Fresh Cut Magazine

California Processor Grows Forward with Fresh-Cut Apples

The staff at Farmington Fresh, Stockton, Calif., is always on the lookout for new opportunities in the produce industry. That’s how the company got into fresh-cut eight years ago. David Rajkovich, president of Farmington Fresh, decided to look at value-added avenues for the growing/packing/shipping operation he was part of when he watched his kids pick out their evening snack. “In the evening, the kids want a snack, and their mom would tell them to eat something healthy,” Rajkovich said. “I keep Fuji apples in the fridge, and I’d watch them reach right past them and pick baby carrots. I thought ‘What’s going on?’” Rajkovich realized it was easier for the kids – and his wife – to choose the baby-cut carrots. There was no washing or cutting, and the kids didn’t have to wait. “I thought, ‘We need to make apples as convenient and fun to eat as…  » Read more

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Future Looks Bright for Dining Establishments

Foodservice operators have to react to changing U.S. demographics, tastes and economics. That’s why some foodservice groups have partnered with a research company to track who is eating out, where they’re eating and why they chose that restaurant. The International Fresh-cut Produce Association (IFPA) and NatureWorks contracted with Technomic to provide quarterly reports on customer and operator trends in the foodservice industry for one year. The goal of the research is to develop a framework for issues that are affecting the industry, said David Henkes, senior principal for the research. Technomic is a foodservice industry research and consulting company that tracks consumer and operator trends. For the IFPA research, Henkes said there would be no primary research, but he would be using some of the consumer surveys and primary research that the company conducts daily. He would also be looking at proprietary research and journal articles to…  » Read more

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Fresh Focus: What’s for Dinner?

When I was growing up, my parents took us to a restaurant once in a while on Friday night for the fish fry or Sunday afternoon to the S&W cafeteria, and it was a big deal. These days, if I forget to pull something out of the freezer for dinner, we just decide which restaurant we feel like patronizing and off we go. In fact, according to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), 46.7 percent of America’s food dollar in 2005 was spent on food prepared outside of the home, and that number keeps growing. While not surprised at this, I am fascinated by the resulting implications for our industry. Are you seeing growth in your foodservice sales? Is innovation in foodservice products increasing, too? That’s what I am hearing. Foodservice buyers quickly bring new product ideas to market, since they have to innovate to survive…  » Read more

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New Jersey Farm Delves into Microwavable Asparagus

As U.S. asparagus consumption rises, producers are looking for ways to take the mystery out of cooking the vegetable. A new microwavable line of fresh-cut asparagus was introduced in April from Cedarville, N.J.-based Sheppard Farms. Sold through King’s supermarkets in New Jersey, the product is the result of collaboration between Rutgers University and Sheppard Farms. Tom Orton, Extension specialist with Rutgers Agriculture Research Center and part of the Food Innovation Center, said the microwavable asparagus package took about 14 months to develop, a short amount of time compared to many new product rollouts. He, along with packaging consultant William Romig, looked for new ways to use an innovative package. “We took an existing package and modified it,” he said. “It was basically technologies that were already in existence and we took them and applied them in different ways.” The double-washed asparagus is sold in either a 10-ounce bag or…  » Read more

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Fresh-Cut Foodservice

In Fresh Cut this month, we look at the foodservice industry and its relationship with fresh-cut. Foodservice and fresh-cut are natural partners. According to research from Technomic – sponsored by IFPA and NatureWorks – the growth in foodservice will outpace the growth of the retail sector in the next five years. While retail is expected to grow 14 percent, from $472 billion to $537 billion by 2010, foodservice is expected to increase from $481 billion to $601 billion – a growth of 25 percent. This is where fresh-cut comes in handy. With more meals to serve, chefs are busier than ever. Fresh-cut products take the prep work out of the kitchen. The need for back-of-the-house labor can be greatly reduced, making for a more efficient kitchen. And, as chefs and other kitchen staff become more pressed for time, they can focus on what they do…  » Read more

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