ATLANTA — Exhibitors at the International Fresh Produce Association’s 2024 Global Produce and Floral Show shared new varieties and new solutions to its booth visitors throughout the Georgia World Congress Center. Check out highlights of the show with these video booth visits.
Visitors to Stemilt Growers booth could take in a magic show, which entertained guests, and get Happi — literally. Happi is a new and exclusive pear variety to the company.
Tim Harrington, merchandising manager for Stemilt Growers, said the pears, which can be eaten firm or soft, are available in a four-week window this year in 2-pound pouch bags or in bulk.
“You’re going to love the beautiful, lovely color,” he said. “It’s a magnificent pear. Don’t forget to pair it with your cheese and favorite beverage.”
At the AgroFresh booth, Bradford Warner, global head of digital and data for AgroFresh, and Daniel Pelliccia, CEO and founder of Rubens Technologies, talked about a new partnership with the companies.
Warner said the collaboration with Rubens Technology takes AgroFresh’s FreshCloud — a digital platform that helps optimize fruit quality, reduce waste and improve decision-making — and expands it to an ecosystem that will address key variables and help increase the profitability, efficiency and sustainability in the fresh produce supply chain.
Rubens Technology developed a nondestructive scanner to detect the quality and maturity of the fruit.
“We have developed calibration models for apples and other fruits that can be able to tell the quality and the maturity of this piece of fruit,” Pelliccia said. “The data that flows directly to the Bluetooth connection on the phone and the phone uploads it to the cloud into FreshCloud, so those data variables are immediately available as part of an incoming protocol that can be used both preharvest in orchards and brought back into a packhouse where they still continue to sample test and provide better accuracy.”
Potandon Produce served up its Minute Mashers with Gravy at its booth.
Sean Davenport, marketing manager for Potandon Produce, said the company also highlighted its CarbSmart yellow potatoes, which have 55% less carbs than a side of rice or pasta.
“It’s a really great alternative to those who really enjoy potatoes but want some extra health benefits,” he said.
Other talking points for both visitors include Potandon’s full product line from big russets, red, gold and mini potatoes as well as value-added microwavable potatoes.
Robert Verloop, executive director and CEO of the California Walnut Commission, said a major talking point for visitors to the organization’s booth was its tagline, “Walnuts are produce, too.”
Verloop said the commission wants to put the focus on younger consumers and how incorporating walnuts in the produce department helps grow produce sales.
“When walnuts are in the market basket, the market basket is actually worth about $55 more,” he said. “Part of that is that there’s incremental items that come with the walnuts [purchase].”
Thuan Ngo, vice president of data and software services for ZAG Technical Services, said visitors to the company’s booth would learn about its new business intelligence reporting product, which helps those in the produce industry better analyze the data from enterprise resource planning software.
“What we’ve done is taken the complexity out of needing to know all the ins and outs of how you can better use your data from the ERP system,” he said. “With this type of solution, we’re bringing forward modernization that allows you to take what you have and do more with the data … and bring forward new optimizations and ways you can use that [data] to make better business decisions streamline operations and much more.”
Your next read:
• Fresh ‘worth fighting for,’ says IFPA CEO Cathy Burns
• Seen and heard at IFPA’s Global Produce and Floral Show 2024 — Part 1
• Seen and heard at IFPA’s Global Produce and Floral Show 2024 — Part 2
• Seen and heard at IFPA’s Global Produce and Floral Show 2024 — Part 3
• Seen and heard at IFPA’s Global Produce and Floral Show 2024 — Part 4
• Seen and heard at IFPA’s Global Produce and Floral Show 2024 — Part 5
• Seen and heard at IFPA’s Global Produce and Floral Show 2024 — Part 6
• Seen and heard at IFPA’s Global Produce and Floral Show 2024 — Part 7
