Latest News From Foodservice

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.

Joe Pezzini is the new chair of Center for Produce Safety’s board of directors. 

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.

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.

The International Fresh Produce Association’s Foodservice Conference, July 28-29 in Monterey, Calif., is an event full of connection possibilities for both buyers and suppliers.

Babé Farms is featuring a new lettuce item called “Ro-Minis” at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Foodservice Conference, said Matt Hiltner, marketing coordinator.

The International Fresh Produce Association’s Foodservice Conference will have the highest buyer participation in 42 years, with over 800 buyers, according to a news release.

The USDA will provide nearly $1 billion in additional funding to schools to support the purchase of American-grown foods for their meal programs. 

Foodservice operators turn to specialty produce to create a unique dining experience for customers.

US Foods has agreed to its largest vertical-grower partnership to date: Kalera.

Jersey Mike’s Subs, Manasquan, N.J., assigned the Grilled Portabella Mushroom and Swiss Sub the No. 64 spot on its permanent menu — and The Mushroom Council is thrilled.

They're baaaaaack. About 3,000 people attended the 2022 Baldor Bite show, compared to about 1,750 at the last show.

A fire at Taylor Farms’ primary foodservice processing facility in Salinas, Calif. on April 13-14 has caused significant damage, the company has reported.

There is no question that restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic hammered the foodservice industry.

Foodservice avocado sales seem to be slowly rebounding after the rollercoaster ride they endured during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The San Francisco-based food technology company has completed the acquisition of foodservice provider Daylight Foods of Union City, Calif.

Nearly two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions that gashed the foodservice operators, speakers at the Potato Expo said there are both optimism and caution about what is next.

As foodservice operators open their doors once again and expand their hours after lengthy COVID-19-related shutdowns and restrictions, many Chicago-area produce distributors say they can begin a return to normalcy.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Dec. 17 that his administration is providing up to $1.5 billion to states and school districts to help school meal programs.

On January 1, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will open the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) application portal for fiscal year (FY) 2023.

The North Carolina SweetPotato Commission (NCSPC) celebrated its long-awaited Eat Sweet Restaurant Week where they invited chefs across the state to “cook” up creative ways to elevate the State’s vegetable.

Restaurants are responding to consumer demand for healthier items for children, and school foodservice operations are able to reintroduce what worked and be flexible when it’s not.

The appeal of familiar, comforting food in an uncertain world is fading, even though we’re heading into winter when carbs are king.

It’s been nearly two years since the COVID-19 pandemic burst onto the scene, and produce distributors like those in Nogales, Ariz., embarked on what many likened to one long rollercoaster ride.

United Fresh Produce Association has released its fall 2021 Fresh Insights for Foodservice report.

Fresh potatoes have struggled at foodservice outlets during the pandemic, but frozen potatoes have gained market share during the past year, according to a new report from Potatoes USA.

Foodservice sales that plummeted during the pandemic are edging upward once again, but avocado importers say labor shortages are preventing the business from reaching pre-COVID-19 levels.

Home-to-Home food technology platform and community marketplace Tre’dish has today announced a $10m seed funding round as it commercializes and scales operations across the U.S. and Canada.

Foodservice demand is strong for Wada Farms, said Joe Esta, vice president of the Idaho Falls, Idaho-based company.

Los Angeles-based Pom Wonderful, part of The Wondeful Co., launched a social media contest to support local bars impacted by COVID-19 pandemic closures.

It is lunchtime, but some U.S. schools have reported trouble finding the right foods to put in student meals.

Bronx, N.Y.-based Baldor Specialty Foods, which distributes throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, has promoted two executives as a way of streamlining the rollout of future initiatives.

What U.S. metropolitan regions are the most likely to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Foodservice demand is coming back for Idaho-eastern Oregon onion marketers, but it is complicated.

Produce packaging design for foodservice customers is perhaps less demanding than consumer packaging, but both produce shippers and packaging suppliers predict sustainability influences will expand.

To say the COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact on consumer attitudes on plastic packaging would be a huge understatement, Matt Dusi thinks.

A return to “normal” conditions in the foodservice industry could lead to lower demand for single-use plastics and relaxed packaging pricing next year.

Here's a taste of what we saw, who we talked to and where we buzzed around at Produce Marketing Association's Foodservice Conference & Expo July 21-22, in Monterey, Calif.

MONTEREY, CALIF. — We chatted with more than a dozen companies at their booths at the PMA Foodservice Show's expo and brought the faces and the news we learned to you.

Many produce professionals would agree that 2020 and the first half of 2021 have required a lot of courage and change.

MONTEREY, CALIF. — While seagulls cooed atop the Spanish-tiled roofs and palms danced in the Pacific breeze, produce professionals streamed inside the 40th Produce Marketing Association Foodservice Conference & Expo.

Longer school lunch periods will likely translate to increased fruit and vegetable consumption for kids, according to research from the University of Illinois. 

Chicago-based data company Numerator has released a new study to understand the impact of inflation on recent and upcoming shopping behavior.

Fresh Solutions Network, LLC will be featuring their A Cut Above whole fresh and fresh-cut potato line at this week’s PMA Foodservice Expo in Monterey California.

As foodservice operations get back up and running, consumers are eager to dine out. More than 3.7 million consumers visited a restaurant via Yelp in May 2021, a record high for the app.