ORLANDO, Fla. — The Produce Marketing Association named six produce companies winners of its second annual Impact Award for Excellence in Produce Packaging here at the PMA 2008 Fresh Summit International Convention and Exposition.
To-Jo Mushrooms won in the functionality/technology category for its new line of fully cooked, ready-to-serve mushrooms, which includes flavors such as garlic mushroom saute, and kettle cooked portabella. In the environment/sustainability category, Noble Juices/Blue Lake Citrus took top honors for its new 100% biodegradable, premium juice bottles.
Tanimura & Antle's new living lettuce containers won for marketing messaging/content; while Micky's Minis won in the marketing design category for its small potted plants in retro-inspired gift packaging. Del Monte Fresh Produce won in the food safety/traceability category for its new clamshell packaging, and Mann Packing won in the supply chain efficiencies category for its new stackable Red Leaf Singles and Green Leaf Singles clamshells.
The awards were presented to winners during the Fresh Summit general session breakfast, where Bruce Taylor, chairman of PMA's executive committee, said, “Packaging offers rich opportunities to promote branding, and to advance key initiatives such as sustainability. This award highlights innovative packaging ideas that positively affect store sales — whether the goal is to catch the consumer's eye on store shelves, to protect a product in transit, to extend shelf life, or increase efficiencies and sustainability.”
This year's winners were chosen from more than 120 entrants vetted by a panel of produce and packaging experts, as well as academics.