Latest News From Foodservice

Purdue University to address COVID-19 supply disruptions
Purdue University to address COVID-19 supply disruptions

Purdue University professors will have a discussion on disruptions in supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and implications for consumers.

United Fresh explores foodservice trends in uncommon times
United Fresh explores foodservice trends in uncommon times

The United Fresh Produce Association and Datassential are featuring foodservice trends during a web seminar to accompany the association’s quarterly foodservice report.

Georgia produce growers focus on retail, new strategies
Georgia produce growers focus on retail, new strategies

Georgia growers who supply mostly retailers say they’re doing fine, but as for foodservice business — well, not so much.

New foodservice report covers how operators are adapting amid COVID-19
New foodservice report covers how operators are adapting amid COVID-19

The newest Fresh Insights for Foodservice report features baby lettuces, acorn squash, grapes and more, plus a section on how foodservice operators have been adapting their business models in light of COVID-19.

Seminar explores ways to offer produce to students in pandemic
Seminar explores ways to offer produce to students in pandemic

With schools closed, district foodservice professionals across the country are working with numerous collaborators to ensure students have access to healthy meals.

A rocky road to stability as pandemic stretches on
A rocky road to stability as pandemic stretches on

The road to the new normal as the COVID-19 crisis continues is a rocky one for many in the fresh produce industry.

Gifts of guac, safety tunnels: companies help during crisis
Gifts of guac, safety tunnels: companies help during crisis

Produce companies and organizations continue to think of innovative ways of helping consumers and customers during the pandemic, from celebrating Cinco de Mayo to new ways of keeping employees safe.

COVID-19's small town tragedies
COVID-19's small town tragedies

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are visible everywhere — from shuttered restaurants and empty streets to vacant parks and playgrounds and piles of empty Amazon boxes out for curbside recycling.

AFM guac contest to provide financial support for chefs
AFM guac contest to provide financial support for chefs

Avocados From Mexico recently launched the Guac & Beyond Chef Contest as a way to offer some financial help to foodservice professionals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

PMA delivers with digital foodservice conference
PMA delivers with digital foodservice conference

The Produce Marketing Association has cancelled its annual foodservice show in its traditional format, moving to PMA Foodservice: Delivered, a digital event.

United Fresh chooses Excellence in Foodservice Award honorees

The United Fresh Produce Association has named the recipients of its Produce in Excellence Foodservice Awards.

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Leafy greens growers expected to reduce acreage
Leafy greens growers expected to reduce acreage

Fresh fruit sales were up about 9% for the four-week period, while fresh vegetable sales were up 25%.

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Sysco awarded $120 million supply contract

Sysco Raleigh, Selma, N.C., has been awarded a maximum $120.9 million contract for full-line food distribution. 

Tanimura & Antle supplies HarvestSelect boxes to retailers
Tanimura & Antle supplies HarvestSelect boxes to retailers

Tanimura & Antle, Salinas, Calif., is introducing HarvestSelect, a box of fresh produce, to retailers for their consumer pickup and delivery programs.

Drop payment limits, lawmakers tell Trump administration
Drop payment limits, lawmakers tell Trump administration

Drop payments limits to fresh produce growers in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, Democratic and Republic Congressional lawmakers told the Trump Administration on April 23.

Packer Insight — Coronavirus and supermarket superheroes
Packer Insight — Coronavirus and supermarket superheroes

Catch up on what's happening in the fresh produce industry, especially related to the COVID-19 pandemic, with this update from Tom Karst, Ashley Nickle and Amy Sowder.

Of scarcity and surpluses
Of scarcity and surpluses

For produce it has been the tale of two industries. Retail is rockin’. Foodservice? Not so good.

United Fresh and USDA offer Buy Fresh web seminar
United Fresh and USDA offer Buy Fresh web seminar

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and the United Fresh Produce Association will partner on an April 23 web seminar discussing details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Purchase and Distribution Program.

Robert Guenther looks at USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
Robert Guenther looks at USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

Delving into the detail of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, Robert Guenther visited April 21 with The Packer’s Tom Karst.

USDA offers web seminar on $300 million COVID-19 purchase program
USDA offers web seminar on $300 million COVID-19 purchase program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering a web seminar on April 21 to explain details of its “Buy Fresh” program funded through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

California ag secretary thanks distributors, retailers
California ag secretary thanks distributors, retailers

California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross has penned a thank-you letter for retailers and food distributors across the country.

Costa Fruit adds consumer online ordering, next-day pickup 
Costa Fruit adds consumer online ordering, next-day pickup 

Boston-based Costa Fruit & Produce is joining a growing list of foodservice wholesales selling directly to consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Amid the chaos, heroes, innovation emerge from the produce industry
Amid the chaos, heroes, innovation emerge from the produce industry

While most of us are taking sanctuary in our homes, and likely grumbling about it, there are heroes across the food supply chain that are working hard to adapt and ease disruption.

Produce rolls with the changes; USDA plans grower payments
Produce rolls with the changes; USDA plans grower payments

With foodservice sales continuing at a fraction of normal and grocery store foot traffic down compared with normal levels, produce distributors continue to seek ways to alleviate bottlenecks and waste in the supply chain

School association and United Fresh to help students get produce
School association and United Fresh to help students get produce

The School Nutrition Association and United Fresh are partnering to connect produce distributors to school foodservice directors looking for single-serve, wrapped produce as part of meal distributions.  

Produce operators reflect on COVID-19 lessons
Produce operators reflect on COVID-19 lessons

Constant communication with employees and strong buyer-seller relationships have helped produce operators manage the choppy waters since the COVID-19 crisis began.

2020 potato acreage cuts could be big
2020 potato acreage cuts could be big

2020 U.S. potato acreage is likely to be down substantially in response to disappearing foodservice demand for frozen potatoes and large count-carton potatoes in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions.

Higher unemployment expected to take toll in coming weeks
Higher unemployment expected to take toll in coming weeks

Higher unemployment expected to take toll in coming weeks

Senators call on USDA to pay growers, ramp up produce purchases
Senators call on USDA to pay growers, ramp up produce purchases

Twenty-nine U.S. senators have asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to directly pay specialty crop growers and to immediately increase purchases of fresh produce for food banks and federal feeding programs.

York looks back on four decades and looks forward to challenges
York looks back on four decades and looks forward to challenges

Tim York began working in the produce industry after college, without knowing he would never leave it.

Oranges hang out at No. 1, but okra, artichokes pick up steam on PMG
Oranges hang out at No. 1, but okra, artichokes pick up steam on PMG

Oranges continued their hold on the top spot on PMG the week of April 6, but the rest of the top 5 shuffled slightly.

Letter from the Editor — Welcome to PMG!
Letter from the Editor — Welcome to PMG!

As you have probably figured out by now – especially if you've seen the cover of our March/April magazine – we have embarked on the next leg of the journey in our produce retail coverage.

LGMA web seminar updates buyers on food safety issues
LGMA web seminar updates buyers on food safety issues

UPDATED: The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement has scheduled another web seminar for retailers, foodservice operators and other buyers, with an emphasis on COVID-19 updates.

NSF International rolls out remote food safety training technology
NSF International rolls out remote food safety training technology

As the COVID-19 pandemic separates inspectors from on-site duties, NSF International has demonstrated the ability to conduct food safety audits using smartglass technology.

PMA members can access iTradeNetwork platform during crisis
PMA members can access iTradeNetwork platform during crisis

Produce Marketing Association members have free access to an iTradeNetwork platform that connects buyers and suppliers, as the COVID-19 crisis strains normal supply chains.

Packer Insight — Coronavirus and the produce industry
Packer Insight — Coronavirus and the produce industry

Want to catch up on how coronavirus is affecting the produce industry beyond your commodities or your segment of the business? We'll get you up to speed in 15 minutes.

PBH names 2019 Have a Plant promotion award recipients

The Produce for Better Health Foundation has named produce companies, retailers and individuals to its annual awards.

Mushroom Council, restaurant chain feed health care workers
Mushroom Council, restaurant chain feed health care workers

The Mushroom Council has joined B.GOOD restaurants’ mission of donating blended burgers and vegetable bowls featuring mushrooms to health care workers in the Boston area during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adapt your online presence and position your brand effectively
Adapt your online presence and position your brand effectively

For food companies, now is the time to be there for the consumers you’ve worked to earn relationships with while they are at home, cooking and spending a significant amount of time on their phones.

Brothers Produce provides distribution help to Houston Food Bank
Brothers Produce provides distribution help to Houston Food Bank

Houston-based Brothers Produce is providing needed distribution assistance to Houston Food Bank and its partners.

Foodservice sector scrambles for sales, relief
Foodservice sector scrambles for sales, relief

Wholesalers and foodservice distributors are selling to consumers as they scramble to replace millions in lost sales to restaurants because of COVID-19 restrictions in place since mid-March.

 Paul Manfre on the need for retail promotion - Interview April 1
Paul Manfre on the need for retail promotion - Interview April 1

The Packer’s Tom Karst visited April 1 with Paul Manfre, general manager of Top Katz LLC, Bronx, N.Y.

Pro*Act distributors selling directly to consumers in crisis
Pro*Act distributors selling directly to consumers in crisis

With plummeting foodservice sales across the country, Pro*Act’s distributors and their restaurant customers are delivering boxes containing a week’s worth of produce directly to consumers.

Craig Carlson talks industry adjustments - Packer Interview
Craig Carlson talks industry adjustments - Packer Interview

The Packer’s Tom Karst spoke on March 30 with Craig Carlson, CEO of Chicago-based Carlson Produce Consulting, LLC.

Packer Insight — Industry adapts amid coronavirus crisis
Packer Insight — Industry adapts amid coronavirus crisis

The Packer's Tom Karst, Ashley Nickle and Amy Sowder talk about their reporting of how the coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting the various segments of the produce industry, from foodservice to retail to wholesale.

Watermelon board launches redesigned website

The National Watermelon Promotion Board has launched an updated website, watermelon.org, featuring more content that promotes return visits for consumers looking for recipes, nutrition information and more.

Stand firm in connection with one another
Stand firm in connection with one another

Ohio, where I live and work, has issued an order for everyone in the state to shelter in place. Restaurants and schools have been closed, large gatherings are prohibited — and the world of produce has suddenly changed.

SEPC helps reduce foodservice waste after coronavirus closures
SEPC helps reduce foodservice waste after coronavirus closures

To help alleviate the backlog of foodservice produce inventory and the strain on local retailers and community, the Southeast Produce Council distributed free produce to people in the Jenkins County area of Georgia. 

Jason Resnick talks PACA trust and foodservice troubles
Jason Resnick talks PACA trust and foodservice troubles

The Packer’s Tom Karst talks on March 26 with Jason Resnick, vice president and general counsel for Western Growers, about the current foodservice crisis tied to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.

Western Growers: PACA should cover all claims during crisis
Western Growers: PACA should cover all claims during crisis

The fresh produce industry is facing unprecedented losses with the COVID-19 pandemic according to Western Growers, which is asking the USDA to cover all PACA claims to ensure produce sellers are fully protected.