Fresh Cut Magazine

Fresh-Cut Stone Fruit

Stone fruits are notoriously difficult to process for fresh-cut products, and there have been few commercially marketable fresh-cut stone fruit items over the years. Researchers have looked at dips and processes to maintain quality and freshness, primarily in peaches and nectarines. But Fruit Dynamics, Fresno, Calif., has worked for the last five years to develop a full program for fresh-cut stone fruit, and it's finally ready for market. Fruit Dynamics, operated by Kim and Eric Gaarde and founded in 2002, is an independent analysis and evaluation service focused on fruits. The company does everything from titrating acidity to conducting consumer taste panels for breeders, growers, packers, marketers and retailers. One of the products the Gaardes have developed is FruitSpan, a database of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, plum/cherry/apricot hybrids, grape, cherry, kiwi, apple and citrus cultivars. The database, extending back to 1993, includes varietal characteristics, lab…  » Read more

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PTI: Where We Are

The Produce Traceability Initiative adjusted its milestones this summer to that Milestones 4, 5 and 6 now have a target date of 2011. In addition, the leadership structure of PTI has been reorganized to better represent the industry segments. Language for the milestones has been updated to emphasize the voluntary nature of PTI, said Ed Treacy, vice president of supply chain efficiencies for the Produce Marketing Association. The language for the milestones was changed to "target date" rather than deadline, as implementation will be decided between trading partners and not PTI. The new governance structure of PTI is being implemented, and representatives were expected to be named in August, Treacy said. The restructuring was based on concern that participation in PTI guidance was closed to the original 49 founding members. The new structure is based on the Foodservice U.S. GS1 Initiative, which PTI has been…  » Read more

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