Fresh Cut Magazine

Abusing Temperatures

The importance of maintaining the correct temperature of fresh-cut products comes up at every meeting as one of the keys to quality. But the effects of temperature abuse had never been quite so obvious until recently. A weekend storm knocked down trees and power lines in my west Michigan town. The power was out for a little more than 24 hours, but in the hottest part of the summer that was enough to bring the temperature in my refrigerator from cold to warm and humid, even without opening the door. When the power eventually came back on, I checked the appliance for what I had lost. I started with the freezer, since that’s easiest. My wife and I really only keep ice cream in there, but while throwing out melted buckets of that I found a semi-thawed whole turkey we received a couple years back, so that…  » Read more

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Capital investment firm is fourth partner in organic grower

San Juan Bautista, Calif.-based Earthbound Farm has added a fourth partner to the business: Dallas-based HM Capital Partners LLC. The terms of the July transaction were not released. HM Capital is a private equity firm that specializes in food, energy and media. The firm has invested more than $745 million in the food sector and has invested in more than 30 companies producing shelf-stable, perishable, refrigerated and frozen products over the last 20 years. According to the company’s Web site, HM Capital invests in businesses or brands that are undermanaged or mismanaged, have opportunities to cut costs, or have growth opportunities that are “under-appreciated by others and can be readily executed and accelerated through the firm's knowledge of the marketplace and relationship with potential customers.” The other partners in Earthbound Farm will continue to play key roles in the business and still control significant shares of the…  » Read more

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Research on watermelon rootstock extends shelf life and firmness

Fruit quality is an important attribute of the fresh-cut fruit industry, especially when the fruit has a limited shelf life. But scientists at Lane Agricultural Center near Lane, Okla., have found that grafting watermelon plants onto gourd rootstock not only increases fruit quality and crispness, it also increases shelf life of fresh-cut fruit. Grafting has been used extensively in Europe and Asia, where land availability is limited and crop rotation considerably more difficult. It hasn’t gained much popularity in the United States, due to the cost, availability of land and greater access to fungicides for disease control. Grafting research has been conducted in the United States, but no studies were extensive and few studies were performed on watermelons. Scientists at Lane Agricultural Center performed larger grafting experiments on watermelon to find better results. “The whole project was done for two reasons: One was to look at disease…  » Read more

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Focus on customers is key to success

Taylor Farms is one of the largest suppliers of fresh-cut vegetables for the foodservice industry, and now the Salinas, Calif.-based company is making waves in the retail market. Bruce Taylor started Taylor Farms 13 years ago after leaving Fresh Express to create a firm that was focused on foodservice. From the beginning, Peterson and the employees of Taylor Farms operated on a business model that was focused on what the customer wants. “We wrap ourselves around the customer. They tell us what they need and we go out and find the most economical way to make it, rather than just inventing a product and just pushing it out,” said Alec Leach, president of Taylor Farms California. That first plant in the Salad Bowl of the World – Salinas – sits not far from the fields where the leafy greens in the salad mixes are grown, and all around…  » Read more

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