labels has become more than a pastime, but an imperative part of the daily choices on how to eat what you love and love what you eat.

FirstFruits Farms is applying data-science to the apple category, investing heavily with its newly-formed Data Science Center of Excellence. “The center allows us to merge two important parts of our company into one cohesive and collaborative team,” said Melissa Hunter, data analyst at FirstFruits Farms. The newly formed department is a intentional move to not only embrace, but equip FirstFruits Farms’ sales and marketing teams with live analysis from their in-house data team.

Albertsons Cos. completed a rollout of the Afresh predictive ordering and inventory management platform. The system was implemented in more than 2,200 Albertsons Cos. banner stores, including Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Vons and ACME. The new platform allows store teams to better order and plan fresh produce inventory, reducing food waste and achieving superior freshness in their stores.

Starr Ranch Growers of Wenatchee, WA, known for its premium branded JUICI apple, highlighted retailer support, consumer engagement, and the importance of developing trust with retailers and consumers, all in promotion of this year’s winter apple crop.

It was four years ago when Glenmont, NY-based New York Apple Sales launched Yes! Apples, a consumer-friendly apple brand rooted in quality. “Yes! Apples maintains a steady supply of apples throughout the year, and winter apples are a big part of that mix,” said Tenley Fitzgerald, vice president of marketing for the company. “While apples are traditionally associated with the fall season, now consumers have access to a variety of apples all year round.”

The Strengthening Organic Enforcement final rule establishes additional risk-based requirements intended to maintain integrity of the organic supply chain through fraud prevention. Specific aspects of the SOE final rule will reduce the types of uncertified operations in the organic handling supply chain, require import certificates for all organic products entering the United States, and provide additional oversight authority to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program.

Grapeman Farms has a rich history in the grape category and is the largest importer of Chilean grapes to the West Coast. “Being that we are a 52 week a year shipper, it’s a very important segment to our company,” said Jared Lane, vice president of sales and marketing for the Los Angeles-based company. “We have grapes every day of the year. We’ve been importing Chilean grapes for over 18 years now, so it’s become a pretty big part of our business.”

Metro Inc. donated $50 million worth of food in 2022, the equivalent of 9.9 million pounds of food or 9 million meals to food banks in Ontario and Quebec. In addition, Metro also made a financial contribution of $5.5 million to various causes.