Fresh Cut Magazine

Burger King branches out with healthful fresh-cut option

When Burger King’s “idea” team began working on new, healthful products to market to children, they had only one word to guide them: Fun. That innovative approach to fast food menu development has led to the creation of an innovative – and healthful – fresh-cut item. “We are always looking for fun foods,” said John Schaufelberger, senior vice president of global product marketing for Burger King. Healthful Fresh-Cuts Burger King has developed a new product that will be marketed to kids, called Apple Fries. The Apple Fries are red apples peeled and cut julienne-style to look like french fries. The company will take that one step further and package them in a fry container, called a Fry Pod. “Kids will think they’re mimicking adult behavior and enjoy it, and moms will feel good that their kids are eating a healthy product. It’s a win-win situation,” said Keva Silversmith,…  » Read more

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Sensory evaluation useful in marketing fresh-cut produce

Quality is the No. 1 factor when it comes to increasing American consumption of fruits and vegetables. Consumers who are disappointed with a product won’t buy it again. But quality – as defined by the average shopper – encompasses a variety of senses, including taste, texture and visual appearance. “Flavor is very important and will determine if they will buy that product again,” said Adel Kader, professor emeritus in the department of plant sciences at the University of California, Davis. “That is what determines repurchases. The flavor satisfaction is key.” When developing new fresh-cut products, Kader said to consider the sugar-to-acid ratio to find the balance that gives the most intense flavor. Generally, flavor is most intense when both the sugar content and acid content are high, he said. “If you are shooting for one target, you should shoot for high sugars and moderate to high levels of…  » Read more

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Fresh Focus: Pathogen Testing for Safety

Since the E. coli outbreak on spinach last fall, there has been a lot of discussion about raw and finished product testing for leafy greens and other commodities. This is a timely subject that needs to be considered carefully to understand what testing can accomplish. Can product testing assure safety? The new California Leafy Greens Handler Marketing Agreement only talks about product testing as part of the remediation of contaminated water. Apparently, the scientific community that participated in the development of the document decided they should focus their initial efforts on prevention, not product testing. Further recommendations may come in future iterations of the agreement because growers want to assure product safety and buyers want verification. With produce, there are many unanswered questions about what to test for, what testing protocol is best and when products should be tested. The subject is rife with unknowns. Before embarking…  » Read more

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Food Safety: Accountability Counts

Topps Meat Company was the largest producer of frozen hamburger patties in the United States until last month. After a USDA investigation into a nationwide E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, the Chicago-based company was found to have supplied the tainted meat, and faced with the economic consequences the company shuttered its doors and closed shop. But why talk about beef in a fresh-cut fruit and vegetable magazine? Well, for one thing, the state of meat regulatory system point to where the FDA is heading for produce. After a 1994 E. coli outbreak killed four children, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service identified E. coli O157:H7 as an adulterant, meaning a positive result for the bacteria would lead to immediate regulatory action, including USDA closing the plant. As with fresh-cut produce, E. coli O157:H7 isn’t introduced in the plant, but is found in the environment and introduced prior to…  » Read more

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