News
Catch up quick on the news of the week with this latest episode of Packer Insight. Watch for the recap, and then get more details on each of the following topics at the links below.
Since 1983, The Packer has sponsored 37 major consumer studies to track trends in the purchases and consumption of fresh produce.
The long sought-after fountain of youth may have been hidden in plain sight. Three new studies suggest strawberries may be associated with slowing down aging of the brain, cardiovascular system, and gut microbiome.
Irvine, Calif.-based Western Growers has a goal of automating 50% of harvest within 10 years, and is spearheading a Global Harvest Automation Initiative make it happen across the fresh produce industry.
The fresh-picked Honeycrisp crop from Chile has arrived in the U.S., offered by Elgin, Minn.-based apple and pear importer Honeybear Brands.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced the termination of 10 U.S. consumer standards that are obsolete and impede the effective marketing of specialty crops.
The U.S. online grocery market finished March with $9.3 billion in sales, a return to January’s record spending levels.
With truckload rates at historic highs, more carriers made their equipment available on the spot market last week, said DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the industry’s largest load board network.
The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council recently partnered with a TikTok food influencer to create a cookie recipe, and The Packer’s Amy Sowder and Amelia Freidline decided they had to try it.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is looking to buy as much as 485,000 cartons of domestic grapes for the school lunch program and other federal food and nutrition assistance programs.
The USDA has announced the availability of up to $10 million in assistance to assist agricultural producers impacted by the worsening drought conditions in the Klamath River Basin.
The United Fresh Produce Association is offering a web seminar on optimizing produce quality and shelf life extension on April 20.
One year after making its first COVID-19 relief delivery to the Houston Food Bank, MountainKing has now shipped more than 1.6 million pounds of fresh potatoes to the non-profit organization.
Unfold, a firm handling seed genetics, crop growing and agronomic expertise for vertical farming, welcomes Minos Athanassiadis as a company advisor and breaks ground on R&D vertical farm facility in Davis, Calif.
Retailers interested in more sustainable packaging had many options to consider at the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure event in early April.
The era of the Farmers to Families Food Box program will soon be over.
The COVID-19 pandemic demanded course corrections for California cherry marketers in 2020.
Value-added leafy greens accounted for nearly 10% of total fresh produce sales at retail in 2020, bringing in $7.2 billion and demonstrating continued strong demand for convenience items.
As temperatures begin to rise in California’s Central Valley, the Bee Sweet Citrus team has turned its focus to Star Ruby Grapefruit as a key player in the company’s seasonal line.
As National Salad Month approaches, here are a few updates from brands around the country.
Northwest produce firms Chelan Fresh, Gebbers Farms and Apple House Warehouse & Storage Inc. are helping support families in Pateros, Wash., where childcare is in short supply.
After a pandemic-driven spike in e-commerce and the spread of unrecyclable problem plastics, DS Smith Packaging marked the anniversary of the opening of its Reading, Pa., recycling plant.
Church Brothers Farms made additions to its sales team and promoted existing staff as part of a plan to grow the company’s retail and foodservice sales programs.
JOH is pleased to announce that Patricia “Patti” Herrick has joined JOH as a Director in our Metro Division in Paramus, NJ.
Interko unveils its pioneering Containerised Ripening Room following five years of research and development in partnership with multi-national tropical fruit importer-marketer Fyffes.
Smurfit Kappa’s innovative three litre Bag-in-Box packaging design has received Amazon’s “Frustration-Free Packaging” (FFP) certification.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is withdrawing a proposal that would have revised the handling requirements under the federal marketing order for tomatoes grown in Florida.
The National Organic Standards Board begins its spring meeting on April 20.
Don Goodwin, founder and former owner of GoldenSun Insights, a strategy centric firm focused in the fresh produce industry, passed away on Sunday, April 18th, 2021.
LUV by Fresh Directions Intl hit the ground running this past week, with its first exhibition of the year at Southern Exposure 2021.