Fresh Cut Magazine

‘New school’ produce guys grow sales at ‘old school’ company

Phil Riggio, CEO of Detroit-based Aunt Mid’s Produce Company, considers himself an “old school” produce man, so he’s letting some “new school” men take the company into the future. They are Riggio’s three sons: Dominic, Vincent and Phil. They range in age from 21 to 29 years old, but they’re old hands at the business, having worked there since high school. Aunt Mid’s is a regional wholesaler, repacker, retail processor and foodservice processer. The company distributes in a 500- to 600-mile radius around Detroit. In the past four years, the company has grown 25 percent, Phil said, and he thinks there is potential for that much growth in the next four years. He also believes his sons will be the ones that inspire and guide that growth. A Family Business The three brothers and their dad work together in the same office with no walls or dividers between…  » Read more

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McDonald’s Looks to Fresh-Cut When Creating New Menu Items

McDonald’s Golden Arches is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. But in recent years, the fast food industry has been publicly criticized for offering meals that are high in fats and cholesterol. McDonald’s is trying to change that image by introducing new menu items that are nutritious, and surprisingly profitable. Menu Development The members of the menu management group at McDonald’s work together to focus on the customer side of the business. Emphasis is put on delivering new products in simple ways, said Mark Lepine, director of menu innovation and development for McDonald’s. Lepine said he was proud that McDonald’s has long been known for it’s use of produce, such as shredded lettuce, but was even more proud that he’s able to make it more diverse with salads, fruits and vegetables. The company released a line of premium salads, including the Asian Salad, this year and…  » Read more

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Fresh Cut Trends

At the Fresh-Cut Expo in Baltimore this past April, the International Fresh-cut Produce Association – now part of the United Fresh Produce Association – announced a partnership with the Perishables Group to produce a quarterly report on fresh-cut produce. The FreshFacts on Fresh Cut report for the first quarter of 2006 was just released and includes some promising data for fresh-cut produce. In the first quarter of 2006, total sales of fresh-cut produce were more than $1.3 billion. This represents a 6.5 percent increase over the same quarter in 2005. Fresh-cut fruit was the area with highest growth, according to the report, with total dollar sales up 15.7 percent from 2005. In total in the first quarter, fresh-cut fruit represented $242 million of the total fresh-cut sales, with fresh-cut vegetables representing $1 billion. Vegetables have made up the majority of fresh-cut produce sales from the segment’s beginnings.…  » Read more

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Fresh Focus: Health Benefits Enhance Sales and Profits

We recently researched the American Heart Association’s requirements to use its heart-shaped logo on fresh produce for a client. It’s an easily recognizable logo that signifies a healthy choice to consumers. The association has measured the return on investment and says it is really working with produce commodities. I started wondering what else might catch the consumer’s eye if you want to get a healthy message across. Pictures can do the trick, or maybe you could spend a lot of money creating a special new logo to get their attention, but I was thinking of something simple. We keep hearing about consumers looking for more healthful foods. I wondered what creates the impulse in a shopper to buy something healthy. Produce as Health Food Will word of mouth work? This reminds me of the tart cherry juice industry. I was visiting an apple grower in Washington…  » Read more

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Cartoons Help Jump-Start Healthier Lifestyle

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, nearly one out of every five children between the ages of 6 and 11 is classified as overweight, double the rate of 20 years ago. Teenagers fared even worse, with about 17 percent considered overweight, more than three times two decades ago. The CDC also reported that more than half of overweight children and teens have at least one other risk factor for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Healthy eating habits start with children, so marketers are partnering with Disney, one of the most recognizable names in cartoons, to make fruit and vegetables more attractive to kids. Imagination Farms Imagination Farms was formed about a year ago with one simple goal: to increase the consumption of produce among kids, chief executive officer Matthew Caito said. The company rolled out the first of…  » Read more

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