ANAHEIM, Calif. — “Go after that big, lofty, ambitious goal. Create the plan. It may be 10 years down the line, but you can start doing it now,” Allyson Felix, the most decorated U.S. track and field Olympian and an entrepreneur, told a packed audience at the Women’s Fresh Perspectives event on Oct. 21. “Write it down and create a plan on how to get there.”
Seemingly echoing Felix’s advice, fresh produce businesses pushed the envelope, chased their big show goals and brought the best and most interesting products, services, innovations and updates to the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce and Floral Show on Oct. 19-21.
Monteblanco’s Carolina Hurtado Arias displayed fresh specialty mushrooms alongside cremini and white button mushroom offerings at this year’s show.
“Snacking is growing and that includes healthy snacks,” Mark Bassetti, president of Duda Farms Fresh Foods, told The Packer.
To meet consumer demand, Duda Farms Fresh Foods brought a new, snack-sized product, Celery Dippers, to the 2023 Global Produce and Floral Show. The 2-inch-long, bite-sized, pre-cut, washed and ready to eat celery sticks are targeting busy eaters looking for a go-to healthy snack.
What’s more, Duda Farm Fresh Food’s proprietary seed variety improvements mean that these tiny but mighty celery sticks are “sweeter, crispier and crunchier,” Bassetti said.
The proprietary seed variety research and development is helpful not only to improve the eating experience of the crunchy, green vegetable but, according to Bassetti, the next generation of celery varieties are being designed to thrive in diverse growing regions across the globe, such as Spain, Australia and Europe.
“These varieties are non-GMO,” he said. “It takes years to bring one to market, but [artificial intellgence] could help accelerate this process.”
A year and a half in the making, the Produce Team came to the trade show with its vegetables encased in a new compostable package.
“Our new, clear compostable bags are similar to plastic, but they are able to compost at home in less than six months,” Diana Zamudio told The Packer.
The clear bags are ready to go to market and will be on retail shelves soon, she said.
Compostable packaging resonates with organic products especially, Zamudio added, noting that organic shoppers are the most likely conscious consumers to make purchasing decisions based on their values.
Founded in 2007, the team at Growers Alliance came out to the 2023 show in force as a first-time exhibitor. The team was excited to showcase its strawberries, watermelon, honeydews and bell peppers grown in North and Central Mexican fields, along with its year-round supply of tomatoes and cucumbers.
