Latest News From PMG Produce Products

Side Delights updates Bakeables package design
Side Delights updates Bakeables package design

The brand says the design change comes as shopper demand increases for healthy, convenient and cost-effective meals.

MountainKing readies petite-sized potato varieties for crawfish season
MountainKing readies petite-sized potato varieties for crawfish season

The fresh potato grower and packager says it will offer its Crawfish B-Red potatoes, Crawfish Medley Pack and Crawfish Gold Pack to retailers, along with additional sales support.

Natural Delights prepares for Ramadan demand for medjool dates
Natural Delights prepares for Ramadan demand for medjool dates

Natural Delights says it is offering 2- and 5-pound window boxes. High demand is expected, as medjool date sales surged during last Ramadan.

Morning Kiss Organic, DiSilva introduce fruit trio pack
Morning Kiss Organic, DiSilva introduce fruit trio pack

The Everett, Mass.-based company offers a new 2-pound fruit pack with pears, citrus and apples in both conventional and organic for families.

NatureSweet highlights seedless mini peppers as snacking option
NatureSweet highlights seedless mini peppers as snacking option

The San Antonio-based company's latest addition capitalizes on consumers' demand for snacking vegetables.

CMI Orchards’ Sunrise Magic apples now available
CMI Orchards’ Sunrise Magic apples now available

Shipments of the premium branded apple variety are expected to continue only through April, according to CMI Orchards.

Paradise Salad debuts at ShopRite store
Paradise Salad debuts at ShopRite store

Three Meadows Farm's new Paradise Salad debuted at the ShopRite of Chester, N.J. The salad was grown by students with autism who are part of the Somerset Hills Learning Institute’s hydroponics career training program.

Calavo debuting ready-to-cook meal innovations
Calavo debuting ready-to-cook meal innovations

The three product lines come fully prepared to cook in 30 minutes or less, with prominent labeling that calls out the preferred cooking method, according to Calavo.

Sunkist Growers gives cara cara oranges a refresh
Sunkist Growers gives cara cara oranges a refresh

Sunkist Growers has redesigned packaging and merchandising for cara cara oranges, leaning into the fruit's unique, pink hue.

Pink- and red-fleshed apples are hitting U.S. stores this fall
Pink- and red-fleshed apples are hitting U.S. stores this fall

Kissabel apple brand has expanded to North America, with Stemilt growing and marketing the first pink- and red-fleshed apple varieties this fall.

Bowery salads are in vending machines in mid-Atlantic
Bowery salads are in vending machines in mid-Atlantic

There’s less of an excuse to choose the candy or chips when you have fresh salad options in vending machines.

The Fresh Factor: 5 ways zucchini will surprise you
The Fresh Factor: 5 ways zucchini will surprise you

The Packer and Healthy Family Project have teamed up for The Fresh Factor series to share some of our favorite facts and tips about zucchini and why shoppers should give this produce underdog a moment in the limelight.

Natural Delights and Tajín collaborate on new date strips with chili lime
Natural Delights and Tajín collaborate on new date strips with chili lime

The medjool date brand is banking on shopper demand for sweet and spicy snacks to drive sales in new date snack offering.

Mushroom’s moment: Is the trendy item set to become a grocery cart staple?
Mushroom’s moment: Is the trendy item set to become a grocery cart staple?

The mushroom is enjoying some buzz in the cultural zeitgeist, but is it translating to sales in the produce department?

5 things about: Cherries
5 things about: Cherries

Get some useful — and just plain interesting — facts about cherries while they're in peak season.

Israel-based company to start production of compostable packaging in U.S.
Israel-based company to start production of compostable packaging in U.S.

Following recent European expansion, clean tech company TIPA Corp. has partnered with PPC Flexible Packaging and Clearview Packaging for U.S. production of flexible, compostable packaging usable for produce.

The Fresh Factor: How to pick, prep and store beets
The Fresh Factor: How to pick, prep and store beets

The Healthy Family Project and The Packer have teamed up to share some tips and tricks to eat more fruits and vegetables in an education series called The Fresh Factor. In June, we are shining a light on beets.

Pom Wonderful pomegranate arils and juice win Good Housekeeping snack award
Pom Wonderful pomegranate arils and juice win Good Housekeeping snack award

When a fresh produce item beats center-store, shelf-stable treats in an overall snack contest, that’s something to talk about.

Ripe or not? Solving the perfect melon puzzle
Ripe or not? Solving the perfect melon puzzle

Experts have shared their failsafe methods for selecting the perfect watermelon and new variety cantaloupe this summer.

Kroger Delivery offers Father’s Day meal ideas for $7 a person
Kroger Delivery offers Father’s Day meal ideas for $7 a person

For the dad who loves vegetables or the dad who loves grilling, there’s an affordable, convenient option this Father’s Day from Kroger Delivery, the retailer says.

Indoor lettuce grower adds chicken to its salad kit lineup
Indoor lettuce grower adds chicken to its salad kit lineup

Expanding its grab-and-go salad kit offerings, Montana-based controlled environment agriculture grower Local Bounti has added antibiotic-free chicken to two kits available this summer at Pacific Northwest retailers.

How to reach the heart of the artichoke
How to reach the heart of the artichoke

How many shoppers go beyond spinach and artichoke dip — and actually buy the whole, fresh artichoke?

Pairwise introduces first food made with CRISPR technology in the U.S. market
Pairwise introduces first food made with CRISPR technology in the U.S. market

The company says Conscious Greens — field-grown greens that eat like lettuce — were developed with technology using CRISPR, a gene-editing technique used to make changes to the DNA of a plant.

Litehouse campaign asks: Why don’t you have a ‘Ranch Guy’?
Litehouse campaign asks: Why don’t you have a ‘Ranch Guy’?

The “Litehouse in the House” salad dressing and dip campaign by Sandpoint, Idaho-based Litehouse is calling on consumers to get the summertime salad party started.

Welcome to walnut meat 
Welcome to walnut meat 

Move over, mushrooms: Meatballs, tacos and Bolognese can all be plant-based using walnut protein. And some social media influencers, as well as fruit and cheese brands, are chipping in to promote these nuts.

Boskovich’s Fair Earth Farms salads named in Fast Company sustainability awards
Boskovich’s Fair Earth Farms salads named in Fast Company sustainability awards

Fair Earth Farms is a retail line that launched in July 2022, pioneering packaging organic salad kits and salad blends in plant-based, fully-compostable bags, printed using water-based inks.

What's the difference between spring onions and scallions?
What's the difference between spring onions and scallions?

While a yellow onion and a red onion are obviously different, it’s not as easy to tell the difference among all the fresh onions with long green leaves and white tips that come in springtime.

Bowery salad kits now at 166 Giant Food supermarkets
Bowery salad kits now at 166 Giant Food supermarkets

New York City-based Bowery, a vertical farming company serving more than 1,800 grocery stores and e-commerce platforms, expanded its ready-to-eat salad kits to all 166 Giant Food locations.

Mastronardi Produce drops new Umami Bombs snacking tomatoes
Mastronardi Produce drops new Umami Bombs snacking tomatoes

The greenhouse grower says Umami The Fifth Taste brings a new flavor profile to the Bombs product line with a sweet and savory taste.

Dole adds 5 flavor varieties to Chopped Salad Kit line
Dole adds 5 flavor varieties to Chopped Salad Kit line

The new kits — Roadhouse BBQ, Chophouse Crunch, Hibachi Miso, Everything Caesar and Crunchy Taco — were expected to be on supermarket shelves nationally by mid-April.

Exclusive strawberry luxury reaches new heights
Exclusive strawberry luxury reaches new heights

Strawberries are becoming like semi-precious jewels as yet another produce category that’s gaining sophistication, variety and premiumization.

Baking influencer helps Natural Delights reinvigorate Canadian marketing
Baking influencer helps Natural Delights reinvigorate Canadian marketing

The medjool date grower has focused on consumer education in recent months to amplify its presence in Canadian markets.

Sweeter, less acidic varietal, star ruby grapefruit hits shelves
Sweeter, less acidic varietal, star ruby grapefruit hits shelves

“The star ruby variety is especially sweet in the late winter and early spring,” said Bee Sweet’s Keith Watson, adding that consumers can distinguish them by their blushed rind and dark red internal color.

Industry ready to come together at 2023 CPMA Convention and Trade Show
Industry ready to come together at 2023 CPMA Convention and Trade Show

The 2023 Canadian Produce Marketing Association Convention and Trade Show, set for April 25-27 in Toronto, will showcase the latest in greenhouse innovation, smarter packaging, fresh produce snacking and much more.

The retail data you need on hass avocados
The retail data you need on hass avocados

We know avocados are popular these days. But you need to know more details for your ordering needs, marketing plans and general strategy.

Albertsons Cos. redesigns O Organics brand packaging, launches Gen Z campaign
Albertsons Cos. redesigns O Organics brand packaging, launches Gen Z campaign

The O Organics brand of Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons is celebrating its growth and evolution with vibrant new packaging designed to stand out.

All in the family: Broccoli and its many cousins
All in the family: Broccoli and its many cousins

Broccoli isn't the only cruciferous vegetables worth merchandising, broccoli's cousins — broccolini, romanesco, broccoli rabe and cauliflower — can enliven wet racks and provides shoppers an array of options.

Why limes are key
Why limes are key

I have been writing about food for more than a dozen years and lived within a three-hour drive from the Florida Keys for more than 30 years. How could I have never done this?

Do you know your papayas?
Do you know your papayas?

Here’s the lowdown on some of the most common varieties.

How retail dietitians get shoppers to eat their leafy greens
How retail dietitians get shoppers to eat their leafy greens

"Lettuce" put more greens on that plate, says Hannaford Supermarkets retail dietitian Allison J. Stowell. This is what shoppers like in the salad category.

For retailers, Oishii made another vertically farmed berry: Koyo strawberry
For retailers, Oishii made another vertically farmed berry: Koyo strawberry

More varieties of strawberries are slowly joining leafy greens in the indoor, vertically grown scene, becoming available at commercial scale.

What's so magical about (edible, culinary) mushrooms?
What's so magical about (edible, culinary) mushrooms?

Packed with savory flavor and nutrients that many other types of produce don’t have, shoppers need to be reminded that mushrooms are a tasty and healthy addition to all kinds of dishes and cuisines. 

Say it with citrus: Grower reports strong supply of specialty citrus for Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl promotions
Say it with citrus: Grower reports strong supply of specialty citrus for Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl promotions

Bee Sweet Citrus is reporting a strong supply of lemons, cara cara navel oranges and blood oranges this year in time for spring holiday promotions.

Judging a book by its cover — How to determine a ripe banana
Judging a book by its cover — How to determine a ripe banana

Where a banana falls on a green-to-yellow spectrum holds the key to where this banana will travel next on its circuitous journey from farm to produce aisle.

Your guide to papaya varieties
Your guide to papaya varieties

Get a quick visual guide on papaya varieties to help you better buy and sell this tropical commodity.

Wegmans voluntarily recalls microgreens, sweet pea leaves, cat grass
Wegmans voluntarily recalls microgreens, sweet pea leaves, cat grass

Wegmans Food Markets issued a voluntarily recall on its products containing microgreens, sweet pea leaves and cat grass because of potential salmonella contamination, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

News bites: Apples, potatoes, juice, blueberries, dates, plant-based products
News bites: Apples, potatoes, juice, blueberries, dates, plant-based products

Check out these tiny tidbits of news from Crunch Time Apple Growers, Berry Brothers, NuBerry Farms, Pulmuone/Nasoya, RPE, Affinity Sales, Joolies and Red Jacket Orchards.

This root, this root, this root is on fire
This root, this root, this root is on fire

We may think first of the fiery orange-hued version when we conjure an image of a sweet potato in our heads, but produce is never that simple, is it?

Scaling up indoors-only greens
Scaling up indoors-only greens

Salad greens and lettuces at retail have transformed the last few decades from intact bunches and heads to plastic bags and clamshells of baby greens, triple-washed and ready to eat.

Cycling for Morning Kiss Organic smoothies at the N.Y. Produce Show
Cycling for Morning Kiss Organic smoothies at the N.Y. Produce Show

What will you do for a smoothie crafted with organic, fresh fruit and vegetables at a trade show?