Fresh Cut Magazine

Food Safety for All

The Senate is expected to debate the Food Safety Harmonization Act of 2008 this month, and there’s little doubt that it will be passed. The question is whether the legislation will negatively affect the produce industry in broad attempts to protect consumers. A similar version passed the House of Representatives last year, with noticeable differences. The House version includes a $500 inspection fee for every processing plant, while the version omits that, instead including fees for re-inspections and other actions. The Senate subcommittee passed the bill with few amendments, which is a positive step. However, there still may be amendments added when the bill moves to the floor for debate. Congress members have jumped on the food safety bandwagon, and other bills have been introduced to force change to the system. One such bill was introduced in December by Senator Feinstein (D-Calif.). Her bill would increase the…  » Read more

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Fresh Del Monte Produce’s fresh-cut vending machines have ‘rock star’ appeal

Fresh Del Monte Produce is heavily invested in value-added produce items at retail, but the company was looking for ways to reach consumers in places where fresh fruits and vegetables typically aren’t available. That effort led to the development of a Del Monte-branded vending machine that was introduced to the snack food vending machine industry in September, then introduced to the produce industry at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit in Anaheim, Calif., a month later. At the initial reveal, the company was considered the “rock star of the show” thanks to the innovation and truly new product for snacking. The fresh-cut vending machines will utilize Fresh Del Monte’s network of processing facilities and re-packaging distributors throughout the United States. The vending machines should be restocked at least once a week, so a convenient distribution system is necessary to maintain quality. Fresh-cuts are packaged in plastic clamshells…  » Read more

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Modernization act could pass Senate this month, but a law is months away

Last year was a busy one for food safety legislation. The thought early in the year was that increased food safety regulations would move forward under a new administration that supported a revamped food safety system in the United States. But food safety has fallen to the back burner – Congress and the President are more concerned right now with debating a health care reform bill, funding military action in Iraq and Afghanistan and repairing the economy. But 2010 may see the passage of a food safety bill, and the produce industry associations have been working hard in Washington, D.C., to ensure legislation is fair and science-based. A number of food safety-related bills were introduced in 2009, but few will ever make it to the floor of the House of Representatives or Senate. Once a bill is introduced, it can be sent to a committee – or…  » Read more

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State of the Industry

At the start of 2009 in Fresh Cut’s annual state of the industry report, there was little evidence that the small cracks in the economy would grow so large. In fact, the fresh-cut segment was looking up moving into last year, with retail sales of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables increasing and foodservice sales at least level. But those cracks grew quickly in a cataclysmic year that has seen unprecedented results. Foodservice sales have declined across nearly every segment – hitting the high-end restaurants and independents the hardest. Even quick casual and fast food restaurants have seen sales decline, and the new reality is that retailers and restaurant operators have to offer the same quality and quantity at a lower price point. “What a world it has become, and what a year it’s been,” Bryan Silbermann, president of the Produce Marketing Association, said during his annual state of…  » Read more

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