Quincy, Massachusetts-based Stop & Shop has begun its annual “Local Produce for Locals in Need” program, donating locally grown, fresh vegetables to help combat summer hunger in children and families throughout August. Through this program, communities in need will have access to fresh, local produce like eggplant, corn, cabbage, peppers and cucumbers as Stop & Shop […]
Category: Produce News
The Shelby Report covers the produce industry for grocery retailers nationwide, from fresh fruit and vegetable trends and supplier announcements to merchandising strategies and regional market news. Updated regularly across our five regional editions.
Find all our fresh coverage in Focus on Fresh.
IFPA Recognizes Exhibit Marketing At The Foodservice Conference
The International Fresh Produce Association celebrated three standout winners at the Foodservice Conference Expo on July 29. “The finest produce marketing was on display at the IFPA Foodservice Conference last month,” said Joe Watson, IFPA VP of retail, foodservice and wholesale. “I continue to be impressed by the creativity and ingenuity that all our exhibitors demonstrate […]
Study Reveals Growing Retail Channels For Avocado Purchases
A recent avocado channel segmentation study by the Mission Viejo, California-based Hass Avocado Board provides a greater understanding of avocado shopper segmentation by outlining key purchase metrics of buyer groups within each retail outlet where avocados are purchased. As a companion piece to a study released earlier this year, “Rethinking Retail: Avocado Shopper Segmentation,” this […]
Fresh Express Begins Promotion, Releases New Online Content
Orlando, Florida-based Fresh Express, a brand leader in value added salads, has kicked off its second annual Fresh On the Go promotion to celebrate its products. Throughout the three-week promotion, the Fresh Express website and social channels will spotlight on-the-go meal tips, recipes and featured products, such as the Spinach Avocado Pear Smoothie and Apple Feta Spinach […]
AppHarvest Secures $50M USDA Loan For Indoor Farm
AppHarvest has secured $50 million across two loans guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through Greater Commercial Lending, a subsidiary of Greater Nevada Credit Union. The financing supports AppHarvest’s high-tech indoor berry farm in Somerset, Kentucky, which is about 84 percent complete and expected to be operational by years end. “Securing non-dilutive sources of […]
Nabaco Promotes Produce Industry Veteran To VP Of Operations
San Marcos, Texas-based Nabaco has promoted Brenton Field to VP of operations. He has experience in both the produce industry and the U.S. Air Force. Field came to Nabaco with more than 30 years of experience working in produce, most recently with Chiquita and AgroFresh, and prior roles in the citrus and tomato categories. He […]
UNFI Implements New Technologies; Expands Private Label Options
Providence, Rhode Island-based United Natural Foods Inc. has implemented new technologies and processes to enable it to shorten certain delivery times by more than a day and harness the potential of data points to deliver fresher produce to its customers. Due to these efforts, UNFI has grown its produce sales ahead of industry growth even as […]
Mission Produce Begins Importing Avocados From Jalisco, Mexico
Oxnard, California-based Mission Produce has begun to import some of the first avocados to the U.S. from the Mexican state of Jalisco. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new certification of Jalisco avocados for the U.S. market provides access to an additional supply source of the fruit, supporting the company in meeting domestic demand. “We are […]
Seal The Seasons Develops Ruby June Strawberries
Durham, North Carolina-based Seal the Seasons is launching a new strawberry variety, Ruby June. The company states that this strawberry is 50 percent sweeter than commercial strawberries varieties that are traditionally frozen. Developed at Lassen Canyon Nursery and botanically known as Fragaria x ananassa, the Ruby June variety of strawberries has a deep dark red […]
California Almonds, Marvel Studios Partner To Inspire Wellness
California Almonds has teamed up with Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which premiered in theaters July 8, to celebrate the release of the film. A source of essential vitamins and nutrients, including antioxidant vitamin E, magnesium, six grams of plant-based protein, 13 grams of unsaturated fat and one gram of saturated fat, plus four grams […]
Fresh Express Presents Video Series On Food Safety Initiatives
Orlando, Florida-based Fresh Express has unveiled an inside look at advancements in its food safety and quality program through a video series that covers supply chain wide critical controls and procedures from field to table. According to President John P. Olivo, the video series is designed to show the real-world details behind the Fresh Express […]
Giant Eagle Expands Flashfood Program To All Locations
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Giant Eagle has expanded its partnership with Flashfood to all 173 Giant Eagle and Giant Eagle Market District stores. Starting in Cleveland, the 140-store expansion will steadily roll out throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania and will be completed by the end of October. Since Giant Eagle first introduced the Flashfood program at 34 store locations in […]
Joolies Expands Product Line With Dark Chocolate Date Nibbles
Joolies, Los Angeles-based grower of organic medjool dates, has introduced new product line of diced organic medjool dates: Dark Chocolate Date Nibbles. The dates come in three varieties including Blood Orange Dark Chocolate, Sea Salt Dark Chocolate and Matcha Dark Chocolate and are offered in two different retail sizes: two ounce pillow pouch and a four […]
Frieda’s Celebrates Passion Fruit, 2022 Flavor Of The Year
Los Alamitos, California-based Frieda’s Branded Produce is celebrating passion fruit this summer, which was recently named “Flavor of the Year” for 2022 by Monin. Passion fruit is considered to be the largest berry of all berry-producing plants. The passion fruit’s purple skin wrinkles when ripe. Under its exterior are small, black edible seeds surrounded by […]
Fresh Solutions Releases Potato Market Report Highlighting Farmers
Newport Beach, California-based Fresh Solutions Network has released a new report, Potato Market – Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022-2027), highlighting the role of their network of farmers and potatoes. Experts in the report noted positive trends during the future forecast period as potatoes continue to gain popularity during concerns about food security, inflation, supply constraints and […]
Revol Greens Prepares To Open New Facility In Temple, TX
Revol Greens is preparing to open a new lettuce facility in Temple, Texas. This facility, the largest to date, will work in tandem with the company’s growth plans to meet increasing consumer demand. Planting within the first of 20 planned acres in phase one of this new greenhouse is expected to start by the end […]
GrubMarket Acquires Quality Fruit And Vegetable Co.
GrubMarket has completed the acquisition of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas-based Quality Fruit & Vegetable Co., a fresh produce company that provides fruits and vegetables to the Southwest, sourced from the U.S., Mexico, South America and other parts of the world. QF&V is operated by its founder, Nick Delgado, a veteran in the fresh produce industry with more […]
SEPC Names Incoming Southern Roots Committee Members
The SEPC has named its new members and committee assignments for the Southern Roots platform. The new committee members are Desiree Forsythe of National Produce FB; Melissa Pine of Bolthouse Farms; and Kim St George of Renaissance Food Group. These women, part of corporate membership companies, have shown interest and participation and will continue their commitment to drive […]
Conagra Brands Opens Birds Eye Vegetable Processing Facility
Chicago-based Conagra Brands Inc. has opened a new vegetable processing plant in Waseca, Minnesota. The facility, which processes fresh vegetables to support Conagra’s frozen meals business and Birds Eye brand, was built from the ground up with a focus on maximizing automation to create greater efficiencies and enhancing food safety throughout. “The investment in our new […]
Crispy Green Releases Single-Serving Bags For Fruit Snack
Fairfield, New Jersey-based Crispy Green has released new single-serve packaging for its Crispy Fruit line, adding more fruit to each container and making the bags recyclable. “Over the years, we’ve received many requests and comments from our customers that they love our product but wish there were a few more bites in each bag,” said Angela Liu, […]
