Fresh Cut Magazine

April 2005

Convenience Stores Looking to Fresh-cut With slimmer profit margins on gasoline and cigarette sales -- and both categories facing very uncertain futures -- convenience stores are looking for new ways to boost revenue and differentiate themselves from competitors.
Food Safety/Sanitation: Smooth-Sailing Sanitation I received an e-mail from a produce plant in California asking me what to do to establish a food safety sanitation program? Are we using the right product to clean with? Does the crew know how to apply it correctly? Are they following the correct procedures to clean properly?
Fresh Fruit, Salad Lines Exceed Expectations With the introduction of its fresh fruit bowl and cup now virtually complete, Wendy's Restaurants has taken fresh-cut fruit to a whole new level in the fast-food industry.
Innovations: Raw Materials Industry professionals who have accomplished the successful transformation from the produce growing and packing business to the value-added fresh-cut business will attest to the pitfalls in pursuing the same strategy for both. One of the basic differences lies in the business models themselves.
Pioneering Fresh-cut 'Down Under' OneHarvest has blossomed from little more than a dream to become Australia's largest national fresh-cut produce organization -- the only fresh-cut company in that country with national distribution.
Showcase: Fresh-cut Expo Exhibitors
Thank You, Fresh-cut Industry

Featured Article

Thank You, Fresh-cut Industry

I am pleased to announce that Fresh Cut magazine has been sold to Great AmericanPublishing, Sparta, Mich., a dynamic publishing company involved in a wide variety of publishing interests. Look for new and exciting changes as Matt McCallum and his team move forward with plans to further sharpen Fresh Cut’s editorial scope, Web site and overall image. Beginning with the May issue, Great American Publishing assumed all control of editorial and advertising. On behalf of Mike Stoker, Vee Graves and the entire Columbia Publishing crew, thanks to all who have helped make Fresh Cut “the magazine for value-added produce.” Fresh Cut has come a long ways since Ken Hodge edited the first issue in the fall of 1993. Ken was an immense help for many years. Rick Stedman followed in Ken’s shoes for a brief period before being assigned to another publishing venture. I then filled in, serving in the editorial slot for the past couple of years. During that brief time span, I have visited with many people, attended many shows and literally had my eyes opened. Thanks to all who were so kind, courteous and helpful. On the advertising sales end, Vee Graves has been… » Read more

All Articles

Convenience Stores Looking to Fresh-cut

Convenience Stores Look to Fresh-cut Jeff Lenard National Association of Convenience Stores With slimmer profit margins on gasoline and cigarette sales, and both categories facing very uncertain futures, convenience stores are looking for new ways to boost revenue and differentiate themselves from competitors. One is the addition of fresh-cut fruit and vegetables to their foodservice menus. Gasoline and cigarette sales comprise about 75 percent of convenience store sales, according to Jeff Lenard, Alexandria, Va., director of communications for the National Association of Convenience Stores. However, such sales are expected to level off, or even decline, as convenience stores battle against stiffening competition from Wal-Mart, Costco and others large commercial chains for gasoline sales. There also is competition from Internet retailers ignoring state tax laws for cigarette sales. In the search for new sources of revenues, 7-Eleven and other convenience stores are exploring the use of fresh-cut fruit and… » Read more

Food Safety/Sanitation: Smooth-Sailing Sanitation

I received an e-mail from a produce plant in California asking me what to do to establish a food safety sanitation program? Are we using the right product to clean with? Does the crew know how to apply it correctly? Are they following the correct procedures to clean properly? The bottom line was that while they wanted to have a food safety/sanitation program in place, they wanted to invest little, if any, resources into the sanitation program. So, I gave them the following guidelines, which I hope will help you. They are very simple. I call them “KISS”, or “keep it simple stupid.” Think of it as a smooth sailing sanitation ship, the S/S TARTEC, which is the acronym for the following: S is for surface. What are you attempting to clean: rubber, plastic, concrete, etc.? S is for soil. What is the organic challenge: protein, starch, vegetable… » Read more

Quick-service Restaurants Finding Success with Fresh-cut

With the introduction of its fresh fruit bowl and cup now virtually complete, Wendy’s Restaurants has taken fresh-cut fruit to a whole new level in the fast-food industry. Bob Bertini, Wendy’s spokesperson, said that less than three weeks after the company’s fruit products were first introduced nationally, the company was using more than 750,000 pounds of fresh-cut fruit per week. The bowls and cups feature fresh cantaloupe, honeydew melon and pineapple chunks along with red seedless grapes. The entrée-sized fruit bowls come with a low-fat, strawberry-flavored yogurt for dipping. The suggested price for Wendy’s fruit bowl is $4.19; the cup price is $2.19. “We’re giving our customers an easy, convenient way to add more fruit to their daily diet,” said Tom Mueller, president and chief operating officer, Wendy’s North America, in a recent news release. The new menu choices help consumers follow a key recommendation of the recently… » Read more

Innovations: Raw Materials

Industry professionals who have accomplished the successful transformation from the produce growing and packing business to the value-added fresh-cut business will attest to the pitfalls in pursuing the same strategy for both. One of the basic differences lies in the business models themselves. The traditional produce industry is driven by market fluctuations. Some are somewhat predictable, such as seasonality, and others seem to break in time like waves at the seashore: up, down, big, small, one direction or another. Growers and packers need to have a tremendous instinct for surviving, with a goal of thriving, in this business. It is somewhat like the lure of a gambler to a high stakes poker game. With the right hand under the right conditions, enough profits can be made to sustain operations in mere days that can last a company for years. Or the opposite can happen. Wholesale… » Read more

Harvest FreshCuts Pioneers Fresh-cut ‘Down Under’

“Find a point of difference that delivers a consumer benefit; build a robust supply chain; define convenience as ease of decision making at the point of purchase.” That continues to be one of the personal philosophies of Rob Robson, founder and CEO of OneHarvest, the group of companies that bore Harvest FreshCuts Pty Ltd. Harvest FreshCuts is the processing arm of the group, based in Brisbane, Australia. Over the past decade, this fresh-cut fruit and vegetable business has blossomed from little more than a dream to become Australia’s largest, national fresh-cut produce organization. OneHarvest has been at the pioneering edge of fresh Australian produce for more than 30 years. Raised in his father’s wholesale fruit trading business, Rob and his siblings worked alongside their father through school. Upon completing a university education, Rob established a wholesale produce operation based in the Brisbane markets with his brother… » Read more

Showcase: Fresh-cut Expo Exhibitors

Heinzen Introduces New Insect Removal Wash Zone System Heinzen Manufacturing International (HMI) will be displaying its new Insect Removal Wash Zone System at Fresh-Cut Expo in Phoenix. This new wash zone system features an air-agitated flume, which gently acts upon such leafy products as spinach, spring mix and romaine to remove insects and other undesirable particles. The system can operate independently but is primarily designed as a modular section to drop into existing HMI open flume wash systems. A dual-zone, closed-loop filtration circuit is at the heart of the system. This dual-zone area maintains a weir balance to remove particles by gently submerging the product using a modular plastic belt. The HMI Insect Removal Wash Zone System can be custom designed for capacities up to 20,000 pph. Also on display during the show will be the HMI HydroBlade and its AB200 AutoBatch, SD300, SD300E, SD300ES and SD50:LT… » Read more