Fresh Cut Magazine

Snack Takes

Freshway Foods rolls out Snack Takes, its first fresh-cut snack line The snacking segment continues to be a growth opportunity for fresh-cuts, and new products are finding great success with health-conscious consumers. Freshway Foods of Sidney, Ohio, introduced its first snacking line this summer, called Snack Takes. The line features four single-serve fresh-cut items with a dip side for on-the-go convenience: sliced apples and grapes with caramel dip, sliced apples with caramel dip, celery and carrots with ranch dip and whole strawberries with chocolate dip. The low-calorie snack packs are perfect for sack lunches, afterschool snacks or a pick-me-up any time during the day, according to the company. "We are thrilled that our latest product line expansion is a consumer focused snack solution," said Dan Purdy, Freshway Foods' vice president of sales and marketing. "Our entire fresh-cut business is built on the commitment of delivering…  » Read more

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Research Reduces Labor

Automated lettuce thinner might save growers money on labor Labor is one of the biggest input costs for vegetable growers. With lettuce, the average cost for thinning and weeding in the fields is more than $120 an acre. A new automated lettuce thinner developed by the University of Arizona (UA), which could be available commercially within the next year or two, might change that. The thinner was demonstrated at a field day at the Yuma Agricultural Center in Yuma, Ariz., in March, and in Salinas, Calif., in May. In general, lettuce seed is sown at high rates due to poor germination rates in the fields. Two weeks after planting, farm workers weed out excess seedlings manually. "It's very common for the thinning to be done manually, by hoe," said Richard Smith, vegetable crop and weed science farm adviser for Monterey County, Calif."In 80-inch beds, human…  » Read more

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Healthier Happy Meals

McDonald's to offer more fruit, fewer fries with kids' meals McDonald's announced a new nutrition program in July that will improve the nutritional value of its meals, particularly the company's kid's Happy Meals. According to McDonald's, Happy Meals will automatically include a fruit side and low-fat milk, and a smaller 1.1-ounce portion of french fries. The immediate impact will be a 20 percent reduction in calories in the most popular Happy Meals. The new lineup will be the default order, but customers can substitute the milk for a soft drink or a second order of french fries instead of the fruit side. Communications to children will be changed to include nutritional messages, including marketing programs and packaging. "Recent research has shown that younger children are consuming more fruits and vegetables, but we still have a long way to go to increase consumption to meet daily…  » Read more

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