Fresh Cut Magazine

IFPA Chairman Sees Industry Consolidation Continuing

With only seven years under his belt, Mark Miller is fairly new to the fresh-cut industry. However, in an industry that’s only about 20 years old, that’s OK. “Every day is a challenge,” said Miller, who is the chairman of the International Fresh-cut Produce Association (IFPA). “We’re very happy we made the choice we made seven years ago.” Before buying Energy Sprouts, dba Fresh From Texas, Miller and his wife, Lisa, had only personal buying experiences in the fresh-cut industry. Mark was a banker and Lisa an attorney. “As a young, professional couple, we were users of the product and felt that there would be continued high demand for healthy, fresh-cut fruits and vegetables,” Mark said. “We didn’t know much about fresh-cut other than it had good potential. “Luckily, we made that assessment correctly.” Miller credits their business sense and complementary skills as the reasons for their success in the…  » Read more

---

Processor Looks To Capitalize on Demographic Trends With Innovation

A demographic shift and emerging consumer trends are playing big roles in the continued growth of the fresh-cut produce industry, according to at least one industry member. “Fresh-cut is one category in which just about all consumer trends are in our favor,” said Steve Dickstein, vice president of marketing for Ready Pac. “The wind is clearly at our back with trends.” There are five key trends, which Dickstein said make fresh-cut more relevant than ever. Those trends are: • Higher incomes – when more convenience items are used; • An aging baby boomer population – where healthful foods are important; • Shifting population demographics – encouraging the rise in ethnic foods; • Higher population numbers – more buyers means more items sold; and • More people pursuing higher education – which, Dickstein said, means more fruit and vegetable consumption. “I’ve worked in many categories where trends are not your friends,” he said. “Clearly, in this category they…  » Read more

---

Food Safety Case Study: Dole Fresh Vegetables

“Do I have to wash my salads?” That’s the one question consumers ask Dole more than any other when it comes to food safety. The answer, according to http://www.dole.com, is no. “Dole Salads are thoroughly washed in purified water and are sold ready-to-eat,” according to the site. “As a result, it is not necessary for you to wash the salad prior to eating. Nevertheless, rinsing your salad again will not damage the lettuce or vegetables in any way.” This is just one way Dole reaches out to its consumers to share the company’s food safety practices – and works to ensure food safety from the field to the dining room table. Openness and honesty to consumers about how the company deals with food safety is one of the most important aspects of Dole’s overall quality assurance and food safety program, said Eric Schwartz, president of the fresh vegetables…  » Read more

---

Fresh Focus: International View – Japan

Have you ever eaten octopus? How about cooked tofu dipped in raw eggs? Well, these foods and more were the focus of our scrutiny, occasional disdain but mostly eager nibbling on our trip to Japan in February. Our American food industry could take some tips from their fruit-and-vegetable-laden diet. We didn’t know what a treat this was going to be. It was 5 p.m. on a Tuesday when we arrived in Osaka for a short vacation. We were visiting our daughter, Rachel, who is majoring in Japanese and attending the University of Hiroshima for her junior year. We scheduled this trip during her two-month break, which allowed her to act as our guide and interpreter so we could learn something about Japan. We wanted to experience the culture as regulars, not as barbarian Americans. The first thing we did that night was jump on the subway…  » Read more

---

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

It’s fitting that the one-year anniversary is “the paper anniversary” – at least fitting for a magazine. This month’s issue represents the 12th issue of Fresh Cut published by Great American Publishing. It’s been an interesting year for me and the rest of the staff at Fresh Cut. We had a bit of learning to do as we ventured into this new and exciting category of the produce industry. Finding out what makes an industry tick can be a monumental task, but everyone in the industry has been extremely helpful. I especially want to thank my editorial advisory board, which served as a great resource for me as I got my feet wet. Everyone on the board has given me story ideas and feedback on stories others have submitted. I appreciate all the help they’ve given me. I also want to thank all of the…  » Read more

---