Latest News From Foodservice

With mushroom- and veggie-laden offerings, pizza lovers can have it both ways on National Pizza Day, Feb. 9, 2023..

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s new initiatives lean into science-based nutrition updates to school lunches that tackle added sugar and sodium and support domestic and locally grown sourcing options.

The analysis outlines the company's response to challenges posed by climate change and how it prioritized efforts that improved soil health and supported farming partners’ transition to more regenerative practices.

AJ Wholesale Produce has been awarded a contract to supply fresh fruits and vegetables to schools and reservations.

Canadian fresh produce distributor Courchesne Larose Ltd. has announced a significant investment in its share capital by Sagard Private Equity Canada to accelerate its expansion, according to a news release.

The company has been awarded a maximum $285.2 million contract. 

The two companies have worked together for several years to service Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) military bases throughout the Midwest.

In leading up to the next farm bill, the National Resources Defense Council is launching a regenerative agriculture program centered around 30 award-winning chefs advocating for healthy soils and educating consumers.

NEW YORK — The aisles at the New York Produce Show Dec. 1 were packed with pedestrian traffic jams in some spots, but not at pre-pandemic cramped levels mirroring the city sidewalks during rush hour.

The 2022 New York Produce Show & Conference greeted attendees with a warm and welcoming atmosphere including breakfast, panel discussions and condolences about the show’s founder, Jim Prevor, who died Nov. 8.

The Bronx, N.Y.-based company has partnered with Farm to People, a New York City-based service for delivering local, sustainable and ethically sourced produce and pantry items to home cooks.

Travel with us as we take the journey of the apple from the orchard to the packing house to the storage facility and then to the restaurant and supermarket.

Bronx, N.Y.-based distributor Baldor Specialty Foods has signed a lease for a new facility in Lanham, Md.

Oakes Farms Food and Distribution Services LLC, Naples, Fla., has been awarded a maximum $238.5 million federal contract to supply fresh fruit and vegetables to defense and school customers in Alabama.

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has signed a cooperative agreement with California for more than $23 million to increase purchases of nutritious, local foods for school meal programs.

Global food packaging company plans to advance sustainability program with Rebecca Locker leading strategy.

Foodservice sales in the St. Louis, Mo., area have, for the most part, rebounded from the doldrums of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, some produce distributors say their restaurant business has surpassed 2019 levels.

FMI’s chief public policy officer shares insight on how the food industry will help the White House achieve goals to end hunger and increase access to healthy food.

The campaign name, Taylor to Your Tastes, introduces more shoppers to Taylor Farms Chopped Salad Kits and invites consumers to tailor meals to whatever their families’ tastes may be. 

Despite the challenges of inflation and the residual effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, business overall seems to be strong for produce suppliers in the Boston area market.

International Fresh Produce Association celebrated three standout winners at the Foodservice Conference Expo on July 29.

Smaller sizes and varieties that are on the lower end of the price scale often are the choice of foodservice buyers, Michigan apple grower-shippers say.

The International Fresh Produce Association’s July 28-29 Foodservice Conference attracted a record attendance of nearly 2,000 and more than 900 registered buyers from about 250 companies, show organizers said.

MONTEREY, Calif. —  San Francisco-based GrubMarket was showcasing its growth and technology tools at IFPA's Foodservice Conference, says Bryan Barsness, vice president of sales and marketing.

MONTEREY, Calif. — Tanimura & Antle was highlighting its greenhouse-grown lettuce at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Foodservice Conference Expo on July 29.

MONTEREY, Calif. —  Pure Flavor was touting its greenhouse-grown Solara Mini Melons at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Foodservice Conference Expo on July 29.

MONTEREY, Calif. — Fallbrook, Calif.-based Del Rey Avocados was highlighting its expanded capabilities at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Foodservice Conference Expo on July 29.

MONTEREY, Calif. — Apple Nachos, a new product from Stockton, Calif.-based Fresh Innovations California LLC,  incorporates versions with caramel, pretzel bits, fresh apple slices, peanut butter and chocolate.

MONTEREY, Calif. — Glendale, Wis.-based Maglio Companies was featuring its Mango Cheeks and Pineapple Spears at the International Fresh Produce Association Foodservice Conference Expo on July 29.

With personal stories, career reflections, and on-set food preparation, the talk-show format of the Monterey Bay Live! July 29 general session of the Foodservice Conference dazzled.

MONTEREY, Calif. – The buzz was real. 

Television personality Robert Irvine sparked lively back and forth verbal exchanges on child nutrition issues at the opening general session at the 2022 International Fresh Produce Association’s Foodservice Conference.

MONTEREY, Calif. — International Fresh Produce Association CEO Cathy Burns welcomed a crowd estimated at more than 1,800 to the 42nd annual Foodservice Conference, the first such event to be branded with the IFPA name.

Immokalee, Fla.-based Lipman Family Farms will be showcasing their growing category of value-added Lipman Fresh-Cuts at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Foodservice Conference.

The International Fresh Produce Association’s Foodservice Conference in Monterey will include a focus on building a preference for produce with children. 

The Pure Flavor hothouse label is out to shake up foodservice menus, says Chris Veillon, chief marketing officer for Pure Hothouse Foods Inc. and the Pure Flavor brand, Leamington, Ont.

NNZ Inc., along with Fresh Solutions Network/Basin Gold Cooperative, will debut the Amazables! microwaveable potato at the International Fresh Produce Association's Foodservice Conference.

The USDA has announced it is awarding more than $10 million in Farm to School Grants to 123 projects in the U.S.

Colombian hass avocado fruit is available from Index Fresh and should become an increasingly viable option for foodservice operators, said Susie Rea, sales and business development at Index Fresh Inc., Riverside, Calif.

Among companies with products featured on the online Fresh Ideas showcase for the International Fresh Produce Association's Foodservice Conference, here are some highlights of the products posted through July 13:

Naturipe is seeing foodservice demand rebound this year, says Jerry Moran, vice president of sales for Naturipe Farms.

U.S. grocery food inflation is expected to top 10% in 2022, the USDA reported in an updated Food Price Outlook report.

Frank Gargiulo & Son, Hillside, N.J., has been awarded a maximum $111.46 million contract with the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support to supply schools with fresh fruits and vegetables.

The California Avocado Commission has changed its foodservice menu promotions during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing for the California Avocado Commission.

It is not a predictable time for Ohio restaurant operators, says John Barker, president and CEO of the Ohio Restaurant Association.

Oxnard, Calif.-based Bobalu Berries has added private label packaging to its mix for one of the firm’s foodservice customers, said Cindy Jewell, marketing representative for the company.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest change for Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co. has been the addition of another packing facility to the Sage Fruit family, says Chuck Sinks.

San Francisco-based GrubMarket has announced it has completed the acquisition of Albuquerque, N.M., and El Paso, Texas-based Quality Fruit & Vegetable Co.

Miami, Fla.-based Crystal Valley Foods is introducing new foodservice vegetable packs at the International Fresh Produce Association’s July 28-29 Foodservice Conference.

Fueled by a strong economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. consumers are spending record sums on food eaten away from home, the USDA reports.