The line offers a Chef’s Collection of unconventional bite-sized tomatoes that includes Sakura Honey, Tomato Berry, Sun Gold, Black Cherry and Yellow Pear varieties.
Other products in the Artisan Series: Cherry tomatoes; Scarlet Pearls tomatoes; Farmhouse Heritage tomatoes; and Rosado tomatoes.
Pokomandy said the next scheduled products from JemD Farms are the Cocoa and Delicasee tomatoes.
Mastronardi Produce
In the last months of 2011, Mastronardi Produce of Leamington, Ontario, introduced snack packs of miniature tomatoes and seasonal soup kits because of consumer demands for convenience items in the fresh produce aisle.
The Compliments line includes mini sweet red tomatoes that Mastronardi’s vice president of sales and marketing, Joe Sbrocchi, said are particularly popular with kids, and therefore moms, too.
Another top seller for Mastronardi is the Zima tomato, marketed under the company’s Sunset brand and billed as “seriously sweet.”
In November Mastronardi introduced the Delano tomato, which Sbrocchi said has a different sugar-to-acid ratio.
Pure Hot House Foods Inc.
The Chinese are celebrating the Year of the Dragon, but people at Pure Hot House Foods Inc. in Leamington, Ontario, are celebrating the year of growth in 2012, according to company officials.
Part of the growth is in the form of rebranding, which the company launched with prototype labels for its Pure Flavor brand at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit in October. Sandra Dick, assistant director of marketing, said the new brand will be used on new blends this spring.
Along with the Pure Flavor brand, Pure Hot House introduced sweet miniature tomatoes called Juno Bites in 2011 and Aurora Bites, which are specialty mini sweet peppers in tricolor assortments.
Other new products under the Pure Flavor brand are griller and roaster assortments of fresh-cut vegetables.
Dick said the company is offering them on a seasonal basis with the grillers designed for warm weather outdoor cooking and the roasters designed for indoor winter use.
Regardless of the season, the griller tray assortments, which include peppers, onions, mushrooms, asparagus, mini tomatoes and other fresh-cut vegetables, can be used in the microwave, even though they appear to be made of aluminum.
In keeping with the Pure Hot House commitment to sustainability, the trays are 100% recyclable.
Westmoreland Sales
A new heirloom tomato is in the research and development phase with Westmoreland Sales of Leamington, Ontario, hoping to begin trials of it this year.
Dino Dilaudo, sales consultant for Westmoreland, said in mid-January the new heirloom tomato will be marketed under the company’s flagship brand, TopLine.
The Canadian greenhouse company is working with partner growers in Mexico, also, and is introducing other specialties relatively regularly, Di Laudo said. He said the company is also finding increasing success with club-style packs such as triple packs of cucumbers.
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